Just a quick note for those of you who would like to make a year-end gift to support my ministry...
This fall has been an incredible season of fruitfulness, but I've done little by way of working on my funding base, so I'm hoping to help bolster by funding with some special year-end gifts. If you're interested in making a gift, you can do so by clicking on the link below, thanks in advance!
https://my.intervarsity.org/e6f16593fc5ac099cc27bf20c9014ead/designate.php?_qf_chooseAmount_display=true
Thursday, December 10, 2009
I'll let some other folks do the talking...
Hello again everyone,
The semester is winding down and the snow is piling up (ugh), but there's some more cool stories to share...this time written by other folks! Here's a few quick links of stories that have been written by/about our work across Iowa this fall!
Grateful,
Jon
PS...One of my staff, Sherami Hinders (planting at the University of Iowa) will be giving a testimony at Urbana09 (http://www.urbana09.org/home.main.cfm) to 20,000 students on New Year's Eve (talk about pressure!) I'll post the video link of her testimony here after it's available! :)
The semester is winding down and the snow is piling up (ugh), but there's some more cool stories to share...this time written by other folks! Here's a few quick links of stories that have been written by/about our work across Iowa this fall!
- A story off our national InterVarsity website about Ethan, a student at UNI who gave his life to Jesus in September: http://www.intervarsity.org/news/forgiven-in-full
- A story off the website of 24.7 prayer (i.e., Red Moon Rising for those of you who have read that book), about our chapter at Central: http://campusamerica.org/stories/18
- A story from the student newspaper at Drake University about our staff (Amy Schoepf) and chapter there: http://www.timesdelphic.com/2009/12/09/intervarsity-leader-uses-faith-in-work/
- A collection of stories written by students from Central about how they used a $20 "reverse offering" (yes, we gave everyone who came $20!)...some very cool stories! http://20forchangecentral.blogspot.com/
Grateful,
Jon
PS...One of my staff, Sherami Hinders (planting at the University of Iowa) will be giving a testimony at Urbana09 (http://www.urbana09.org/home.main.cfm) to 20,000 students on New Year's Eve (talk about pressure!) I'll post the video link of her testimony here after it's available! :)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
KEEP COMING!
Hello again!
Hard to believe it's November already; the fall has literally flown by as we've seen God continue to move on campuses across Iowa in powerful ways. Since I last wrote six weeks ago, WE'VE SEEN ANOTHER EIGHT STUDENTS START TO FOLLOW JESUS(!), the latest being an Asian international student at the University of Iowa last week!
Here's two stories from Drake University where I spoke on 9.30 (I asked you to pray for this night at the end of my last post...God answered your prayers!) Both stories are told by Amy Schoepf, our staffworker at Drake:
UNBELIEVABLE HUH?! It's stories like this that fuel us through the ups and downs of campus ministry. God is so good.
There are more stories to share (in fact, what's happening in Iowa is starting to get national press...no really!), but I want to get to a couple special opportunities for you to join in with what God is doing through InterVarsity in Iowa.
Thankful,
Jon
Hard to believe it's November already; the fall has literally flown by as we've seen God continue to move on campuses across Iowa in powerful ways. Since I last wrote six weeks ago, WE'VE SEEN ANOTHER EIGHT STUDENTS START TO FOLLOW JESUS(!), the latest being an Asian international student at the University of Iowa last week!
Here's two stories from Drake University where I spoke on 9.30 (I asked you to pray for this night at the end of my last post...God answered your prayers!) Both stories are told by Amy Schoepf, our staffworker at Drake:
the first student who said yes is SALLY. she emailed me 3 weeks ago and said "I'M A FRESHMAN. I'M MISSING GOD IN MY LIFE. CAN YOU HELP ME FIND HIM?" anyway, she's been coming to all of our stuff since then and getting connected. 3 weeks later, she stands at an invitation to follow Jesus for the first time. i got to follow up with her after, and asked callie (brand new christian) to come with us. callie shared with sally how incredible it is to say yes to Jesus and how she'll never be the same and then she and i prayed with her to comitt her life to Jesus. also, she doesn't know any christianese yet--so her prayer was so delighfully simple. courtney is right, sally''s life will never be the same. and callie is ready to lead more people to jesus. :)
the second student is one who's been coming all year so far. KELSEY. she comes with her crew of friends and does the christian thing. to be honest, i didn't really know where she stood and her friends just assumed she was a christian (let this be a lesson to you amy schoepf and friends!). but she stood to say yes to Jesus for the first time. she was followed up with her friends after and when i arrived home from our large group that night i had an email waiting in my inbox from her. she explained that after jon's message she finally figured out "why" she's been coming to intervarsity. she explained that she'd never comitted her life to Jesus and saying yes to Him was "THE MOST POWERFUL FEELING I'VE EVER FELT." and here's the crazy part. that same morning she accepted a bid from a pharmacy fraternity on campus that meets every wednesday night at 9pm--beginning the very NEXT WEEK at 9. she's also an RA so she can't attend any small groups, etc. bc of scheduling. if jon had not been there that night, if he wouldn't have given the invitation he did...if it had been just one week later...KELSEY WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE BEEN IN THE ROOM.... wow...God's timing in so incredible huh?
UNBELIEVABLE HUH?! It's stories like this that fuel us through the ups and downs of campus ministry. God is so good.
There are more stories to share (in fact, what's happening in Iowa is starting to get national press...no really!), but I want to get to a couple special opportunities for you to join in with what God is doing through InterVarsity in Iowa.
- First is a special event called $20 FOR CHANGE that we're going to be doing one week from tonight (11.11) at Central. The idea is simple: as a way to demonstrate the grassroots nature of God's Kingdom, we're going to be giving $20 bills to 100 students (think reverse offering), and asking them to commit to investing that money in the work of God's Kingdom on Campus. I can't wait to hear the stories.
- Second is a scholarship program called REYBANA that we are running for Central students. Every three years, InterVarsity hosts a missions convention called Urbana (http://www.urbana09.org/) for 20,000 students from around the globe. This year, we're partnering with Campus ministries at Central (sponsors of a Christmas break mission trip to Reynosa) to offer a "2 for 1" deal to students who register for both experiences so they can have the experience of learning about missions and then doing missions in the same Christmas Break!
Thankful,
Jon
Sunday, September 27, 2009
A Jesus Outbreak
Hello everyone!
I've never experienced a month quite like this one. Across the country, folks are worried about virus outbreaks on college campuses, but across Iowa, we've been experiencing an outbreak of a different sort- Jesus on the move! Here's the story...
After a first few weeks of class filled with meeting new students and caring for the whole campus, the movement got started in earnest at Drake University on September 5th...
That night, I had a text conversation with our staff, Amy Schoepf that went as follows:
Obviously, a great way to start the year, but this was only the start. On 9.9.09, (the same night Callie was sharing at Drake) at Central College, the story I've already shared below went down. I was speaking on the Prodigal Son out of Luke 15, and invited students to make a decision to follow Jesus. To my utter shock 30 students stood to signify their desire to follow Jesus. (Check out the "Unbelievable" post below for the whole story, it's worth a read!) The fruit of these decisions has continued to play out over the last two weeks in new Bible studies being started and additional outreach happening on campus (more on this below).
The next stage in the journey happened on 9.14 at the University of Northern Iowa. After hearing about what had happened at Central, our staff at UNI, Rachel Danley, invited me to make another call to faith at their Large Group, which I was happy to do. When I did so, another student (Evan) stood to mark his desire to give his life over to Jesus! (More on Evan Below!)
That weekend, on 9.18-20, my area staff team hosted FC09: Family Vacation (our annual fall student conference) for 130 students from around the state. I spoke on the final morning, again to give an invitation to faith, but as I was praying about it, I felt like I was supposed to ask Evan from UNI to give the talk with me (he had, after all been following Jesus for 5 days at that point!) So, I approached him to see if he'd be willing to share his story, and though he was a bit shell-shocked at first, he agreed. Sunday morning, Evan did a fantastic job of telling about what Jesus had done in his life, and I again made an invitation for students to give their lives to Jesus for the first time, and another 20 students stood to mark their decision from almost every school represented! Five of these students were from UNI and were inspired by Evan's testimony of receiving Jesus' forgiveness, and several were friends of Callie's, the student from Drake I wrote about above!
Then, on the following Tuesday, 9.22, I got two emails from one of our student leaders at Central, Aaron Jones. The first was a message that he had received over the weekend, it read like this:
Aaron asked Jessica if she'd be willing to meet to talk more, and she agreed. Later that night, we got word from Aaron again...
I've never experienced a month quite like this one. Across the country, folks are worried about virus outbreaks on college campuses, but across Iowa, we've been experiencing an outbreak of a different sort- Jesus on the move! Here's the story...
After a first few weeks of class filled with meeting new students and caring for the whole campus, the movement got started in earnest at Drake University on September 5th...
That night, I had a text conversation with our staff, Amy Schoepf that went as follows:
Amy- "A student just became a Christian!! She agreed to share at IV on Wednesday"
Me- Wow!! That's awesome! What's her name?
Amy- Callie. Sweet story--she was really close in the spring but didn't fully commit. She and Audrey and I hung out last night-I brought it up and Audrey led her.
Amy- New Christian (Audrey stared following Jesus last spring) leads new student to Jesus :)
Me- So great-I'll look forward to hearing the full story!
Amy- Yep and she has three girls that come to IV with her who are all nominal Christians--so keep praying!!
Me- Wow!! That's awesome! What's her name?
Amy- Callie. Sweet story--she was really close in the spring but didn't fully commit. She and Audrey and I hung out last night-I brought it up and Audrey led her.
Amy- New Christian (Audrey stared following Jesus last spring) leads new student to Jesus :)
Me- So great-I'll look forward to hearing the full story!
Amy- Yep and she has three girls that come to IV with her who are all nominal Christians--so keep praying!!
Obviously, a great way to start the year, but this was only the start. On 9.9.09, (the same night Callie was sharing at Drake) at Central College, the story I've already shared below went down. I was speaking on the Prodigal Son out of Luke 15, and invited students to make a decision to follow Jesus. To my utter shock 30 students stood to signify their desire to follow Jesus. (Check out the "Unbelievable" post below for the whole story, it's worth a read!) The fruit of these decisions has continued to play out over the last two weeks in new Bible studies being started and additional outreach happening on campus (more on this below).
The next stage in the journey happened on 9.14 at the University of Northern Iowa. After hearing about what had happened at Central, our staff at UNI, Rachel Danley, invited me to make another call to faith at their Large Group, which I was happy to do. When I did so, another student (Evan) stood to mark his desire to give his life over to Jesus! (More on Evan Below!)
That weekend, on 9.18-20, my area staff team hosted FC09: Family Vacation (our annual fall student conference) for 130 students from around the state. I spoke on the final morning, again to give an invitation to faith, but as I was praying about it, I felt like I was supposed to ask Evan from UNI to give the talk with me (he had, after all been following Jesus for 5 days at that point!) So, I approached him to see if he'd be willing to share his story, and though he was a bit shell-shocked at first, he agreed. Sunday morning, Evan did a fantastic job of telling about what Jesus had done in his life, and I again made an invitation for students to give their lives to Jesus for the first time, and another 20 students stood to mark their decision from almost every school represented! Five of these students were from UNI and were inspired by Evan's testimony of receiving Jesus' forgiveness, and several were friends of Callie's, the student from Drake I wrote about above!
Then, on the following Tuesday, 9.22, I got two emails from one of our student leaders at Central, Aaron Jones. The first was a message that he had received over the weekend, it read like this:
Hi, I was in your small group for Vintage community last Wednesday night. I don't know if you can help me but I don't know who to ask about faith. I am new to being a Christian and new to the bible, and have grown up in a home with atheists. I have had a rough past and am ashamed of it, and am looking to find some guidance for my future. I have been told that I can never be forgiven by God for what I have done in the past and
I am scared because if that is true I am afraid what my life has in store for me.
Can something from my past be so bad that God can never love me?
I am scared because if that is true I am afraid what my life has in store for me.
Can something from my past be so bad that God can never love me?
Aaron asked Jessica if she'd be willing to meet to talk more, and she agreed. Later that night, we got word from Aaron again...
Jessica and I just got done talking, and she prayed tonight to accept Jesus as her savior!!
She asked a lot of good questions about forgiveness, prayer and church. I made sure that she knew that she just wasn't accepting my beliefs, but was beginning a relationship with a living God. She prayed for forgiveness and to receive the Holy Spirit and said that she felt amazing! I went with her back to Graham (girls' dorm on campus) as she shared with some girls what she just experienced, then I left as she went to a
prayer meeting that another girl in Graham had already set up.
She asked a lot of good questions about forgiveness, prayer and church. I made sure that she knew that she just wasn't accepting my beliefs, but was beginning a relationship with a living God. She prayed for forgiveness and to receive the Holy Spirit and said that she felt amazing! I went with her back to Graham (girls' dorm on campus) as she shared with some girls what she just experienced, then I left as she went to a
prayer meeting that another girl in Graham had already set up.
So, in the space of a few short weeks (22 days to be exact), we've seen 24 STUDENTS START TO FOLLOW JESUS FOR THE FIRST TIME, and another 21 RECOMMIT THEIR LIVES TO JESUS! I wish I had the space to tell you the stories of these 45 students, because Jesus is meeting them in incredible ways as they take steps of faith in following him (students experiencing physical healing, being challenged by parents angry at their desire to follow Jesus, and door after door opening for Jesus' gospel) They are following Jesus immediately into ministry and outreach to their friends, and we are TRULY WATCHING A JESUS OUTBREAK SWEEP THROUGH THESE CAMPUSES!
And, I believe that God isn't done yet. This Wednesday, 9.30, I'll be speaking again at Drake University, and I'll again be inviting students to follow Jesus for the first time (and join the other 5 Drake students who have already made that decision this year!) so I covet your prayers, and can't wait to tell you the next chapter in this crazy story God is writing.
Thank you for your support of this ministry, it's one of the deepest privileges of my life to watch God move in these ways on campuses across the state, and it's your prayers and support that make it possible.
Trying to keep up with a God who is most certainly on the move!
Jon
And, I believe that God isn't done yet. This Wednesday, 9.30, I'll be speaking again at Drake University, and I'll again be inviting students to follow Jesus for the first time (and join the other 5 Drake students who have already made that decision this year!) so I covet your prayers, and can't wait to tell you the next chapter in this crazy story God is writing.
Thank you for your support of this ministry, it's one of the deepest privileges of my life to watch God move in these ways on campuses across the state, and it's your prayers and support that make it possible.
Trying to keep up with a God who is most certainly on the move!
Jon
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Bibles for New Believers
As you'll read below, it's been an incredible week of ministry, so I've got a special request...
I've purchased Bibles for each of the 30 folks who stood up to mark their decision to follow Jesus for the first time or rededicate their lives to Jesus to get them started on the right foot.
I was able to negotiate a discounted rate for some study bibles (with explanatory notes), which means I was able to get them for $40 a piece, but with 30 folks, that still works out to $1,200!
So, I'm putting out a call to anyone who'd be willing to spring $40 to give a Bible to a student who just started following Jesus. If you are interested, please contact me at jon.hietbrink@gmail.com or 641.780.6670.
Thanks!
Jon
I've purchased Bibles for each of the 30 folks who stood up to mark their decision to follow Jesus for the first time or rededicate their lives to Jesus to get them started on the right foot.
I was able to negotiate a discounted rate for some study bibles (with explanatory notes), which means I was able to get them for $40 a piece, but with 30 folks, that still works out to $1,200!
So, I'm putting out a call to anyone who'd be willing to spring $40 to give a Bible to a student who just started following Jesus. If you are interested, please contact me at jon.hietbrink@gmail.com or 641.780.6670.
Thanks!
Jon
Unbelievable!
Greetings friends,
I've got an unbelievable story to share, I hope you are blessed by it! (Sorry for the length, I think it’ll be worth your time to read it...)
I was set to speak on Wednesday night (9.9) at Central’s LG and was planning on giving a call to faith out of the prodigal son, but the story really gets kicking early that morning...
I awoke at 4:30a sweating like a pig and with our bedroom spinning all around me. The only thing that made the spinning stop was when I laid on my right side (even on my back, it was out of control). I was able to get back to sleep until about 6:30a, when my daughter woke up. I tried to walk to the kitchen to get her some milk, but was on the floor by the time I got back to her room. I woke my wife up, and tried to get back into bed, but was so nauseuous that I detoured to the toilet. I eventually got back to bed and slept till about 7:45 when I started texting people to pray. At that point, I still couldn’t do anything but lay on my right side, and even then, my head was spinning a bit.
So, things were not good. I couldn’t even sit up, let alone be able to give a talk. My wife spent some time praying for me (along with those I had texted) and very quickly, I started to feel some relief. I was able to sit up in bed within a few minutes and walked out to the living room. Gradually, I regained equilibrium to the point where I took a shower and went for a walk around the block at about 11am. I continued to improve through the afternoon to the point where I felt pretty much normal (although very tired) by about 3pm.
So, I went into the night thinking that God might have some big plans given the morning, but I never would have expected what happened...
The night got off to a great start, and I felt good about how my talk was going as I headed toward the call. I had planned on inviting people to stand who identified with the younger son (irreligious, shady past, etc.) and the older son (cultural “christians”, pseudo-religious, etc.), and then I had about 15 student leaders/staff ready to follow-up immediately with whoever stood, thinking that maybe 5 or 10 folks might stand (not exactly “more than you could ask or imagine”, huh?!)
To my shock, when I made the call, about 30 people stood up, and instantly, I assumed I just hadn’t made it clear that it was a call for people to “follow Jesus for the first time”...I was later proved wrong! I asked everyone to come up to the front so I could pray for them (while the follow-up folks surrounded them), and then I invited them to break off into pairs/threes to talk about what God was doing and what decisions they had made. Here’s a sampling of the reports from the student leaders...
Rick
Sort of knows a little about Church but stopped going in high school and has lived with no regard for Jesus since. Wants to follow Jesus but is scared that he wont be able to overcome temptations and not fall away.
Karen
She said that she has never really been religious and doesn't know a whole lot about Christianity/following Jesus, but she has been coming to the Calm and Nine and keeps just feeling like its right and keeps getting chills all the time when she's there :)
Amelia
She also has never been religious and did mention that she feels like she understands the younger son because she has done things in her past she isn’t proud of. She did however talk about her love for doing service work and helping people, and we talked about how she can continue to do those things and share Jesus' love with people through it.
Mia
This was something she was wanting for a while. She's been looking to talk to someone about this for a while and it was for her tonight. Her legs were shaking the whole night pretty much, and she stood up and they stopped. I feel like I really didn't say much but God was already doing stuff. She grew up Catholic and has struggled a lot with earning salvation and has come to the realization while here (she transferred) that coming to events and doing church doesn't result in satisfaction/salvation. I talked with her how it is by grace we are saved- she's said the prayer before, so we did not do it again- and that it is a gift we can't earn. She seemed pretty excited about it all. She went for a walk afterwards to just "think."
There’s more where those came from, but at the end of the day, I think about 14 folks gave their lives to Jesus for the first time and another 10 recommitted their lives to Jesus; 2 more folks said they wanted to explore more in GIGs!
It was unbelievable. I was driving to Iowa City this morning and crying like a baby thinking about how good our God is that he steps into students’ lives like this, and that he gives us the chance to be a part of it.
Thank you to all of you who prayed for the night (and for my dizziness). God answered in a resounding way.
Beyond grateful,
Jon
I've got an unbelievable story to share, I hope you are blessed by it! (Sorry for the length, I think it’ll be worth your time to read it...)
I was set to speak on Wednesday night (9.9) at Central’s LG and was planning on giving a call to faith out of the prodigal son, but the story really gets kicking early that morning...
I awoke at 4:30a sweating like a pig and with our bedroom spinning all around me. The only thing that made the spinning stop was when I laid on my right side (even on my back, it was out of control). I was able to get back to sleep until about 6:30a, when my daughter woke up. I tried to walk to the kitchen to get her some milk, but was on the floor by the time I got back to her room. I woke my wife up, and tried to get back into bed, but was so nauseuous that I detoured to the toilet. I eventually got back to bed and slept till about 7:45 when I started texting people to pray. At that point, I still couldn’t do anything but lay on my right side, and even then, my head was spinning a bit.
So, things were not good. I couldn’t even sit up, let alone be able to give a talk. My wife spent some time praying for me (along with those I had texted) and very quickly, I started to feel some relief. I was able to sit up in bed within a few minutes and walked out to the living room. Gradually, I regained equilibrium to the point where I took a shower and went for a walk around the block at about 11am. I continued to improve through the afternoon to the point where I felt pretty much normal (although very tired) by about 3pm.
So, I went into the night thinking that God might have some big plans given the morning, but I never would have expected what happened...
The night got off to a great start, and I felt good about how my talk was going as I headed toward the call. I had planned on inviting people to stand who identified with the younger son (irreligious, shady past, etc.) and the older son (cultural “christians”, pseudo-religious, etc.), and then I had about 15 student leaders/staff ready to follow-up immediately with whoever stood, thinking that maybe 5 or 10 folks might stand (not exactly “more than you could ask or imagine”, huh?!)
To my shock, when I made the call, about 30 people stood up, and instantly, I assumed I just hadn’t made it clear that it was a call for people to “follow Jesus for the first time”...I was later proved wrong! I asked everyone to come up to the front so I could pray for them (while the follow-up folks surrounded them), and then I invited them to break off into pairs/threes to talk about what God was doing and what decisions they had made. Here’s a sampling of the reports from the student leaders...
Rick
Sort of knows a little about Church but stopped going in high school and has lived with no regard for Jesus since. Wants to follow Jesus but is scared that he wont be able to overcome temptations and not fall away.
Karen
She said that she has never really been religious and doesn't know a whole lot about Christianity/following Jesus, but she has been coming to the Calm and Nine and keeps just feeling like its right and keeps getting chills all the time when she's there :)
Amelia
She also has never been religious and did mention that she feels like she understands the younger son because she has done things in her past she isn’t proud of. She did however talk about her love for doing service work and helping people, and we talked about how she can continue to do those things and share Jesus' love with people through it.
Mia
This was something she was wanting for a while. She's been looking to talk to someone about this for a while and it was for her tonight. Her legs were shaking the whole night pretty much, and she stood up and they stopped. I feel like I really didn't say much but God was already doing stuff. She grew up Catholic and has struggled a lot with earning salvation and has come to the realization while here (she transferred) that coming to events and doing church doesn't result in satisfaction/salvation. I talked with her how it is by grace we are saved- she's said the prayer before, so we did not do it again- and that it is a gift we can't earn. She seemed pretty excited about it all. She went for a walk afterwards to just "think."
There’s more where those came from, but at the end of the day, I think about 14 folks gave their lives to Jesus for the first time and another 10 recommitted their lives to Jesus; 2 more folks said they wanted to explore more in GIGs!
It was unbelievable. I was driving to Iowa City this morning and crying like a baby thinking about how good our God is that he steps into students’ lives like this, and that he gives us the chance to be a part of it.
Thank you to all of you who prayed for the night (and for my dizziness). God answered in a resounding way.
Beyond grateful,
Jon
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
9.9.09 @ 9pm
Hi Everyone,
I hope you had a good Labor Day weekend. Two stories (couldn't help but share the second, it just came in!) and a prayer request for you today...
The story comes from Sarah Plowman at William Penn University--
"Jen is one of our leaders. She was hanging out with one of her suitemates, Abby, and one of Abby's friends, Nate. When the subject turned to spiritual things, Nate told Jen, "forgive me if I laugh," saying he didn't believe in God. Somehow in the conversation, Jen got Nate to open up more to her as they shared about different family stuff. At one point Jen invited Nate to do a Bible Study with her, saying, "why don't you just do a Bible study with me and let Jesus define himself?" Nate's response? "Ok." Last night during our leadership meeting, Jen got a text from Nate asking, "hey, when are we going to do Bible study?" Cool! Pray for Jess as she prepares to do a GiG with Nate, and for Abby as well and the conversations she and Jen have. "
Here's one from Amy Schoepf, our staff at Drake University--
"So Callie had been a little bit involved in InterVarsity last Spring--and stayed in touch with some students over the summer. She had connected quite a bit with Annika--who became a Christian last year. Long story short, Callie, Annika, and some other IV girls were over at my house Friday night. We were just hanging out and talking and I don't know what got into me--I just looked at Callie and blurted out "When are you going to commit your life to Jesus?" She began to cry (woops!) and share about the things that were holding her back. Annika jumped in and started sharing her testimony and telling Callie she just needed to "go for it." Callie agreed and then Annika and I led her in prayer to commit her life to Jesus. I could literally see Callie's body react to giving her life to Jesus...her physical posture was relief. It was awesome. Then we prayed for her to be "sent" to her friends. Callie has 3 friends who come to IV stuff with her and they are all culture Christians--probably very little if any relationship with Jesus. She was so excited and I asked her to share her testimony this Wednesday night at our weekly service! :) Pray for her.
I drove Annika home later and she was SO EXCITED! She said..."So Amy, that was my first?!! That's the first person I got to see get saved!" And then explained that she "wanted to do it again!" Haha....ooooh I love it."
The prayer request is for me--
Tomorrow night at 9pm, I'm going to be speaking at our gathering on campus at Central (called NINE) out of Luke 15, "The Prodigal Son". At the end of my talk, I'm going to invite students to make a decision to follow Jesus for the first time, so I'd love for your prayers on a few points:
Jon
I hope you had a good Labor Day weekend. Two stories (couldn't help but share the second, it just came in!) and a prayer request for you today...
The story comes from Sarah Plowman at William Penn University--
"Jen is one of our leaders. She was hanging out with one of her suitemates, Abby, and one of Abby's friends, Nate. When the subject turned to spiritual things, Nate told Jen, "forgive me if I laugh," saying he didn't believe in God. Somehow in the conversation, Jen got Nate to open up more to her as they shared about different family stuff. At one point Jen invited Nate to do a Bible Study with her, saying, "why don't you just do a Bible study with me and let Jesus define himself?" Nate's response? "Ok." Last night during our leadership meeting, Jen got a text from Nate asking, "hey, when are we going to do Bible study?" Cool! Pray for Jess as she prepares to do a GiG with Nate, and for Abby as well and the conversations she and Jen have. "
Here's one from Amy Schoepf, our staff at Drake University--
"So Callie had been a little bit involved in InterVarsity last Spring--and stayed in touch with some students over the summer. She had connected quite a bit with Annika--who became a Christian last year. Long story short, Callie, Annika, and some other IV girls were over at my house Friday night. We were just hanging out and talking and I don't know what got into me--I just looked at Callie and blurted out "When are you going to commit your life to Jesus?" She began to cry (woops!) and share about the things that were holding her back. Annika jumped in and started sharing her testimony and telling Callie she just needed to "go for it." Callie agreed and then Annika and I led her in prayer to commit her life to Jesus. I could literally see Callie's body react to giving her life to Jesus...her physical posture was relief. It was awesome. Then we prayed for her to be "sent" to her friends. Callie has 3 friends who come to IV stuff with her and they are all culture Christians--probably very little if any relationship with Jesus. She was so excited and I asked her to share her testimony this Wednesday night at our weekly service! :) Pray for her.
I drove Annika home later and she was SO EXCITED! She said..."So Amy, that was my first?!! That's the first person I got to see get saved!" And then explained that she "wanted to do it again!" Haha....ooooh I love it."
The prayer request is for me--
Tomorrow night at 9pm, I'm going to be speaking at our gathering on campus at Central (called NINE) out of Luke 15, "The Prodigal Son". At the end of my talk, I'm going to invite students to make a decision to follow Jesus for the first time, so I'd love for your prayers on a few points:
- Pray that God would draw the "right people" to come
- Pray that God would give me the "right words" to speak
- Pray that tomorrow night would be the "right time" for students to make a decision
Jon
Monday, August 31, 2009
FirstFruits
Hello again everyone!
As promised, here's a few stories from the "front lines" over the first days of the semester...God has been at work!
As many of you know, we are planting a new chapter at the University of Iowa, and the stories coming out so far have been unbelievable. In the first week...
Our chapter at the University of Northern Iowa has a blossoming ministry among ethnic minorities--there were about a dozen new Latino students at their first large group, and their multi-ethnic leadership team already making inroads among the black student population on campus!
Coe College decided to try a new outreach to international students by hosting a "Target run" for students who needed to stock their dorm rooms...to their shock, 25 international students showed up! They were literally calling in friends with cars to handle all the students!
Our chapters at William Penn, Grinnell, and Drake International will have their first major gatherings this week, so they are hard at work connecting with new students and inviting them into their communities...more stories to come on these chapters later!
At Central College, we've been blessed to connect with almost 150 new students who are interested in joining our ministry. One of them "Will" was talking with one of our staff at our first worship service. Their interaction went something like this...
It's for students like Will and hundreds of others across the campuses of Iowa that we labor. Join us in thanking God for his faithfulness to us, and continuing to ask him for divine appointments with both mission-minded and seeking students over these next days!
Grateful for your partnership!
Jon
As promised, here's a few stories from the "front lines" over the first days of the semester...God has been at work!
As many of you know, we are planting a new chapter at the University of Iowa, and the stories coming out so far have been unbelievable. In the first week...
- Our staff have networked with several "power players" in different groups on campus and have either been invited or are exploring leading bible studies for the African-American Greek Union, the Black Student Union, and the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) cultural center on campus. Unbelievable!
- Already, the staff have connected with a handful of multiethnic and mission-minded students who want to be a part of owning the chapter at Iowa, praise God! This is in addition to the hundreds of others who are interested, but who haven't signed on just yet...
Our chapter at the University of Northern Iowa has a blossoming ministry among ethnic minorities--there were about a dozen new Latino students at their first large group, and their multi-ethnic leadership team already making inroads among the black student population on campus!
Coe College decided to try a new outreach to international students by hosting a "Target run" for students who needed to stock their dorm rooms...to their shock, 25 international students showed up! They were literally calling in friends with cars to handle all the students!
Our chapters at William Penn, Grinnell, and Drake International will have their first major gatherings this week, so they are hard at work connecting with new students and inviting them into their communities...more stories to come on these chapters later!
At Central College, we've been blessed to connect with almost 150 new students who are interested in joining our ministry. One of them "Will" was talking with one of our staff at our first worship service. Their interaction went something like this...
Staff- "So, what's your name? Where are you from?"
Will- "I'm not religious."
Staff- "That's totally fine, no problem."
Will- "I'm really curious about Christianity though, I'd like to learn more about it."
Will- "I'm not religious."
Staff- "That's totally fine, no problem."
Will- "I'm really curious about Christianity though, I'd like to learn more about it."
It's for students like Will and hundreds of others across the campuses of Iowa that we labor. Join us in thanking God for his faithfulness to us, and continuing to ask him for divine appointments with both mission-minded and seeking students over these next days!
Grateful for your partnership!
Jon
Monday, August 24, 2009
It begins
Hello again everyone,
It's official, the year has begun!
Over the weekend, thousands of college students moved into dorm rooms and apartments all across the state. Some are coming back to a place they love, some are leaving home for the first time, and in the midst of it all, God is at work calling students to himself and transforming them to live missional lives.
Quite simply, this is the time of year that we InterVarsity staff love: the energy, potential, and excitement on campus is palpable, and each year, it's fascinating to watch God work through simple things like info tables, knocking on doors, and "chance" meetings in the union.
Just today, I was on campus at Central and walking to my car at a place I've never parked before to head home for lunch...a student (obviously lost!) approached me and asked where the gym was, so I offered him a ride. Turns out, he's a new freshman from Cedar Rapids, knows next to no one on campus, but was very interested in hearing about our ministry...
Jesus said the kingdom of God is "like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants..."
This is exactly what the job of my staff is over the next few weeks...to plant hundreds and thousands of mustard seeds in the hearts of students and watch God do the unthinkable--bring forth the fruit of transformation and mission.
Please join me in praying for two things over these next days:
First, please pray that our staff team would connect with MISSIONAL STUDENTS who follow Jesus and want to live for his purposes on campus.
Second, please pray that God would give us "divine appointments" with SEEKING STUDENTS who are exploring what it means to follow Jesus and live a life of faith.
I can't wait to share the stories in the upcoming weeks...
With great anticipation!
Jon
It's official, the year has begun!
Over the weekend, thousands of college students moved into dorm rooms and apartments all across the state. Some are coming back to a place they love, some are leaving home for the first time, and in the midst of it all, God is at work calling students to himself and transforming them to live missional lives.
Quite simply, this is the time of year that we InterVarsity staff love: the energy, potential, and excitement on campus is palpable, and each year, it's fascinating to watch God work through simple things like info tables, knocking on doors, and "chance" meetings in the union.
Just today, I was on campus at Central and walking to my car at a place I've never parked before to head home for lunch...a student (obviously lost!) approached me and asked where the gym was, so I offered him a ride. Turns out, he's a new freshman from Cedar Rapids, knows next to no one on campus, but was very interested in hearing about our ministry...
Jesus said the kingdom of God is "like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants..."
This is exactly what the job of my staff is over the next few weeks...to plant hundreds and thousands of mustard seeds in the hearts of students and watch God do the unthinkable--bring forth the fruit of transformation and mission.
Please join me in praying for two things over these next days:
First, please pray that our staff team would connect with MISSIONAL STUDENTS who follow Jesus and want to live for his purposes on campus.
Second, please pray that God would give us "divine appointments" with SEEKING STUDENTS who are exploring what it means to follow Jesus and live a life of faith.
I can't wait to share the stories in the upcoming weeks...
With great anticipation!
Jon
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Year in Review
Hello again everyone,
Once again, I need to apologize for my delay in posting, but thankfully, I've got some great updates to share now that we've reached the end of the school year.
As folks have asked me over the last few months about how the ministry is going, I've said some variation of the following: "In all honesty, this has felt like the most fruitful year of my experience on IV staff" (!), so as we came to our year-end, I was hoping that the measurable results would live up to my expectations.
Of course, I had been hearing stories all year long of God's work on campus, but the end of the school year provides a unique opportunity to take at a "cross section" of our ministry, and I'm so thankful to be able to share some of the results with you all, so I've got a few snapshots and a few stories...
Join me in praising God for...
* Our area growing by 76 students this year to a total of 493 "members" (18% growth)
* 51 students (!) choosing to follow Jesus for the first time (113% growth)
* Students planting 77 missional communities (aka "cells") on campus this year, an increase of 28%!
* 1,240 students attending at least one of our events (32% growth)
* 139 Non-Christian students involved in our ministry (25% growth)
* Five of our seven chapters set new records for overall involvement!
Now for some stories...
Double Dip at Drake
About this time last year, I talked with our two staff at Drake (Steph Schmaltz and Amy Schoepf) about trying to plant a new chapter for international students at Drake University. It felt like a risky move, as neither Steph/Amy had been "solo staff" for a chapter before, but we felt God inviting us into the challenge, so we went ahead. I'm so glad to report that both chapters have experienced tremendous fruitfulness this last year.
Mid-way through the fall, our regional leadership team sensed that God was leading us to plant a brand-new chapter at the University of Iowa in the fall of 2009. We had previously had a chapter until a few years ago, but as we heard that there were over 29,000 students on campus who weren't involved in any kind of campus ministry, we felt compelled to try and start something new (even though we didn't know who would lead the plant). In distinctly supernatural ways (I wish I could tell you the whole story), God called Sherami Hinders and Tony Gatewood to be co-planters for the chapter next year. Our only expectations for this Spring were for Tony/Sherami to get situated and to prepare for the fall, but almost every time I talk with them, they have a new story of how God is opening doors for them on campus, and students expressing interest in being mobilized as missionaries to the campus. The chapter plant at Iowa will be among the highest profile plants in the entire nation, and I can't wait to see what God has in store next year!
You want us to plant in Omaha?!
As the spring progressed, I honestly thought we had taken enough big risks, but God had a different idea. Slowly, but surely, he made it clear that he was inviting us to plant not just at Drake, not just at the Univeristy of Iowa, but at Creighton University in Omaha. Initially, both my boss and I thought we needed to wait another year, but through the perseverance of Rachel Lenox (staff at Coe College), and the workings of the Holy Spirit, it became clear that the "time was fulfilled" to plant at Creighton as well! (Again, I wish I could tell you the whole story...the movement of God is all over it!) So, as I write, Rachel Lenox is moving to Omaha, and will be planting a brand-new chapter at Creighton next fall!
Sending and Receiving
A year ago at this time, our ministry was made up of six chatpers involving about 400 students. Before the end of this calendar year (by God's grace), the Iowa area will have been a part (either by planting them ourselves or sending planters) of six different chapter plants (University of Missouri- Kansas City, Johnson County Community College (Kansas), Drake University- International, the University of Iowa, Des Moines Area Community College, Creighton University), involving over 600 students. God has been so faithful to involve us in his purposes, and I'm so thankful!
With Great Joy and Expectation!
Jon
Once again, I need to apologize for my delay in posting, but thankfully, I've got some great updates to share now that we've reached the end of the school year.
As folks have asked me over the last few months about how the ministry is going, I've said some variation of the following: "In all honesty, this has felt like the most fruitful year of my experience on IV staff" (!), so as we came to our year-end, I was hoping that the measurable results would live up to my expectations.
Of course, I had been hearing stories all year long of God's work on campus, but the end of the school year provides a unique opportunity to take at a "cross section" of our ministry, and I'm so thankful to be able to share some of the results with you all, so I've got a few snapshots and a few stories...
Join me in praising God for...
* Our area growing by 76 students this year to a total of 493 "members" (18% growth)
* 51 students (!) choosing to follow Jesus for the first time (113% growth)
* Students planting 77 missional communities (aka "cells") on campus this year, an increase of 28%!
* 1,240 students attending at least one of our events (32% growth)
* 139 Non-Christian students involved in our ministry (25% growth)
* Five of our seven chapters set new records for overall involvement!
Now for some stories...
Double Dip at Drake
About this time last year, I talked with our two staff at Drake (Steph Schmaltz and Amy Schoepf) about trying to plant a new chapter for international students at Drake University. It felt like a risky move, as neither Steph/Amy had been "solo staff" for a chapter before, but we felt God inviting us into the challenge, so we went ahead. I'm so glad to report that both chapters have experienced tremendous fruitfulness this last year.
- The international chapter (under Steph's leadership) grew from 6 to 44 members and saw over 110 students (that's about 33% of the international population on campus, the vast majority of which are not Christians) attend at least one event.
- The undergrad chapter (led by Amy) grew to involve over 90 students, and saw 10 students decide to follow Jesus for the first time!
Mid-way through the fall, our regional leadership team sensed that God was leading us to plant a brand-new chapter at the University of Iowa in the fall of 2009. We had previously had a chapter until a few years ago, but as we heard that there were over 29,000 students on campus who weren't involved in any kind of campus ministry, we felt compelled to try and start something new (even though we didn't know who would lead the plant). In distinctly supernatural ways (I wish I could tell you the whole story), God called Sherami Hinders and Tony Gatewood to be co-planters for the chapter next year. Our only expectations for this Spring were for Tony/Sherami to get situated and to prepare for the fall, but almost every time I talk with them, they have a new story of how God is opening doors for them on campus, and students expressing interest in being mobilized as missionaries to the campus. The chapter plant at Iowa will be among the highest profile plants in the entire nation, and I can't wait to see what God has in store next year!
You want us to plant in Omaha?!
As the spring progressed, I honestly thought we had taken enough big risks, but God had a different idea. Slowly, but surely, he made it clear that he was inviting us to plant not just at Drake, not just at the Univeristy of Iowa, but at Creighton University in Omaha. Initially, both my boss and I thought we needed to wait another year, but through the perseverance of Rachel Lenox (staff at Coe College), and the workings of the Holy Spirit, it became clear that the "time was fulfilled" to plant at Creighton as well! (Again, I wish I could tell you the whole story...the movement of God is all over it!) So, as I write, Rachel Lenox is moving to Omaha, and will be planting a brand-new chapter at Creighton next fall!
Sending and Receiving
A year ago at this time, our ministry was made up of six chatpers involving about 400 students. Before the end of this calendar year (by God's grace), the Iowa area will have been a part (either by planting them ourselves or sending planters) of six different chapter plants (University of Missouri- Kansas City, Johnson County Community College (Kansas), Drake University- International, the University of Iowa, Des Moines Area Community College, Creighton University), involving over 600 students. God has been so faithful to involve us in his purposes, and I'm so thankful!
With Great Joy and Expectation!
Jon
Walking by the Spirit
Hello again everyone,
It's been so long since I've written, I thought I better put up a couple posts to keep the masses happy. :)
As you've probably read above, it was a fantastic year of ministry across Iowa; we saw growth at virtually every level, and I find myself so grateful (and humbled) for God's movement through our ministry this year.
At the same time, Steph and I have found the going difficult at home as we work through parenting two young children and trying to stay deeply connected in marriage at the same time (hard as it may be to believe, these often feel like competing values!)
While all this great stuff has been going on in my world as an area director, I think God has been speaking to me with regard to my posture as a husband and father: he's been challenging me to "walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh".
At a recent area team meeting, we were studying Galatians 5, where Paul is admonishing the Galatian church to avoid giving into the temptation to self-justification through the law in favor of continuing to walk by faith in the power of the Spirit. In his teaching, he references back to the Old Testament story of Sarah and Hagar, the soap opera of a story out of which God begins to establish the nation of Israel as a people.
Sarah and Abraham had received a promise of a child in their old age, but in her impatience for the promises' fulfillment, Sarah chose to take matters into her own hands and "make it happen". Though God ultimately fulfills his promise anyway, her refusal to stand in faith introduces incredible strife and pain into her family.
I'm seeing with more clarity that we too have received promises from God over our marriage and our kids, but all too often in experiences of "barrenness", impatience, or frustration, my response is anything but confident faith in those promises (aka, "walking by the Spirit"), instead, I choose the way of blame, manipulation, and anger to either push down or avoid the experience of barrenness altogether.
What I'm seeing is that these "experiences of barrenness" that each of us face are none other than invitations to choose the way of faith again, more deeply. The hurdles or problems of our lives aren't merely hurdles to be overcome on our way to a happy existence, they are the crucible in which true faith, patience, and love are formed.
I long to be the kind of husband, father, and leader that bears real fruit, "fruit that lasts", and who knows what it means to walk by the Spirit, not just when I'm a "professional", but in the nuts and bolts of life, at 3am holding a crying child, or in the chaos of preparing dinner with the woman I love amidst the chaos of two toddlers!
Praying for eyes to see the invitations...
Jon
PS...As you'll see from the videos, family life isn't always difficult...
It's been so long since I've written, I thought I better put up a couple posts to keep the masses happy. :)
As you've probably read above, it was a fantastic year of ministry across Iowa; we saw growth at virtually every level, and I find myself so grateful (and humbled) for God's movement through our ministry this year.
At the same time, Steph and I have found the going difficult at home as we work through parenting two young children and trying to stay deeply connected in marriage at the same time (hard as it may be to believe, these often feel like competing values!)
While all this great stuff has been going on in my world as an area director, I think God has been speaking to me with regard to my posture as a husband and father: he's been challenging me to "walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh".
At a recent area team meeting, we were studying Galatians 5, where Paul is admonishing the Galatian church to avoid giving into the temptation to self-justification through the law in favor of continuing to walk by faith in the power of the Spirit. In his teaching, he references back to the Old Testament story of Sarah and Hagar, the soap opera of a story out of which God begins to establish the nation of Israel as a people.
Sarah and Abraham had received a promise of a child in their old age, but in her impatience for the promises' fulfillment, Sarah chose to take matters into her own hands and "make it happen". Though God ultimately fulfills his promise anyway, her refusal to stand in faith introduces incredible strife and pain into her family.
I'm seeing with more clarity that we too have received promises from God over our marriage and our kids, but all too often in experiences of "barrenness", impatience, or frustration, my response is anything but confident faith in those promises (aka, "walking by the Spirit"), instead, I choose the way of blame, manipulation, and anger to either push down or avoid the experience of barrenness altogether.
What I'm seeing is that these "experiences of barrenness" that each of us face are none other than invitations to choose the way of faith again, more deeply. The hurdles or problems of our lives aren't merely hurdles to be overcome on our way to a happy existence, they are the crucible in which true faith, patience, and love are formed.
I long to be the kind of husband, father, and leader that bears real fruit, "fruit that lasts", and who knows what it means to walk by the Spirit, not just when I'm a "professional", but in the nuts and bolts of life, at 3am holding a crying child, or in the chaos of preparing dinner with the woman I love amidst the chaos of two toddlers!
Praying for eyes to see the invitations...
Jon
PS...As you'll see from the videos, family life isn't always difficult...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
God is Good!
Hello again everyone,
So much good news to report, so I'll jump right in!
* The headlining news relates to staff hiring and placement (thanks so much for praying!) I'm super excited to report that we've decided to hire 10 new staff and will be accepting another transfer, which means that our Iowa Area staff team will more than double next year from 9 staff (currently) to 19 staff serving across Iowa next year! I'm so grateful to God for his provision, and can't wait to turn these new folks loose on campus!
* Because of this influx of new staff, we are planning on planting three new chapters in the upcoming year! We'll be planting brand new chapters at the University of Iowa, at Des Moines Area Community College, and one other school to be named. At this time last year we had 6 chapters, and in September, we'll potentially have 10! Unbelievable growth for only a year and a half!
* On a more micro level, witness and evangelism has been happening across our area in ways that are unique to my time on staff. Already this Spring, I'm aware of almost a dozen students who have made decisions to follow Jesus as LORD, and it's likely that dozens more are in the process of making that decision. (Often, we find that folks realize that they've made decisions over the course of the year in April/May, so we typically find out about that change about this time of year!
* Beyond this, our area has been exploding with new GIGs (Bible studies for non-christian students). We don't have firm numbers yet, but I expect that before the end of the year upwards of 25 GIGs will have been hosted across the state, many of which lead to students making decisions to put Jesus first in their lives.
As people ask me how things are going with IV, I tell them honestly that it's been as encouraging a semester as I remember on staff! "For everything there is a season" and we've seen our share of hard times, but I rejoice in the goodness of God for this season of harvest!
All praise to the one who desires transformation far more than we do, and may you be blessed knowing that you have played a role in this incredible outpouring of blessing through your prayers, support, and finances!
With deepest thanksgiving!
Jon
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Now I feel a bit sheepish...
Hello Again,
Well, now I do feel a bit sheepish. :) Thanks to all of you who expressed concern over my failing health; I appreciate your care. Last night after I got home, I had this fleeting thought: "Jon, you probably shouldn't have talked in detail about your mystery illness...folks could get unnecessarily alarmed." But alas, I wasn't online until today and saw that in fact, that is what had happened.
Now, I have been sick for a couple weeks, but I'm by no means on death's door...it feels more like the cold and the flu at the same time; not pleasant, but more an annoyance than anything. All the tests that have been run have come back pretty well normal, so while we still don't know why I'm feeling the way I am, we are pretty sure it's just some random virus that my body needs to fight off, although a bit more sleep would probably be helpful. ;)
Anyway, thanks again for your care and concern, and do pray that God would deliver me from even this small health issue, as it would still be quite helpful to be at full strength for these next few weeks.
All for now!
Jon
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
New Staff Prospects!
Hello Everyone,
It's 60 degrees in Iowa on February 10th, can I get an "amen"?!
I'm sorry for not writing sooner, but as is typical, the beginning of the Spring semester has been rolling on at a breakneck pace! All of our chapters are up and running with some exciting reports already (I'll look forward to sharing these with you sometime soon!)
For now, however, I wanted to make a quick post to invite your prayers for me over the next few weeks on a couple points.
First, and most importantly, we are in the middle of "staff recruitment" season, and I'm so thankful to be working with ELEVEN total applicants for our work across Iowa (our current staff team is only 9!) We've already invited one of these folks to join our team, and am in process with the other ten helping them complete the application and preparing for interviews! As you can imagine, I'm thrilled not only to have so many folks applying, but in particular that a number of them would actually make great staff workers! So, you can be in prayer for me over the next few weeks as I interview these folks and make decisions about whether to offer them a spot on our team, and if so where...here's a quick interview schedule:
Thursday, 2.12- Brian
Friday, 2.13- Sarah W.
Tuesday, 2.17- Dayna
Wednesday, 2.18- Sarah B.
Thursday, 2.19- Christina
Tuesday-Thursday (2.24-26)- Ryan, Sarah P., Brett, Nick
Friday, 2.27- Trevor
On a related note, I'd love prayers for my health. I've had a pretty odd set of symptoms over the last few weeks and am awaiting the results of some testing to hopefully figure it out. You can pray not only that God grants healing to my body, but that he would keep it from spreading through our family.
Thanks so much, may God's grace be upon you all!
Jon
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