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
Want to Partner?  Click Here!

CrossTraining!!!

Well, we all survived the weekend. 10 students from Hamline and 8 from St. Olaf joined a group of 345 students that descended on Lake Geneva Christian Camp in Alexandria, MN, for some very intense training and some good community building. Most of my students spent the weekend in On Campus, On Purpose, a teaching track dedicated to deepening their understanding of how God is at work on campus and how they might join in with that work. The hope is that students coming out of that track will recognize that they are missionaries called to their campuses and that God has given each of them unique gifts and abilities to be used to share the Gospel with those around them. As I've gotten feedback from students about the weekend, their excitement about returning to campus is energizing. They were all challenged in their understanding of what opportunities for sharing the Gospel they have around them and they left with a much deeper understanding of InterVarsity's vision of seeing students' lives transformed by God.

Personally, I spent the weekend teaching 14 older students about healthy ways to transition out of college while still investing in InterVarsity. Many of these students came in with questions about purpose, relationships, vocation, and God's will. Anticipating this, we led them through an exploration of their expectations, values, and relationships, while emphasizing the importance of spiritual disciplines and staying engaged in communities. Much of our teaching was based on Paul's teachings in 2 Timothy and encouragements he provides to Timothy as he reflects back on his ministry. While we didn't answer all of their questions, we gave them many tools that will be helpful as they take their next steps.

One of the other tracks from the weekend invited students with little or no exposure to Jesus to come and explore what the Bible really has to say about him. While I don't know the overall content of the weekend, I do know that 11 students made commitments to faith as a result of the teaching. This opportunity is always one of the highlights of CrossTraining as year after year God blesses many students who take the faithful step of being open to exploring scripture.

Thank you all for your prayers and support throughout the weekend. It is such a blessing to be surrounded by so many who are excited about partnering with God's work on campus (and at conferences).

Deron

Want to Partner?  Click Here!

Greetings all...

Just wanted to post a quick note.  I'm currently in Alexandria, MN, prepping for CrossTraining, a regional weekend student training conference.  Friday afternoon, 10 students from Hamline and 8 from  St. Olaf will join approximately 350 other students from Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Wisconsin for training, worship, and catching a vision for God's work on campus.  Please be in prayer this weekend for God to show up in spectacular ways.  I will specifically be working with students approaching graduation, helping them prepare for the many transitions ahead.

I'll have some updates next week.

First off, thank you for your prayers these past few weeks.  They have been some of the busiest of my life, and I really appreciate how so many people have joined in prayer for the students and for my responsibilities.

Students from Hamline at Cedar Campus

To recap, I spent May 19-June 1 at Cedar Campus in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Over the course of those 2 weeks, students from all over the Midwest went through a week of training in one of several areas.  I helped train 57 potential small group leaders along with leading worship in different contexts.  It was an exhausting and invigorating time.  I know that's a paradox, but there's something exciting about seeing hundreds of young women and men growing in their understanding of how God is calling them to serve the Kingdom, especially when it's students I get to work with weekly.  3 students from Hamline and 1 from St. Olaf took part in this training, and hearing their reflections on how they were challenged for returning to campus in the Fall builds a great sense of anticipation for a stronger community and greater effectiveness in engaging the campus through outreach and relationships.

 And now my summer is officially here...but that doesn't mean things slow down.  I won't be on campus as much, but there is still a great deal of planning that needs to happen between now and the end of July.  I also have a bit more time to focus on developing new partnerships for prayer and financial support.   There is always a need for more people to partner with God's work at Hamline and St. Olaf, so if you or anybody you know would like to know more about what I do, please contact me.  Lisa and I are also continuing the chaotic pace of trying to get ready for the baby that's coming in August.  It seems like there's always more things that get added to our list, but we're making good progress and it's looking like our house will barely resemble a construction site by the end of August.

Teaching a group of future Small Group Leaders

Things to be praying for:

• Summer Planning - clarity and organization
• Developing new partnerships for prayer and financial support
• Summer house projects that need to get done before the baby comes in  August

 As always, thank you so much for joining in with this ministry.  Your support is very much appreciated.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Deron

deron.vaupel@gmail.com
Want to Partner?  Click Here!

Greetings to you...

I just wanted to toss up a quick post to fill you in one the past few days and the next few weeks.  In the midst of saying goodbye to several graduating seniors (always a bittersweet experience), I've also been preparing for our annual Chapter Focus Week...although now that I'm on 2 campuses, it should be Chapter Focus Weeks.  On Saturday, I leave for the north shores of Lake Huron for 2 weeks of training students to lead small group Bible Studies and to lead them in some praise and worship.  Students from Hamline and St. Olaf will be attending, and I ask that you be in prayer for them as God prepares them for amazing ministry on campus and beyond. 

Over the next few days, there is still a lot that needs to happen.  I have several components of teaching and worship to prepare and there's several small projects to get done around the house.  Prayers for all of that preparation are also appreciated. 

As always, thanks so much for your prayers and support.  God has been doing amazing things on campus, and I look forward to sharing all about Chapter Focus Weeks when I return in early June.

Deron
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Want to partner with God's work at St. Olaf and Hamline?  Click Here!