God is a pursuer. I feel like we're experiencing just a sliver of his character as we visit and revisit freshmen. I'm realizing that I tend to feel like I'm imposing or that they're tired of seeing me again. I just need to get over that. I've heard a couple of stories of people who are now a part of our fellowship because they were personally invited repeated and over the course of an entire semester. Now that's persistence!
Lord, continue to call us to follow you in ways that feel risky and outside of our comfort zones.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
connections
Thursday was the day we've been anticipating: freshmen move-in day! I joined the student leaders of One Voice for a day of tabling alongside other student groups. We passed out a ridiculous amount of bottled water and had the chance to talk with incoming students and their parents about what InterVarsity is all about.
Friday we headed out into the residence halls for a little IV tradition at Wash U - dorm storming. It sounds a little militaristic, but it really just involves pairing up with someone to go and visit a few of the students who signed up to learn more about us the previous day. I have this silly fear of somehow coming across as a creepy adult who hangs around campus too much, but the One Voice students have all assured me that I can still pass for a college kid and the freshmen I met confirmed this. "So, what are you studying?" and "What year are you?" are going to be the most common questions I face this year. Not bad.
This week we're sponsoring a photo scavenger hunt and our first gathering as a fellowship. We would all appreciate your prayers as we continue to welcome and visit new students. The next couple of weeks are jam packed with activity, but it will pay off in the coming months as our chapter is solidified.
Friday we headed out into the residence halls for a little IV tradition at Wash U - dorm storming. It sounds a little militaristic, but it really just involves pairing up with someone to go and visit a few of the students who signed up to learn more about us the previous day. I have this silly fear of somehow coming across as a creepy adult who hangs around campus too much, but the One Voice students have all assured me that I can still pass for a college kid and the freshmen I met confirmed this. "So, what are you studying?" and "What year are you?" are going to be the most common questions I face this year. Not bad.
This week we're sponsoring a photo scavenger hunt and our first gathering as a fellowship. We would all appreciate your prayers as we continue to welcome and visit new students. The next couple of weeks are jam packed with activity, but it will pay off in the coming months as our chapter is solidified.
Holly, Christy and Guillermo tabled in the extra hot afternoon. What troopers!
Jonathan, Olivia and Meredith, plus a whole lot of bottled water.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
bonding
The Washington University Class of 2011 will begin moving into the residence halls tomorrow morning. It's an exciting time of the year! It's also probably the busiest time of the year for InterVarsity staff and student leaders. Our goal is to be the most hospitable welcome wagon we can possibly be.
I read an article on Sunday that described what incarnational ministry looks like in a campus context. Did you know that some of the most significant bonding that humans experience happens in the first 24 hours after birth? Likewise, the first few days on campus provide a significant opportunity for building friendships with new students. One of my co-workers who serves with the Asian Christian Fellowship at Wash U is actually spending a couple of nights sleeping over in her students' residence hall in order to model what this kind of outreach means. For the next three weeks we will be adapting to the schedules of the new freshmen: late nights and an endless amount of energy to meet new people.
The students of One Voice Christian Fellowship - that's the name of our InterVarsity chapter - want to use these crucial days to love sacrificially by giving of their time and energy at a time in the school year that is also busy for them academically and socially. Join us in praying that God would honor these sacrifices and that He would mold us into a community that is marked by our hospitality.
I read an article on Sunday that described what incarnational ministry looks like in a campus context. Did you know that some of the most significant bonding that humans experience happens in the first 24 hours after birth? Likewise, the first few days on campus provide a significant opportunity for building friendships with new students. One of my co-workers who serves with the Asian Christian Fellowship at Wash U is actually spending a couple of nights sleeping over in her students' residence hall in order to model what this kind of outreach means. For the next three weeks we will be adapting to the schedules of the new freshmen: late nights and an endless amount of energy to meet new people.
The students of One Voice Christian Fellowship - that's the name of our InterVarsity chapter - want to use these crucial days to love sacrificially by giving of their time and energy at a time in the school year that is also busy for them academically and socially. Join us in praying that God would honor these sacrifices and that He would mold us into a community that is marked by our hospitality.
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