The Pursuit of a Loving God

After returning from my back-to-back weekends of retreats and conferences, I was meeting up with one of my students leaders talking about what had been happening so far this semester.  In passing, he happened to mention that someone had just given her life to Christ after starting to come to InterVarsity!  I was like "Whoa!"  When did I miss out on the news of people getting saved?!  I caught up with Alexis at our next large group and then connected with her over coffee to hear more of her story.  I've posted some of it below for you!

In the past few months God has completely changed my life around. For years I had been an atheist and had never really known what to think about the idea of a God existing. I never wanted to talk about religion or imagine a higher power knowing everything I ever did or thought. Last month, however, something changed inside of me. With my grandmother in the hospital for lung and skin cancer I had started to get a little weary of my belief in atheism. I didn't want to believe that my grandmother would someday just die. A few of my friends kept telling me about InterVarsity and I started to get curious. 

I knew that it was just a group of kids getting together to praise God and worship Him. For a good month and a half I kept thinking about going but always stopped myself, feeling somehow that I didn't belong there. One night I suddenly made myself go to at least find out more. More of what? I'm not sure. I guess I wanted to find out more about God, more about the people who believed and in turn find out more about myself. I like to think that I didnt find God but instead that He found me and led me to InterVarsity and the people I met there. After a while I was completely rearranged. Now I not only attend InterVarsity but I also go to church twice on Sundays, once on Wednesdays and then go to a bible study every Monday night. I would so much rather talk to someone about religion and our relationship with God than anything else. 

I wish for everyone to find the same joy that I just recently found in God. There's so much to be happy about in our lives and so much to look forward to when we give up control and let Him take over. Now that He has found me, I cannot imagine going back to the life I had before filled with stress and unhappiness. He truly is here for us when we need him the most. As humans we still fall down on hard times. The difference between a life with God and a life without Him is that when we DO fall, He is there to pick us back up, dust us off, and let us know that He would never put us through anything that we cannot handle.

Praise God for what he is doing in Alexis's life!  Stories like this keep me fired up about what God is doing at Randolph-Macon!!

Greek Conference 2011!!!

God has been doing amazing things with Greeks (not ethnic . . . think fraternities and sororities) at Randolph-Macon!  A huge catalyst for some of what's been happening was Greek Conference 2011 which took place at the end of February in Charlotte, NC.  But before I delve into the weekend here's a little history of what God has been up to . . .

Back Story:

Greek ministry at R-MC really just began 5 years ago with a dream and some prayers for God to open doors on campus.  The college is about 40% Greek, which for a campus of 1,200, is a pretty significant population.  I was convinced that if our ministry was going to have a significant and lasting impact, it would have to encompass Greek life in some way.  Fast forward now about 2 years and we've begun to see the beginnings of God's work amongst the Greek houses.  One student (Joe Varner) led the charge in pledging KA and starting up a Bible Study in the KA house.  As I met with Joe, we prayed and dreamed about how to connect with other Greeks around campus . . . and so Greek Fellowship was born!  The last couple years have been a roller coaster as we've tried to keep up with the people God has brought to us through Greek ministry via house studies and Greek Fellowship.  This year we have seen things really take hold and a foundation begin to form that will sustain Greek ministry after Joe and one of our other seniors graduates.  This past fall we had 2 new house studies start up along with a growing network of connections in the various fraternities and sororities of people becoming involved with Greek Fellowship!  God is answering our prayers in amazing and unexpected ways!

Now, back to Greek Conference . . .

Each spring, Greek IV nationally hosts conferences across the country for Greek students to gather and ask the question, "How do being Greek and Christian intersect?"  This year we took 8 students from R-MC!!  That in and of itself was a huge answer to prayer - but God didn't stop there.  The experience students had at the conference was transformational, to say the least!


"This past weekend a few R-MC students and I drove down to the Greek IV Conference in North Carolina. I went into the conference with hopes of learning about my own faith a little more. My whole life I’ve known about my parent’s faith as well as my friends’ faith. However, I never really understood what my own faith meant to me. After attending the Conference’s “Connect” track (which was created to help one connect with God through various ways, like prayer) I definitely feel a few steps closer to knowing my own faith. I’m so happy I was able to attend this conference. I have every intention of attending next year’s Greek IV Conference 2012!" - Elizabeth

"Greek Conference was a highlight in my journey with my Lord. These past few years have been hard for me, not only as a person, but as a believer. I ran into situations, relationships, and temptations that caused me to doubt my faith. I put myself in some difficult situations and strayed from what I believe in. Greek Conference's Saturday Night service caused me to be flooded with emotions. I broke down. It was so hard for me to grasp that concept that i did not have to be perfect for God because for everyone else, i try to be perfect. Greek Conference made me realize that God loves me for who i am, my faults and all. I thank my Greek Ministries Group Members for coming and sharing my experience." - Daniel 



It was such a blessing to be a part of the experience as students shared what they were learning in their various concentrations as well as how God was speaking to them through our plenary speaker (York Moore) and worship.  Saturday night culminated with an awesome time of worship and prayer as York invited students to respond to the gospel and God's call on their life - over 20 students responded, including one of our R-MC guys!!  Praise God for how he moved that weekend!

Back on campus, now, we have begun assembling a Greek leadership core to continue to shape our vision and direct the future of Greek ministry at R-MC.  Pray with us that God will continue to bless this ministry with Greeks and for an excitement and passion to take the gospel into the Greek houses on campus!

Joint Retreat . . . and back into blogging

So . . . I wouldn't call it a New Year's Resolution, perhaps more of a determination - to keep you all connected to my life and ministry and everything that's happening with InterVarsity up at Randolph-Macon!

That being said . . . there's been some awesome things happening over the last month on campus!  I'll begin with Joint Retreat.  Now, "What is Joint Retreat?" you may be asking - well, let me explain!  Picture 120 students from 4 different ministries gathering for one weekend together to learn about Loving God and Loving Others and you have a recipe for awesomeness!

 (some of the R-MC crew at Joint Retreat)

  (our very own Phillip Simmons led worship for the weekend along with some other awesome musicians - including Anna and Styles - also from R-MC!)

(amazing musical worship!)

Students from Randolph-Macon's and VCU's InterVarsity chapters, along with Chi Alpha at VCU and West End Assembly of God's 1822 college ministry gathered in early February at Camp Willow Run to explore what it means to love god in different areas of our lives.  Saturday morning they had the opportunity to choose from several break outs that looked at loving the lost, loving the church, and loving culture.  It was tons of fun bringing together students from the various ministries (and a blast to hang out with some folks from my alma mater!).  God moved in some powerful ways that weekend, both through the worship and teaching.  It was an awesome time of growth together and partnering in ministry!