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A place where the paths cross

June 30, 2016 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

Last week I attended the Sojourner’s Summit to explore the intersection of Jesus, campus, and justice.

While I found many connection points, one pressed deeply as I listened to a college student brought to America by her parents who spoke of the impact of the Supreme Court ruling in the immigration case, U.S. vs. Texas.

For many on our campuses the lack of action on immigration reform is not a passing news story but one that brings fear for them and their families every day. As a follower of Jesus and a grandson of an undocumented immigrant, I see how immigration reform intersects my pursuit of Jesus on campuses throughout the Central Region.

Many followers of Jesus, including leaders in InterVarsity, are praying, working, and asking for immigration reform from our political leaders. Will you join in?

Renewal

June 30, 2016 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

This week marks the beginning of a five month sabbatical for me. What does that mean? Lots of time at the beach, writing a book, sleeping in?

Actually none of that except for a bit more sleep hopefully. Every seven years InterVarsity gives the opportunity for staff to go on a sabbatical to take in lessons learned from the last season and prepare for the years of ministry ahead.

It is a tremendous gift to step away from day to day ministry responsibilities, which are handled by colleagues, to spend time in reading, reflection, and projects to see renewal in my life. As partners you enable this time by your continued partnership with time, talent, and treasure. Thank you. I appreciate your prayer for a time of deep engagement with God in this season.

As a note I plan to update this blog once a week with sabbatical related content and I asked another staff to post stories of students and staff engaging on campus once every 2-3 weeks.

Abundance

June 28, 2016 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

God is doing amazing things in the Central Region. It is one of the most fruitful seasons in the history of InterVarsity in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.

Praise God with me for his work and for each of the numbers in the graphic above that represents a student and groups of students saying yes to Jesus!

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Crossing point?

June 22, 2016 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

What is the intersection of Jesus, the campus, and justice? I’m spending the next three days engaging seminars and speakers with this question on my mind at the Sojourners Summit. Would you pray for clarity and divine appointments? Check out the live stream to join in.

New workers

June 21, 2016 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

Last week we gathered with an expanded team to praise God for what he has done in this past year and set the course for the year ahead.

We are blessed by an excellent set of directors for the Central U.S. (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska) and in having four new associates appointed this spring.

One of the most powerful moments in our meeting was a morning session where we applied part of the passage we studied the previous day to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn” Romans 12:15. One by one we walked through each corner of campus and spent time rejoicing and mourning in prayer. It was a deep time of connection with our campus and with each other as we become familia.

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What a year!

June 21, 2016 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

When is the last time you stopped to map out the previous twelve months – notable times, places of sorrow, blessings, etc.? As I prepared my yearly report last week I started with a spiritual reflection of the previous year.

In this reflection I was amazed at all that happened in the last 12 months. Places of great joy, like the Special Olympics experience for my son; times of pain, like missteps I made with my colleagues; new partnerships formed, like with a close prayer partner; and deep ministry to students, like the Harvest Conference.

Praise God for his presence and guidance in these last twelve months. What a blessing to stop and reflect. What might you see if you charted out your last 12 months?

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Let’s step back

June 13, 2016 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

It is pretty easy to keep moving forward without much reflection of where we’ve been or what to change on the way forward. My work of remembrance continues as I have two opportunities to stop and reflect this week.

The first is with our gifted regional leaders from Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska as we assess the last twelve months and identify adjustments and priorities for the coming year. The second is at my year end retreat where I will work on my year end report.

My prayer is that I will see clearly and hear the Lord’s direction.

What happened?

June 10, 2016 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

As our year comes to an end I am reminded of an important spiritual practices for us, and one often stated in scripture…remember.

As a supervisor I get the opportunity to do this work on my year end reviews for staff while reading all of the reports from the last 12 months. In looking back I see stories of God moving students to take risks, others choosing to follow Jesus, and times of heartache.

As I wrapped up my reading of one staff’s reports today, I was so grateful for the clear ways God moved in this year.

Is their a story of God’s provision that he is inviting you to remember today?

Would Jesus Eat Frybread?

June 7, 2016 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

18 months ago we had one chapter among Native Hawaiian students in Nebraska but no other focused work with Native students.

After a profound prayer experience January 2015, one of our staff began to pray and build relationships at Haskell Indian Nations University, which now has a chapter on campus. Last week I wrote a story about another Native Hawaiian student reaching out to friends on campus in Nebraska.

After discernment of national leaders for the best location for the next National Native Ministries conference, Would Jesus Eat Frybread?, we’ve be asked to host it at Haskell. What an unbelievable honor and an opportunity to see more Native students reached on our campuses.

Would you join me in praying for God to work in and through this upcoming conference to powerfully impact our region and students from around the country?

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Grasping?

June 7, 2016 / Howie Meloch / 0 Comments

Are we grasping for things that do not satisfy or are we embracing the promise of what God has for us? This is the question out of Isaiah 55:1-3 that began our training last weekend. Our focus was increasing partnership for our work and as we often see our heart posture is crucial for this work.

Our staff left with new tools to invite deeper partnership for the work on campus, motivation to do the work, and preparation for the summer ahead. Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray that God would bring partners to help us reach every corner of the campus in the Central Region.