I have been on the campus of Saint Louis University since the beginning of my freshman year in the Fall of 2005. I joined a small Bible study within the few first weeks of school and ended up parting ways due to involvement in SLU's Student Government Association. While involved with SGA, I became a member of the Social Justice Committee, which sought to plan SGA-sponsored events highlighting various justice and mercy causes around the area and world. I had a very small outlook on the world at the time and the committee was mostly tedious for me.However, the fruit of God's timing is always remarkable when we are allowed to see it. From above the room in which the SJ Committee met, I could hear the faint sounds of praise and worship music every week. My growing frustration with SGA and simultaneous longing for Christ-centered community led me to turning in my Senate resignation for the Spring of 2006. The first week back from Christmas vacation, I wandered into the mysterious room on the 3rd floor of SLU's Student Center to discover the source of those faint worship sounds. This is where my journey with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship began. In the midst of a good deal of personal turmoil over the course of my freshman year, InterVarsity was my port in the storm. The staff and students involved became some of my closest friends and (now) partners on campus. The next few years would find me becoming more involved in a ministry that took me everywhere from the heart of Saint Louis to the slums of Cairo, Egypt.
I share my story for the sake of testimony to the work of Jesus, both in my life and in the life of SLU. I have been with SLU's IV for a while and I have been blessed to watch it grow. From a handful of students at Fall Conference 06 to 17 in 2008. From 2 students at our Summer leadership retreat in 2008 to the already 9 signed up for Catalyst 2009 with more to come (God-willing). The Kingdom is coming in Midtown - the laborers are being called to the vineyard.
In March, my staff partners and I took 7 students to realHOPE 2009 - a week of evangelism at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. The goal of the week was two-fold: (1) to aid in the process of a new InterVarsity chapter being planted on campus through meeting students, doing conversation evangelism, and praying around the clock; (2) to train students from around the region in evangelism on a campus-wide and interpersonal level so that they could return home to be evangelism leaders on their own campuses. Though evidences of the first objective were many (80 UMKC students interested in joining IV, 15 significant decisions for Christ), the fruit of the second objective would take time to be revealed.
On Friday afternoon, I met with a student from my small group and a friend of hers (from a Hindu background) whom she invited to investigate Jesus for the first time. Opening the Word with a student honestly seeking to understand Jesus was a shot in the arm for me. It is easy to become comfortable going through the motions in ministry - we get into routines of meeting with the same students and planning events for the sake of having events. Evangelism is the cold water on the face of my status quo ministry. realHOPE has given our students and staff the boost that we needed to begin affecting real change on campus at SLU. Before UMKC, I was hard-pressed to find a non-believer among us. In the wake of our return, I am running out of time in my week to meet with the students that SLU leaders meet in their weekly conversations on campus. We are rushing to train new leaders in investigative Bible studies and conversational evangelism. The tide is changing at SLU...we are not satisfied to be a Jesus Bubble anymore. Please pray for us and for the students seeking Jesus that we run into every week. We need you.
"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." - Matthew 9:35-38
