August and September Update: BEING A CAMPUS MISSIONARY IS TOTALLY AWESOME and other new stuff

Wow, it is the beginning of October and I am about to turn 24 on Friday.  The last month and a half is an absolute blur. I finally understand the hectic NSO (new student outreach) season. There have been so many new students and events and cool Jesus things that I could write an update for each week!  Nevertheless, I will hit some of the major events that God brings to mind.

Being on Campus

Man, I love college students! Overall, I am just thrilled to be working on campus. I am living in a house right across the street from campus with a couple other recent college grads. I am grabbing meals with students to talk about life and Jesus.  I am playing pickup basketball with students.  It kind of feels like I'm back in college but instead of going into debt I am getting paid, instead of going to class I meet with students and do Jesus stuff, and instead of doing football all the time I am playing ultimate frisbee. It's the life! I am truly experiencing that "if you love what you do it won't feel like work." I am unbelievably grateful to God for calling me here and so blessed by how He has prepared me to bless these students.

From our event "Muffin Mania," giving away muffins on the first day of class.

Being Focused

For those of you who don't know, I am working with two other staff with InterVarsity so the division of labor helps a lot. We also have a lot of amazing student leaders who get to empower and guide.  This allows me to focus my energies especially on several areas, rather than generally on all of them.  In particular, I am putting a lot of focus into the worship team and into sophomores.

Taking over as worship leader, I really wanted being a part of the worship team to be a lot more than just throwing together musicians and a few songs for our large group, but a discipleship experience to help us grow as musicians and worshippers after God's own heart.  The team has responded well to that vision and every other Wednesday we get together to learn a little about worship from speakers and then to worship together.  I believe it is out of these moments together, when no one is watching, that the Spirit will be released into a large group setting and others are pulled into the Presence.

Our Sophomore class group that I am helping facilitate. 

For Sophomores, we felt like it was important to invest into second year students that often are pursued as freshman but left behind after that.  The Sophomore class felt really passionate about using this space as an opportunity to ask questions, have discussions, bring challenges they are facing in their classes, and build each other up.  As one with an apologetics background, it excited me to be able to facilitate and guide this type of setting, as wisdom is often found most through good discussion.  The name we settled on for the group was Sophos, meaning wise people. Since Sophomore literally means wise-fool, we thought we would reclaim the second year of college and be Sophos through great questions and discussions, seeking the Truth and Wisdom (sophia) of God.

Being Fruitful

This last weekend, we culminated our NSO with Fall Conference, a weekend retreat for all InterVarsity students in Iowa and Nebraska.  Around 200 students made the trip to Ogden, Iowa! A weekend may not seem like much time for God to move, but man did He show up!  The whole weekend was on Acts 1-4 and being refreshed by the Holy Spirit. We had some amazing multi-cultural worship, speakers, seminars, and a lot of fun too. One of the best parts of the weekend when we were playing a Spanish song called "Santo, Santo Eres" on Saturday night and one of our staff felt called onto stage and started leading everyone in a dance.  The staff is from Ghana and, although he didn't know it, the dance was the Electric Slide!  After the song ended, a few African students jumped onto stage quite unannounced and led everyone in a loud and fun chorus of the Nigerian broken English song, "Double Double."  What an amazing night of fun, freedom, and refreshing in the Holy Spirit! That night, 12 students gave their lives the Christ for the first time and nearly half the room wanted to make a recommitment to repent and receive refreshing!  Praise Jesus!

From after the SnowBall fight, a fun event featuring panty hose balls filled flour. 

Looking Forward

What an amazing month and a half it has been.  It is so encouraging to see what God can do if only you will show up with open hands and ask to be used for His Kingdom.  There is nothing special about me, or Central College, or even InterVarsity. I am just surrounded by people willing to be clay in the hands of their Creator.  Right now, I am praying for continued momentum from Fall Conference that we can stay excited to pray, worship, and make Jesus our priority.  I am also praying for strength, courage, and angelic support, as breakthrough has already proved to bring increased spiritual attack.  May God richly bless you, your families, and your churches for your generous support, prayer, and encouragement. May God richly bless Central College and it's students and faculty.

In Christ,
Seth