Beyond Campus

Students Called to Change the World

logan.pinka@intervarsity.org — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 15:38:19 +0000

July 26, 2024

Emily Baez

Students Called to Change the World

Andrew McDowell, an ��ñ�� alumnus of Occidental College, experienced Jesus through ��ñ�� in a way that shaped the rest of his life. Today, he runs With Love, a nonprofit centered around a social enterprise market and cafe, that helps fund community programs around health, child development, and career skills for those in southwest Los Angeles.

Before Andrew McDowell founded With Love Community Programs, he was a college student trying to figure out his purpose.

��I came into college wide-eyed, not knowing what I wanted to do,�� he said.

By the end of his freshmen year, he joined ��ñ�� on campus. The community embraced him, taking time to guide and mentor him through his spiritual journey. He also dove deep into Scripture, studying and applying it to his life for the first time.

Called to be Like Jesus

Andrew graduated college knowing only two things for certain: he loved Jesus and wanted to spend the rest of his life becoming more like him.

��Becoming more like Jesus was my calling, and how that was lived out was defined by the gifts God had given me,�� Andrew said.

Throughout college and his 20��s, Andrew learned how to speak well, lead, and communicate mission. These gifts were crucial when, at almost 30, God led him to start With Love.

Called to Meet Real Needs

With Love serves people in need throughout Southwest Los Angeles. With the belief that all people, regardless of income, race, social status, or language are equally valuable, this non-profit works to right the systems that prevent individuals and communities from thriving. They meet real needs by providing programs such as classes on health or budgeting, cooking demos, gardening and food growth, exercise groups, and job/internship opportunities. Through these programs, With Love empowers members to live as bearers of Christ��s image.

When Andrew started With Love, he knew that loving Jesus and expressing that love in the real world meant meeting the real, physical needs of his community. This is a task, he feels, we��re all called to as Christians. ��It��s a responsibility not just in the present-day,�� he said, ��but in the book of Acts and the Old Testament as well.��

Called to Change The World

As students discern their calling, ��ñ�� helps them take Jesus�� words in Matthew 22 to heart: ��Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.�� This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ��Love your neighbor as yourself.��

Andrew��s whole life has been shaped by this command. Today, he remembers the ��ñ�� community that helped him fall in love with Jesus in the first place��a love that inspires him to continue changing the world, long after graduation.

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Emily Baez

Emily Baez is a writer on ��ñ��ޡ�s Communications Team in Madison, Wisconsin. She enjoys long hikes, watching movies, and overly competitive game nights with friends. You can support her ministry here.

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A Letter to Urbana 22 Participants, One Year Later

emily.baez@intervarsity.org — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 22:49:09 +0000

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December 21, 2023

A Letter to Urbana 22 Participants, One Year Later

Dear Urbana 22 participants,

Many of you may not know this, but my road to Urbana was marked by trauma.

I remember the moment right before the first opening session of the conference. The worship team just finished their set and invited the crowd to be seated. My heart was pounding as I awaited the signal to step into the spotlight. Nervously, I glanced down at my meticulously drafted and redrafted script. Then I began to pray.

A supernatural peace washed over me. I sensed the Holy Spirit telling me, ��Anna, you have done harder things than this.��

Before the conference, my hopes seemed extinguished. I was caring for my critically ill mother who would die three weeks after Urbana 22 ended. For whatever reason, God chose an emcee with nothing left to give but empty hands. I relaxed my tense body and prayed the prayer the Holy Spirit granted me during that traumatic year, ��Lord, I trust you.��

As this year ends, my prayer discipline continues to be relinquishing my empty hands to God. I want to encourage you to do the same.

Remember what we learned at Urbana:

1. Prayer is the root system of any fruitful life of mission.

Whether our mission is on campus, at home, or across the world, our prayer discipline connects us to the only one that can truly restore us and energize us for the task ahead. Take time this holiday break to find rest in Jesus through prayer.

2. Surrender is a key aspect of prayer.

That simple prayer, ��Lord, I trust you,�� can sometimes feel impossible. But when we enter that challenging place of surrender, we discover God��s truth, justice, beauty, and holiness��his true character. Surrender your plans to him as the one who created you, loves you, and has greater plans for you.

Whether your hands are full of trouble or joy, I pray that you can surrender them to our good Father as an act of worship. May you grow in deeper trust in 2024.

Your Urbana 22 emcee,

Anna ��

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Anxiety and Prayer: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why?

drew.larson@intervarsity.org — Fri, 12 May 2023 19:01:31 +0000

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May 12, 2023

X. Nader Sahyouni

Anxiety and Prayer: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why?

Anxiety has unfortunately been a part of my family for three generations.

My grandmother lived before antibiotics and antiviral medications. Various epidemics took eight of her thirteen children. This caused her to have a significant level of anxiety around any kind of illness. Whenever her remaining children were sick, she got anxious.

My mother, growing up in that environment, internalized that anxiety. I had no idea I had internalized it too until my own children were born. Whenever they got sick, I would feel anxiety like I had never felt before.

We are becoming more and more aware how much anxiety there is on our college campuses. You may have stumbled on this blog while looking for an anxiety resource for college students. Or you may have seen something during Mental Health Awareness month that led you here. Regardless of how you came to read this, I pray that God speaks to you as you read in the ways that you need most.

Anxiety drove me into the arms of Jesus. And over the years, I began to see patterns of how some ways of prayer mirror psychotherapy techniques that help reduce anxiety. Going further and studying spiritual formation, I was exposed to even more ways to pray in ways that are helpful. I was intrigued that the little bit of neuroscience that had informed my early graduate work helped me make sense of new discoveries about the brain and how it��s shaped by anxiety and reshaped by various forms of prayer.

Triggered and Reconsolidated Memories

We know that trauma �C�C and even less severe negative events �C�C make changes to the brain, creating memories that when triggered cause anxiety. These memories are not only of the event, but also of the feelings and perceptions associated with it. These are deeply ingrained and hard to change.

A victim of date rape for example has terrible memories not only of the event, but also the perception associated with it, that men she trusts will hurt her. That makes it difficult for her to trust her fianc�� many years later. Every time he gets close, she may experience anxiety. As much as she��d like to, and keeps telling herself that he��s safe, she can��t control the anxiety.

Memory Reconsolidation is a new scientific understanding of how these traumatic memories can be changed. During therapy or inner healing prayer, as this young woman recalls her story, she feels some of the emotions, and that recreates conditions in the brain that allow the stored misperceptions to be overwritten. Instead of the message that men will hurt her, she hopefully receives the opposite message: she is safe and can trust her fianc��. This will often heal the anxiety trigger.

In Scripture, Peter experienced trauma when he betrayed Jesus. And it appears that Jesus used the same method to heal his trauma from his betrayal so he could minister more effectively (John 21). We don��t know for sure, but the message he internalized was probably something like, I��m not worthy to do Jesus�� work, or he would never trust me again. Jesus reactivated the memory for him by asking him if he loved him, and then gave him the replacement message, ��feed my sheep,�� which included the message of trust he needed to hear. And Jesus didn��t do this once but three times, and some clinical protocols suggest therapists do it two to three times too.

Sometimes though, it might seem like Jesus isn��t bringing healing to your anxieties at the very moment you��re anxious. You may ask for the anxiety to be taken away, and yet it persists. Often, we avoid and keep seeking reassurance, but this tells our brains that there really is something to be anxious about. It makes the anxiety worse. If we repeatedly pray to avoid or constantly ask God for reassurance, we can feed the anxiety and make it worse. The good news is that Scripture gives us a good alternative prayer model.

Acceptance and Hope

Both Jesus in Gethsemane (Mt 26, Lk 22) and Paul��s prayer about the thorn in his flesh (2 Cor 12) show us the same prayer pattern. First, we��re welcome to pray that the distressing issue be taken away from us. We can even pray for that repeatedly. However, at some point, we need to discern that God��s answer might be no. He may take it away next week or next month, but since for now the answer is no, we need to move to the next step in Jesus and Paul��s prayer model: acceptance.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy incidentally is one of the approaches used for anxiety treatment. It rests on a foundation of not resisting the anxiety, but accepting it, as Jesus and Paul did. Research supports this as well �C�C acceptance reduces anxiety.

The final step for both Jesus and Paul goes beyond mere acceptance. There is hope in God��s redeeming power in the circumstance. Since we know that God redeems all things, we can be grateful for his redemption ahead of time. Gratitude can be effective in reducing anxiety.

Two nights ago, there was a loud thunderstorm in my area, and as often happens, the thunder caused a car alarm to go off. I��m sure the car��s owner turned over in his bed, reached over to his car keys, and used the remote to deactivate the alarm.

The Amygdala is a small sized structure in our brain that functions like that car alarm. Sometimes it works right, and sometimes it��s a false alarm. Fortunately, our brains are generally able to calm it down when it��s a false alarm. One of the parts in the brain that can function like the car remote, to help the amygdala calm down is an area called the Anterior Cingulate. Brain imaging of people exercising gratitude show activation of that area. So when Paul says in Philippians 4:16 that when we are anxious we are to pray with gratitude, and peace would result, he's saying reach for your brain��s remote to deactivate that false alarm.

Finally, we know from the science of attachment that children find parents to be a ��secure base,�� from whose safe presence they can venture out with a sense of safety. When frightened or injured, they come back to the parent and experience loving comfort. This creates a healthy and secure attachment that allows the child to grow up feeling safe and resilient in anxiety. As we bring our fears and other emotions to God in prayer and receive his loving support, over time we develop a secure attachment to him. This doesn��t happen overnight, but over time. As we experience his loving care, our sense of being able to trust him with our future deepens. In the long run, this gives us the resilience we need in facing future anxieties.

A Call to Action

I heard a lecture once by an anxiety specialist who said that athletes seem to do better than most in anxiety therapy because they see anxiety as a challenge to compete against. Likewise, I think Jesus invites us not to be overcome by anxiety, but to actively and intentionally engage with him as we struggle with it. Most of what I know about that is in my book, which you can check out here. And for more resources, go to my website MySpiritualDirector.com

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X. Nader Sahyouni

X. Nader Sahyouni is a licensed clinical professional counselor and a spiritual director with a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation. He also regularly speaks at retreats and conferences on the intersection of psychotherapy, spiritual formation, and brain science. He is the author of ��Anxiety Transformed: Prayer that Brings Enduring Change.�� Nader lectures annually at North Park Theological Seminary��s Center for Spiritual Direction.

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Lifelong Friendships: Fact, Fiction, and Tips

emily.baez@intervarsity.org — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 16:54:28 +0000

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August 31, 2022

Emily Baez

Lifelong Friendships: Fact, Fiction, and Tips

When I was in seventh grade, my best friend, Chloe, and I made some grand promises to each other: Moving to a new city together, buying houses on the same street, following the same career path, and being in each other��s weddings.

Now, 15 years later, I have no idea what she��s up to. I think she got married and bought a house, but I wasn��t there to witness any major life milestones. It makes me a little sad to think about the friendships of mine that didn't last. At 12, I genuinely believed Chloe and I would know each other forever. What I didn��t realize then is that most of us will have friends come and go throughout our lives.

As I write this today, though, I��m grateful that many of the friendships I made in college��most notably the ones I made through ��ñ��ޡ� have survived life��s inevitable transitions.

Fact: Prayer Works

The summer after my sophomore year of college, I prayed to God for a community of friends. My time thus far in college had been dull and I knew something seriously important was lacking in my life. So I asked him to send people who could fill the void.

Shortly after that prayer, I got plugged into ��ñ�� on campus and made a ton of new friends. Two years later I was nearing graduation and noticed that I��d become particularly close to about six of my ��ñ�� friends. It wasn't hard to imagine us being entangled in each other��s lives for a long time.

And we very much were. Throughout our friendship, we helped each other get through the confusing years after college, the pandemic, relationship troubles, moments of spiritual confusion and doubt, and so much more. Even though I live 1,000 miles away from them now, I know that they��re never more than a phone call (or plane ride) away. They��ve visited me in Wisconsin, and I��ve visited them back in Florida. We keep each other updated, and whenever I��m home, I��ll join them for their weekly Bible studies.

Elisabet was one of them. I met her in my LaFe small group and we formed a friendship that led us to move to a new city and to new jobs together our first year out of college. That year wasn��t easy for me, and I��m sure I would've completely melted into a puddle of my own stress, confusion, and loneliness had it not been for Elisabet. Whether it was through agreeing to watch hours of reality TV with me, exploring quaint nearby towns together, or just staying up late painting each other��s nails and talking about work, our goals, our opinions, life, and Jesus, God used Elisabet to help me stay sane.

This year, I got to see Elisabet and Deric, another friend from our group, get married. Not only was I happy for them and their future together, but I felt incredibly lucky to be a part of their story and to witness such a milestone in their lives. We watched our group progress from strangers to acquaintances to lifelong friends. That wedding reminded me once more of how faithful God was (and continues to be) in answering my prayer.

Fact: Heaven Broke Through in North Florida

I came to ��ñ�� at a very uncertain point in my life, feeling skeptical about hanging out with Christians after having grown up in church. I didn��t see how ��religious�� people could teach me anything I didn��t already know.

My first Chapter Camp showed me just how wrong I was.

We spent a week in the North Florida woods, feasting on good food, swinging from trees, kayaking in a lake with (one or two) gators, staying up late, hiking, swimming, worshipping, laughing. And somewhere in all that joy and excitement and life, I had an epiphany: This was happiness!

It was like I was stumbling onto some best-kept secret, some revelation that this was what life was really about. That week, we were a real community, akin to something from Acts 2. I truly believe we were living as God always meant for us to live.

Don��t get me wrong �� things weren��t perfect. We weren��t really in heaven after all. There was still conflict, arguments, tension, sickness, not to mention I almost broke my nose during a 30-person game of soccer. But maybe that made it even better?

This community of friends was different from anything I��d experienced before. We talked about the hard things, knowing they weren��t friendship dealbreakers. We respected each other enough to address conflict and work toward reconciliation. We took care of sick friends, checked in on each other, included each other.

And when my bloody nose turned the soccer field into a veritable crime scene, my friends walked me all the way to the nurse, helped me get the blood out of my clothes, and tried their hardest to make me laugh. I sat there trying to recover not from physical pain, but from the embarrassment of my very public header gone wrong. One friend assured me that I didn��t need to be embarrassed. And she was right. There was a closeness between us that made everything okay. A closeness that lasted far beyond Chapter Camp. A closeness built on the fact that we agreed to be there for each other and never take this beautiful gift of community for granted.

Fiction: Friendships Only Matter if They Last

Truth be told, I��m not in contact with every single person I was once close with in ��ñ��.

But I think that��s okay �� and realistic. Back then, I must have had 40 friends I could text at any given moment. Invitations to study or hang out were constantly on the table. It was awesome. I guess that��s the rough news about leaving college: it��s one of the greatest environments for friendships to flourish abundantly, but when you��re out of it, you��re really out of it.

The good news, though? Since I��ve graduated, I��ve made even more friends through ��ñ�� that I can see sticking around for a while. God has continued blessing me with relationships that have added immense joy to my life. So my circle is a little smaller now. It includes my relatively new friends and my six older friends who I can text whenever I want... and I��m extremely grateful for all of them.

In fact, whether we still talk or not, I'm grateful for every single friend I made in ��ñ��. We share a bond deeper than just having attended the same college. And when we all reunite in heaven, it��ll be even better and even more beautiful than ever!

Tips on Pursuing Lifelong Friendships

I��m not an expert in relationships. I also haven��t made it to the end of my life to know whether my ��ñ�� friendships will make it all the way (I believe and hope they will). Still, I wanted to share what��s helped me over the years:

1. Be intentional

��Being intentional�� has almost become clich��. But it still rings true. Change is inevitable, and friendships are hard to maintain with distance and busy schedules. If you live really far from friends, make relatively small and attainable goals. I have a friend who I visit once a year. That time is extremely special, and we make the most of it. It��s enough to maintain the friendship and still be a part of each other��s lives in a meaningful way.

2. Don��t take gaps of communication too personally

Unread messages and missed calls can eat away at you. But try to give your friends the benefit of the doubt. We all go through seasons where we��re balancing a lot. Things get overwhelming and communication with friends can suffer because of it, but just try to hang in there!

3. Center God

One great way to maintain friendships is to incorporate your faith. Start a small group Bible study. Organize worship nights. Go through a book or devotional together. Have those classic accountability partners. When you center God in your friendships, they often become stronger and more spiritually fulfilling.

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Emily Baez

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3 Tips to Build Your Resume with Your ��ñ�� Experience

AD-18513 — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 16:19:54 +0000

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July 07, 2022

Stephanie Cocuzza

3 Tips to Build Your Resume with Your ��ñ�� Experience

All day long, I read resumes.

As a Human Resources Recruiter, that��s my job �� or a key part of it, at least. For the past eight years, I��ve worked in HR for two Fortune 500 companies, helping connect talented people with open positions across our company. You can imagine just how many resumes and interviews I, and the team I lead, go through each day. I��ve seen a lot of what works and a lot of what doesn��t.

As a former ��ñ�� student and campus minister, I also know the struggle of making your skills and experiences as an ��ñ�� student really pop on resumes and in job interviews. I��m here to help you! Here are three things to do to help your student leadership experience shine when you��re job hunting.

Highlight Leadership & Communication

��ñ�� students make excellent leaders. There are so many chances to step into leadership opportunities in an ��ñ�� chapter: leading a small group, planning worship, starting a new Bible study, coordinating a justice or outreach event, or even helping to plant a new chapter, just to name a few! If you��ve said yes to doing even one of those things, you have leadership experience that employers want to know about.

So what should you emphasize on a resume or in an interview? Talk about the practical aspects of those leadership experiences. Highlight where you had to take initiative, do long-term planning and preparation, or facilitate logistics. Emphasize how coordinating large group or leading a chapter gave you experience managing a small team and the skills that go with it: delegating, setting expectations, holding others accountable, leading across cultures, and managing group dynamics.

��ñ�� leadership also develops communications skills, so highlight those as well. Early on, employers are not just hiring you for what you can do, but also how you do it. ��Soft skills�� (the character traits and interpersonal abilities you bring to your work) like good communication can set you apart from other potential candidates. As an example, let��s say you mentored a student one-on-one. You could tell your employer how this equipped you to:

Connect skillfully with many different people.
Simply communicate complex ideas.
Contextualize your speech on the fly to meet people where they are.
Speak in public.
Express yourself with confidence while also listening well and making space for others.

Use the Right Words

Strong verbs are the foundation of a good resume and interview. You want to show your future employer what you have done and can do for them! When describing your student leadership experience, use bright verbs that suggest motion, action, and growth, such as: crafted, created, led, marketed, increased, managed, mobilized, built, coordinated.

Also, when possible, emphasize the specific, concrete results of your leadership. Things like: How many people attended your event? How much did your chapter grow? How much money did the Justice Program raise?

Employers often have their own ways they like to talk about their mission, values, work, etc. (So does ��ñ��!) Be a good ��contextualizer.�� Research the company you want to work for and try to translate your ��ñ�� experience into their language. Pull phrases from the position description, company website, etc., and match them with your leadership work. Show it in your resume and cover letter to create a stronger match between you and the interviewer.

Admit Failures

Employers love to see failure and learning. It shows initiative, flexibility, and confidence.

Now, a word of caution: You need to present this correctly, or it could backfire. Don��t talk about past leadership or project failures in a way that makes you look incompetent. Do, however, talk about them in terms of risk and learning. What was the big goal you were trying to reach for, and why was it important? When it didn��t go as planned, how did you react emotionally? How did you pivot and communicate that shift to your team? How did you change your strategy for the next time?

��ñ�� is strong on debriefing, which is a key skill for learning and self-awareness. Show your employer that you have this habit. You��d be surprised how many people �� especially new job seekers �� don��t have the skills and habits to actually learn from their mistakes. But as an ��ñ�� student, you do! That gives you a real advantage in a job interview, and it��s something you��ll want an employer to notice about you.

When You Land It

It��s such a good feeling when you run the gauntlet of interviews and land a job that you really want. That��s why I love helping people do it! But it��s also true that even that good feeling can��t last forever. Even the perfect job is still also, well, a job.

As followers of Jesus, we have the gift of knowing that our job isn��t just a way to make money, feel important, or gain influence. It��s also a way to love God and the world, using the skills and passions he��s given us to advance his kingdom in whatever job or career we pursue. Our time with ��ñ�� hasn��t just equipped us to be great employees; it��s also given us a healthy, Christ-centered perspective on work that will last for our entire lives.

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Stephanie Cocuzza

Stephanie Cocuzza is an ��ñ�� alumna and former campus minister who has nearly a decade of experience as an HR recruiter, first with Johnson & Johnson and now with Bristol Myers Squibb.

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4 Tips to Navigate the Transition from College & Stay Connected with ��ñ��

AD-18513 — Wed, 04 May 2022 13:38:41 +0000

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May 04, 2022

Jason Gaboury

4 Tips to Navigate the Transition from College & Stay Connected with ��ñ��

Dear college seniors (and those who care for them),

I��m so proud of you.

Stop. Read that first sentence again. Heck, read it as many times as you need. It��s okay to feel good about what you��ve accomplished!

In just a few weeks, or days, you��ll be leaving the school where you��ve worked and laughed and maybe even cried. You��ll be saying goodbye to friends you��ve made. You might want to show your family around campus one last time. Or maybe take that last run, play that last ultimate frisbee game, and complete that final project? Oh, and those spaces in the lab or library �� you know, the ones you spent so much time in they could double as your mailing address? You should probably clean those out too.

The fact that you��re reading this means there��s a good chance you were part of ��ñ��ޡ�s ministry. We��re proud of you. Whether your chapter grew or shrank, whether you were a small group leader or member, whether you planted new ministry or not. We��re proud of you whether you were involved in ��ñ�� for four years or four weeks. We��re proud of you whether you find yourself comfortably within Christianity, struggling with faith, or unsure. We��re proud of you for all the ways you��ve given yourself to Bible study, fellowship, and prayer.

We want you to know that we think of you in the same way that Paul thought of his friends in Thessalonica: ��So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us�� (1 Thes 2:8)

Did I mention I was proud of you?

I am. We are. Jesus is.

What Now?

Graduating from college doesn��t mean graduating from ��ñ��. It��s easy to imagine our freshmen small group leader, our friends from large group, the students we led with, prayed with, or studied with as our connection to the ministry. While each of these played an important role, it��s God��s work in us and through us that we��ll carry with us into this new season.

In the Disney+ series ��The Mandalorian,�� Mandalorians greet one another with the phrase, ��This is the way.�� When they say these words, they are reminding one another that they are committed to a way of being in the galaxy. They are a distinct, and yet powerful, community. From the moment I saw that, I thought, ��This is what alumni from campus ministry need, simple reminders of the way of being with Jesus we cultivated in college.��

This is super important because life after college is harder than you expect. Consider it this way: For many of us after we left high school, we had a college community investing real money, time, and programmatic effort to help us adjust to college life.

We attended seminars on getting the most out of college. Someone taught us the myriad of ways to use instant Ramen. We learned what bathrooms were worth trekking across campus to use and which to strenuously avoid. Clubs, fraternities, sororities, and campus ministries non-creepy stalked us, bribing us with cookies, parties, and activities. All of this effort was aimed at helping us adjust to college life. Still, most of us struggled. Forty percent of college students drop out every year, but many more contemplate dropping out.

Life after college is an even more dramatic transition. Unfortunately, there isn��t a college investing time, money, and program to orient you to this new reality. In the new environment, there��s a tacit assumption that you know how to budget, find a church, manage your time, maintain healthy rhythms, acquire new work skills, and build a social network on your own. It can be lonely, disorienting, and frustrating. For those of us who��ve grown accustomed to having a campus minister or small group leader checking in on us, the change can feel like abandonment.

But it doesn��t have to be this way! We can encourage one another ��in the way,�� so to speak. Here are some simple tips to remind ourselves of the way we��ve learned to be with Jesus in college. These can help us get through the college transition.

Making It Practical

1. Celebrate & Be Seen Before You Go

Every graduating student has the right to be seen, known, loved, and celebrated, whether you were a leader or not. Ask your campus minister or leader to sit down with you and help you reflect on God��s activity in your life over these past years. In this conversation, you should have the opportunity to decide how you��d like to continue to be involved and pour back into your college ministry. Perhaps you��d like to give financially to your chapter, pray for them regularly, or volunteer to help in some way.

Your future self will be grateful you took the time to reflect with others. It will help to bring a sense of closure and help define your relationship in this next season.

2. Use Alumni Resources

If you were involved in campus ministry, you, and probably others close to you, likely spent intentional time thinking through your discipleship journey. Maybe you were in a small group that focused on a biblical theme like justice or a Gospel focusing on Jesus�� lordship. Maybe you were a part of a ministry community that was developing your leadership skills.

Now that you��re graduating, you��ll need to think through your discipleship even more intentionally. The ��ñ�� Alumni Relations Team has worked on a number of resources to help you in your efforts. For example, you can subscribe to the ��After IV�� Podcast to hear stories of other alumni in the process of transition. Or you could use your lifetime 40 percent discount on ��ñ�� Press books to help you plan out what your discipleship will look like in this next season. Our research indicates that alumni who read even one Christian book the year they graduated were better able to make the post college transition than those who didn��t.

3. Join a Church in Mission

Alumni who connect with a church community where they can serve in mission usually have an easier transition from college �C�C especially if there are other ��ñ�� alumni there! When you visit churches in your new community, ask questions like:

How do young people serve the poor in this community?
What forms of outreach ministry or small group ministries are connecting young adults?
Ask if there are others in the church with an ��ñ�� background.
When you find a church with other alumni, ask how they��ve been able to connect, serve, and grow.

4. Connect with Other Alumni

As you leave college, the temptation will be to only focus on your college ministry days and miss the relationships you had. Instead, why not also look forward toward new connections and relationships with others who may have had similar college ministry experiences? We need others who can encourage us in the way.

For example, last year in San Diego, a graduating student connected with an ��ñ�� alumna she��d never met before. They had a few conversations. When the older alumna heard that the recent graduate was looking for a job in her field, she forwarded her resume to someone in her company��s HR department. The new alumna was hired a few weeks later. This was all possible because the graduating student thought about her connection to campus ministry as an opportunity to build new relationships.

I��m so proud of you. I��m grateful for what God has done in you and through you during this last season and am thrilled for what��s in store. Whatever this next season holds, remember that ��ñ�� is cheering you on! These four tips can help you navigate the transition and remember the way.

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Jason Gaboury

Jason Gaboury serves as the National Director for Alumni Relations. He has contributed to two ��ñ�� Press books: Drama Team Handbook and Drama Team Sketchbook. He and his wife, Sophia, have two children and live in New York City. You can support his ministry at donate.intervarsity.org/donate#890.

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Does God Care about Where I Work This Summer?

AD-18513 — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 13:08:25 +0000

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April 29, 2021

Scott Bessenecker

Does God Care about Where I Work This Summer?

When it comes to getting a job, it feels like there are three choices. If the market isn��t willing to pay a living wage for a skill that brings you meaning, then you��ve either got to find meaning in a job that does pay a living wage, get a job that pays but kills your soul, or do what you love and live in your parent��s basement.

Also, some people just seem to have more choices than others��whether it��s a summer job or a postcollege career. They have the ��right�� family name, the ��right�� socioeconomic background, and the ��right�� ethnic background. Generations of privilege and opportunity have opened more options for some.

These are the realities of the bent world in which we live. But what about a summer job? That��s just all about making money, right?

A Gods Eye View

Should pay be the only factor in the summer job you choose? What��s God��s perspective? Is there anything in the Bible that can guide what kind of job we pursue?

Jesus gave a sermon once on a hill. Now we call it the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5�C7). Even people who don��t believe Jesus is the Savior of the world love this sermon. Blessed are the peacemakers, love your enemy, turn the other cheek, do unto others��it��s all there.

Jesus also said something in that sermon about what��s worth pursuing: ��Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness�� (Mt 6:33, NRSV). The Greek word for righteousness, dikaios, carries elements of justice. In Spanish Bibles, it reads, ��Strive first for the kingdom of God and his justo.�� Some manuscripts just say, ��Strive first for the kingdom and its righteousness.�� Simply put, above all else, work for kingdom justice.

Prior to this verse, Jesus mentions some things people strive after, including basic needs like food and clothing. He assures listeners that God knows what we need for survival. God even provides food for birds and adorns the grass with flowers. There��s no way God��s going to miss the fact that you need food and clothing. But rather than pursuing these things, Jesus calls us to chase the justice of God��s kingdom.

As you think about a job, what does it look like to strive first and foremost for God��s kingdom and its justice? This might include looking out for the marginalized, empowering those who are excluded, introducing people to Jesus and his kingdom, or taking the Sermon on the Mount more seriously.

I��d like to suggest that you consider four things in looking for a job: posture, people, profession, and paycheck.

Posture

I know, it��d be way easier if God had a specific opinion about which career you pursue or which summer job you pick. But I don��t think he cares as much about the job as he cares about your posture. Doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with him (Mic 6:8) is something you can do in most jobs.

I��m not saying that it��s fine to go work for the Mafia. I��m just saying we tend to sweat more over choosing a specific job, a place to live, or who to marry rather than our posture in the process of the choosing. Check your attitude. What does it look like to love God, love neighbor, and pursue kingdom justice in the various choices before you? Choosing a godly posture is more important than choosing the perfect job.

People

I once calculated the number of hours humans have for workplace productivity. If you consider our biological demands for food and sleep, the theological commands for regular sabbath, and the years of being too young or too old to work, it turns out that far less than 50 percent of our lives is available for any decent levels of ��production.�� Most of our life is focused on relating to other people. Listening to them, loving them, and serving them.

Consider the community you��ll be part of as you think about your summer plans. Invite your current community into the discernment process. Whether or not you choose a job where you know people, recognize that loving God, loving neighbor, and seeking kingdom justice will mainly be about the lives of those you live and work with.

Profession

What ultimate good does the job or the organization offer the world? You need to believe that the thing you��re doing contributes to the good of the world. Consider what skills might be developed in you. What do you want to become good at? How might this job make you a better person with more to offer the world? Whether taking a summer job at a restaurant, a construction site, or an office, think about how it might shape your character and add to your talents. Think of your job or internship as a skills workshop that��s growing your professional talents and your value to God��s world.

Paycheck

In heaven, the market won��t decide who��s rich or poor. We might even be able to see this aspect of the kingdom come to earth as it is in heaven eventually. But some of you have a responsibility to contribute financially to your family or pay for school now. A job shouldn��t be about the pursuit of possessions or wealth, but a paycheck is part of the equation, especially for those who��ve grown up in under resourced communities. How might you provide financially for yourself and your community? How can you pull yourself and others out of debt? These are fair questions when considering a summer job.

Finally, as you think about the summer, consider joining ��ñ��ޡ�s Work Life program. This program as well as other volunteer or study opportunities can grow you in important ways. They are character and resume builders and matter as we pursue God��s kingdom justice.

So seek first God��s kingdom justice in your attitude, think about the people involved, consider the talents you want to develop, and then ask what financial commitments you should consider. Let God worry about all that other stuff.

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Scott Bessenecker

Scott is the Director of Global Engagement and Justice for ��ñ��, the author of The New Friars: The Emerging Movement Serving the World��s Poor, How to Inherit the Earth: Submitting Ourselves to a Servant Savior, and Overturning Tables: Freeing Missions from the Christian Industrial Complex, and editor of Living Mission: The Vision and Voices of New Friars. He regularly blogs at overturningtables.com. He and his wife, Janine, have three kids.

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Parenting beyond the Five-Minute Future

AD-18513 — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 17:28:16 +0000

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January 14, 2021

Stephanie Fredrick

Parenting beyond the Five-Minute Future

If I can just get through the next hour, I can put the kids to bed, clean the house, rotate the laundry, and send a couple emails, I thought. Oh, and I need to prep for tomorrow��s online classes for my girls and set up the tablets for the boys.

Just trying to get through the next hour or few minutes is nothing new for parents of young children. Many times when my four kids were younger, going five minutes without crying or yelling felt like a small victory. Now, let��s add a global pandemic to the mix. How am I supposed to work my full-time job, teach my kids daily, keep my house clean, finish my degree��and make sure they are getting time to learn about God too?

Please don��t get me wrong. I know I��m extremely fortunate having a job I can do from home, a healthy family, and a safe place to live. I know that for me to even complain can seem obtuse and narrow-minded. However, I know that God is not a ��this or that�� type of God. I can still be stressed out and be thankful for what I have. I can feel emotional and frustrated and simultaneously feel compassion for the doctors and nurses who risk their lives each day.

Even if you are not a parent, I bet you can relate. This pandemic is sticking around a lot longer than most people expected. The days are getting shorter, and the darkness, longer. Our emotions are running high, and our patience wears thin. College classes have gone virtual, and many students don��t plan to go back after the Christmas break. The world��s uncertainty is at an all-time high, and trials and tribulations seem commonplace. However, in the middle of all this, Jesus reminds us, ��I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulations. But take heart; I have overcome the world�� (Jn 16:33).

Right now it may be hard to think of anything long-term��even the next five minutes may seem overwhelming��but God is faithful and asks us to not only look at the next five minutes with anticipation but to also find peace in knowing that he has all our minutes, hours, and days. He��s numbered every hair on our heads and knows the trials we will face. He is right here with us, longing for us to rest at his feet and dwell in his promises.

Investing in the Future

At ��ñ��, we always think of, pray for, and support college students and faculty. Now more than ever, they need to know Jesus and his grace and real hope. Their friends, connections, clubs, and lives have been dramatically shaken.

With this sudden change in colleges, I wonder what effect this will have on my young children. And through this pandemic, I feel like God is telling me to think beyond the next five minutes, look at the big picture of life, and think not only about my specific circumstances but at what the future will look like for everyone.

Here are a couple ideas that could help us all be present in the moment but also think long-term. And if you��re not a parent, there are still plenty of opportunities to gain a broader perspective on life by caring for campuses near you through prayer, developing relationships, and even planting an ��ñ�� chapter. (Please leave your ideas in the comments below.)

Connect with local faculty members and ask if you can pray for them.
Reach out to any college students or their parents asking if you can pray or send food or gift cards (we can all imagine how much food college kids eat).
Have your kids write letters or draw pictures and send them to their teachers, principals, and administrators.
Sit down with your kids for five minutes each day and pray for students across the world. You can also look up a college near you and pray for that campus.
Explore how students around the world are educated through these lesson plans.

In all that��s happening, I know that God is still good, and he is always looking to the future. He understands our heartbreaks, frustrations, nervousness, and disappointments. The future he sees is one that I yearn for as well, a future with no sadness, frustration, hurt, or sickness. A future where things will be perfect.

Until then, I will get through the next five minutes but also invest in the future. I will be sad and happy. I will feel overwhelmed and optimistic. God is not going anywhere, his promises have never changed, and he is our future. These truths will get me through the next five minutes.

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Stephanie Fredrick

Stephanie serves as Communications and Operations Director of ��ñ��ޡ�s Learning and Talent department. When she��s not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and four young children. To make a donation to Stephanie��s ministry, use this link: donate.intervarsity.org/donate#21400.

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Post-Grad Reflections: An Identity beyond Labels & Routines

AD-18513 — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 13:57:20 +0000

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November 12, 2020

Sarah LaLond

Post-Grad Reflections: An Identity beyond Labels & Routines

There��s a note on my phone last edited at 12:25 a.m. on January 16, 2020. It begins like this:

Thoughts

Who will I be now that I can��t win scholarships, and when my grades don��t tell me I��m special?

How do I measure my progress without the grading scale that has faithfully shown me where I am and where I need to go?

I will need to be comfortable with myself apart from my academics bolstering me in the face of others�� more impressive careers and salaries.

Easier said than done . . .

��Graduate��

Almost exactly a month earlier, I��d donned my graduation cap and gown, filed into an auditorium, and became the first in my immediate family to receive my bachelor��s degree.

My friends and family frequently asked, ��Are you excited?!�� Sure, I was proud of what I��d accomplished and pleased that my family was there to celebrate. But excited? Honestly, not really.

I didn��t have any big career aspirations or a dream job lined up. All my close friends were still in college. As I accepted my diploma, a chunk of my identity flaked off: ��student.�� I��d worked hard and anticipated the day when I wouldn��t have this label anymore. But as I entered the new year as a graduate, I felt untethered. Adrift. Derailed. Hence the late-night introspection.

Some rhythms, like school, become so familiar that we file them under the ��got to�� category instead of the ��get to�� category, especially with the pressure of essay deadlines and upcoming presentations. After graduation, I was so relieved that my days of staying up way too late finishing homework were behind me. However, after weeks turned to months, I began missing school��s routines and the closeness of friends.

Perhaps there��s a relationship in your life that requires a lot of emotional energy or a stressful project at work. The responsibilities that come with labels like ��student,�� friend,�� or ��employee�� can be overwhelming. Life would be so much easier without those stressors, right? But in the absence of those labels, we miss out on many joys too.

As I struggled through these feelings, I felt like I couldn��t talk about it until I had some new label. Don��t make the same mistake I did. When you��re feeling the loss of part of your identity, reach out to people who care about you. Being honest with your loved ones, journaling, and spending time in prayer can help you so much in processing your experiences.

��Employee��

Life is messy, and it��s rare that we get an opportunity to so clearly close one chapter of our lives and begin another. Graduation can feel like a clean slate, but it also comes with a new set of expectations: finding a job.

Aside from necessity, we��re assured that work and productivity are biblical values. God tasked the first human with jobs tending the Garden of Eden and naming living creatures (Gen 2:15, 19). And we don��t have to look any further than Proverbs to see the harm that accompanies idleness.

After college, I attached so much of my worth in attaining that new ��employee�� label in my industry that it felt like the bottom dropped out when I didn��t succeed right away. I wish I would have realized sooner that you��re more than the job you have or don��t have, that work is just a part of God��s design for us��not the definition of who we are as people.

Your first job out of college doesn��t have to be your forever job. It can be something that pays off your student loans and helps you get your bearings. And just because you don��t see a clear future where you currently are, doesn��t mean that God isn��t at work.

Disrupted Routines

Our daily rhythms have been unimaginably shaken and replaced by a COVID-19 reality. Things we didn��t realize we should be grateful for have been stripped away, like frequently seeing friends in person, leisurely browsing at a store, or going to the fitness center.

Mourning the loss of a routine or rhythm you enjoy is completely normal in this abnormal season. But the loss of a routine is not the same as losing our entire identity.

As we realize how fragile our circumstances are, it��s a gut check to ask ourselves, ��Am I placing too much of my worth in what I��m doing?�� The things you do can be completely worthwhile: work, time spent with family, etc. But they aren��t the definition of your worth as a human being made in the image of God.

There may be other things that you��re doing that objectively wear on your identity, like social media. Posting and being affirmed by your followers feels wonderful, but the never-ending drive to refresh and make sure you know the latest updates isn��t healthy. Now may be a good time to ask yourself: ��Is too much of my mental energy being spent dwelling on things that happened online?��

Like no other, this season has revealed where we aren��t placing our security in Christ and offers us an invitation to lean more on God. This can look like pausing at the end of the day for examen, being aware of moments when we feel near to God and noting the moments when we don��t. This is a chance to reaffirm to ourselves that the author and perfecter of our faith will draw near to us when we draw near to him (Jas 4:8).

My note from earlier ended like this:

I will need to remember that sometimes people are kinder than I imagine them to be. I expect them to be less than perfect, so I hope they will expect the same of me.

Ultimately the measurement of me��my career, my character��is not based on other��s assessments but is rooted at the foot of the cross where all that is seen of me is covered in white snow.

Looking forward, I know I��m going to have moments where I doubt and question my identity. But I know my struggle��s not in vain. No matter how much things shift around, we can hold onto the truth that God is solid. His promises and character haven��t changed. Our identity in him hasn��t changed. His love for us hasn��t changed��even if our labels and routines have.

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Sarah LaLond

Sarah is a social media and editorial intern.

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No One��s Going to Read Your R��sum�� at Your Funeral

AD-18513 — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 14:36:49 +0000

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March 05, 2020

Nina Thomas

No One��s Going to Read Your R��sum�� at Your Funeral

For as long as I can remember, I thought there was some magic pill. I daydreamed of some incredible choice or combination of right career moves that would somehow propel me into the perfect life. This thought process was not limited to careers. I overthought everything. I placed so much worth in making the right decision. Specifically, the right decision.

In my core, I knew that this thinking was flawed. I knew the ��who�� rather than the ��what�� of my everyday life was more important. But that didn��t stop me from asking my ministry professor about the ��what,�� my ��what,�� the magic next step I needed to take. As if a stranger would have some divine insight that I just somehow missed. That he would tell me that I should have turned left five stops earlier, and maybe then my life would have been perfect. If I had just applied for one internship over another. Or maybe if I had studied harder to get my GPA just 0.1 point higher, everything would have changed. Maybe if I had switched my major just one more time?

But he had no such answer. Drat.

He told me the hard and obvious truth that it��s never about the choice. It feels so overly simplistic to say that life��s not about this job or that position, but it��s not. It��s not your accomplishments that people will remember at your funeral.

We Naturally Chase Trophies

What if life was actually just about the job? Whether it��s positions, status symbols, or certain accomplishments��it��s normal to chase after the things that tell us that we are important, that feed our egos. Though no one reads your r��sum�� at your funeral, they do comment about those ��shiny�� symbols of worth throughout your life. People are quick to praise us if we are promoted to some new fancy position. Or congratulate us whenever we ��accomplish�� something.

But even though people may praise your ��what,�� we feel the ��who.�� We remember the person who was kind when they could have been harsh. We remember those who chose to love us when they could have chosen hate.

The most practical example of this comes from a friend, who was working under a well-established professor. This professor had a PhD, and she was the head of a major university program. If you were to see all her accomplishments written out, this woman would be a source of envy for many.

But this same ��accomplished�� professor treated my friend horribly. And despite her accolades, she never appeared happy. She was unreliable and often hurtful. Ultimately, my friend left that job.

The issue with focusing on the trophies of life and investing our time chasing these shiny symbols is that it��s like trying to save for a house with monopoly money. Monopoly money feels powerful to have while you��re playing the actual game of Monopoly but ultimately holds no value. And though chasing trophies may feel like a valuable use of our time, in light of eternity, I am reminded that, ��If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing�� (1 Cor 13:2). Our pursuit of the wrong goal leaves us bankrupt. When we should have been choosing to love, we were worried about what mountains we were going to move. This is not to stay that moving mountains or achieving great feats is wrong. The problem comes when we chase these accomplishments and forget love, when we get so caught up in what we can achieve that we forget the importance of who we actually are.

The Truth about Contentment

So after some more thought, I decided to take my professor��s advice. I began to focus on the ��who,�� the dreaded ��who,�� the one who doesn��t get to pretend that a particular situation would change everything. When I did this, concentrating on the virtues of who I was rather than what I was doing, it forced me to see what needs to change in me rather than the situations I found myself in.

When we choose to focus on who we are rather than what we are doing, we become more like the Apostle Paul. A great man of God who shared in Philippians 4:11, ��I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.�� Paul presents the countercultural idea that regardless of what his job was, if he had a BMW, or if he was taking the bus, if he had 50 Instagram followers or 50,000��he would still be content.

He realized something that the rich young ruler missed. In Mark 10, we read of this man who ��did everything right�� and came to Jesus asking what he could do next. Jesus ��felt a love for him and said to him,?��One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have?treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.�� This young man had followed the commandments and, up to this point, honored God with his life. But when finally asked to give up his possessions, he couldn��t. He was ��saddened�� because he ��owned much property.��

The danger of chasing after accomplishments and things instead of God is that we ultimately miss the point. And in some cases, chasing these accomplishments can even distract us from what really is of value. This man walked away from eternity because he was distracted by the present, by what was in front of him. He looked at his piles and piles of what was essentially Monopoly money and couldn��t give that up. He missed the mark.

Focusing On My ��Who��

Though I still thought about my ��what��it would be naive and unwise to entirely ignore that��I decided to focus much more on who I was in light of Paul��s example versus the rich young ruler��s. I wanted to be diligent, to take my work more seriously. I wanted to be more nurturing, loving, and patient.

And as I focused more on the ��who,�� I suddenly saw the ��what�� of my everyday life begin to shift. The undertones of flavor in my morning coffee were just a bit sharper, the days, a bit brighter, and my colleagues, just a tad nicer. Was it always like this? Or did I just never notice?

As I dug deeper into my ��who,�� the person I believe God created me to be, I realized that without changing anything about my ��what,�� everything started feeling different.

At the end of the day when we reach heaven, God may acknowledge our ��what,�� but he will first look at the ��who.�� Though I was not inherently wrong in my pursuit of a life that gave me joy, the real issue was the means through which I believed I would find this fulfillment. It was never about getting that right job or chasing after the praise of others. It was about being who God created to me, regardless of the situation I was in.

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Nina Thomas

Nina Thomas is an urban educator, speaker, and blogger. You can view more of her writing on her blog, brownlikecurry.com.

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Students Called to Change the World

Students Called to Change the World

Called to be Like Jesus

Called to Meet Real Needs

Called to Change The World

A Letter to Urbana 22 Participants, One Year Later

A Letter to Urbana 22 Participants, One Year Later

1. Prayer is the root system of any fruitful life of mission.

2. Surrender is a key aspect of prayer.

Anxiety and Prayer: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why?

Anxiety and Prayer: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why?

Triggered and Reconsolidated Memories

Acceptance and Hope

A Call to Action

Lifelong Friendships: Fact, Fiction, and Tips

Lifelong Friendships: Fact, Fiction, and Tips

Fact: Prayer Works

Fact: Heaven Broke Through in North Florida

Fiction: Friendships Only Matter if They Last

Tips on Pursuing Lifelong Friendships

3 Tips to Build Your Resume with Your ��ñ���� Experience

3 Tips to Build Your Resume with Your ��ñ���� Experience

Highlight Leadership & Communication

Use the Right Words

Admit Failures

When You Land It

4 Tips to Navigate the Transition from College & Stay Connected with ��ñ����

4 Tips to Navigate the Transition from College & Stay Connected with ��ñ����

What Now?

Making It Practical

1. Celebrate & Be Seen Before You Go

2. Use Alumni Resources

3. Join a Church in Mission

4. Connect with Other Alumni

Does God Care about Where I Work This Summer?

Does God Care about Where I Work This Summer?

A Gods Eye View

Posture

People

Profession

Paycheck

Parenting beyond the Five-Minute Future

Parenting beyond the Five-Minute Future

Investing in the Future

Post-Grad Reflections: An Identity beyond Labels & Routines

Post-Grad Reflections: An Identity beyond Labels & Routines

��Graduate��

��Employee��

Disrupted Routines

No One��s Going to Read Your R��sum�� at Your Funeral

No One��s Going to Read Your R��sum�� at Your Funeral

We Naturally Chase Trophies

The Truth about Contentment

Focusing On My ��Who��

3 Tips to Build Your Resume with Your ��ñ�� Experience

3 Tips to Build Your Resume with Your ��ñ�� Experience

4 Tips to Navigate the Transition from College & Stay Connected with ��ñ��

4 Tips to Navigate the Transition from College & Stay Connected with ��ñ��