The semester is in full swing, the seniors are anxiously counting down to graduation, and everybody is itching to spend as much time outside as possible...yep, it's Spring on Minnesota campuses.  Hard to believe the school year will be over so soon, but over these last 2 months there are still plenty of opportunities for reaching the campus and for new leaders to step up and get experience.

Next week, I will be accompanying students from St. Olaf and Hamline to InterVarsity's Milwaukee Urban Program.  There we will join with students from several other schools to partner with ministries at 7 different sites.  We will also spend a significant amount of time studying what the book of Acts has to say about service.  Please be praying for strength for students and for God to be at work transforming lives...at the Milwaukee Program this past week, 3 students made decisions to follow Christ.

Over these next several weeks I will be working with students to prepare for next school year.  This means a lot of brainstorming about new ways to reach out the campus and talking with students about potentially leading various aspects of the ministry.  Please be in prayer for wisdom as these discussions happen and for next year's leaders.

Thank you so much for your partnership with the ministries at Hamline and St. Olaf.  God is clearly at work in the lives of students, and that has been especially evident in the lives of several 1st year students I've talked with over the past few weeks.  There is a growing sense of purpose when it comes to life on campus, and that bodes well for ministry in the coming years.  Your prayers and support are a huge part of that work.  Thanks so much.

Hamline students at the Leadership Conference

The past few weeks have been quite busy, but also quite exciting. The start of the Spring semester brings anticipation of new opportunities for ministry, new students getting involved, and the mixture of challenge and excitement of coming along side seniors who are preparing to graduate.

The semester started with 6 students from Hamline attending a weekend leadership conference.  During the weekend, they developed a deeper vision for ministry on campus and for how God is using them at Hamline.  It has been exciting to hear from them how God is challenging them to be more intentional about their relationships on campus and to take more time to seek God's guidance in their lives.

The leaders at St. Olaf and I have been learning more and more this year how important involvement in and affiliation with a community is for spiritual development and effective outreach.  Because of that, we are discussing more and more how to provide opportunities for students to connect.  Please be praying for this as we invite students in to deeper relationships in the midst of their busy schedules.

Aside from building new relationships with students, 2 of my main priorities over the next few months are recruiting and preparing students for a Spring Break service project and for Chapter Focus Week in May.  These are both amazing opportunities for students to grow, and I am currently on the look-out for any fundraising and scholarship opportunities that would assist students to take part in these programs.  If you have any ideas, interest, or ability to help with this, please let me know.

It is such a blessing to have your prayers, support, and encouragement.  Without all of that, I would not be able to do this job.  Seeing God transform lives is one of the most exciting things in the world to me, and you are a huge part of that.  Thank you so much.
-Deron

Greetings from the (finally) snowy Twin Cities.  As students are wrapping up their January intensives, I wanted to offer a quick update on what God’s been doing and what lies ahead.

My time in Northfield at St. Olaf has been exciting so far.  I have been able to meet many new students and work closely with the student leaders of the chapter.  Moving in to the Spring semester, the leaders and I are prayerfully considering how to have a greater presence on campus thorough service opportunities and studying Scripture.  At Hamline, there has been an ongoing discussion about evangelism and outreach on campus.  It is exciting to see students unpack what it means to be a light to campus and how to engage the community around them. 

At both of these schools, I have the honor of coming along side students to serve and support them.  Whether that means serving as a sounding board when it comes to major life decisions or giving someone the Mohawk they’ve always wanted, I love being a part of their process of growing closer to God and of building deeper relationships with other Christians. 

If you could please be in prayer for these 2 things:

-This weekend, 6 students from Hamline (St. Olaf has exams) will be attending a Winter Leadership Conference.  The training focuses on our vision for ministry on campus and God’s call for us to serve.

-Spring semester starts next week.  At both schools that means new opportunities for connection and outreach.  Please be praying for all students coming back to campus, that God would be moving in their hearts and preparing for amazing transformation on campus.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

Greetings from Western Wisconsin.  I’m writing this post from our regional staff conference, a time at the end of the semester where staff from the Lakes and Plains region come together for training, vision casting, community building, and overall rest and refreshment at the end of a busy semester.

Looking back on the semester, one of the most exciting things has been all of the new faces.  One thing we are always praying for is that new people would have the opportunity to encounter Christ, and over the past 3 months I have met dozens of new students who have started coming around to various gatherings on campus.  Overall, this semester saw 25 students regularly involved at Hamline and 66 at St. Olaf, along with many more students who came to check things out from time to time.  What we’ve seen this semester through Bible studies, trainings, and worship gatherings gives us hope for all that God will be doing on campus next semester.

Next month both Hamline and St. Olaf offer January intensive classes.  That means students’ schedules are quite different and we need to approach ministry in a different way.  We have opportunities to focus on more intensive training and more time to host events that bring students together.  Please be in prayer for all the new ways that God can be working through that time and for any new students that have opportunities to get involved.

As the end of the calendar year approaches, I know many of you have thought about financial gifts, and as you know, my ministry is entirely funded through gifts.  Your support allows me to continue this work with students, so I ask that you please prayerfully consider my work with InterVarsity as a part of your giving plans.  If you would like to make a contribution, you can click here for more info

Your prayers and support are always appreciated, and if you ever have any questions about how things are going, please don’t hesitate to ask.  Thanks   --Deron

The past few weeks have been.....

Co-Curricular Fair at St. Olaf - even busier than it looks

 Well, you could really finish that title off with any number of adjectives.  Exhausting, exciting, eventful, entertaining....you get the picture.  Classes are in full swing at Hamline and St. Olaf, and students are finding where they fit in to the bigger picture of campus life.

On September 9 and 13, St. Olaf and Hamline held their annual student organization fairs.  InterVarsity had strong representation at each event, and it was somewhat overwhelming seeing all the students checking out all the different opportunities they have to get involved in the campus community.

After those events, we then had the task of following up with over 100 students (between the two campuses) that expressed interest in InterVarsity.  Student leaders hit the communication trail seeing what questions they could answer and doing publicity for the Bible studies and events that are happening on each campus.

Now that things have settled down a bit and everybody's schedules are figured out, there are 4 Bible studies meeting each week and Hamline (along with a prayer meeting) and 7 Bible studies meeting in different dorms at St. Olaf on a weekly basis.  We are also at work to offer more service and social opportunities for students in the coming month.

Student Org Fair at Hamline

One example is our upcoming Fall Retreat (October 15&16).  Students from both campuses will be coming together for a time of teaching, community building, and relaxing away from campus.  Please be in prayer that many new students will take advantage of this opportunity.  If you have any interest in helping out, let me know and we can talk about the different options.

Also please be in prayer for our continued publicity efforts on campus.  We have a few things in the works to get InterVarsity's name out on campus and to invite more students to come encounter Jesus.  As always, that you so much for your prayer and support.

-Deron

deron.vaupel@gmail.com

...and here it goes!

Students have been trickling on to campus for the past week, and today it begins.  Classes start at Hamline today, at St. Olaf tomorrow, and InterVarsity leaders at both schools have been hard at work preparing for the opportunities to meet new students and start off their ministry years strong.  In the coming week, both schools are holding Student Activity Fairs where organizations interact with hundreds of students who are trying to find ways to connect on campus.  Please be in prayer for these efforts at St. Olaf (Friday evening) and Hamline (Tuesday afternoon).  Also be praying for the many other opportunities that students have to connect with new neighbors, classmates, coworkers, and teammates.  This next month is when a lot of key friendships start, and I know that God is already at work to bring in new groups of students at each school.


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One quick technical note...I have changed the address/name of my blog to more accurately represent the students I work with.  If you have my previous blog (ivcf-hamline.blogspot.com) bookmarked or are following it, please update whatever is necessary.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support during this time.  I will hopefully have many great updates and stories in the coming weeks about what God is doing on campus.

Deron