Black Campus Ministries

Restored for Restoration

ashlye.vanderworp@intervarsity.org — Tue, 08 May 2018 20:38:30 +0000

Katie Ziegler

Restored for Restoration

As a senior in high school, Adryahna desperately wanted to fit in. Many friends turned their backs on her, and others bullied her. The friends Adryahna did have made poor choices, including bringing alcohol to school to drink together every day.

Lost and hoping for a change, Adryahna left home in San Diego to attend California State University, Long Beach, where she met some students from ��ñ�� who helped her move into her dorm. She ended up attending a few of their large group meetings.

However, Adryahna continued to make choices that chipped away at her well-being. By the end of freshman year, she was depressed and diagnosed with anxiety.

“My main goal was to turn up,” she said. “I was pretty much just partying. It was really unfulfilling, and I got really tired really quickly.”

One night, while Adryahna and a friend were walking home from a party, someone drove by and threw a milkshake at them, calling them horrible names. That moment was devastating and pushed Adryahna to get to know Jesus a little better. She decided to read through the entire New Testament that summer.

A New Family and New Desire

On the first day back on campus as a sophomore, Adryahna ran into an ��ñ�� acquaintance who invited her to get involved with Black Campus Ministries (BCM).

“I went, and I loved everyone. They became like family,” she said.

From that moment on, Adryahna found not only the community she longed for, but the desire to put Jesus at the center of her decisions. Then, at her ��ñ�� chapter’s Spring Conference, Adryahna officially gave Jesus lordship over her life.

Now, Adryahna is finishing her last semester of school where she leads the BCM portion of ��ñ�� on campus. During her time in the chapter, she saw not only her own relationship with Jesus deepen, but also the chapter grow exponentially with those invested in seeing change on campus.

Seeing her campus transform as her own life transformed prompted Adryahna to serve as the student emcee at this year’s Ambition Conference, where she shared vulnerably from the stage, prayed for speakers, and encouraged other students to be bold in following Jesus by carrying his mission on campus.

An Unexpected Leap of Faith

In her commitment to follow where God leads, Adryahna recently made the decision to return home after graduation with no job and no clear career plan. This decision came at the expense of turning down other opportunities, including Teach for America and an internship with ��ñ��.

But God gave Adryahna a vision of restoring relationships with her high school friends and inviting them to study the Bible with her.

“I’ve learned that we’re not supposed to have faith in our faith; we’re supposed to have faith in God,” Adryahna said. “I trust that God will sustain me and that there will be fruit and healing from this huge faith leap I’m taking.”

In the future though, Adryahna hopes doors will open to her ultimate goal—to help reform the prison system. Growing her relationship with God also grew in her a commitment to bring his justice and hope to our broken world.

“God used ��ñ�� to show me the truth of who he is—he is love. He used ��ñ�� to give me the confidence to use my voice and the discernment to know where to invest my time in the future,” Adryahna said.

While moving home feels scary for Adryahna, as though her future plans are on hold, she knows that serving God after college looks different for everyone, and that what she chose is just as important.

Are you graduating from college this year like Adryahna? Your involvement with ��ñ�� doesn’t have to end. Learn about the different ways to stay connected with ��ñ�� by clicking the button below!

Visit the ��ñ�� Alumni Page

News Keywords

Black Campus Ministries

Prepared for Leadership

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 17:27:39 +0000

News

Gordon Govier

Prepared for Leadership

Charlene Brown, ��ñ��’s newly appointed director of Black Campus Ministries (BCM), became a Christian her first year at the University of Virginia (UVA). Like many students, she sought answers to her questions about the meaning and purpose of life, and found those answers through Christians who loved her and shared the gospel with her.

Within a year she was helping lead a ministry to Black students at UVA with 200 students, and it was challenging—too challenging. The leadership team needed help, so they reached out to other campus ministries for assistance.

“��ñ�� was the only ministry that said yes to coming alongside us and helping our student leaders to lead well,” she said. “That’s how I first got involved with ��ñ��.”

At the same time, racial incidents were increasing on the UVA campus. Charlene noticed that the only White students who cared enough to show up at the forums that followed those events were ��ñ�� students. “I got to know them pretty well,” she said. Her third year at UVA, Charlene and other members of her group even began attending ��ñ��’s Shenandoah area conference.

By the time she graduated Charlene knew she wanted to be involved in ministry. “The same ways I saw God impact my life, I wanted to do that for other people,” she said. She enrolled at Duke Divinity School and moved to Durham, North Carolina. She took a job at a large church that seemed to offer a great opportunity to work for racial reconciliation. But then she discovered that the church wasn’t as ready to work through the risks of reconciliation as it thought it was.

Called to Campus Ministry

That’s when a light went off for Charlene; she realized that college students are high risk takers and are much more open to letting God direct their lives. As she started considering campus ministry, ��ñ�� staff directors Joe Ho and Shane Arthur, who had remained in contact with her, invited her to return to Virginia and work with the same group she had once helped lead as a student. It was now affiliated with ��ñ�� but had shrunk to just 30 students.

Her first two years as a campus staff member went well. Her focus on discipleship and evangelism bore fruit; 19 students came to faith in the first year. The chapter grew to 100 students and helped launch a BCM conference for the region.

As students from the chapter followed her onto ��ñ�� staff and became leaders, Charlene felt God calling her back to Durham, where she had put down roots. She anticipated launching BCM chapters at Duke or the University of North Carolina. But God had other plans.

Her supervisor encouraged her to consider North Carolina Central University (NCCU), one of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). So one day in April of 2014 she dropped in at the NCCU admissions office to collect some information. When the lady behind the desk told her she looked a little older than the typical student Charlene admitted that she was a campus minister, and was thinking about planting a ministry on campus.

“She stood up from behind her desk and came over and hugged me,” Charlene said. “She told me, ‘We’ve been praying about something like this for a long time; we’re glad you’re here.’” Charlene also discovered that the NCCU chancellor’s son attended UVA and had been involved with the UVA chapter. The chancellor told her, “Whatever we need to do to make your ministry happen, let’s do it.”

Planting the new chapter at NCCU a year ago this past January was “amazing but also hard,” Charlene said. The eagerness of administrators and faculty to support her work led to more invitations than she could reasonably handle. Yet her attempts to develop a community of students were unfruitful through the first semester.

Her second semester, in the fall, did not start well either. She set up a Proxe Station (an artistic display designed to engage students in evangelistic conversations), but students did not want to talk. “How can you call me here when nothing is going the way it should?” she prayed. And then the wind blew her Proxe Station across a field, which seemed at first to epitomize her frustration.

But when a student picked up the Proxe Station and brought it back, they began to talk about what Charlene was doing on campus. The student surprised her by admitting, “You know, I was just praying about starting a Bible study.”

The student stayed to help with the Proxe Station, and then called four of her friends to come join them. They began to talk about how they could change the NCCU campus. “Suddenly I wasn’t the only one inviting people into God’s mission,” Charlene said. “Students understood the challenge of seeing lives changed and the campus renewed.” The chapter plant started to grow.

Leaving the ministry at NCCU to take on the national BCM leadership role has happened more quickly than Charlene anticipated. She has only been on ��ñ�� staff for four years. But those who know her are not surprised.

Joe Ho, director of ��ñ��'s Asian American Ministries and former Shenandoah area director, called Charlene a rare leader. “Wherever she goes, her ministry produces fruit of the highest quality, whether she is a student, pastor, or staff worker,” he said. “As a planter she typically accomplishes in a year what great staff do in two or three – and the rest of us maybe a couple times in our lifetime.”

Charlene officially becomes director of Black Campus Ministries on July 1, 2016. “We are so grateful to see her in this new role,” said Shane Arthur, ��ñ��’s area director in Eastern Virginia. “Charlene has blessed my own life through her deep desire to see lives transformed. Her partnership with me and many others has been such a huge part of the changes happening in the Blue Ridge.”

Charlene is ready to get started in her new position. “I want to see us usher in a generation of world changers who are passionate about the gospel, racial justice, and reconciliation,” she said.

News Keywords

University of Virginia

North Carolina Central University

Multiethnic Ministry

Black Campus Ministries

Black Campus Ministries Director Named

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 19:39:01 +0000

Press Room

Black Campus Ministries Director Named

For Immediate Release

(Madison, WI) --- Charlene Brown has been appointed National Director of Black Campus Ministries for ��ñ�� Christian Fellowship. She will begin her duties in July 2016.

Charlene’s passion is Black student ministry; her involvement began during her freshman year at the University of Virginia. Charlene believes ��ñ�� is well positioned to be an influential part of the Black student experience. “��ñ�� has an opportunity to shape a generation of Black leaders who are faithful followers of Jesus, agents of change, renewal and reconciliation, and who live a vision of multiethnicity that also proclaims the value of Black lives.”

Charlene also feels a strong call to reconciliation. As a student, Charlene planted a Bible study around racial reconciliation, inviting non-Christians and Christians to hear what God has to say about true reconciliation between races and ethnicities. Over 100 students came to the small group. That community experience led her to Duke Divinity School, where she received a Master of Divinity degree with a focus on race, theology, and ethics.

Charlene has been a catalytic influence in the regional vision for Black Campus Ministries in the Blue Ridge. Appointed to serve as Co-Director of the BCM conference, she helped to build momentum for Black student work through the Regional BCM conference, doubling attendance from 40 to over 100 students. Working in collaborative partnerships with her Regional Director, Jimmy Long, the Regional BCM Coordinator, Fred Williams, other staff directors, and Co-Director Thurston Benns, Charlene has also been able to craft and implement strategies for Black staff recruitment, supervision, and pastoral care, including the creation of a Black Staff Summit.

In November 2015, Charlene completed The BCM Daniel Project, ��ñ��’s 18-month leadership development cohort program for high-potential leaders, and she has a desire to see our Black staff community thrive.

Charlene succeeds Phil Bowling-Dyer, who will go on sabbatical February 1, 2016. “I am grateful to God for Charlene’s appointment,” Phil said. “I believe that she will bring thoughtful and passionate leadership to this generation of BCM’s staff, students, and faculty and to ��ñ��’s overall work.”

Charlene holds degrees from the University of Virginia (B.A., Religious Studies) and Duke Divinity School (MDiv, emphasis on race, ethnicity, and reconciliation).She currently resides in Durham, North Carolina.

Black student and faculty participation comprises nearly 12% of ��ñ��’s chapter participation. In 2014, there were approximately 4,900 participants, an increase of 16% growth from the previous year and five year growth of 57%.

News Keywords

News Release

Black Campus Ministries

Maya Williams – Miss Black New Jersey

webteam@intervarsity.org — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:00:00 +0000

News

Gordon Govier

Maya Williams – Miss Black New Jersey

Spelman College junior Maya Williams had a busy summer back home in New Jersey. She worked as a sales associate at a fashion store, took a sociology course online, and mentored some junior high school students in a Young Life program. She also competed in the Miss Black USA pageant from July 29th to August 3rd in Washington DC.

Maya is involved with ��ñ��’s Esther Circle chapter at Spelman College in Atlanta. As a freshman she was invited to a Bible study, liked it, and decided to participate further. Now she’s one of the leaders of the chapter.

Not Really a Pageant Person

“I never thought of myself as a pageant person growing up,” she said. “But I was looking for scholarships one day and investigated some of the pageants.” She liked the mission statement of the Miss Black USA pageant, which encourages growth in mind, body, and spirit.

She applied, was accepted, and was appointed Miss Black New Jersey. Unlike the representatives from some states, she didn’t have to compete in a state pageant. So she didn’t win a state pageant scholarship. And, well, she didn’t place well enough in Washington to win a national pageant scholarship either.

A Win-Win Situation

Maya said that her experience as a leader in ��ñ�� gave her confidence as she experienced the busy week of pageant activities. She knows that God has a role for her whether she has a pageant title or not. She was able to enjoy the experience and is thankful that she was able to participate.

“It was a win-win situation, as I look at it,” she said. She learned a lesson in trusting God and letting his light shine through her. “This was a witnessing experience and a testament to my life. It helped me grow and develop.”

With her sense of purpose and her leadership skills bolstered, Maya is back on campus at Spelman. She is taking classes towards a degree in economics, with a double minor in dance and management. And she is working once again with the leadership team of Esther Circle, organizing programs aimed at sharing the gospel with students on campus.

News Keywords

Black Campus Ministries

Spelman College

Developing Cultural Fluency

webteam@intervarsity.org — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:00:00 +0000

News

Gordon Govier

Developing Cultural Fluency

Volunteering with other ��ñ�� students at the Harbor House ministry in Oakland exposed Wendy Hu-Au to a world much different than the one she experienced growing up in Silicon Valley. Eventually she decided to put her studies on hold at the University of California—Berkeley, join a service and discipleship program called Mission Year, and move to Chicago’s Lawndale Neighborhood for a year.

“Living and working in Lawndale totally changed the way I view God,” she said. “My experience there made me want to do something with my life that would serve God and serve the poor.” When she returned to Berkeley to complete her studies—as a Mass Communications Major and Education Minor—she planned to become a teacher in an urban school.

Serving the poor through campus ministry
But she also considered staff work with ��ñ��. Attending Urbana 03 (the theme was Your Kingdom Come, Your Will be Done) “I realized I could do direct service with the poor or I could help those with the privileges of higher education give up their privilege and serve the poor for the sake of the kingdom.” She decided to join ��ñ�� staff.

With that background in mind, it might not seem so unusual to find Wendy working as the team leader for ��ñ��’s largest Black Campus Ministries (BCM) chapter. She joined the Cal-Berkeley BCM chapter two years ago, after working with the multiethnic chapter for three years. Even so, it was not an easy change.

“I was really nervous. I wondered if people would trust me. Would people think that I was trying to be black? Would people think that they can’t relate to me because I’m not black? But it was also very freeing. I knew that if there was any connection to be made, it would have to be through the Holy Spirit. God would have to be the one to connect us.”

Same school but a different campus
As she worked on building trust and developing cultural fluency, Wendy realized that while she was still at the same school, it was a different campus. “Going to Cal as an Asian American woman is so different than going to Cal as a Black student,” she said. “I’m getting to know a whole different side of campus. It’s a different community, different social networks, different clubs that I wasn’t really a part of as a student.”

Wendy started playing basketball with neighborhood kids at Lawndale and continues to play regularly. “I can hold my own,” she said. “Playing ball is an easy way to build bridges with people.” She’s attracted to extreme sports, including rock climbing and skate boarding. And every now and then she’ll break out a few break dancing moves.

Engaging students with communty service
Wendy credits Michael McBride, an ��ñ�� volunteer who is also the pastor of The Way Christian Center in Berkeley, for the recent growth in the BCM chapter. His four step vision of engagement with the student mainstream started with community service, followed by transformation, discipleship and fellowship. Around 70 students are now involved with BCM chapter activities, many of them also providing volunteer service and Christian witness in other campus organizations.

But through it all Wendy continues to adhere to her vision for students, “to show them God’s heart for the poor.” She encourages them to volunteer for urban projects and similar events. She’s worked as an assistant director for BayUP, ��ñ��’s Bay Area Urban Project. In 2008 she and her husband helped lead ��ñ��’s Global Urban Trek to Manila.

“She is a passionate woman about justice,” said Felicia Nibungco, one of her ��ñ�� colleagues. “She is always trying to take things to the next level…in a good way.”

Collin Tomikawa, Wendy’s supervisor, said, “Wendy is a real gift to our team, helping us to think creatively as we look at our campus ministry. She has done her homework on her own ethnic identity, which has been critical to her effectiveness in working with BCM. Wendy has done a great job crossing cultures and being an effective leader in the multi-ethnic context of today’s university.”

Adapting Cultures
Wendy has adapted her communication style to BCM culture. But she also talks to students about her family and her own Chinese and Taiwanese ethnic heritage. “I believe very strongly that it’s not about acting like whatever ethnicity that I’m trying to reach out to,” she said “I need to be myself and be who God made me to be. And as I love who God made me to be, other people are drawn to that. And hopefully they will also love who God made them to be.”

While she has adapted herself culturally, she’s also introducing BCM students to ��ñ�� culture. Last year she took her first group of BCM leaders to chapter camp, which included a week of manuscript Bible study. “Why does everyone have these markers, what’s up with that?” she remembered them asking. This year they all brought their own markers.

Read more about how ��ñ�� welcomes Black freshman and new students to the Cal-Berkeley campus in StudentSoul.org.

You can make a direct financial donation to support ��ñ��’s work at Cal-Berkeley by following this link.

News Keywords

Urban Ministry

Black Campus Ministries

Multiethnic Ministry

Calling Out Black Leaders

webteam@intervarsity.org — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:00:00 +0000

News

Lucille Badger, Atlanta 08 Conference Director

Calling Out Black Leaders

“God did an amazing work in my life at Atlanta, and I know the same is true for most, if not all who were there.”
Alexandria Grant, Swarthmore College

��ñ��’s Student Leadership Advancement Conference in Atlanta at the end of December was designed to bring a core of black student leaders from various campuses together to challenge them spiritually, to equip them in ministry, and to commission them in the power and might of the Holy Spirit to transform their campuses.

They were challenged as 21st Century leaders to bring change to the world locally and globally. No matter what the changes and shifts within the black church, leaders should demonstrate concern for issues that will affect not only African Americans and people of African descent, but all people. With the theme Called Out to Call Out, Atlanta 08 challenged undergraduate and graduate students to hear the voice of God for themselves and to respond, “Yes, I’ll Go.”

Dr. Harold Dean Trulear, associate professor of Applied Theology at Howard University, guided students through three days of Bible exposition, examining the struggles and triumphs of the Old Testament prophet Jonah as he responded to the call of leadership.

Additional plenary speakers and the issues they addressed:

Ram Sridharan, ��ñ�� Staff, repentance
Dr. Jeanne Porter, Associate Pastor of Apostolic Church of God and founder of TransPorter Communication, restoration
Rev. Joshua Settles, ��ñ�� Area Director, reconciliation
Princess Kasune Zulu, founder of Fountain of Life, redemption
Rev. Phil Bowling-Dyer, Associate Director, Multi-Ethnic Ministries, commissioning to return to serve their campuses and their communities

On December 31st, approximately 64 students gathered together in prayer for their campuses, for one another, and for the world. They then marched into the dining hall with praise and singing to set the room ablaze—a 21st Century Haystack renewal and revival.

We as staff feel confident that the Father saw their tears of repentance, and heard their response to the call for restoration and reconciliation. We heard their fresh commitments; we believe we shall see advanced leaders who live lives of confession and prayer, pray for their campus, disciple and develop other leaders within the movement, and initiate godly changes within the United States and globally.

Audio from each of the speakers at Atlanta 08 is available on ��ñ��’s Audio Resources page.

News Keywords

Black Campus Ministries

Conferences

Celebrating His Dedication

webteam@intervarsity.org — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:00:00 +0000

News

Celebrating His Dedication

The college campus is the focus of ��ñ��’s ministry, and the college campus is where most people meet ��ñ��. But not always.

Some people are introduced to ��ñ�� through alumni. That’s how Dana Crenshaw got involved. Fifteen years ago Dana told a local staff leader that he wanted to volunteer with ��ñ��, after meeting ��ñ�� alumni at his church.

Dana was a stable, encouraging presence for Christian students on Atlanta area campuses, up until he passed away suddenly on May 17, 2008, his 45th birthday. The funeral for Dana Crenshaw was Friday, May 23, 2008 at Atlanta Metropolitan Cathedral.

When Felicia Anderson became ��ñ��’s team leader in the Atlanta University Center five years ago, she discovered that Dana was a key member of the team. “Most Monday nights, he was at the fellowship meeting at Clark Atlanta University,” she said. “He attended the leadership meetings and gave valuable suggestions for ministry strategies.”

Associate Regional Director Tony Warner called Dana “the most faithful volunteer that I have seen in all my years on staff.” He was involved in several campus Bible studies. He was also a key transportation volunteer for the Black Campus Ministries national conferences held in Atlanta. “For many years he would also take his vacation during a week of chapter camp, transporting students and helping out at camp as a volunteer,” Tony said.

Over the years other staff came and went at the Atlanta University Center but Dana stayed on. “He faithfully served several generations of students and was of tremendous help to us,” Tony said. “Whenever I called on him to help, whether it was with transportation, food, or monetary assistance, he was willing to pitch in,” Felicia added.

News Keywords

Black Campus Ministries

��ñ�� alumni – Dr. Mildred Clarke

webteam@intervarsity.org — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:00:00 +0000

News

Gordon Govier

��ñ�� alumni – Dr. Mildred Clarke

New York City’s Brooklyn College (BC) ��ñ�� chapter has received Honorable Mention recognition for Outstanding Club/Organization by the BC Division of Student Life and the Office of Student Development. Dr. Mildred Clarke, the chapter adviser, also received Honorable Mention for Adviser of the Year.

“Dr. Clarke has modeled leadership, faithfulness, courage, and compassion for many years in this chapter,” said New York City area director Jason Gaboury, himself a former campus staff member at Brooklyn College. “I can appreciate perhaps more than most the transformation God has worked in this chapter through the ministry of Dr. Clarke. As a volunteer she has done what full-time staff were not able to do.”

Dr. Clarke credited the chapter members for effectively engaging the campus, not an easy task at a commuter school with a high percentage of Jewish students. “The outreach can be pretty tough, in terms of responsiveness; not only the students but also the faculty,” she said. “For the school to recognize that we make a difference as a Christian organization, is a tribute to the chapter members.”

Dr. Clarke retired from her obstetrics/gynecology practice in 2001, after delivering over 5,000 babies. She first connected with ��ñ�� as a student at Hunter College fifty years ago and renewed the connection over the years, chairing the missions committee of Calvary Baptist church as the church supported ��ñ�� staff members. So it seemed like a good fit when then New York City area director Kevin Oro-Hahn invited her to be the chapter adviser for the struggling Brooklyn College chapter.

“When I first went there six years ago the chapter did not have a good relationship with the administrative structure,” Dr. Clarke said. “The students have developed a relationship with the administration, which now appreciates that they are on campus.

At a recent meeting the chairman of the African Studies department publicly said that he was happy that ��ñ�� was on campus, to give the kind of balance that was necessary for student life.

The student leaders of the chapter are thankful to have an adviser that is so deeply involved with the chapter. “She has committed herself to being at every chapter meeting on campus, which takes place every Tuesday and Thursday during club hours,” said Keeshia Jean. “She opens up her home to the executive team once a week for leadership training and personal development. Dr. Clarke has cared for us like her very own grandchildren.”

Acknowledging her status as “a senior person,” Dr. Clarke relishes the intergenerational contact that she has with the students. After a career of dealing with mothers and infants, she is enjoying the opportunity to work with post adolescents.

“We have to learn who each other really is to accommodate each other,” she said. “They really have very little insight into what somebody from my generation is all about: the culture that we have, the values that we have, the purposefulness that we have.”

Dr. Clarke may not use the trendiest communication practices, but she knows how to communicate. “I love Dr. Clarke because, although she demands much from me, her love is real,” said Julene Wilson, a 2005 Brooklyn College graduate. “Above all, she continues to point me towards Christ. If I had not met Dr. Clarke, I would be an insecure, immature Christian, who is merely satisfied with being good and quoting Bible verses.”

Diane Rhoden, another Brooklyn College student, said that Dr. Clarke has been a superb role model for her as she works to become a physician. “Words cannot describe how much she has opened my eyes about the world we live in,” she said. “She is a real leader, and she listens to people. She really listens, and she still thinks way ahead of her time.”

Once a month the students set up an issue-oriented book table in the lobby of a lecture hall, or outdoors if the weather is accommodating. They’ve focused on topics like Darfur, the Iraq war and elections.

“It’s outreach to the college culture to show them that Christianity is a relevant and meaningful way of life,” Dr. Clarke said. “They try to show that being a Christian is just not reading scripture and having Bible study. It’s relationship, and it’s relevant to everyday problems of life.”

Dr. Clarke has participated in medical missions trips to several regions of the globe and continues to use her medical skills during retirement. Every summer she travels to the Mississippi delta region to work on a medical team that treats residents of the area.

Regional director Greg Jao calls Dr. Clarke “a wonderful example, serving with ��ñ�� in what could be her retirement years.” ��ñ��’s regional office in New York City recently established an award to recognize alumni who live the values of ��ñ��’s mission statement. It is named for its first recipient, the Dr. Mildred Clarke Distinguished Alumni Award.

___

You can make a direct financial donation to support ��ñ��’s work in New York City by following this link.

News Keywords

Diversity

Campus Ministry

Black Campus Ministries

��ñ�� alumni

Going Cross Cultural to Build a Chapter

webteam@intervarsity.org — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 05:00:00 +0000

News

Going Cross Cultural to Build a Chapter

Katie Schneider knew she wanted to go on staff after she graduated from Wooster College in 2005, but it wasn’t until she visited Youngstown State University (YSU) that she became passionate about sharing Jesus with students. Out of 14,000 students, fewer than 30 Christians met on a regular basis, all of whom were white. Her heart was broken for those who were without hope.

When Katie arrived on campus, she was introduced to faculty members who worked with her to establish a multiethnic ��ñ�� chapter. Professor Phil Munro had been praying for thirty years that a full-time ��ñ�� staff would come to YSU. Another faculty member encouraged one of her students to contact Katie. The student became a leader in the young chapter. Things seemed to be off to a great start. Katie envisioned a community that would reach out to the blacks on campus, since they were not being served by the existing Christian ministries.

However, by the end of the first semester, student leaders began to lose their commitment and the chapter faltered. As Katie reassessed the situation, she was convinced of two things, God still wanted an ��ñ�� chapter at YSU and the chapter should specifically serve the minority black community on campus. So at the beginning of the next semester, the group Collegiate, Black and Christian was established.

Katie, a young white woman from suburban Connecticut who had gone to a private liberal arts college, was spearheading a black ��ñ�� chapter at a commuter school in a working class city in Ohio. How did this happen and would it succeed?

Katie’s personal journey in racial reconciliation began as a freshman in college. She roomed across from Diana, a woman from Jamaica. They would eat together in the cafeteria, sitting with Diana’s friends, who were African American. Katie looked around and saw that she was the only person who was integrating a table in the cafeteria. She was disturbed by that and by the fact that she was not so different from the other white students who chose not to sit with blacks.

Though she was willing to eat with Diana, Katie was apprehensive, concerned what others would think, unsure of how her actions would be interpreted. Katie laid these concerns before the Lord. With the help of ��ñ�� staff and resources, Katie learned to love people who do not look like she does. When she moved to Youngstown, she moved into a black neighborhood, meeting her black neighbors and attending a black church.

Katie was the right person to establish a black chapter, but would this chapter prosper or would it too die? Soon a small group of dedicated students were meeting for Bible study, manning a weekly table to let people know the chapter existed, and slowly adding to their numbers.

At one point, Katie suggested that the chapter take the risk of doing a small evangelistic event. She and four chapter members used a Proxe station, a poster presentation, to begin spiritual conversations with students. Students were invited to place a sticker in the area of the poster that best expressed where evil had touched their lives—divorce, poverty or violence, for example. The chapter members initiated conversation, asking students if they thought God cared about evil. During the conversation, ��ñ�� students shared the gospel.

After the event, Archel, a young Christian, told the chapter that the experience of witnessing was invigorating. He felt that he was finally doing what he was created to do, telling people about God’s love. Four students became Christians through the witness of the ��ñ�� members at the Proxe station.

The end of the school year has arrived. One of the ��ñ�� students is heading overseas on a summer missions trip. Another is committed to returning to live and serve in his Youngstown neighborhood after graduation, rather than go to the suburbs. God has accomplished great thing through her prayer, persistence, and God’s grace. Katie is looking forward to seeing how God will bless this new chapter next year.

___

You can make a direct financial donation to support ��ñ��’s work at Youngstown State University by following this link.

News Keywords

Campus Ministry

Black Campus Ministries

Students Head for Atlanta Between Holidays

webteam@intervarsity.org — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 06:00:00 +0000

Press Room

Students Head for Atlanta Between Holidays

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Madison, WI) — The focus is on transformation, not transition, as hundreds of college students from across the U.S. gather in Atlanta this week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The theme of ��ñ�� Christian Fellowship’s National Black Collegiate Conference is Identity Theft: Expose, Reclaim, Prevail. It is being held at the Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown.

This is ��ñ��’s fifth National Black Collegiate Conference. Its aim is to sort out the media and cultural identities that influence dress, behavior, thoughts and interactions in favor of the identities that God desires. The goal of ��ñ�� for Atlanta 05 is to develop a new generation of leadership in the black community so that lives are transformed, campuses renewed, and world changers developed.

Conference Speakers Schedule:
Tuesday, December 27
Evening plenary speaker: Harvey Cozart, ��ñ�� campus staff member from Richmond, Kentucky, focuses on “Why We Are Here.” His themes are exploring our identity in God as a part of a community, and understanding and living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it reshapes our identity.

Wednesday, December 28
Morning plenary speaker: the Reverend Dr. Cheryl J. Sanders, Senior Pastor of the Third Street Church of God in Washington, D.C. and Professor of Christian Ethics at the Howard University School of Divinity. Her talk is “Who is the I Am?” Her focus is on the characteristics of God that help us embrace our true identity.

Evening plenary speakers: Aberdeen and Roslyn Allen, who are involved in ministry through the Cathedral International Church in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Their presentation is entitled “DNA” and focuses on male and female identity in the black community.

Thursday, December 29
Morning plenary speaker: the Reverend Dr. Alice Brown-Collins, ��ñ�� associate regional director from Holliston, Massachusetts. Her talk, “He is and I am,” identifies God’s steps for transformation.

Evening plenary speaker: the Reverend Sam Pettagrue, Senior Pastor of Sardis Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama, and ��ñ�� Trustee. His talk, “Heads or Tails,” discusses identity in relation to money and possessions.

Friday, December 30
Morning plenary speaker: the Reverend Byron Williams, syndicated columnist and Pastor of the Resurrection Community Church in Oakland, California. His theme is “We Are,” which focuses on transformation in the context of community.

Evening plenary speaker: Dr. Dolphus Weary, President of Mission Mississippi in Mendenhall, Mississippi. His talk, “Extreme Makeover: Kingdom Edition,” focuses on how changes are made that reflect the values of God’s Kingdom.

Saturday, December 30
Closing plenary speaker: Ed Ollie, ��ñ�� Associate Regional Director from St. Louis, with a final challenge entitled “Now.”

Audio of each speaker is posted on ��ñ��’s website at http://www.intervarsity.org/audio/.

��ñ�� is a national ministry working on 564 U.S. college campuses. ��ñ�� believes that college students who are transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ will transform the world. ��ñ�� is committed to reaching the whole university with a faithful witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

For additional background go online to: www.ATLANTA2005.org

For more information contact:
Boris Collins
Conference Director
(508) 429-6322
pastorbec@aol.com

Tony Warner
Associate Regional Director
(404) 534-1576
tonwarn@aol.com

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