Category: Encourage Service (Page 2 of 10)

A brick wall, not very inspiring right?

Last week, I participated with colleagues around the country noting #signsoflife we saw on campus. I shared about a wall.

It stood behind a staff, a toddler when I first met him, now sharing with me about his ministry at the University of Arkansas. I walked past this wall 20 years ago when I staffed the campus. Now a staff team invites students to encounter Jesus. This wall reminds me of the continued work of God through many seasons, even as He moves us to new places.

Across the country, InterVarsity chapters focus on new student outreach on campus and virtually. Please pray for them and also share with me #signsoflife you see around you.

In this pandemic, we see college and university faculty connecting digitally and pursuing God together. From a faculty roundtable at Northwestern in January with 900+ participants, to 180 faculty engaging in a digital Camino, to our highest number of participants (297) at the Believers in Business Conference. Last week an event on race and theology drew 90 faculty from across the country.

Like for others, it has been a challenging year for faculty and InterVarsity’s work. At the same time we praise God for His movement amongst faculty. Join me in giving thanks to God!

Do you know a faculty member that would like to connect to other Christian faculty? Connect them with us.

In May and June the attention of the nation once again focused on the continued systemic injustice in our country after the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, in addition to the ongoing disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Latino communities.

Over the last few months I have reflected often on 2014 and the work God did in my heart and in my city of St Louis after the killing of Mike Brown.

The question for me (and us) – will we maintain our focus to partner with God in seeking His shalom for all as the attention of others move elsewhere?

As a leadership community we are reading Healing Racial Trauma by Sheila Wise Rowe this summer and engaging how we can see God’s kingdom come in and through InterVarsity.

For resources to take the next steps in your journey, check out my about page, IVP’s list of resources for faithful justice, and this thought provoking reflection by Chris Rice.

“We have tremendous unity in our need for a good shepherd.”

As we gathered leaders overseeing InterVarsity’s work across the colleges and universities in the U.S., we focused together on our call to be sheep and shepherds in this tumultuous season.

Instead of in person gathering in San Antonio, we engaged together over video conference, processing the experience of schools and InterVarsity groups moving online and called out together to God for his shepherding of us.

One of the leaders shared the quote above about our unity around need. In these days it deepened our engagement in prayer and with each other. I am so grateful for these resilient and creative leaders who press forward in their roles as sheep and shepherds.