News Release

A New Generation of Stories

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 22:49:08 +0000

A New Generation of Stories

For Immediate Release

(Madison, WI) ---Attendees were asked, “What Story Will You Tell?” at Urbana 15, ��ñ��’s triennial student missions conference. And they answered with bold commitments to let God direct their stories.

“At Urbana 15, we challenged this generation to tell the Jesus' story with their lives, and to learn from stories that are different than theirs,” said Urbana director Tom Lin. “I pray that this generation will give their whole hearts to Jesus and surrender their lives for God's global mission.”

Sixteen thousand Urbana attendees spent the last five days of 2015 in St. Louis, studying the Gospel of Matthew, praying for persecuted Christians, engaging with over 200 mission-focused seminars and more than 200 mission agencies and seminaries, and worshipping God through music and drama. This was ��ñ��’s twenty-fourth Urbana but Patrick Fung, the Director of OMF International in Singapore, clearly asserted why each Urbana is important: “We cannot claim the faith of the previous generation,” he said. “Each generation must serve God’s purpose.”

David Platt, the President of the International Mission Board, cautioned his listeners not to try to manufacture a heart for missions. “Your life is to love Christ ,” he said. “And mission is a lavish expression of that love.”

In response to David’s call to commitment, 681 made decisions to become a follower of Jesus Christ. In addition:

9,416 said yes to serving in a global or cross-cultural setting—short-term, mid-term, and long-term combined.
9,254 said yes to regularly praying and interceding for the global church.
5,418 said yes to continuing with others their Bible study of Matthew’s Gospel that began at Urbana.

Urbana 15 participants contributed more than one million dollars to the Urbana offering. The offering goes to 12 organizations that support indigenous Christian leaders and missionaries, persecuted churches, intercession ministry, refugees and diaspora communities, and evangelism efforts.

Urbana 15 can still be experienced in this summary video (below). More Urbana 15 videos are available online at https://urbana.org/urbana-15/general-sessions. Audio from Urbana seminars is available at: https://urbana.org/seminars-tracks. Additional Urbana resources, such as Paul Borthwick’s helpful article on “5 Ways to Process Urbana” are featured on the Urbana blog: https://urbana.org/blog.

For more information contact:
Gordon Govier
608-443-3688

News Keywords

Urbana 15

News Release

Missions

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

��ñ�� Moves and Expands

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Mon, 04 May 2015 18:31:38 +0000

Press Room

��ñ�� Moves and Expands

For Immediate Release

(Madison, WI) -- ��ñ�� Christian Fellowship is moving our national office on the west side of Madison to 635 Science Drive. The move this month is the eighth in ��ñ��’s 74-year history and is prompted once again by the growth of ��ñ��’s ministry—now with 949 chapters on 616 college and university campuses across the U.S.

Our National Service Center (NSC) employs more than 150 people who provide a broad range of support services to ��ñ��’s approximately 1,200 field staff, involved in ministry on college campuses in almost every state of the union. We also support staff at ��ñ�� Press in Westmont, Illinois, and at our retreat and training centers in Upper Michigan, Southern California, and New Hampshire.

When ��ñ�� began—our ministry was incorporated in November of 1941—our national office was in downtown Chicago. The office occupied six different Chicago locations over the first 27 years as the ministry grew steadily. ��ñ�� moved to Madison in 1968, operating out of a former sorority house at 233 Langdon Street, near the University of Wisconsin campus, for almost two decades. For the last 29 years ��ñ�� has been located at 6400 Schroeder Road, which is 1.7 miles from Science Drive.

During the month of May, NSC staff will continue to perform their regular duties while packing for the move, and then unpacking. The actual move itself is scheduled for May 15-19, during which time some services may be temporarily interrupted.

While some may find our new address at 635 Science Drive unusual, wondering about the relationship between religion and science, we embrace it. As a campus ministry, ��ñ�� affirms the research and educational mission of the academy. The discipleship of the mind is one of our core commitments, and our publishing arm–��ñ�� Press—publishes books that also reflect a love for the life of the mind.

��ñ�� works on campus to insure that students and faculty who are searching for meaning and purpose in their lives have the opportunity to consider the life-giving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We encourage the work of scientists, engineers, musicians, philosophers, and the other members of the academic community as they examine, explore, and seek to explain the wondrous nature of the created universe and its inhabitants.

We look forward to the continued pursuit of ��ñ��’s vision from our new location: to see students and faculty transformed, campuses renewed, and world changers developed. ��ñ�� is a charter affiliate with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES), and is a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).

For more information:
Gordon Govier
ggovier@intervarsity.org
608/443-3688
635 Science Drive
Madison WI 53711-1099

News Keywords

News Release

National Service Center

Millennials Who ARE in Church

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 13:54:06 +0000

Press Room

Millennials Who ARE in Church

^{For Immediate Release}

(Madison, WI) -- Millennials have received lots of attention in recent months for drifting away from the Christian faith. Yet ��ñ�� Christian Fellowship is experiencing one of the strongest growth periods in the 72-year history of its campus ministry.

Earlier this year, a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life indicated that the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans had jumped from 15 to 20 percent over a five-year period, and that the youngest adults surveyed were leading the trend. A CNN blog post by Rachel Held Evans provoked many responses to her reflections on why Millennials are leaving the church.

��ñ�� is experiencing just the opposite in its work on campus. In the midst of a growing numbers of students and faculty, more than half its participants report consistent church attendance, an activity that ��ñ�� deeply values.

��ñ��’s record participation includes 909 chapters on 590 campuses and more than 38,000 “core” students and faculty (those who participate in more than 50 percent of all activities). Multiple thousands more are involved with investigative Bible studies and other outreach activities.

Jim Lundgren, ��ñ��’s Senior Vice President and Director of Collegiate Ministry, believes that college-age people will respond to the gospel when they see its relevance. “Too often young people are not challenged with the understanding that the gospel message addresses issues they care about, such as justice and compassion,” he said. “��ñ�� has developed tools that help connect Millennials with the 2,000-year old mission of the church.”

What’s happening right now in ��ñ��?

��ñ�� staff and students are involved in New Student Outreach events across the country, from Ivy League universities to community colleges. Students and faculty are provided with creative opportunities—such as The Fake Campaign—to talk about the values they hold most deeply, and respond to the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ.
��ñ�� is preparing to host one of the largest outreaches in its 72-year history, the Price of Life Invitational, October 1-12, in New York City. This outreach will include over 80 events on 10 campuses. Five hundred students will be trained to engage their peers with the love of Christ through the lens of human trafficking.
��ñ�� has introduced a new ministry focusing on U.S. students who are studying abroad.
��ñ�� continues to engage with public and private colleges and universities on the issue of religious qualifications for leadership of Christian campus organizations.

��ñ�� is affiliated with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES), and is a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).

_{For more information:

Gordon Govier

ggovier@intervarsity.org

608/443-3688}

NOTE: For deeper reflections on Millennials and campus ministry, we invite you to read this column by ��ñ�� staff member Tish Warren.

News Keywords

Price of Life Invitational

News Release

New Student Outreach

Campus Faith – A Civil Rights Issue

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:21:30 +0000

Press Room

Campus Faith – A Civil Rights Issue

For immediate release

(Madison, WI) -- The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has announced a briefing focused on the intersection of non-discrimination policies with civil liberties principles. ��ñ�� staff and students have been invited to submit statements on incidents where universities have attempted to restrict the religious liberties of student groups in the name of non-discrimination.

It began for ��ñ�� more than ten years ago when campuses such as Harvard and Rutgers attempted to limit our ministry on campus because ��ñ�� requires student leaders to affirm ��ñ��’s doctrinal statement. Since the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of CLS v. Martinez, even more campuses have pressed ��ñ�� and other campus ministries on the use of religious criteria to select student leaders.

In most cases—at Harvard and Rutgers, and more recently at schools such as Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, and Tufts—universities have amended their non-discrimination policies to permit religious student groups to use religious criteria in leadership selection. ��ñ�� has always affirmed the applicability of nondiscrimination policies to group membership.

These schools recognize that religious organizations should not be forced into a position which would threaten their religious vitality. At Ohio State University the student organization registration guidelines now state: “A student organization formed to foster or affirm the sincerely held religious beliefs of its members may adopt eligibility criteria for its Student Officers that are consistent with those beliefs.”

However, some schools will not allow any exceptions to their non-discrimination policy, at least when it comes to religious organizations. Fraternities and sororities are allowed to discriminate on the basis of gender, and athletic teams are allowed to discriminate on the basis of gender and able-bodied status, but ��ñ�� and other religious organizations are treated differently.

Last year 14 religious organizations at Vanderbilt University, including several ��ñ�� chapters, were prohibited from becoming registered student organizations because they follow the guidelines of their faith in choosing leaders. As a result, those organizations, which represent over 10 percent of the students on campus, may not partner with registered student groups for the purposes of community service, worship, or learning. They also have limited access to Vanderbilt campus facilities for their meetings, and they enjoy none of the privileges extended to all other student organizations.

Last week, the Board of Trustees of Rollins College in Winter Park, FL, rejected a request by the school’s ��ñ�� chapter to be allowed to require its leaders to be followers of the Christian faith. In a February 22^nd statement the Board said, “The principles of the nondiscrimination policy, which are at the heart of the educational process, are inconsistent with allowing exceptions for student organizations; such exceptions would be inconsistent with the processes of learning and growth that the College seeks to foster.” For the Rollins Board, non-discrimination principles permit the college to limit authentic religious expression on campus and to discriminate against religious groups.

We are hopeful that this investigation by the Civil Rights Commission will result in more colleges and universities being willing to resolve perceived conflicts between non-discrimination policies and our country’s strong heritage of religious freedom. We welcome the opportunity to participate in their deliberative process.

We have a section of background information on this topic on our website called Campus Access Concerns.

We also have a follow-up report on what happened at the Civil Rights Commission briefing.

For more information:
Gordon Govier
ggovier@intervarsity.org
608/443-3688

News Keywords

News Release

Getting the Most out of College

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:01:17 +0000

Press Room

Getting the Most out of College

News Release

For Immediate Release

(Madison WI) – More and more students are attending college but they are looking for more than just getting an education.

The number of college students has been on an upward trend for years. The annual Almanac of the Chronicle of Higher Education reports that undergraduate enrollment increased by 38 percent from 1999 to 2009. The total number of U.S. college students passed 20 million for the first time in history in 2009.

The Higher Education Research Institute reports that 75 percent of college freshmen are “searching for meaning and purpose in life” as they begin their college career.

��ñ��’s mission on campus is to help students complete their search for meaning and purpose in life through a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The number of students finding new faith in Jesus Christ through the witness of ��ñ�� staff and students has increased by 30 percent over the past five years.

“Most of our 866 ��ñ�� chapters across the country are engaged in a variety of new student outreach activities at the beginning of the fall semester, in order to meet incoming students,” says ��ñ�� president Alec Hill. Activities include social mixers, dorm move-in assistance, and community tours, as well as evangelistic outreaches. “Their intent is to build authentic friendships, open up conversations about the Lord, and launch small group Bible studies.”

For ��ñ�� staff members, students, and alumni, college is about transforming the heart as well as educating the mind. New chapters are being planted on 20 campuses this fall, as part of ��ñ��’s plan to reach more students and faculty with the Good News of the gospel.

��ñ�� is a campus ministry that is observing its 70^th year of working with students and faculty on U.S. college and university campuses. ��ñ�� is one of the founding members of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, which has member groups and affiliates in more than 150 countries.

For more information:
Gordon Govier
ggovier@intervarsity.org
608/443-3688

News Keywords

News Release

New Reformation Commentary Series

AD-16225 — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:50:58 +0000

Press Room

New Reformation Commentary Series

News Release

��ñ�� Press announces the publication of a prestigious new series: the Reformation Commentary on Scripture (RCS). Projected to be a twenty-eight-volume biblical commentary, the series puts the words of the Reformers directly into the hands of the contemporary church.

Andy LePeau, IVP’s editorial director and associate publisher, says, “The RCS will be our single largest effort in the coming decade to make resources of the past available for the renewal of the church in the present and the future.”

The project brings together a team of world-class Reformation scholars under the leadership of general editor Timothy George and associate general editor Scott M. Manetsch. Each volume will feature a mix of major and minor voices from the era, with many texts appearing for the first time in English.

Following on the heels of IVP Academic’s critical success with the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, this new project is an important next step in a church-wide effort of retrieval. “The Reformers saw themselves as standing in fundamental continuity with the early church fathers,” says Timothy George. “The RCS seeks to present the Reformers and their engagement with the Bible in the context of the ongoing history of the people of God.”

The first volume, Galatians, Ephesians, is due out in October 2011 and will be edited by Gerald L. Bray, director of research at Latimer Trust. (450 pages, hardcover, 978-0-8308-2973-6, $50.00). Subsequent volumes are due out in four month intervals.

Founded in 1947 as an extension of ��ñ��, ��ñ�� Press serves those in the university, the church and the world by publishing thoughtful Christian books that equip and encourage people to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord in all of life. Visit IVP online at ivpress.com.

Contact:
Jonathan Boggs
jboggs@ivpress.com
630.734.4116

News Keywords

News Release

��ñ�� Press Honored for Shaping the Lives of Today’s Leaders

AD-16225 — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:24:16 +0000

Press Room

��ñ�� Press Honored for Shaping the Lives of Today’s Leaders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Westmont, IL—��ñ�� Press won two Golden Canon awards for the significant contribution their books have made to the continued growth—both spiritually and professionally—of today’s leader. The Golden Canons were created by Leadership Journal and recognize “the year’s books of most value to church leaders.”

Giving Church Another Chance:Finding New Meaning in Spiritual Practices by Todd D. Hunterand Whole Life Transformation: Becoming the Change Your Church Needs by Keith Meyer were both recognized for their influence on the leader’s inner life.

Ironically, Hunter and Meyer tell similar stories. Both authors were pastors. Both were burned out and disillusioned by the rigors of the career to which they had committed their lives. And both found renewal in the transformation of their souls. These books are the result.

“Todd Hunter calls us to stop focusing on methodologies and programs designed to create the perfect church,” Cindy Bunch, associate editorial director, said. “Instead, he invites us to simply allow the experience of corporate worship to nurture our souls. He is the kind of moderating voice we need to hear more from today.”

Keith Meyer wrote Whole Life Transformation after losing touch with his own soul, the reclaiming of which led him to discover a whole new way of understanding Christ’s work in his life, his family and his ministry. “Whole Life Transformation will help you discover how you can lead your church authentically from your own deep encounter with Christ,” Bunch said.

The Golden Canon awards are particularly significant to ��ñ�� Press because they represent the kind of transformation IVP believes is possible—both corporately and individually—when publishers seek to influence, engage and shape contemporary culture for the sake of Jesus Christ.

“Both of the books recognized in this year’s Golden Canon awards reflect the real questions and struggles leaders and laity alike face,” Jeff Crosby, associate publisher, said. “But they also embody and nurture the transformation that is possible through the work of the Holy Spirit and the local church.”

Contact: Suanne Camfield, scamfield@ivpress.com, 630-734-4002

News Keywords

News Release

��ñ�� Press is 2011 Best Christian Workplace

AD-16225 — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:33:43 +0000

Press Room

��ñ�� Press is 2011 Best Christian Workplace

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Westmont, IL: The Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI), a research-based organizational and human resources consulting firm, has announced that ��ñ�� Press is certified as a 2011 Best Christian Workplace.

“We salute this year’s Best Christian Workplaces for their intentional efforts to nurture an organizational culture that reflects God’s divine nature, even in a difficult economy,” notes Al Lopus, president of BCWI. “Although our survey covers a wide range of qualities that a God-glorifying organization should exhibit, there are some foundational qualities that emerge among the best of the best. These include trust in leadership and a unity found in faith.”

To achieve certification, organizations must complete the Best Christian Workplaces Institute Employee Engagement survey and meet predetermined standards of excellence. Employees of ��ñ�� Press answered more than fifty questions measuring employee satisfaction in terms of organizational commitment, Christian witness, supervisory effectiveness, opportunities for personal growth and development, customer/supporter satisfaction, teamwork, communication and fairness of pay and benefits. Additional open-ended questions provided an opportunity for department managers to gain insight into what employees think and ways they might improve.

In their own words, one employee appreciated “the spiritual maturity and commitment of so many that work here,” while another cited “the high degree of communication and openness about everything we do.”

“��ñ�� Press is encouraged and thankful for this recognition from BCWI because it directly reflects on the quality and commitment of everyone who works at IVP,” stated publisher Bob Fryling. “IVP has received this high recognition for each of the six times it has participated in the survey. But the recognition this year is especially meaningful due to the challenging and changing publishing environment.”

For additional information on BCWI, please see http://www.bcwinstitute.com.

Founded in 1947 as an extension of ��ñ��, ��ñ�� Press serves those in the university, the church and the world by publishing resources that equip and encourage people to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord in all of Life.

CONTACT: Adrianna Wright, awright@ivpress.com, 600-734-4096

News Keywords

News Release

News Release

A New Generation of Stories

A New Generation of Stories

Black Campus Ministries Director Named

Black Campus Ministries Director Named

��ñ���� Moves and Expands

��ñ���� Moves and Expands

Millennials Who ARE in Church

Millennials Who ARE in Church

Campus Faith – A Civil Rights Issue

Campus Faith – A Civil Rights Issue

Getting the Most out of College

Getting the Most out of College

New Reformation Commentary Series

New Reformation Commentary Series

��ñ���� Press Honored for Shaping the Lives of Today’s Leaders

��ñ���� Press Honored for Shaping the Lives of Today’s Leaders

��ñ���� Press is 2011 Best Christian Workplace

��ñ���� Press is 2011 Best Christian Workplace

��ñ�� Moves and Expands

��ñ�� Moves and Expands

��ñ�� Press Honored for Shaping the Lives of Today’s Leaders

��ñ�� Press Honored for Shaping the Lives of Today’s Leaders

��ñ�� Press is 2011 Best Christian Workplace

��ñ�� Press is 2011 Best Christian Workplace