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...

1. 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!
2. 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...
   

At Drake, we are also off to a great start. The chapter has connected with almost 100 new students who are interested in joining the community's mission, and our chapter plant at DMACC is officially underway!

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."

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

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