T.G.I.F(undraise)!

Earlier today, I met with a potential donor to share the vision of our ministry and invite him to consider supporting InterVarsity financially. Truth be told, when I first came on staff, I hated this element of the job. I wished we didn't have to raise support ourselves and just go about doing the work on campus.

Well, having appointments over the years like the one I had today have changed my mind completely. Stepping out of the day-to-day to talk about the big-picture vision of what we hope to see God do on campus raises my own level of passion for this vision. Having someone get excited about what we're doing provides a deep sense of encouragement and the sense that we're not in this alone. And having someone step out in faith by putting their finances behind this ministry inspires me to go about the work on campus with a renewed dedication and sense of purpose.

I never would have imagined saying this seven years ago, but: Thank God I Fundraise!

Fenway Faith-full

I keep feeling like I need to have something truly profound to say before blogging, so I put it off. And the longer I do that, the better I feel the next one must be, and so the cycle continues, resulting in no new posts. I think I'm missing the point, which is to share thoughts as they come. So here's a random one:

I recently read a book by my favorite sports columnist. He recounts in emotionally-charged detail the years leading up to the Boston's 2004 World Series win. I had forgotten just how it felt to be a Red Sox fan prior to 2004-- the constant dread, the cynicism, wondering how they'll blow it this time, and the nagging sense that no matter how good things may have looked, certain doom lurked just around the corner. I remember that I once felt these things, but two World Series wins later, and I can hardly remember how it felt.

Generally, I was always more hopeful in ministry than in baseball, but still.... thinking back to 2006, InterVarsity hadn't planted a new ministry on a campus in Boston in many, many years. Like Sox fans born after 1918, we'd heard victorious tales of planting, but had never actually seen it with our own eyes. This was more from lack of trying than from gut-wrenching defeats, but either way, we wondered how it would ever happen.

Three years later, with new chapters at Northeastern, Mass Pharmacy, Curry College, and emerging ministry at UMass-Boston, Mass Art, and BU Athletes, it's awfully hard to remember what it felt like for planting to exist only in the realm of far-off hope. But it did, not too long ago!

For better or worse, Sox fans now have a certain confidence (ie, cockiness) about them. But definitely for better, these last three years have given me a level of confidence in God (ie, faith) that I did not have before....

- Paul

Humbled by Recognition

This past weekend Paul and I attended a few graduation ceremonies of the schools we serve, marking the end of the school year. It’s been a wonderful year and this past month three of our fellowships got recognized by their respective campus student bodies for their work in serving the campus. Students at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences voted InterVarsity as the “Organization of the Year” on campus (see photo on right). It’s an award that is usually given to the professional organizations and clubs at the college so we’re grateful to God that the activities and outreaches of the fellowship have been noticed by the larger campus community and has impacted it positively.

The two InterVarsity fellowships at BU, InterVarsity-multiethnic and Asian-American Christian Fellowship, co-sponsored an event called “Injustice” in March. They put on a daylong event that included interactive displays, testimonies, and group discussion about the issues that three of their students saw while on a mission trip to Uganda last summer. (See more about this event at http://people.bu.edu/buaacf/main.html). At such a large university, there are many, many, many events put on each year by the 400 student groups that exist, but BU’s Student Union Allocation Board voted unanimously that InterVarsity’s “Injustice” event be named the “Program of the Year” for the quality of the event and participation.

Our vision is that the InterVarsity groups we lead would engage and impact the campus. We are extremely grateful to God that the groups we are growing on campus are not “holy huddles” in the corner, but are front and center on campus.

Perhaps!

I'll be leaving for New Orleans in a matter of hours, and am drawn to an obscure story (which I love) from the book of 1 Samuel. In it, Jonathan goes marching boldly into battle, and says "Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf." Perhaps?!?! If this is true, then it's also true that perhaps things will go horribly wrong and he'll get killed!

Well, this is our fourth time going to New Orleans, and still I feel a bit like Jonathan. There are so many "perhaps"es. Not only are we heading into a city that's still in a lot of disarray, but we're taking our largest team ever (75 students), and when your business is people, you just can't know the outcomes, no matter how many times you've done it before.

All I can do is dive into a big "perhaps"-- I'm acutely aware of many things that could go wrong, and I'm aware that lots of unexpected things will happen. But I'm also aware that, like Jonathan, it's on the other side of "perhaps" where all the glorious possibilities lie, where the Lord acts on our behalf. So it's time to head into the unknown and trust that God will create wonders as we do....

- Paul

Fun Moment

Yesterday I was on campus helping some students run what we call a proxe station in the school's atrium where many students pass by. A proxe station is an interactive display that is designed to draw attention to itself by it's size and colors in order to engage the student body on a campus with deeper themes than are normally talked about on a day to day basis in a student center. We've done a number of these at MCP over the last two years on topics like "How much of an atheist are you?", "Rate your last relationship," and "What are you here for anyway?"

Yesterday's topic was "Where is God When It Hurts?" in preparation for an outreach event we are having tomorrow. In the midst of this heavy topic a fun moment happened. While we were asking students to take part in this interactive survey, one of the InterVarsity students leaned over to me and remarked, "Liz, this feels so normal now. The first time we did one of these proxe stations I was so nervous, but now it just feels normal." Yes! How incredible that engaging your campus on spiritual and deep topics feels 'normal'. Wow.

- Liz

A Biography Worth Reading

Paul has been the one posting (or rather not posting) for us lately. This blogging thing is harder than I thought. Hopefully in the new year I'll be able to write more...

The other thing Paul does more of than me is read. I used to devour books as a kid and high schooler, but being an English major in college seemed to ruin me from reading for a while. Having to read a Shakespeare play and a novel a week during school as well as keep up with other classes took the fun out of reading.

So usually Paul is the one to post about a good book he's read, but I'm proud to announce that I have finished a book. :) Several, actually. I'm taking a class at a local seminary and am LOVING it. One of the books we were assigned was "To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson." When I first noticed it on my syllabus I sighed when I saw it was written in 1956 and was listed as being 500+ pages. I checked it out from the BU School of Theology Library, and as an old library book it looked rather ominous with its yellowed pages and dark black plain binding. Not to judge a book by its cover, but...

But I found I couldn't put it down. If you ever want to be inspired by someone totally sold out on their faith and the call of God on their life, definitely read this biography. I would seriously say that I think it has changed my life and made me ask myself hard questions about my faith and my desire to share it. These early missionaries were amazingly dedicated and faith-filled. Could I have done what they did?

This book (and this class) has resurrected my passion for reading! As soon as my final is done next week, I'll be looking for another book. Any suggestions? Know any biographies you've enjoyed?

- Liz

The Questions Behind the Question

Today I met with a student who will graduate this May, and is trying to figure out what to do after college. A fairly frequent scenario. Like many seniors, the most pressing question in this student's mind was, "What should I do?!?!" It's easy to get a bit frustrated when God does not make the answer as plain as day, and quickly. Students get frustrated, and so do I as someone who wants desperately to say something helpful.

What I'm realizing, though, is that the seeming delay and silence on God's part often bring other questions to the surface, such as: How do I even hear God's voice? How does He guide me? What am I really passionate about? What are my gifts? Where am I being invited to trust Him? What fears are acting as barriers in my life?

I suppose God could dole out guidance and specific direction more liberally if He wanted. He'd certainly have fewer graduating seniors shaking their fists at Him! But He is always wanting to draw us into a deeper intimacy with Him, revealing truths and mysteries about how He has made us, and how we can know Him better.

That said, I'm learning that I can be more helpful if I resist the urge to simply give good career advice, but to help students press deeper into the invitations that God extends during times of decision. The senior I met with today left our time with a renewed eagerness to know God personally, to hear His voice, to be free of her fears, and to become a person who knows better how she has been uniquely created to bless the world. If she gets all that, a little career advice just sounds like icing on the cake!

Maturity?

Last week, we spent 48 hours with the other InterVarsity Area Directors in New England on a "spiritual formation" retreat. These times are immensely valuable to us in our ministry. As we call students to transformation, God does the same to us.

My major "a-ha" moment this past retreat was realizing my underlying belief that as I gain more experience and our ministry grows, I ought to be better able to "figure things out", to have more know-how and competency out of which to operate. That seems harmless enough at first glance, and is largely how the world operates.

But the underlying harm in this is believing that I should somehow need God less as time goes on, when in fact the very opposite is true. As our ministry grows and impacts more and more lives, I need more wisdom, more love, more power from God than I ever have before!

So often "maturity" is defined by becoming less needy and more independent. But in the case of spiritual life and leadership, I'm starting to realize that maturity means a deeper dependence and embrace of just how much I need from Jesus, apart from whom I can do nothing.

-Paul

Faith and Politics

This month I'll be giving a talk at a couple of our fellowships called "The Way of Jesus in an Election Year." I've never really spoken much about politics in a ministry setting, but given how much the election is on students' minds these days, it seems important to address.

My main hesitancy in combining politics and ministry has always been a distaste for ministers telling the congregations who to vote for, and using people's choices as a measuring stick for one's faithfulness as a follower of Christ. So I'm going to do my best to not tip my hand during my talk as to who I will vote for.

Instead, I'll be calling people to relate to one another in a Christ-like manner, even if they disagree on political issues. Senator John Danforth writes in Faith and Politics, "If Christianity is supposed to be a ministry of reconciliation and has become, instead, a divisive force in American political life, something is terribly wrong, and we should correct it."

I enjoy the fact that our InterVarsity chapters are comprised of both conservative and liberal students, drawn together by a common pursuit of Jesus. I pray that their diversity proves to be not divisive, but rather an arena for grace and reconciliation, qualities which would be a real breath of fresh air in our society during an election year (and any other time!)

-Paul

Satisfaction

This morning I was doing a monthly report of our ministry that is designed to help us take tome out to reflect on the past month and think and pray about the coming month and what we want to accomplish. One of the questions really helped me notice how much I've been enjoying ministry so far this year and I thought I'd post it here:

What has been your great joy or satisfaction in ministry this month? What has given you a sense of accomplishment?
Absolutely working at Mass College of Pharmacy!!! This is a special group of students. They are so missional and they have faith that God is going to do something big on campus. Working with them has increased my faith for God’s power to work on campus and increased my prayer for ministry and reliance on Jesus for wisdom, direction, and ideas. It’s hard to even explain how amazing it is to work there and with this group of leaders and how satisfying it is. I think part of it is that it is totally new for me to work with a group like this – commuters, incredibly diverse, science-oriented, etc – that I HAVE to rely on God in leading that I never have had to before and so I’ve really experienced him leading through me.

- Liz