September - New Student Outreach
Student activity fairs, water bottle giveaways, free pizza… Facebook event invitations, “dorm storming”… 200 root beer floats served to Grinnell College freshman… 52 Drake University internationals going on an IV-sponsored trip to Adventureland (local amusement park)… Over 100 new Washington University students showing up for a free furniture giveaway… It’s that time of year, what InterVarsity staff call “NEW STUDENT OUTREACH”!
**NEW STUDENT OUTREACH (NSO)
The first few weeks of school have passed. In many ways, it’s not only the busiest time of year but also the most critical, as our IV chapters try to connect with as many new students as possible. Studies have shown the most significant period of “bonding” for freshman occurs in the first 10-14 days of college. Thus, our 35+ staff in the Central Region have been working around the clock in outreach. Here are a few other NSO highlights:
- CONVERSION AT WASH U. Over a week ago, I spoke at Washington University’s Praise Night, a worship night geared for returning IV students but with freshman invited. One non-believing frosh showed up, came up to me after my talk, and told me that God met him during the night and that he now believes in Jesus and wants to follow Him. We prayed, and he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior!
- CONVERSION AT UMKC. Last week, the staff planting a new chapter at U of Missouri-Kansas City hosted an event called “Tell me all your Thoughts on God”, an interactive exhibit where students could post their opinions on different questions. One student ended up in a conversation with our staff Jamie. This student disclosed that she just started going to church and was “becoming saved”. Jamie shared the gospel with her and eventually asked her if she was ready to make a decision to follow Christ. She responded, YES, but actually thought that she might already have made that decision the previous night without realizing it!
- RECORD LARGE GROUPS IN IOWA. During the first IV Large Group meeting at U of Northern Iowa (small chapter), over 75 students attended with over 50 students being newcomers. This was significantly larger than any single meeting last year! The same happened at Drake University’s chapter, with well over 100 students coming to their first (outdoor) Large Group meeting, another record!
- NEW MINISTRY PLANTED AT LINDENWOOD. At Lindenwood University’s new InterVarsity chapter and first-ever NSO, over 100 students showed up at an IV pizza outreach, another 50 at the first IV worship gathering, and 60 new students signed up for joining Bible study groups… All of this at a campus where InterVarsity did not exist a year ago!
- 200 FROSH FROM MAINLAND CHINA. Our new staff team at St. Louis University were pleasantly surprised when they were given an opportunity to help out the university administration, which was not prepared to welcome (and even house) these 200 Chinese students. Many of them didn’t pass the TOEFL and have much difficulty getting around. But they are asking our IV students questions about Christianity and Jesus, and some of our Chinese-American IV staff have had opportunities to share the gospel in Chinese!
**PRAYER REQUESTS
Please continue praying for our NSO, esp. the important follow up work in the coming weeks as we seek to “go deeper” with new students. In addition, please pray for the following:
- OUR 5 NEW CHAPTER PLANTS. This month, 5 new IV Chapters are being planted in my region: U of Missouri-Kansas City, Drake University (International Student chapter), Lindenwood University, U of Missouri-St. Louis, and U of Missouri–Columbia (Mizzou). Please pray for the staff of these plants, esp. for challenges that some face getting official student group recognition, PR challenges (sharing what IV is all about with the administration and students), and challenges of loneliness. And pray for early and quick growth of the chapters!
- OUR FALL CONFERENCE. During Oct. 3-5, hundreds of students from around the Central Region will gather in Kansas City for our annual Fall Conference. Pray for obstacles to be removed for students who wish to register — financial resources for those who need help with registration fees, encouragement for those who worry about exams, and a large number of peers on campus going for those who don’t want to go alone!
- HIRING A ST. LOUIS AREA DIRECTOR. My current St. Louis Area Director, who oversees 16 staff and 8 chapters, will be leaving in June 2009. Thus, one of my biggest priorities of this semester is sourcing good candidates to eventually replace him, a tough task. Please pray for divine appointments and conversations within IV and outside of IV. Pray that God would connect me to the right people in the coming months.
Warmly,
Tom
