“I won’t ever really know my purpose”

“I try not to stress out by thinking about my purpose too much. If I get a job, a family, the American dream, then I don’t have to think about that. Because I won’t ever really know my purpose” said “Brandon”, an athiest/agnostic student. He’s a thoughtful guy. We had a nice talk with him at Awareness Day (activities fair) in the beginning of the year, and then again today at the Red Cup Proxe Station. I asked him about his thirsts, particularly purpose. He said he was “good” with all the other thirsts, fun, success, and love, but purpose– that one he hadn’t figured out. I showed him how thirsts point to something missing. “Brandon, I believe that God has a specific purpose for you. If God proved himself to you, Brandon, would you listen to Him about His plan for your life?” He admitted he would, but that God hasn’t proven himself to be real in his life.

We had about a 20 minute conversation, pleasantly debating some different philosophies and discussing the actions of people of faith. He said he had to go, and he went off with his lunch.

Later as I was cleaning up,  Brandon walked back in the door where I was leaving, turned around, and held it open for me. (I was carrying all the supplies and boards). “Hey”, he said, “I wanted to ask you a question. Does your group ever have debates about gay marriage?” (this was sort of out of left field). I responded that every now and then we address homosexuality, but that we don’t give much time to the arguments. “Oh, well because I’m part of the Gay Straight Alliance on campus– do you think we could ever do a join talk between the groups?” I mentioned that one of the leaders of GSA actually attends the River, and said that it sounded like an idea.

Today I had challenging, genuine conversation with Brandon, listening to his beliefs and lack there of, and gained his trust. I pointed out his thirst leads us to see there is something missing. I gained his respect and even changed his mind about some of the things he thought about Christians.  I know this is true because our talking led him to consider a topic that might be something where both GSA and InterVarsity could “come together” on.

He admitted that if God proved himself, he would be willing to listen to the plan He has for his life. Would you pray God reveals himself to Brandon? That he could put his trust in God, and find his purpose, find his thirsts quenched in Jesus?

 

In All Things Prepared?

 

Rider University’s latin motto is In Omnia Paratus, which means, “In All Things, Prepared”. Rider’s website says, “Our goal is to prepare you—for a life of success and a life of significance”.

Are the students at Rider prepared? For a life of success and a life of significance? Perhaps they are being prepared for career. Perhaps. What is the definition of success? And, what is deemed a life of significance, outside of God?

Today’s university shapes tomorrow’s leaders. In the university, women and men are encouraged to pursue truth, often without regard for God, and to pursue personal goals, often without concern for a higher purpose.

InterVarsity longs to see education lead to a lifetime of Christian worship and service. We believe that when students and faculty are transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, their campus is transformed, and ultimately society as a whole comes to more closely reflect the priorities of the kingdom of God. That is why we invest ourselves in the lives of students and faculty, wherever they are on their spiritual journey.

 

Rider University prepares students for all sorts of things, but one that they specifically do not prepare people for is a life of spirituality and of significant purpose. The Dean of Campus Life actually said this to me himself, that the school works on preparing students for leadership with the student government, preparing students for their career with education, preparing students for the “world” with study abroad, providing students with opportunities to keep healthy with the gym and exercise classes, but have had little focus on the spiritual well-being of students at Rider. The Dean sees the lack of spirituality, emphasis on faith, and the detriment of a life lived without hope.

At Rider, I am working with students to help them find God, find their purpose, and become prepared in all things. In leading Bible studies, in developing spiritual disciplines that will transform their lives, prepared in being missional in their careers and in their communities,  prepared to mentor others, prepared to effectively share their faith, prepared to lead in the church, prepared to give financially, prepared to give their lives to serving others and serving God, and prepared to stand before the throne of God, confident in his grace and love for them.

 

https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate

designate your gift for: staff work at Rider University

70′s & 70′s

John: “How are things going?”
me: “Well we have seventy students”
John: “Seventy?! Well that’s the most I think there ever
has been at Rider.”

(And he would know) –Dr. John Sheats is a chemistry professor who has been at Rider University since the 70’s, has never seen the group of students involved in InterVarsity ever reach 70.

John was profoundly impacted by InterVarsity during grad school, and has given it a place of importance in his campus life since. He has led faculty prayer meetings, helped with the student group, and gives to financially support the ministry at Rider.

Healthy things grow. As a group grows, so does their influence on the culture of the campus. Students become surrounded in their classes, on their teams, and in the dorms, with Jesus-followers.

And healthy things grow because of continuity. I am praying that I can be at Rider for years and year and years. That the group can finally take root, and take ground for the Lord.

Please give to the Rider staff account so that we are always funded and can stay on campus.

Give to :  Staff Work at Rider University

MBTI

About their myers briggs personality type, a student says—”Wow this is amazing thanks Jenna! Yea I think im an INFJ or whatever–but not a TCNJ. “

19th least happy students

The Princeton Review ranks Rider 19th in the “least happy students” category.

This statistic reflects the “vibes” we get on campus daily. Many Rider students has no idea why they are in college, or what they should live life for. There is a great sense of shame, confusion, and low self-esteem. We see a low degree of commitment, motivation, and success. Most students are happy with C’s.
At first, this was frustrating for me, a new staff hoping to swoop in and begin a small revolution for Jesus. I wanted to find leaders and strong Christians and send them out. But instead I found hurting student after hurting student; wounded at home, lost at school, and being swept along with the current of peer pressure and shallow culture.

Then it hit me. That’s why we’re here! The light of Christ needs to shine brightly in Gee Hall. The hope of Christ needs to permeate Daly’s. The love of Christ needs to cover the Bart Luedeke Center. The healing power of Christ needs to flow in Mauer. And the purpose, value, and life Christ gives us needs to seep into the college students.

I desire to stir to awakening these unhappy, lifeless students. I want to be a spiritual alarm clock, that students’ souls would come alive with the Holy Spirit, find cleansing in repentance, and find purpose following Jesus.

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is the only evangelical student witnessing movement at Rider University. Will you consider a gift to the staff work I do at Rider University, so that InterVarsity Christian Fellowship can continue to bring Jesus these unhappy students?

Invest in the Vision! http://www.intervarsity.org/donate/to/jenna_garrison

The students are excited to get back

Amanda’s Story

By the second to last night, she was gushing in tears.

“God’s changing everything,” Amanda said. In the Engaging God’s World track our leadership training conference in May, Amanda started to hunger for a sense of purpose beyond studying and making money. A Journalism major, Amanda was preparing to spend a glamorous semester abroad in London. Feeling like she had to give up everything–change her major, drop her dreams and plans for her career, Amanda struggled with what this would mean for her life. Soon we learned that she changed the location of her semester abroad from London, to a poverty-stricken slum in Accra, Ghana.

Amanda witnessed to Muslim school children, helped raise money to buy decent chalkboards, blogged and shot documentary photography. One of her goals during her time in the slums became to “Raise awareness abroad of the issues people are facing here by creating a web site with opportunities for people to donate to or volunteer for the school”.

“This is honestly my passion in life – capturing moments on camera and with my pen. God has shown me that it’s possible for me to follow this path as well and take it to a new level”. – (Amanda)

Within the DNA of our student-led movement is a passion for serving others and for doing God’s global mission. We envision our students and faculty not only serving on their campus but advancing restoration around the world. Can you imagine if Rider University was sending out more “Amandas” each summer, and at the end of every school year?

And that’s why we’re on campus.

InterVarsity develops passions and leadership skills in students and faculty because we want them to become “world changers” in our local and global communities.

Sara’s Story

New Life
Sara feels really loved and accepted by the IV community. She’s a Jewish
student who grew up Orthodox, speaks Hebrew, is on Rider’s Jewish Student
Ministry team. She teaches religious education for her synagogue. But she began
coming out to our meetings. Sara often comes early to InterVarsity to help set-up,
and stays late to talk about what had been discussed.
Not long ago, I challenged her to “try believing Jesus for just one thing.”
Sara had always had extreme bouts of anxiety – she was going to trust him that she didn’t need to worry or stress. She also mentioned how hard it was becoming to teach that Jesus was not God, when her Hebrew school students would ask her. She moved closer and closer to Jesus, became more and more conflicted in her beliefs.

In May, Sara left an InterVarsity meeting, and had an experience with God. Her friend Ross prayed with her, and she chose to become a Christian. Since then, she can’t stop smiling. The anxiety that she has struggled with all of her life is gone, and she has a peace she has never in her life experienced before. When asked what Jesus has
saved her from, she said “He’s saved me from all 613 commandments which I teach at my synagogue – now I just have to love God and love my neighbor as myself. I was at a crossroads between freedom and obligation, and I 100% choose freedom. I choose Jesus.”

some things God’s done in students in the past year

how amazing. what a great large group, people sharing their testimonies of what God has done in their lives.

here are a FEW of the many things people wrote down about how God has changed them in the last year. so cool!

the vision: students and faculty transformed, campuses renewed, world changers developed.

students and faculty being transformed! check!

God gave me this new heart- one that is filled with his love.

Bigger dreams that include Him.

It wasn’t until this past year that I have felt Him impact my life.

God has healed my back.

God has brought me to intervarsity! He has taught me not to judge people. He has shown me that I have leadership qualities.

God has helped me manage anger and stress more.

In the last year God has showed me the standards to which I need to have for a romantic relationship.

Delivered me out of depression.

God has taught me that he values obedience as much as zeal.

He showed me that I was looking for happiness in all the wrong places.

He has really inspired me to break out of my comfort zone and do things that I had never done before.

a typical large group

maybe turn your volume down a bit
this is a typical night at Large Group. craziness!