Chapter Camp

Seen like Israel: More Than a Middle Child

ashlye.vanderworp@intervarsity.org — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 20:27:58 +0000

Emily Baez

Seen like Israel: More Than a Middle Child

Israel always felt like God’s middle child. Being the fifth eldest in a family of nine children makes him an actual middle child, but with how he felt towards God, the title cut deeper. He struggled to feel seen. “I wondered if I really mattered to God,” Israel said.

But then Israel met Jon, an ��ñ�� small group leader at his school, Hillsborough Community College. While Israel grew up in a Christian home, he felt connected to God only through his parents’ relationship. So he jumped on the chance to go to Jon’s bible study to figure out how to know God himself.

Overcoming Anxieties

When he was invited to attend Focus Week, a regional camp at the end of the school year, a few months later however, Israel was more hesitant to go and had no idea what to expect. On top of that, he was intimidated since he had yet to meet everyone in his ��ñ�� chapter, much less students from other Florida schools. “Social anxiety is real” he said. But some of the leaders of his ��ñ�� chapter told Israel how transformative their Focus Week experiences were, so he decided to give it a chance.

“I went into Focus Week feeling heavy and burdened. I wanted God to fix everything, but I didn’t really believe he could do that in just one week,” he said.

The first few days of Focus Week eased some of Israel’s anxieties. He noticed the intentionality of everyone there and valued the diverse group of people around him. It didn't take long for him to feel a part of the community and to feel at home. Israel loved the multilingual worship, conquered his fears on the screamer (a giant swing on the campground), and enjoyed playing volleyball with other students.

Delivered from Doubt

But Israel still hadn't started experiencing the spiritual breakthrough he was wanting. Did he actually matter to God? And if so, could he be honest about where his heart was and what he struggled with?

Finally, during a retreat of silence, Israel addressed all the doubt that weighed on him throughout the semester. He went to the chapel, and instead of saying his prayers out loud, wrote them down. Holding nothing back, he confronted the tension he had long felt between him and God. “I thought, It’s just you and me, God, and I told him my fears, what I wanted in life, and why I was angry at him,” he said. It was in that space that Israel felt the burden being lifted.

He spent the last thirty minutes of the silent retreat reading Psalm 25. The last verse of the Psalm, “Deliver Israel, O God, from all their troubles,” really hit him. He saw that the nation of Israel was cared for by God and felt in that moment that he—Israel—was also cared for by God. He knew now that his life mattered and he no longer felt like an overlooked child, but one whose troubles were of deep importance to his creator. Israel took refuge in that truth.

After over a month since Focus Week, Israel remains trustful in Jesus. He’s grateful for the community at Hillsborough Community College that he’s grown close to and wants to stay connected to them through their summer Bible studies. He knows he has people who care for him, and he can now be himself with them and with God. “I never really had community outside of my family,” he said. “It’s good for me to have a group of people to relate to and keep me accountable.”

Israel is excited about his future. He hopes to eventually become a leader with his chapter and even someday do missions. “I know God has good plans for me,” Israel said. “And I’m not afraid to be who he made me to be.

Throughout May and June, ��ñ�� students across the country attend end-of-the-year Chapter Camps--times of fun, worship, and deep Bible study away from campus. For being such a brief part of our ministry year, Chapter Camps play a powerful role transforming students' lives, catalyzing new relationships with Jesus, and propelling students for ministry on campus in the coming fall semester. Please pray that Chapter Camp experiences would have lasting impact for students like Israel. And to receive email updates with other ways to pray for ��ñ�� students, sign up for the Intercessor by clicking the button below.

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Hillsboro Community College

Chapter Camp: Powerful Moments of Clarity on Character of God

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 14:38:29 +0000

Gordon Govier

Chapter Camp: Powerful Moments of Clarity on Character of God

Deep in the Adirondack Mountains, on the shore of a scenic lake, about 100 ��ñ�� students from New York and New Jersey campuses spent a week in May in the gym at Young Life’s Saranac Village camp. They divided into 12 tribes, “stoned” prophets with paper wads, and engaged in other experiential activities to help them better understand the Old Testament.

They were attending Origins, a survey class of the Old Testament offered during two separate weeks of Basileia, the region’s Chapter Camp. (Basileia means kingdom in Ancient Greek, i.e., God’s kingdom, and Chapter Camp is a week of leadership training and Scripture engagement held during spring break or after the end of the school year.) Jason Gaboury, ��ñ��’s New York/New Jersey Regional Director, shared teaching duties with Lindsay Olesberg, ��ñ��’s Scripture Engagement Director, who developed the Origins class.

“What was really beautiful from my perspective is that students began to see the same character of God in the Old Testament that they see in Jesus,” Jason said. “When students begin to see that, it is really powerful. I think that happened when they began to see that the loving kindness, faithfulness, longsuffering, and generosity of God isn’t a New Testament idea. It goes all the way back to Genesis.”

��ñ��’s Chapter Camps are famous for immersing college students in a week-long, in-depth Bible study of the Gospel of Mark, but other portions of Scripture are also studied. Often students have the misunderstanding that the God of the Old Testament is different than the God of the New Testament. The Origins class shows that God’s character is consistent throughout the Bible.

During Basilea, Jason shared comments on Facebook from students about how their week away from campus was changing their lives, including one from Rutgers student Chenghui: “I learned from Basilea this week that God is gracious and holy, to be revered and feared. But I learned from Origins track that he is not just a God of judgment but also a God of mercy and grace. His love is actually far greater than I could have ever imagined.”

Jason described another student who made the connection at the beginning of the last day of the class. “He had one of these powerful moments of clarity,” Jason recalled. “He said, ‘I never really understood the New Testament before; now I get it. I’m so excited to go back and lead my fellow students in studying the Old Testament and understanding who God is from that perspective.’”

Seventy colleges in New York and New Jersey have an ��ñ�� presence. Most sent representatives to one of the three weeks of Basileia. This was Jason’s first chance to teach Origins. “Having seen how transformative it was for the students, we will absolutely teach it again,” he said.

After all, how often do you get a chance to stone prophets?

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Good Gifts: Emily’s Story

ashlye.vanderworp@intervarsity.org — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 22:23:45 +0000

Emily Baez

Good Gifts: Emily’s Story

I sat down at a table in the dining hall and texted an old friend from high school. “Are you at orientation?” it read. Waiting for a response, I looked around the room to see groups of people sitting together and joking about their dorms, majors, and what they did last summer. I wondered how they connected so quickly. Was there a team-building exercise I missed? Did everyone coordinate with their childhood pals to go to the same college? Lunch ended, and I decided my goal that weekend would be to make a few lasting friendships, people who could accompany me on smoothie runs or free movie viewings on campus. But I left orientation with that goal unfulfilled.

A week later, someone stopped me before entering the student center. She asked if I heard about ��ñ��—which I had because my brother was a part of it—and handed me a list of small groups. “Thanks,” I said, but no thanks, I thought. I didn’t come to college to go to church. Plus, growing up in church meant I already knew Jesus. Why would joining some group further establish that? I left her with an “I’ll try to make it,” but knew it wasn’t going anywhere near my calendar.

Instead I spent the next two years joining and quitting student clubs, dodging invitations from my brother to come to Bible study, and applying to transfer to another university because I thought it had “better student life.” It became apparent that nothing was fulfilling me. Instead, I envied those who were having the coveted college experience, the years that were supposed to be the best of my life. They weren’t—they were boring and lonely.

When I moved into a student apartment my junior year, I thought I found the remedy. But then, a toxic sense of pride and independence started to consume me. I was convinced I didn’t need anyone else to be content and that happiness was as easy as living closer to campus and going to parties.

But when the novelty of all that wore off, I couldn’t ignore the fact that something was still missing. I couldn’t admit it, but I wanted to connect—to others, to something or someone greater than me.

Making New Discoveries

It was in that place of desperation and failure that I finally gave in to going to an ��ñ�� conference (called “Sonburst” at the time). Even though I didn’t want to go—considering how uncomfortable it would be to hang out with a bunch of strangers for a weekend—I pressed that register button and felt a strange mix of urgency and confusion. Isn’t this what I wanted? Friendship? People to grab smoothies with? But I didn’t want it in a faith-based context. I know about Jesus and don’t need this, I thought. I really did think I knew him—even without prayer, without being challenged or studying who he is and why it matters. But at Sonburst, for the first time, I realized how wrong I was.

That weekend, I discovered a community I never knew I needed: a group of people that genuinely cared for me and wanted to understand who I was. We gathered in small groups one morning and someone made a confession with complete vulnerability. The way others responded made me realize I could be honest and vulnerable too. I didn’t need to hide any part of me. For the first time since starting college, I was connecting in a way that surpassed small talk and group projects.

I also discovered a new knowledge of who Jesus is. I realized that the gospel was this radical, redemptive truth, and I was excited about it. I wanted to find out what it meant to be “missional.” I wanted to dig into scripture and learn as much as I could. I wanted to know Jesus and to have the closest of bonds with him. Because as it turned out, there was more to Jesus than what I thought I knew—more that needed to replace whatever I settled for before.

Saying Yes

On the last day of the conference, a feeling of peace and belonging overwhelmed me as we met in campus groups to make “I will…” statements. In that moment, I was ready to erase the boundaries I spent years drawing between myself and others. I was ready to surrender my overzealous need for independence. I was ready to accept the love I was experiencing and reject the notion that a superficial relationship with my maker, and with everyone else, was somehow enough.

When it was my turn, the words “I will commit to Bible study and embrace this new group of friends” spilled out. The room cheered. I was saying yes to community. More importantly, I was saying yes to Jesus.

Committing

The commitment I made four years ago meant I had to adjust my schedule to go to small groups. But sometimes, committing to Jesus meant living in places or cities outside my comfort zone. Other times, it meant staying put when I really wanted to go or leading a small group when I didn’t feel equipped. Last year, it meant volunteering to lead another chapter in my hometown. It’s meant and continues to mean trusting Jesus in every decision and every step I take post-college.

Now, I’m reminded constantly that we have a good Father who wants to give us good gifts. The gifts of understanding, community, and a promise between a Savior and his people, were offered to me time and again. For too long, I said no to those gifts. Finally accepting them meant finding what I was missing. It meant I wasn’t alone.

There are many students just like me who enter college thinking they know who Jesus is but pursue other things over him. But ��ñ�� wants every college student to have the opportunity to experience God's good gifts of community and a deep walk with him. Find an ��ñ�� chapter near you by clicking the button below.

Find an ��ñ�� Chapter

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Chapter Camp Changes Lives

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Wed, 14 May 2014 16:12:51 +0000

News

Gordon Govier

Chapter Camp Changes Lives

May is the month when a whole year of campus ministry may finally bear fruit in the life of a student. The change often happens at chapter camp, a week away from distractions after classes end and final tests are completed.

Chapter camp is held at about 17 different locations around the country. Sometimes several regions converge on one camp, such as ��ñ��’s historic Cedar Campus, on the shore of Lake Huron in Upper Michigan. More than 1800 students will stay at Cedar Campus and two overflow locations over a period of six weeks for what’s called Chapter Focus Week.

Toah Nipi, another ��ñ�� Retreat and Training Center in New Hampshire, is busy with chapter camps for students from New England schools for two weeks in May, and two additional weeks in August, before the start of the fall semester. A total of 340 students have registered.

Names for Chapter Camp

The New York/New Jersey region is sending 850 students to camp in upstate New York over a three week period this month. Chapter camp in New York/New Jersey is called Basilea, which means God’s Kingdom. Other regions also have unique names for chapter camp, such as Focus Week in Florida—held on the campus of Southeastern University—and Rec Week in the Red River Region of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas.

The three regions along the west coast divide up chapter camp type activities differently with less emphasis on the week at the end of the school year. One of the constants across the country though is intensive Bible study, typically an ��ñ��-style in-depth, inductive investigation of the gospel of Mark called Mark Manuscript. A number of additional tracks are offered to help students grow in their spiritual development and leadership skills.

Five Change Perspectives

What do ��ñ�� staff observe in their students during chapter camp? Andy Liimatta, a Campus Staff Member at Northern Michigan University listed what he appreciates about Chapter Focus Week at Cedar Campus:

1. Although students now have smart phones, there are relatively few distractions: no outside jobs and no outside classes. So students are able to more freely practice spiritual disciplines (particularly in prayer and community).
2. The curriculum (tracks) centers around witnessing communities and the Four Loves, which is part of ��ñ��’s Purpose Statement. I feel that no matter which track a student takes they will come away with more of an understanding and a passion for our mission on campus.
3. Through living arrangements, chapter prayer, and meal times, the students in a chapter spend a lot of quality time together.
4. Students see proper use of Scripture modeled. There is great exposition of Scripture passages by the speakers (expositors meet earlier in the spring to prepare together). A student in a track such as Mark’s Gospel or SGLT (Small Group Leadership Training) gets to practice Bible study skills. And each track intentionally uses Scripture and engaging teaching styles (not just lecture).
5. Chapters with a leadership team at chapter camp have a great opportunity to spend significant time together to think about the ��ñ�� vision for their campus, plan for the next year together, pray together for the campus and the chapter, and engage in other team building activities.

Last year more than seven thousand students attended an ��ñ�� camp, almost one fifth of all ��ñ�� students. ��ñ��’s presence on campus is a key to our ministry, but time away from campus can also be life changing. Like commencement, another important May event, chapter camp opens the door to a new stage in life.

Southeast Region Chapter Camp 2014 slide show

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Retreat and Training Centers

Chapter Camp

One Incredible Week

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:14:38 +0000

News

Gordon Govier

One Incredible Week

Final exams are not the last event of the school year for ��ñ�� students. Many spend one additional week together sharpening their spiritual vision for the coming school year.

Traditionally this week has been called Chapter Camp. The Chapter Camp schedule begins in April and continues through May and into June at locations from Campus by the Sea on Catalina Island, California, to Toah Nipi in New Hampshire, and many places in between. (A small number of chapters have Chapter Camp in August, just before the start of the school year.)

Visiting Cedar Campus

I spent May 4-10 at Cedar Campus, on Lake Huron’s Prentiss Bay, near Cedarville, Michigan. ��ñ�� students have been coming to Cedar since 1951. I shared the camp with about 500 ��ñ�� students and staff from big schools like Michigan State and Ohio State, and smaller schools such as Washtenaw Community College and Grand Rapids Community College.

Bradon, who had just spent a semester at Grand Rapids Community College after dropping out of another school and hitchhiking around Europe for a year, told me that coming to Cedar Campus was re-energizing, after an exhausting exam week. “It's an amazing place with amazing people, and a good opportunity to grow in relationship to God," he said.

Marc Papai, ��ñ��’s Divisional Director for the Ohio Valley Division, called his first week at Cedar Campus in 1974 one of the most significant weeks of his life. “I remember realizing during that week that Christianity was not something I was adding to my life; it was going to be my life,” he said.

Chapter Focus Week

Marc served as the Overall Program Director at Cedar Campus for the week I was there. "Chapter Focus Week [as it’s called at Cedar Campus] is a time for us to invest in six days of training our students in ways that have benefits out of proportion with that amount of time,” he said. “Our experience has been when we send students here we often know how strong the ministry will be in the succeeding year because the leadership development that happens here, the vision that's cast, the shared community experiences that chapters have, all are great predictors of the quality of the chapters' ministry the following year."

Students spent many hours in tracks being trained in Bible study, leadership, prayer, and evangelism; and learning about apologetics, cross-cultural outreach, and justice issues. They were challenged to commit themselves to follow Jesus more faithfully.

"We're bold in our expectations for what happens here,” Marc said. “We expect God to do life-changing kinds of things and in the testimonies shared by many students that has been true. It can be anything from conversions to faith in Christ as non-Christians who are part of our chapters join us, to commitments to life-long service, to some kind of risk-taking on campus. All sorts of things are woven into the tracks and the general Scripture exposition we do here."

A Legacy of Prayer

The beauty of the natural setting, far from the demands of day-to-day life, encourages students to reflect. So also do the prayers of those who know the kind of impact Chapter Focus Week can have. Marc notes that 60 years of prayers have been focused on Cedar Campus. “That's an astonishing gift to our movement and to students,” he said. “They enter into something that is already happening here.”

During the week I was at Cedar Campus six students committed to new faith in Jesus Christ, and 60 students recommitted their lives to follow Christ. More than 100 students made a commitment to challenge themselves and take a risk as a Christian on campus, such as leading an evangelistic Bible study.

On Thursday evening, the last night of Chapter Focus Week, I walked out to Whitefish Point, where the Michigan Tech chapter was gathered around a bonfire. The students were openly sharing how God had been at work in their lives that week, and the previous semester. They shared about the risks they had taken, struggles they had endured, and decisions they had made. Someone prayed for each person after they had shared.

"People have referred to certain places on earth as 'thin places,' where the distance between heaven and earth seems shorter,” Marc said. “Without being too sentimental, or strange about it, I think that Cedar Campus is one of the thinnest.”

For more on Chapter Focus Week:

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Chapter Focus Week

Chapter Camp

Cedar Campus