CrossTraining 2013

Another CrossTraining is in the books.

This past weekend, about 375 students from the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Western Wisconsin gathered in Alexandria, MN, for training, worship, and building community. It is an exhausting yet exciting weekend where many students start to internalize the reality that God has called each of them to their campuses to be missionaries in their classes, dorms, and jobs.

Like last year, I worked with a group of 11 students who are preparing for graduation. Our time together was spent discussing what the coming transitions in life mean for their relationships with God and others, their approach to finances, discerning God's will, and general expectations for the coming years. It is a special opportunity to pour in to these students as they're working through many concerns and anxieties. Among the many challenges coming out of the weekend was the call to be very mindful of how they can invest in younger students during their remaining months on campus while at the same time being intentional about drawing close to God given the challenges that come with the many transitions ahead.

Several students who attended CrossTraining took part in CrossRoads, a series of sessions throughout the weekend for those who were curious about Jesus, wanting to learn more about his life, death, and teachings. At least 11 students made decisions to follow Jesus. Praise the Lord for those transformed lives, and please be praying for these students as they re-enter campus this week and that God would bring some very supportive people alongside.

6 students from St. Olaf and 2 from Hamline were a part of this training, and I ask that you would also be praying for them. The weekend is packed full of information, and as they return to campus, clarity is needed for how to apply all that was learned.

Things like this past weekend can't happen without your prayers and support, so I thank you for all that you do.

...and we made it through.

Well, we made it through the first few weeks...exhausted, but we made it.

At St. Olaf, we started the year by inviting students to a bonfire so they could meet others who are a part of InterVarsity. Over 50 students showed up that night, and there were good conversations happening the entire time. We also have been hosting weekly dinners on Sunday evenings, and each week several new students are joining us and developing relationships with others in InterVarsity.

For Hamline, this semester is unique in that several students are studying in Europe. It means that for those of us remaining on campus, we have more work to do to invite and welcome new people. We have already hosted a game night to provide a fun social environment to get to know people in InterVarsity. We also had our first worship gathering, a time where students could come and find out more about InterVarsity and worship God with other Christians on campus. 

Small group Bible studies on both campuses have started the year with studies focused on Biblical models for community, exploring how to apply those examples on campus. As I have worked with leaders to prepare these discussions, their excitement has been evident and encouraging, giving me a great deal of hope for how God will use them on campus this year.

Students praying and processing during our 'Urban Dip'

As an organization, InterVarsity has several Urban Project sites throughout the country. Those sites frequently host weekend, week-, and summer-long programs for students to serve in multi-ethnic and cross-cultural settings. The programs spend significant time in scripture, studying what God has to say about loving others, serving the poor, and engaging the world as Jesus did. This past weekend, 17 students from the Twin Cities had the chance to experience an 'Urban Dip,' a day-long training that focused on what the Bible has to say about race, identity, power, and privilege. The hope is that trainings like this will continue to happen, potentially developing in to longer opportunities for students to engage the Twin Cities community.

Now that October is on the doorstep, I start preparing for CrossTraining, our annual Fall training conference. Please be praying for students as they consider attending. This is a truly formative conference, and for many students, their experience at CrossTraining last year shaped their approach to ministry on campus for the remainder of the school year. More info on CrossTraining can be found here: http://www.ivcrosstraining.org/index.php

Thank you for your prayers, support, and encouragement. If you ever want to know more about what's happening on campus, please don't hesitate to contact me.

-Deron
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Here we go again....

Good day to you all and thanks for visiting.

Just wanted to offer a quick update with what's happening with InterVarsity at Hamline and St. Olaf. Classes start this week, and that always brings a great deal of excitement, anticipation, preparation, prayer, and many other things. Nearly 800 first year students are arriving at St. Olaf while over 550 are starting at Hamline.

As we enter in to the school year, please be in prayer, especially for the new students who want to be a part of InterVarsity. We want every student to be impacted by InterVarsity's ministry on campus, and specifically we are looking for a few students who will recognize the importance of what we're doing and commit to not only following Jesus in their own lives, but also sharing Christ with others (10 at Hamline, 25 at St. Olaf). The numbers may seem small, but even just a few students can make a huge impact on campus in the coming years.

Also please be praying for the student leaders. At St. Olaf, there will be 7 Bible studies this semester, social and service opportunities designed to invite others in and foster community, and we are also working to start a regular gathering for worship and teaching. At Hamline, there will be 2 Bible studies along with social and service opportunities. We will also be having a weekly prayer gathering, something that we've tried in the past but it hasn't worked the past few years because of schedules, among other reasons. The student leaders are excited for what's ahead, so please be praying that they would maintain that excitement and that God would fill them up spiritually and emotionally.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. I look forward to posting another blog in a few weeks sharing about all the great things that God has started for this coming school year......stay tuned.

-Deron
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Chapter Focus Week(s) Update

Leaving Lisa and Evan in the company of family over the past couple of weeks, I ventured off to the U.P. Of Michigan again this year. I've returned from a busy couple weeks at camp, and as promised, here's the update on how the weeks went.

I arrived at Cedar Campus not really knowing what to expect. I had been there several times, both as student and staff, but never had I served as staff while not having any students at camp. This year, no students from Hamline or St. Olaf were able to attend for a variety of reasons, so that made my day-to-day very different that what I'm used to. Rather than having my own students to work with, I had many opportunities to meet new students, hear about what God is doing on other campuses, and play a small part in that work on a regional level through my interactions with those students.

During my first week, I was helping with a seminar called 'Redefine Reality.' Students spent the week addressing the reality of sin and brokenness in the world and how Scripture calls us as individuals and as faith communities to respond. Throughout the week, the challenge to students was to develop strategies for introducing the Kingdom of God back on campus...in their majors, dorms, jobs, and anywhere else God can use them to speak in to the brokenness.

Students studying the book of Mark

For the second week, I served as the worship leader, coordinating the various elements of the large group worship gatherings we had throughout the week and working with student musicians. It was exciting to be able to serve in this capacity, not only because it allowed me to use some of the musical abilities God's given me, but more so because of the blessing it is to lead young adults in musical worship in response to the great messages presented from the first few chapters of Revelation. Also, a few of the students from this week were a part of the group of Small Group Leaders that I helped to train last year, and it was exciting to catch up and hear about how God has been working through them this past year.

Chapter Focus Week is always an exhausting time of year, but at the same time, working with hundreds of students who have a clear understanding that God is calling them to bring the Gospel back to their campuses is exciting and energizing. Please be in prayer for these students as they return home for the summer, that God would continue to clarify the specifics of how they're called to serve on campus and beyond.

A new group of Small Group Leaders in training

Over the next few months, my focus shifts to preparations for the coming school year, occasional student meetings, and continuing to expand my network of ministry partners. Please join in prayer for these preparations and connections. As InterVarsity's fiscal year comes to an end, I ask that you would consider a gift in support of my work. You can click here for more information on that.

Thanks so much for your prayers, support, and encouragement.

The next couple weeks

Wanted to fill you all in as the school year is winding down...

Students are hard at work finishing up their classes at Hamline and St. Olaf. Our year-end gatherings with InterVarsity were great opportunities to catch up, honor those graduating, and look ahead to what God is already starting to do for the campuses next school year. At both schools, students have been developing a deeper understanding of God's call for them to be witnesses on campus, and in talking with next year's leaders, there is a great deal of excitement for all the new opportunities for sharing Christ and supporting others as they grow closer to God.

On Saturday morning, I drive up to Cedarville, Michigan, for two weeks at InterVarsity's Cedar Campus. If you're a regular reader, you may remember that students from West Virginia to North Dakota travel to this camp at the end of the school year for Chapter Focus Week. During my time there, I will be leading students in times of worship and doing some teaching that addresses the brokenness in the world and how we can respond to that reality on campus and beyond.

When I return at the end of May, I will post pictures and stories about how God was at work. In the mean time, please join in prayer for the hundreds of students who will be there in the coming weeks, for safe travel, and for God to provide clear direction and conviction.

Thanks

It's almost unbelievable that this school year will be over in less than 2 months (and I think students have a harder time handling that reality). The year has gone by quickly, and at both St. Olaf and Hamline, students are developing a deeper understanding of a Godly vision for ministry on campus. I keep hearing stories of people having new opportunities to share their faith with neighbors and classmates, and those stories bring hope and excitement for the remainder of the school year.

While I spent a few days at the end of March in Chicago preparing for worship and teaching at our regional end-of-year camp, 3 of my students spent their Spring Break in Milwaukee. While there, they focused on service in the community and learning what scripture has to say about injustice. Spending a few days of in-depth Bible study in the book of Amos is a good way to challenge one's perceptions of how God views the world around them. For those 3 students, this was a time where God called them to  a deeper recognition of the needs of others around them, to see how God has blessed them on a daily basis, and to have a passion for every student on their campuses.  Please be praying for Nico, Mari, and Maggie that they would daily have a clearer understanding of how to apply everything God was teaching them during this time.

As the school year wraps up, please pray that we all finish strong. We're in the middle of leadership selection on both campuses, and there are plenty of decisions to be made as we look ahead to next year. Also, Chapter Focus Week is coming at the end of May. This is always a great opportunity for students to unwind from the school year, receive some excellent training in one of a number of areas, and develop stronger relationships with God and others. If you'd like to learn more about Chapter Focus Week, click here, and if you'd like to help students cover the cost of attending, e-mail me and I'll get you the information you need.

I didn't have any pictures of students
from Milwaukee, so here's someone else
you can be praying for.

Being home with Evan has been an awesome experience (with it's share of exhaustions), but as he becomes mobile, my days become even more exciting. God has blessed Lisa and I with a great eater, an improving sleeper, and an overall adventurous little guy, and I ask that you please join in prayer as I continue to learn how to juggle work, family, and all the other responsibilities that come up on a weekly basis.

Thank you so much for your prayers, support, and encouragement. If you have any further questions about what God is doing on campus, please don't hesitate to contact me.


Deron Vaupel
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
Campus Staff, Hamline University & St. Olaf College
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