Chapter Vision for 2009-2010

This was sent to all IVCF@W&M leaders in July:

....As you know, the fall is a busy time for our Intervarsity chapter, and Exec spent a week during Rockbridge trying to figure out the best way to carry out God’s plans for the fall on campus.

To us, a very important first step was to try to define who we would like to be as a chapter. Rest assured, this is not who we are yet, but it is who we feel God is calling us to be on our campus and in our lives. The definition we have come up with is: We are a community following Christ with all we’ve got that strives to love, challenge and encourage each other and our campus to pursue God. This is what we would constantly strive to be more like: working to become more like who Christ is.

The second thing we came up with at Rockbridge is what our focus will be for the upcoming academic year. The focus is something that is more goal-oriented and is to be accomplished within a set time-frame. This year’s focus is: deepening our Christ-centered community by focusing on spiritual disciplines and sharing it with others. The three-fold goals—community, spiritual disciplines, and reaching out to share Jesus with others—will give our chapter some direction and focus in the way that we pursue God as a community. Some of the things that we will look to do under this focus include: partnering with other campus organizations on several events, making socials more widely accessible, encouraging a lifestyle of discipleship within our chapter, and working on our understanding of and focus on spiritual disciplines.

We have chosen a theme verse that we feel resonates with our focus for the year. It is 1 Peter 3:15 and reads, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” We definitely want to acknowledge that we may not be the suffering church for whom this letter was intended (which becomes evident in the verses surrounding this one), but as Christians, we are tested in our faith every day and want to be able to answer the hard questions asked of us.

One thing is certain: these ideas sound great to us, but we will need your support to realize them. It is important to note that because the focus is crafted for a full academic year, it must be something that the whole chapter supports and works toward. In a semester, the current Exec team will shift, and we want to ensure that the passion and pursuit of Jesus that are behind our definition and focus are something you can get behind. Please always feel free to approach us with questions, comments, concerns—we’d love to hear what you think!

We are praying for you and cannot wait to see you back on campus in the fall. We pray that as the summer progresses God will continue to transform your life as you grow closer to Him and reflect more of His character. We are counting on you to encourage and share, God’s love, with people that others of us will never be close to. These goals are not easy, but as we rely on God we will be able to see Him provide for us and see Him transform the lives of those around us. IT IS TIME TO BE EXCITED, THE LORD IS RISEN!

In Christ,
David Adams, Chapter President
Katie Bradshaw, Large Group Coordinator
Marynn Skelton, Outreach Coordinator: Evangelism
Danny Habersetzer, Outreach Coordinator: Service
Ben Boyd: Community Coordinator

I am very proud of my team!!