Can you feel it? A new school year brings with it a tangible electricity in the air. New possibilities. New hope. The freshness of a collegiate fall. Newness is one of the reasons I love this time of year. I love the freshness of working with college students whose culture seems fluid. I feel as though I am constantly re-learning my job as students change. I enjoy the freshness of every new fall and every new class. That is why I have worked with IV for 10 years.
I also love consistency and deeply rooted values. When things are changing around me and I don’t know why, I cling to what I know and I find hope in the familiar. I think this is why attend a liturgical church. Some traditions and value gain depth in repetition.
Often these two loves can feel at odds. And yet, in the midst of the tension between old and new, I am reminded of my need for Jesus. I am reminded that God is at work in lives of students and our campuses. What is new is not unknown to Jesus. He dwells in that mystery. What is old is not stale to Jesus; he renews it. Back to school is this: the opportunity meet Jesus in the new and the mysterious and re-discover him in consistent and annual. During this back-to-school season, I would love to share 5 essential parts of campus ministry how you can pray for them in this exciting back-to-school season. I will structure this guide around a 5 day work week in case you would like to include it in your daily prayer life.
Monday: Freshmen. We tell student leaders that the first four weeks of college are a unique opportunity because freshmen are eager to make friends and try new things. Pray that freshmen would try out Jesus through studying scripture and prayer. Pray for freshmen to make an adult decision to follow Jesus with their whole lives. We know that 60% of freshmen leave their faith in college. We can believe that Jesus can change that, starting with this class!
Tuesday: Large Group gatherings. InterVarsity wants to see students and faculty transformed, campuses renewed and world changers developed. Often our large group events are the first encounter new students have with our group. Pray that new students would have eyes to see the love and hospitality present at these gatherings so that they would draw closer to Jesus. Pray that these gathering events will be the first step of transformation in many students’ lives and a launching pad into small group communities.
Wednesday: Student leaders. InterVarsity believes that students are the most qualified individuals to model for their peers what it means to follow Jesus in college. At WSU, we have six students who said ‘yes’ to leading their peers this year. Pray that these students will be filled with God’s love, grace, power and boldness as they invite their friends to study scripture.
Thursday: Small Groups in residence halls. This year, InterVarsity hopes to see communities of faith in the very places students live. We want to be the yeast working its way into the dough (Matt. 13:33), bringing Jesus as the transformation element to our communities. I know how important it can be for many students to have access to scripture be near to them. Pray for students who are eager to host a small group bible study in their rooms and students who are intrigued to attend.
Friday: Ethnic-Specific Small Groups
At WSU, Staff John Paradis is helping several passionate Latina students grow one 12-person small group to multiple groups that will be mini ‘familias.’ At EWU, a student leader is launching LaFe. Pray for new friendships to be formed across Catholic-Protestant lines. Pray for a desire to study scripture and apply it to life. Also, pray for deepening relationships between InterVarsity staff and students with ethnic-specific communities on all of our campuses. InterVarsity would love to provide spiritual communities for students of color who often don’t feel they have a spiritual home on campus.
Written by Jeremiah Nealon
Adapted by Donan Nealon
