Category: Reflect Actively (Page 3 of 8)

Reflect Actively for Deeper Fruitfulness

Longing for Revival

November 19, 2019 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

InterVarsity’s 2030 Calling directs us to see our campus mission field with fresh eyes, focusing on unreached corners and campuses. This calling is compelled by a holy discontent—thousands of students and faculty have little or no gospel-centered witnessing community on their campuses. It also is fueled by a holy longing—a yearning for campuses to experience a season of breakthroughs in word, deed, and power that usher in a new normal of kingdom experience and fruitfulness.

This is longing for revival.

At InterVarsity’s Staff Conference 20 in January we will seek the Lord for kingdom breakthroughs in our own lives and every corner of every campus. We will give our attention to preparing for revival, renewing our calling, and thriving together. We will meet the Lord in Scripture through John 13–17, Jesus’ Upper Room Discourse. And we will worship with our brothers and sisters gathered from across the fellowship.

Would you pray for the final preparations for this conference, God’s protection over our gathering, and that God would meet us in profound ways as a community? Thank you!

Prayer on Everycampus

September 20, 2019 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

From coast to coast, students around the country are back at school, and on hundreds of campuses, and as you read this our staff are inviting students from a multitude of backgrounds to consider the relevance of Jesus to their lives today!

These first few weeks on campus are rich with opportunity to build new relationships form new communities, and establish new rhythms (many of which will last throughout that students’ time on campus). As such, for our staff team, these are weeks full of intentional outreach to meet, welcome, and invite students into our fellowships.

Would you consider partnering with our work in this season by prayer walking a campus near you? Just like the students in the video below (who actually road-tripped to prayer walk) and our staff across the country, would you consider taking a look at this State by State list of campuses and consider “adopting” a campus near you to prayer walk via www.everycampus.com?

12 campuses, 3290 miles

September 12, 2019 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

Our 2030 calling is compelling staff across the country to continue to lift up their eyes to the ‘field’ God has placed before them.

This summer Kristin Wright, Area Director in Montana (on the left in picture above), joined with her staff to prayer walk on yet to be reached campuses around the state.

On her 3290 mile trip she experienced God’s presence through scripture, images, divine appointments, engaging in prayer around challenges students are facing, the joy of students as they engaged in prayer for their campus, and insights into particular ways to partner with Him in ministry on campus.

Praise God for leaders like Kristin in our movement that are seeking to meet God on every corner of every campus and catalyze movements that call students and faculty to follow Jesus…and are willing to drive 3,290 miles to do it! Please pray for the ‘seeds’ that were planted on this trip would end up bearing fruit across Montana.

Looking Back

August 7, 2019 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

“If it’s you Jesus, invite us on the water.”

18 months ago my family was asking this question regarding the opportunity to move to Madison and take a job at InterVarsity’s headquarters.

We had been captured by the story of Peter in the boat in Matthew 14. As a family we sensed it was Jesus on the water and made the move last summer.

While there is much to still see about what God has for us here, there are a couple of things that stand out as I look back at the first year.

First, “water” is very unstable to step onto. This year had many questions, challenges, and uncertainties. It is faith stretching and calls out a focus on Jesus.

Second, we have so much to be thankful for. Camilla and I spent a recent drive recounting for an hour our places of thanksgiving as we reflected on the year.

Thank you so much for your prayers and continued partnership! And, I wonder, is there a place where Jesus’ presence is beckoning you out of the boat?

Prayer is the work

July 3, 2019 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

Do you remember the story in Exodus 17, of Moses standing on the mountains with his hands up as the Israelite’s battled on the field below?

As I studied this passage in an InterVarsity class last week, Praying for Spiritual Breakthrough, we were challenged by this phrase shared by our teacher – Prayer is the work.

How does my action, my work, demonstrate the central place of prayer in the story of God? Many times it does not. I go about my work, important for sure, without the central component of a dependence and crying out to God as I do it.

This morning in our weekly chapel I had the opportunity to lead our office staff to intercede for the requests of new staff across the country (pictured above). As I continue to explore how to deepen this aspect of the work God has called me to, would you join me in God’s invitation of engaging in the work of intercession?

Not what I expected to find

June 5, 2019 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

Last month I was privileged to visit the Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama with my team. It is a powerful memorial to the thousands of victims of lynching in America, telling a part of our history that we need to reckon with as a country. I highly recommend it.

In one area of the memorial, the markers for every verified lynching in every county in the United States are laid in a memorial garden. As I walked through looking for counties that I lived and worked in Missouri, I came upon a memorial to the county of my birth, St Louis County, Minnesota.

Stunned, I realized the ground of lynching extended to the very ground in I was born and grew up on. This story is part of my story.

I later read about Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie who were lynched in Duluth in 1920. May the Lord have mercy on us and may we participate this day in the coming of his kingdom that is marked by justice and righteousness.

People of Peace

November 21, 2018 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

Going to a brand new place where you do not know anyone can be scary. Continue reading

Open Doors

October 22, 2018 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

“We are just trying to catch up with God.” Continue reading

Led across boundaries

September 27, 2018 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

Have you experienced God leading you to an unexpected space to follow him? As I look in the book of Acts, a consistent theme is God leading his people across boundaries into mission.

As Camilla and I moved back to St Louis in 2002, an invitation came for me to explore staffing a Black student chapter in St Louis. In response I joined the Visions Gospel Choir, part of Harambee Christian Ministries, and came my first Friday to the building pictured above at Washington University.

This started a five year journey of learning with and providing leadership alongside amazing student leaders in Harambee. God clarified my calling, formed me as a leader, gave long term friendships, and enabled me to witness students and faculty saying yes to Jesus.

It continues to be a blessing to see these students have impact in so many sectors of society. In June I went to this place, gave thanks to God, and laid stones of remembrance.

As an InterVarsity movement we see God continuing to call us across boundaries in mission. Let me know ways you would like to partner with us in this mission.

Going before us

September 6, 2018 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

On my first retreat hike after our move to Madison this summer, I experienced yet another sign of God going ahead of us as a family in this move.

As I spent my monthly retreat hiking and talking with God, I was calling out to God with the concerns and uncertainties that come with a big move. As my heart was stirred, I came upon several spots in the hike that caught my attention, like the cluster of wildflowers pictured above. On my hike, the path went straight through the flowers. As I walked through them the vibrancy of that sunny day was amazing.

The experience caught my attention and as is my practice on my hikes, I stopped to consider what God might be saying to me through this space. It was clear that my mind had been so filled with concerns, prayers, anxiety, and God’s invitation in that space was to turn towards him.

This call of God to turn aside and look toward him was further emphasized two days later as we spent part of our chapel service that week reflecting on Moses’ turning aside to look at the burning bush and encountering God. The message each day was the same, it is so easy to be distracted by many things and God’s invitation to us is to stop and look. Will you join me in this today?