Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
» I Agree with Josh
I Agree with Josh
The God Experiment
Week 3 studies and activites
Week 2 studies and activities
Week 1 studies and activities
Purpose: To discover the existence of a relational God
Hypothesis: There is a God who desires to interact with me.
Experiment: For the month of April (thirty days) practice spiritual experiences: prayer, meditation, studying scripture, service, fellowship, confession, having a sabbath, etc.
Analysis: Record spiritual, emotional and intellectual, reactions to daily observations
Conclusion: You decide
Perfect for anyone who either is…
1) Exploring Christianity
2) Finding that there walk with Christ has become dull
3) Or struggling to make time with God
Proposed Structure
Download the Diagram and Explanation of proposed structural changes.
Please send comments, questions, and critisisms to ivcf@rit.edu.
Womans Appreciation Dinner
Ladies!
You may now RSVP for the Womans Appreciation Dinner.
Private: Leadership Nominations
Use this survey to complete our new online leadership nomination process. Survey closes Friday, Feb. 15.
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Involvement Questionnaire 08
If you are interested in being involved in our chapter for the 08-09 year please download this questionnaire. Completed questionnaires should be sent to Mark Weber.
Summer Missions 2008
Summer Global Project: Cairo, Egypt: The Mokattam Project
Interested in serving God this summer in Cairo, Egypt? Below is a brief list of what you could be doing there this summer June 17-July 31 .
-Work with the Sisters of Mercy
-Tutor at an environment protection agency
-Teach boys English
-Serve at a clinic
-Reside in a Monastery
-Live in the trash
-Engage poverty
For more information check out Intervarsity’s Global Union Trek website. Also, feel free to talk to Mark Weber or Matt for more details. Make sure to pray for this opportunity to serve God and share his love and goodness in another country.
The Vine: A Summer Serving In Maryland
From June 7-July 25 (seven weeks) there’s an opportunity to serve and be served in Maryland. You will be involved in regular discipleship experiences (focus on prayer; evangelism,personal testimony, plan of salvation, servant evangelism; relationships; leadership principles) with the leadership team and also actively serve. You would have the opportunity to help with a children’s day camp one week, do a lot of servant evangelism projects in the community, work with a church plant on Kent Island for two weeks, as well as have opportunities to work with children and youth. If you happen to speak Spanish, that would be helpful too as they are in the process of starting a new Hispanic church in Annapolis. So take the time to really pray about spending your summer there. For more information feel free to contact Mark Weber.
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Proof and Anecdote
Is there any external proof for the existence of God outside of personal anecdote?
3 Responses to “Proof and Anecdote”
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Religious Wars
How do you explain all the terrible things that people have done in the name of God? What about all the wars that have been fought over religion? How is it “loving” to bomb abortion clinics?
2 Responses to “Religious Wars”
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Belinda Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:52 amI think one of the things to point out with this is that what Christians do doesn’t make Christianity. We’re human, and we have flaws and we sin. Jesus would not have had to die if we were perfect. So, even as Christians, we’re going to make mistakes. For example, take an anti-abortion and pro-life Christian. To support those good stances he decides to do something evil and bomb abortion clinics. The reaction is wrong–and though he might claim to do it in the name of God, that doesn’t mean that God told him to do that. He made the mistake. This is why we try to seek God, ask Him to teach us how to love, etc. It is He that prevents these misunderstandings and shows us how we should truly live and react to things. I can do something in the name of Alla, but I’m not Muslim. That’s something to bear in mind too when questioning events that have happened.
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m a t t Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 11:18 amNot every person that claims he’s a Christian is really a Christ-follower. 85% of Americans claim the title “Christian.” Clearly, there are not 250 million Americans actively following the teachings of Jesus Christ (or we would live in a very different place). This makes the word Christian basically meaningless. We should be more careful to distinguish between the actions of those who claim the label “Christian” when they take surveys, and those who are attempting to follow Jesus.
Jesus said, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him,” not war against him or bomb him.
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Free will
If God is omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (all-knowing), how can humans have free will? Doesn’t God already know what is going to happen? Didn’t he decide to make it happen that way?
2 Responses to “Free will”
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Belinda Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 11:03 amThis is a very tricky topic to talk about. As a precursor, I will honestly say that I don’t completely understand it. I just know what the Bible says, but don’t necessarily understand the whys.
Saying that, I believe it’s important to make a distinction between knowing what’s going to happen and making it happen that way. God knows everything. I agree. However, God didn’t force it to happen that way. I mean, the way I see it, why would God have wanted all of this to happen? It just doesn’t make sense. A God that loves us and is pained with the fact that not all of us know Him because we are separated by sin, why not just snap His figures (so to speak) and make that not happen? The reason I believe is because God doesn’t work that way. Just like we don’t want forced love, God doesn’t want to force us to love Him. God doesn’t just want “meat robots” (thanks to skeptic Jon for the phrase).
Also, having the negativity in this world and the suffering that goes on in our lives helps us to see God and His goodness more. It’s easier to understand something that’s good when we have something bad to compare it too. In fact, there could be no good without a bad, just as we could not understand the meaning of light if there were no shadows, no places where light was absent. -
Chris Says:
January 24th, 2008 at 1:20 amThe issue of free will is as clear as mud.
I’ll start off with that.
Let’s start and assume certain things. We’ll assume that the Bible is true and that there was a garden named Eden where man first sinned.
To answer this question, it’s crucial to understand the reason why man was created and we were created by God with the hope that we’d choose Him over every other thing in this world.
So God plops Adam in the garden and later on plops Eve in the garden. The fact that He leaves a way for them to sin (i.e go against what He will) is a decision that He makes out of love. He pretty much says “I will give you a choice to choose me and accept the consequences that come with that” or “You can choose the things that I don’t stand for and accept the consequences of that.”
So that’s the basis of free will.
With regard to whether God knew what would happen or not. Yes He did. Now, God is outside of time (how can you be controlled by something you created) so when He sees history, He sees it beginning to end. He knows every possible combination of choices that we can choose, but He is outside of time and doesn’t plan that we’ll sin. He knows everything that we will go through like the author of a book knows what will ultimately happen. That’s why the Bible is one long story; the fall of man to his redemption.
Hope that helps.
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Homosexuality, etc.
Why are Christians so intolerant and judgmental of alternative lifestyles? Do Christians hate homosexuals?
4 Responses to “Homosexuality, etc.”
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Mika Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:10 amI don’t think they do. But God hates homosexuality (in the Bible some people were punished for being homos, Sodom and Gamorrah for example).
[this comment has been edited by the moderator].
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Nate Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:26 pmMany people who say they follow Christ hate homosexuals because they are different. The idea of intercourse with someone of the same gender startles and disgusts them, and they take it out on people who are homosexual.
In this area, it’s a good idea to look at how Jesus treated “sinners.” In John 8, some of the religious people of the day brought a woman caught in the act of adultery before Jesus. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” Jesus replies, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” When the religious people heard this, they slipped away one by one until Jesus was left alone with her. Jesus said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
Don’t get me wrong, the Bible does clearly say that homosexuality is a sin. My point is that as Christians, it’s not our job to condemn sinners, it’s our job to show people that they are loved despite their sin. Taking another Christian to task for his or her sin is one thing, but condemning someone who isn’t a Christian is not something Christians should do.
(Quotations from John 8 taken from the New Living Translation)
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Salim Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:44 pmA lot of Christians are intolerant and judgmental of homosexuality because we are bigots. This is a sin for which the church needs to repent. We apologize for being part of a cultural sin against our homosexual sisters and brothers.
God loves sinners; Jesus is called “the friend of sinners”, and his close associates included prostitutes and corrupt bureaucrats.
God also decided what is right and what is wrong, and did not ask us to evaluate it. Polygamy is wrong. Incest is wrong. Abuse is wrong. Pornography is wrong. Lustful thinking is wrong. We don’t excuse those sins, even when they become socially acceptable or are explained by psychology as “natural”. Why should we excuse homosexuality?
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Mooney Says:
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:42 pmI have a facebook group that spearheads this issue. Look for “Love sinners, Hate sin…Love Homosexuals, Hate Homosexuality”. I have been defending the Christian case for about 2 years now.
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Other Religions
What makes Christianity different or better than other religions? How do you know your version of religion is right?
4 Responses to “Other Religions”
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Belinda Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:46 amTo speak bluntly, what makes Christianity different is that we believe that God is the one and true God, and that He came to earth in the form of Jesus to save us from ourselves out of His love for us. We know this to be true because God has given us plenty of proof. The Bible, which we believe is the word of God, gives us proof. There is historical and archaeological evidence to support the fact that the events in the Bible actually happened. There is also scientific reasoning to support God’s existence (see the questions about proof).
However, some of the same events are claimed in multiple religions, so how do we know that Christianity is the right one? This is where real life experience comes into play. God wants you to know Him, and will make Himself clear to you, especially if you ask Him to. He’s done that in my life. Has answered my prayers, changed me for the better, etc. And this is something I can’t prove to you in a way that you will be completely satisfied, although you can see the results of His work in my life and you can hear my testimonies, but you have to experience Him for yourself. Ask God to prove Himself and He will. Other religions, don’t hold up to that. As one of our recent speakers said, she tried talking to Alla, and Buddha, and all the other deities that she heard of including God, and only God responded. -
Joe Stevens Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:06 pmWhat really makes the difference in Christianity is that our works have nothing to do with salvation. In many other world religions, it is all about what you have to do on your own to get to heaven. As Christians we believe that it is nothing we did, but rather all what Christ did for us, and that we just need to accept this.
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m a t t Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:25 pmI agree with Joe. This is the challenge I pose: Find another religion with grace. I do not know any other religion that does not require man to somehow earn God/god(s)’s favor. For the Christ-follower “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” ~Eph 2:8-9 (NIV)
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Alan Says:
January 23rd, 2008 at 10:11 pmMost major religions preclude the existence of other true religions. This conclusion is based on simple logical extrapolation of foundational laws and principles of the religion(s) in question. For example, Christian theology dictates that the Lord is the one and only true God, and this excludes the existence of another true religion with another God (or Atheism).
I am not well versed enough in Hinduism or a various lot of other minor religions to go into detail, but I can illustrate this point using Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and Atheism. Traditional Jews do not believe their Messiah has come yet to save them from their iniquity. However, careful examination of scriptures will reveal that Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament Messianic prophecy. Either Jesus was or wasn’t the Messiah, so Judaism and Christianity are mutually exclusive in that regard (there are other forms of Jewish belief systems that include Jesus as Messiah, but we won’t go into that here). Muslims acknowledge Jesus as a prophet of Allah, but not the Messiah and Son of God. However, if Jesus was not who he said he was, that would make him a liar and blasphemer, not a very good prophet. So Islam and Christianity cannot both be true. Atheism excludes the belief in a God, so that is clearly mutually exclusive with the three monotheistic doctrines discussed here.
Further examination from personal, logical, and historical standpoints shows Christianity to make more sense than other religions. This cannot possibly be extrapolated here with any sort of brevity; the point of this post was merely to establish that in most cases, a given religion is incompatible with others, so one or the other must be true. The rest of this site will help explain why Christianity is it. Here’s some historical food for thought though: more is known about Jesus historically (that is, corroborated outside of the Bible) than any greek philosopher, or even George Washington.
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Hell
What is Hell? How can a good and loving God send people to Hell? How is it fair to punish for eternity choices that were made in a brief human lifetime?
6 Responses to “Hell”
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Mika Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:07 amWouldn’t u be offen[ded] if someone who killed ur child or who stole all ur money would go to the same place, to Paradise with you? God is loving and caring but he is also just!
you were born to live ur…life in order to choose ur place of eternity, Hell or Paradise. … or “Do u think that paradise is so cheap to enter?” -
Joe Stevens Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:02 pmThe question here seems to come from a misunderstanding of the basic premise of hell.
When someone makes a choice to follow Christ or not, they are essentially making the choice of whether or not they would like to have God in their lives or not. God gives us the free will to choose (which is another question as to why).
The choice between heaven and hell is much more than a decision of gold roads versus fire and brimstone. Hell is the eternal separation from God, and all other properties stem from the separation. Heaven is eternal presence with God, and all properties of heaven extend from this.
So when God “sends someone to Hell,” in essence He is fulfilling that human’s ultimate wish. They chose to have a life without God in it, and God has to respect that choice. He gives them the very thing they asked for.
You ask how it is fair to “punish for eternity choices that were made in a brief human lifetime,” but humans punish each other for choices all the time. If you break the law, you are punished (most of the time). But any human would be extremely mad if they made a choice, and were absolutely not allowed to follow that choice, even if the alternative was better than their choice. God gives them their very choice, much as it pains him to do. I could go on, but I think that answered the question. If not, I can always go on more.
P.S. It has often been said that this earth is the closest thing to heaven that those hellbound will see, and this is the closest to hell heavenbound will see. I believe this is true, and it stems from the fact that God has presence on Earth, but it isn’t his full presence, as we also have the presence of evil. Heaven will be the full presence of God without evil, and hell will be the full presence of evil without God.
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Salim Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:38 pmAs I best understand it, the biblical definition of Hell is “absence from God”. The Bible states that every good thing comes from God; therefore the absence of God is utter misery by construction.
God isn’t judging people harshly: in fact, He gives us a lifetime to make up our minds. In the end, He gives us basically what we ask for. To those who know they need God’s presence and seek it He gives His presence eternally. To those who would rather not be in God’s presence He ultimately gives what they have wished for: Hell.
Ultimately, though, the question of Hell is separate from the question of God’s existence. If God exists, He can do whatever the hell (pardon the pun) He wants. The real question here is whether God is loving and can be loved in return. The answer to that question is also ‘yes’, but it’s a more complex one and hinges on a personal conviction of one’s own depravity.
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Brad Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 11:54 pmThe best short and to the point description I have heard of hell is this: Hell is a freely chosen identity other than Christ going on forever.
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Mooney Says:
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:38 pmQuick sum up:
God does not throw people into Hell, a person’s free will is the determining factor.
If I chose to not follow God in life (limited to years) why would I want to be with him for eternity? Would God hate me so much as to not respect my decision to not follow him?
This was also addressed in our “Why?” series last year in the fall. I think we should do it again.
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Chris Says:
January 24th, 2008 at 1:26 amSeveral people have answered the question so I won’t belabor it anymore then I have to.
Our original sin was caused by a choice not to follow God. The fact that God allows people to go to hell is the ultimate expression of His love. I know it sounds strange, but let me explain. He says: if you’re not willing to live for me in those short eighty years of your life, I don’t want to force you to live for me for all of eternity.
Think about it this way. Perfect love is not about what I want, but what about the other person wants. So God is saying, I want you to be with me in Heaven, but if you don’t want to, I, in my love, will allow you to live your life the way you want. That’s not to say that he won’t try to bring us to Him, but He loves us enough that He won’t protrude on our personal decision to choose Him or not.
So God allows people to reside in a place where His attributes do not exist. Those attributes include love, peace, joy, light…etc.
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God and catastrophe
If God is good, all-powerful, and loving, why do bad things happen? (Katrina.)
3 Responses to “God and catastrophe”
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Anthony Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:09 pmC.S. Lewis, an atheist that became a great Christian writer, wrote a book called The Problem of Pain, in which he wrestles with this issue.
I would try to sum up the thoughts but this website has already done so.
Lewis sets the stage by saying: “The possibility of solving [the problem] depends on showing that the terms ‘good’ and ‘almighty’, and perhaps also the term ‘happy’, are equivocal: for it must be admitted from the outset that if the popular meanings attached to these words are the best, or the only possible, meaning, then the argument is unanswerable”.
Whether you are Christian or not, the explanation given by Lewis in this book is beneficial for anyone wanting to truly seek the intellectual truth of this issue.
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Michael Cooper Says:
January 23rd, 2008 at 10:01 amI believe a great deal of this has to do with the free-will that God has given man. God doesn’t want a lot of zombies roming the earth, so he lets us choose our own path. He loves us so much, that we are permitted to reject him if we so choose. God is perfect and holy. He allows imperfect humans to reject him and make mistakes, so that we can learn and grow.
Its like playing with fire. You are far less likely to play with fire (sin) if you have the experience of being burned. Actions have consequences, whether good or bad. As a result of man’s free-will, his imperfect nature sometimes strays outside the perfect will of God. This is called sin.
Our world has been imperfect since the sin of Adam and Eve long ago. God often uses undesirable circumstances to make us stronger and wiser. It strengthens our character.
Sometimes humans cannot comprehend an individual act of God. However, Christ-Followers believe His will is perfect and good, and they trust that He has everything under control.
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Mooney Says:
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:33 pmThere was a speaker that spoke about this issue last year in the fall during IV’s “Why?” series. The spokesperson came to the conclusion that bad things happen as a result of our sinful actions MOST of the time.
However, God does still issue out punishment and will at the end of the world. In doing this he is also referred to as the Judge of Judges and the perfect Judge.
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Old and New Testaments, Laws
What’s up with those crazy old testament laws? Did God just change his mind about them for the New Testament?
<<-- Back to the debate page.
4 Responses to “Old and New Testaments, Laws”
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Belinda Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:26 amGod did not change his mind in the New Testament. On the contrary, God is very much constant. This is one of the reasons why we know we can trust Him, He’s not going to just randomly change His mind like that. So, the question still remains of why aren’t all the old testaments laws followed in the New Testament. The reason for this is that Jesus Christ fulfilled the law. Jesus himself said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” It was Jesus’s life, death and resurrection that fulfills the law. He died for our sins, and in accepting him we accept that forgiveness and God remembers those sins no longer. In the old testament, sacrifices were performed for various reasons including as an act of repentance, but Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice and therefore we no longer have to do that. So although it appears on first glance that God changed His mind, on the contrary, the law was fulfilled.
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m a t t Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 11:51 amThere are three types of laws given in the Old Testament: (1) Civil Laws, (2) Religious Laws, and (3) Moral Laws. We are not living under a Hebrew government, nor do we claim Judaism as a religion. As Belinda wrote, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice, once for all. Read Hebrews 10 for more on Jesus’ fulfillment of the Jewish sacrificial system.
These two forms of law being set aside, we are left today with only the moral laws of the Old Testament to follow.
This does not render the OT obsolete. God is unchanging, and we gain insight into His character by study of the OT, as well as understanding the condition of humanity and our place in God’s great plan we call history. -
Mooney Says:
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:28 pmWhen Belinda says Jesus fulfills the laws of the Old Testament look at all the laws that state must be corrected by the death of the individual. Jesus died to fulfill these commandments, along with others (ex prophecies).
Grace be with you
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Dave Toys Says:
April 29th, 2008 at 11:37 amNo, the Roman church did.
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The Bible
Is the Bible true, and how can it be validated? How has it been preserved over thousands of years?
2 Responses to “The Bible”
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Brad Says:
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:23 amThere are a couple of ways to validate the Bible and its accuracy among the most interesting is the way in which it was written, especially the gospels. For example in the story of Jesus when he calms the storm when on the sea of Galilee there is a verse which says something to the effect of Jesus laid down on a pillow [Mark 4:38]. There are countless other accounts of seemingly pointless details strewn throughout the gospels. Some people point out that the gospels could have been written as legends or stories and that Jesus did not really do the things that the Bible says he did. The point is that these details, such as the fact that Jesus laid down on a pillow are exactly what validates the stories as history. The modern novel which uses details to paint the picture of the stories being told was not invented until much much later, around the 18th century.
On top of this there are parts in the stories themselves that would not make sense for people trying to get a religion off of the ground shortly after Jesus’s death. For example in an age when women’s testimony was not even admissible in court, it is women who are the first to arrive at the empty tomb on Easter morning. Also the disciples consistently fail and look like complete jerks throughout the gospels. Not a smart way to spread your religion.
Lastly there is the simple fact that you cannot read the words of Jesus objectively. Jesus says “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me.” Either he said it or he didn’t and if he did, people cannot simply read that without having some sort of feeling either way on it.
Last lastly (I added another last sorry) The Bible may seem like it is a collection of these books that are sort of haphazardly put together, but this is not the case. Basically the entire Bible is about Jesus, all its stories point to it. Abraham and Issac, the Passover, Naomi and Ruth, Job, all these stories are stories of God redeeming his people through sacrifice. Taken as an entire story the entire Bible is consistent with it reoccurring theme of God redeeming his people through others culminating in the sacrifice of God himself.
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Ed Lennon Says:
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:46 amAnother way to look at the validity of the Bible is to look at manuscript and authorship evidence.
The Bible as we know it today is a collection of 66 books written by 40 authors over a period of aproximately 1500 years. There are thousands of ancient copies of the manuscripts that match per character to within tolerances of less than 1% for texts that are thousands of words long. The Bible has a consistent message about sin, how it separates man from God, and what man has to do in order for that sin to be covered so that mankind enjoy fellowship with its creator.
One example of these manuscripts is the text of the book of Isaiah. We have modern hebrew copies of the text of Isaiah. In the late 1940’s/early 1950’s (the date escapes me) a set of scrolls was found hidden in some caves in Isreal. These scrolls, called the Dead Sea Scrolls, have several different ancient hebrew texts of what Christian’s refer to as the Old Testament. These ancient manuscripts, are statistically the same as our modern copies. This is one of the ways we know that the bible we read today is the same bible that was read by the ancients and hasn’t been corrupted by “the church” or any other organization.
I hope this has been informative. I can provide some research links, but I hope I have included enough detail that the curious can further venture into the internet with google as their guide.
-Ed
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The Debate on the Existence of God
Welcome to the Debate questions homepage.
Due to the popular interest expressed at the debate, we are providing this site in an attempt to answer categorically many of the questions that were posed but had to go unanswered. We have divided them into eight sections through which you may navigate via the right sidebar. Over the next week or so the InterVarsity leadership will be attempting to prepare clear, concise, and theologically accurate answers to these important questions.
In the meantime, anyone who would like to pose an answer to these questions is welcome to leave it as a comment. All comments will be reviewed and may be edited before they are posted on the site. You are welcome to read the comments to get an idea of what answers some Christ-followers might give.
Please note: this site should not be considered an open forum for argument. The impersonal nature of online debate tend to remove the inhibitions of common courtesy that come face to face. This site is meant to provide reasonable answers to challenging questions from the world view of Biblical Christianity, as a help to any who are interested in that position.
If the comments give here raise further questions for you, or if you feel that your question is not addressed in one of our categories, please send an email to ivcf@rit.edu, or to ritdebate@gmail.com (if you would like the RIT Skeptics to also see the question).
Also, please visit the Skeptic’s answers page.
Listen to the debate online (length: 1 hour 54 minutes)
Small Group Service
An integral part of small groups is their service. Last quarter there was about one small group serving per week and God used it tremendously. This quarter the small groups are at it again. Below are the list of service contacts for each small group. If you are interested in serving, please check out a small group and feel free to get in touch with the service contact with questions and ideas.
Small Group Service Contacts
NRH: Lindsey
Athletes: Zach
Colony: Sarah
Commuter/RIT Inn: Stefan
Perkins: Lee
Physician Assistants: Rob
Sol: Laura
Baker/Gleason: Sara
Riverknoll: David
Weightlifters: Andrew
Service and Missions Coordinator: Belinda
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Guyana 2008
So it’s been some weeks now since the team has returned from this amazing trip to Guyana. God definitely used all your support to have His awesome willed fulfilled that week. There are tons of stories that the team would love to share, so please feel free to talk to any of them. Also, please continue to pray for the Guyanese and Guyana. It’s always something we all could use.
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Missions: About the Trips
Guyana
Intervarsity has been going to Guyana South America for at least five years. Hearing God’s call to reach out to this country, we go and serve the community by helping construct buildings for churches, and participating in various church events. Two other main parts of the trip is the AIDS ministry and the deaf ministry. God has been working through these trips every year and we look forward to seeing what He’ll do next.
NYCUP
The New York City Urban Project, or NYCUP, is an ongoing project where students from all over the US come to experience God in the city and be a part of His work there. The Spring Break Plunge is when students come to work and live in the South Bronx for one week. Students are exposed to the realities of the inner-city, given opportunities to serve at local non-profit and church run organizations, and given a brief overview about what God has to say on issues of poverty and justice. For more information contact Rachel Unkle at rmu2070@rit.edu or by phone at (814) 460-3814, or visit the NYCUP website.
Habitat for Humanity
We get to work with this non-profit organization building houses for those in need. Recently, the team has gone to the Niagra Falls area where they have not only been able to construct homes, but build relationships with people there. This trip will also be happening again this year.
New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina was a full display of the awesome power of nature. In a way, disaster shows people what they value, as well as what they should value. The true damage felt by the people of New Orleans goes beyond the destroyed houses and buildings. The pain in their hearts was injected by death; through losing wedding bands, or photos of loved ones. The very evidence, of the memories from their life was destroyed.
The volunteers in New Orleans are continually working to restore that community. There are several host organizations, but many of us worked with Samaritan’s Purse. We worked to “gut” the houses so that they could be rebuilt. It would take each group about 2 days to remove all of the furniture, clothes, drywall, ceilings, etc. from the house, until all that remained was the structure. Then all surfaces were sprayed with a chemical to kill and inhibit the growth of mold. The owner could then begin to seek permission to rebuild their home.
As Christians, it is our job to love. Most of us that volunteered went in the hope that we might rebuild more than homes. The Bible says that people will know that we are Christians by our love (John 13:35). We knew that by going to them, serving them, and getting dirty and tired to help them, we would show them a visible love. As we worked to restore their home, we knew that God was beginning to restore them, using love to knead the pain out of their hearts.
Our prayers are that they would question why we came; question our joy as we were covered in sludge, cleaning their home; question our devotion to serve a complete stranger. The real reason we were there is that we know what they truly need. We know that if they question, and look for the answers, they will arrive at God. Then they will know that the love we gave is merely a glimpse of the depth of love that we have been shown by Christ, our Lord.
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Missions 2007-2008
This year, InterVarsity will be participating in the following trips:
Spring 2008
NYCUP
Applications are now online here. These applications are due February 15, 2008. (for more info. check out the website and contact Rachel at rmu2070@rit.edu)
Habitat for Humanity
We’ll be going to Buffalo to work on various projects. (for more info. contact Erik at liquidplasma85@gmail.com)
Mississippi
Working with Samaritan’s Purse Building Houses. This trip is in conjunction with Baptist Campus Ministries. (for more info. contact Jake at jcc2064@rit.edu)
Guyana (applications are no longer being accepted, but prayers are;)
Fall 2007:
Mississippi: Working with Samaritan’s Purse Building Houses (for more info. contact Val at val.tracy@gmail.com)
Georgia: Working with the impoverished youth in Columbus. (for more info. contact Shauna at shauna.gage@gmail.com)
Canada: Working with the Village Church — postponed until a later date. (for more info. contact Josh at jrs9952@rit.edu)
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Events
Private: 07-08 Missions Trip Application
Trip:
Basic Information:
Name:
Email:
Phone Number:
Local Address:
Preferred Mode of Contact:
Major:
Year:
Local Church:
Do you have a passport? Y or N
Spiritual Background
Please describe your spiritual background:
Briefly describe a time when you shared your faith:
What has God been teaching you lately?
The Trip
Why do you feel called to attend this trip?
Etc.
Do you have any health issues that the team should be aware of?
Anything else you would like to share?
Videos
Jay Ruzicka has produced a short promotional video for large group.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVXF7uaJqrg[/youtube]
Newsletters
Each week we send out an e-mail newsletter letting you know what’s going on in the world of InterVarsity. If you aren’t on the mailing list, write to us and we’ll get you on it. Here’s the latest edition for your enjoyment.
Upcoming Meetings
Wondering what topics and speakers are coming up at Large Group? This list will tell you what’s going on.
Places to Serve
Help with Large Group is always appreciated.
Do you have skills in any of these areas:
- Announcement slide prep
- Song slide prep
- Welcome tables
- Set-up/gophers
- Tech support
- Publicity
If you want to get more involved with InterVarsity and help serve a part of the body of Christ in one of these areas contact Andy Slippey, at ajs7637@rit.edu.
Jubilee!
About once a month InterVarsity will hold a Jubilee. It will be a brief meeting after Large Group on a designated Friday night. We will be reflecting on the good things God has done through us in the past month, and strategizing about how to improve the areas of our ministry where we are not doing well. We’ll get to hear stories of celebration from our own, and look forward to the coming month together. The vital details for any upcoming special events will be announced.
We continue to strive together to create a God-seeking community, in order to see Students & Faculty Transformed, Campuses Renewed, and World Changers Developed.
Large Group Quotes
“[Large Group]’s cool. I get to see my friends and learn something about Jesus.” -Andy Slippey
“The music at Large Group is extraordinary!” -Beethoven*
“Large Group is a place full of rainbows and sunshine.” -Jon Steffens
“I am weekly inspired by the incredible speakers at Large Group.” -Winston Churchill*
“If Large Group was a person I would marry it.” -Shijo George
“werd” -Arricka Nowland
*Well… I’m sure he would have said this…
If you have a cool quote about Large Group to put up in this section send it to Slippey at ajs7637@rit.edu
Conferences
Besides the many regular activities and opportunities for growth on campus, our membership in the nationwide InterVarsity family makes possible special gatherings with students from other campuses. Several times a year, we join students from local chapters for dynamic times of worship, training, and fun.
Expedition
Expedition is a conference that we will be having with other InterVarsity chapters from all over upstate NY on October 26-28, at Long Point Camp in the Finger Lakes. The retreat is a great opportunity for people to get away from school, and whatever else might be dragging you down, to spend a weekend with our community and others exploring God. Expedition will also be a great time for fellowship as you will have opportunities to hang out, share life, and pray with others in our chapter as well as students from other chapters across upstate New York. If its your first time coming to Expedition, there is a track called “Gearing Up,” which is great for preparing you for your spiritual journey in college. The cost for the conference is $95, but talk to Mark or Nicole if you need a scholarship. Interpreting services will be available as needed. To register, please visit our regional site.
Basileia
Basileia is Kingdom Training. Basileia is Greek for “kingdom”-the kingdom of God! We’ve named our summer training Basileia because we want to deepen our knowledge of Jesus Christ as King and improve our capacity to be His ambassadors. Basileia is a week-long multi-track conference designed so that your whole campus fellowship can attend and benefit. Some tracks emphasize leadership training, others discipleship. But for all, Basileia is a time for worshipping God, studying the Bible, broadening your vision, and deepening your faith. It’s also a great chance to make friends with fellow Christians from one of the 70 other InterVarsity fellowships in NY/NJ! For details and registration information, visit our regional site.
Urbana
Every few years InterVarsity puts on a massive convention in Urbana, Illinois. This conference, which draws over 18,000 students from around the world, is designed to challenge college students and recent graduates to active participation in world evangelization. For details and registration information, visit the Urbana website.
LaFe
LaFe, which stands for Latino Fellowship, is a conference that is held every three years to help Latino Christians learn to embrace their culture, engage the world, be empowered and arise to do all that God has purposed them to do. For more information check out this year’s (a href=”http://www.lafe07.org/”>site
Graduate Fellowship
We are a small community of grad students and young professionals from all over the world with a vision to serve and reach graduate students at RIT and UR and to build one another up. We do this by meeting once a week to share dinner, study a scriptural theme, and pray for one another. We meet at the home of Salim Furth (UR) and Steve Broskey (RIT alum), 1140 South Plymouth Ave, Rochester, on Wednesday nights at 7:30.
Contact Salim (october@gmail.com, 617-543-1839) or Steve (stevebroskey@gmail.com, 585-406-9039) for more information.
Outreach
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus’ last words to his followers before ascending into heaven are our great commission. He says to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Not only does he make it explicitly clear in this passage that we are to proclaim the good news, he continually preaches a message of love for the lost. As Christians, we are called to love, and as per our vision statement, we want to bring the transforming power of God’s love to the people at RIT. To talk about how we can accomplish this, study Jesus’ example, and encourage each other to reach out to our classmates, we have Evangelism Training every Saturday morning directly after GIG support at 10-11 am in NRH 1250. If you’d like to get involved, or just want us to pray for some specific friends or situations in which God is calling you to share the gospel, contact Val at val.tracy@gmail.com.
GIGs
GIGs, or Groups Investegating God, are small groups of people who are seeking answers. They delve into the Word of God in order to discover what truth is, what Jesus claimes for their lives and for the nature of God, and where they fit into God’s great plan, among other things. They’re open forums for questioning, skepticism, and doubt, where we can seek answers to our questions in God’s Word and allow Him to show himself to be the King of Kings. GIGs can be whatever you make them, and can be as structured or as fluid, as big or as small, as intimate as you need them to be. All it takes is for someone to rise to the challenge of leading one. There are a lot of questioning people on the RIT campus, and we as a chapter believe that it is our calling as Christians to spread the good news that God has all the answers! If you’re interested in starting a GIG, there are GIG support meetings where we come together and share our struggles about leading and cool stories about how God is working in our GIGs!! GIG support is every Saturday from 9-10 am in NRH 1250 (most of the time). If you want to get involved, contact Val at val.tracy@gmail.com or Mark at markwweber@gmail.com.
Private: Women’s Ministry
Ministries specifically for women, including women’s prayer.
Private: Deaf Ministry
…
Service and Missions
“Now that I, [Jesus], your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also should was one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” John 13: 14-15
Following Jesus’ example, we strive to serve our RIT community while as a community we go and serve others. Feel free to be a part of this. Take a look at our events page for current service opportunities and feel free to contact Belinda with any questions or ideas.
Sometimes we are called to go elsewhere to share the good news about Christ. We at InterVarsity try to fulfill this call in different mission fields. Take a look at our About the Trips page for information about various missions opportunities we have been a part of, some annually and others as the call comes.
Doctrinal Statement
We believe in:
The only true God, the almighty Creator of all things,
existing eternally in three persons -
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - full of love and glory.
The unique divine inspiration,
entire trustworthiness
and authority of the Bible.
The value and dignity of all people:
created in God’s image to live in love and holiness,
but alienated from God and each other because of our sin and guilt,
and justly subject to God’s wrath.
Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine,
who lived as a perfect example,
who assumed the judgment due sinners by dying in our place,
and who was bodily raised from the dead and ascended as Savior and Lord.
Justification by God’s grace to all who repent
and put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
The indwelling presence and transforming power of the Holy Spirit,
who gives to all believers a new life and a new calling to obedient service.
The unity of all believers in Jesus Christ,
manifest in worshiping and witnessing churches
making disciples throughout the world.
The victorious reign and future personal return of Jesus Christ,
who will judge all people with justice and mercy,
giving over the unrepentant to eternal condemnation
but receiving the redeemed into eternal life.
To God be glory forever.
Adopted by the Board of Trustees
October 20, 2000
Bylaws
I. Servant TeamA. President
- Cares for the servant team
- Provides accountability to members of servant team, ensures that they are fulfilling their responsibilities
- Maintains and upholds the vision
- Leads servant team meetings and keeps them focused
- Creates an agenda for meetings and sends it out ahead of time
- Maintains a close relationship with staff worker
- Sends out weekly e-mail
- Evaluates progress toward goals and vision
- Prays regularly for the chapter
- Attends Basileia & Fall Retreat
Description: The president must have been a Small Group Leader, is a visionary, and is able to communicate the vision to the chapter well.
B. Large Group Coordinator
- Contacts speakers and communicates with them, providing them with Servant Team’s vision for talks and logistical details for the meeting
- Forms and coordinates Large Group team
- Communicates with worship team
- Accepts announcements well ahead of the meeting
- Trains and coordinates emcees for weekly meetings
- Oversees Setup & Welcome Table
- Starts meetings on time
- Sees that thank you notes are written and sent
- Evaluations when appropriate, quarterly for example
- Attends Basileia & Fall Retreat
Description: The large group Coordinator should have strong organizational skills, good communication skills, and strong interpersonal skills.
C. Small Group Coordinator
- Communicates vision to Small Group Leaders
- Provides shepherding care for small group leaders by meeting with them regularly
- Empowers Small Group Leaders to train new Small Group Leaders
- Facilitates Small Group logistics
- Encourages chapter involvement in small groups
- Provides regular communication between Servant Team and Small Groups
- Prays regularly for small groups
- Attends Basileia & Fall Retreat
Description: A strong chapter always needs a strong Small Group Coordinator. The Small Group Coordinator is the nervous system between the Servant Team and the Small Group Leaders. Without a strong Small Group Coordinator, an inevitable breakdown in communication and a loss of vision will occur. The Small Group Coordinator must have been a Small Group Leader.
D. Outreach Coordinator
- Motivates the chapter to be witnesses for Christ
- Works with staff & outreach team to provide opportunities for evangelism training & challenges chapter to put them into action.
- Leads outreach team
- Coordinates New Student Outreach and New Student Retreat
- Coordinates outreach events
- Is responsible for coordinating follow-up
- Works with Small Groups to promote evangelism
- Organizes club day activities with the Club Coordinator
- Holds responsibility for maintaining, updating, or delegating website
- Attends Basileia & Fall Retreat
Description: The Outreach Coordinator not only needs a heart for outreach, but must also have strong organizational skills and the ability to motivate people. It is best not to put the chapter’s strongest evangelist in this role. They will often be squelched by the organizational responsibilities that the position entails.
E. Prayer Coordinator
- Encourages and challenges the chapter to pray
- Coordinates regular prayer meetings
- Coordinates weekly prayer meetings before large group
- Plans special times of prayer, for example:
- Prayer breakfasts
- 24 hour prayer
- Prayer walks
- Works with staff to provide opportunities for prayer training & challenges the chapter to put them in action.
- Attends Basileia & Fall Retreat
Description: One who has a heart for prayer and can motivate the chapter to pray.
F. Club Coordinator
- Manages finances and creates budget
- Coordinates fundraisers
- Acts as club liaison for student government
- Attends Student Government Club meetings or delegates meeting attendance to another member of the chapter
- Turns in all Student Government reports on time
- Coordinates club day activities with Outreach Coordinator
- Reserves rooms, registers events, and requests interpreters for InterVarsity events
- Requests additional funds
- Attends Basileia & Fall Retreat
Description: Has a servant’s heart, is detail oriented, can represent InterVarsity well to Student Government, has skills to manage a financial budget.
II. Independent Coordinators
A. Community Service Coordinator
- Provides opportunities for community service in the chapter
- Encourages chapter members to become involved in service
- Resources Small Group Leaders with service opportunities
- Communicates regularly with the Servant Team
- Coordinates quarterly service nights
- Attends Basileia & Fall Retreat
Description: This person has a heart for community service and strong organizational skills.
B. Care Team Coordinator
Description: Provides encouragement, is sensitive to the needs of others and enjoys meeting them in a tangible way.
III. Group Leaders
A. Small Group Leader
- Leads weekly scripture studies for small group
- Prepares study weekly with co-leaders well ahead of Small Group (at least 2 days before)
- Meets weekly with 1 member of the small group
- Provides care for all members of the Small Group together with co-leader
- Identifies members of Small Groups who have potential to lead and invests in them, providing them with opportunities to exercise leading abilities
- Prays regularly for Small Group members
- Provides activities in Small Group to facilitate community growth
- Encourages individual evangelism through prayer & accountability
- Holds 1 outreach event as a Small Group per quarter
- Leads Small Group in 1 community service event per quarter
- Incorporates prayer throughout small group
- Attends large group regularly, arriving 10 minutes early
- Encourages Small Group members to participate regularly in chapter events, especially Large Group
- Assists in Large Group meetings as requested
- Attends Basileia & Fall Retreat
- Acts as a liaison between Small Group members and Servant Team through the Small Group Coordinator
Description: Small Group Leaders need to show leadership skills with a commitment to seeing others engage the scriptures through preparation & presentation of Bible lessons.
B. Worship Leader
- Leads Worship Team
- Communicates with Large Group Coordinator regularly
- Strives to involve both deaf and hearing into worship
- Will incorporate Bible reading into worship
- Arranges weekly practice sessions
- Responsible for set up of sound equipment for Large Group
- Preparation should be complete 23 minutes prior to the start of the event
- Coordinates with sound technician
- Gains approval of Servant Team when adding Worship Team members
- Prays before the start of each event
- Works with co-leader to prepare for Small Group
Description: Worship Leader is a capable figurehead for InterVarsity in good moral standing. He/she should have strong musical ability and a heart for leading the chapter in worship.
IV. Outreach Team
A. Secretary of Publicity
- Participates in Outreach Team
- Responsible for the publicity needs of Outreach Team
- Designs or delegates weekly posters
- Coordinating the weekly hanging of posters
- Communicates regularly with the Outreach Coordinator
- Attends Basileia & Fall Retreat
Description: This should be someone artistically inclined and creative.
B. Secretary of Deaf Ministry
- Participates in Outreach Team
- Brings deaf perspective to outreach planning
- Works with Secretary of Events to plan deaf outreach events
- Liaison between deaf chapter members & leadership
- Attends Basileia & Fall Retreat
Description: This must be a deaf person with a heart for reaching the deaf community.
C. Secretary of Events
- Participates in Outreach Team
- Coordinates chapter outreach events
- Attends Basileia & Fall Retreat
Description: This should be a person with organizational skills who has a passion for evangelism and the ability to think outside the box.
D. Secretary of Evangelism Education
- Participates in Outreach Team
- Provides opportunities for chapter members to grow in their evangelism skills
- Attends Basileia & Fall Retreat
Description: This person has a heart for evangelism and is able to teach others how to develop their skills.
Constitution
CONSTITUTION
of
Rochester Institute of Technology chapter of
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Article I. Name
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Rochester Institute of Technology Chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, referred to as InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
Article II. Derivation of Authority
Section 1. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship recognizes that it receives its right to function as an institute organization from the Student Government of Rochester Institute of Technology in accordance to club guidelines and the Student Government Constitution.
Article III. Basis of Faith
Section 1. The Rochester Institute of Technology chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship shall derive its statement of faith solely from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA.
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA statement of faith is as follows:
We believe in:
The only true God, the almighty Creator of all things,
existing eternally in three persons-
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-full of love and glory.
The unique divine inspiration,
entire trustworthiness
and authority of the Bible.
The value and dignity of all people:
created in God’s image to live in love and holiness,
but alienated from God and each other because of our sin and guilt,
and justly subject to God’s wrath.
Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine,
who lived as a perfect example,
who assumed the judgment due sinners by dying in our place,
and who was bodily raised from the dead and ascended as Savior
and Lord.
Justification by God’s grace to all who repent
and put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
The indwelling presence and transforming power of the Holy Spirit,
who gives to all believers a new life and a new calling to obedient service.
The unity of all believers in Jesus Christ,
manifest in worshipping and witnessing churches
making disciples throughout the world.
The victorious reign and future personal return of Jesus Christ,
who will judge all people with justice and mercy,
giving over the unrepentant to eternal condemnation
but receiving the redeemed into eternal life.
To God be glory forever.
Section 2. All officers, speakers, leaders and volunteers must subscribe without reservation to the Basis of Faith.
Article IV. Membership
Section 1. All currently enrolled full and part time undergraduate students, graduate students, co-op students, faculty and staff of RIT in good standing with the institute shall be eligible for membership.
Section 2. Faculty and staff shall be allowed full membership to the organization but shall not be eligible for leadership positions unless also currently enrolled as students.
Section 3. All persons not meeting the requirements of Section 1 shall not be part of the membership of InterVarsity and shall be ineligible to vote.
Article V. Officers
Section 1. All officers shall be undergraduate or graduate students who are active members in InterVarsity in good standing with RIT and InterVarsity. All officers will have completed an entire academic year or more at RIT and have been at the school at least two quarters during the previous year upon election.
Section 2. An executive committee consisting of 6 members shall direct the decisions and business of the chapter. The six permanent positions will consist of a President, Small Group Coordinator, Large Group Coordinator, Outreach Coordinator, Club Coordinator, and Prayer Coordinator. The responsibilities of each position shall be defined in the bylaws.
Section 3. The executive committee shall have the authority to create other temporary and permanent leadership positions as deemed necessary. These positions will not require the consent of voting members.
Section 4. The procedure for removal of an officer will take place in light of Matthew 18:15-20 as follows: a) it must be instigated by an active member to staff or another executive committee member; b) the validity of the accusation will be determined by the remaining executive committee; c) it will take place by two-thirds affirmative vote of all active members present at a business meeting.
Section 5. Executive committee members may resign by submitting a written letter of resignation and gaining the unanimous consent of the remaining executive committee.
Section 6. Vacancies in the executive committee may be filled as follows: a) it must be instigated by a nomination of the executive committee; b) it will take place by two-thirds affirmative vote of all active members present at a business meeting.
Article VI. Staff Workers
Section 1. Full-time staff workers delegated to Rochester Institute of Technology shall be received by the chapter subject to institute regulations.
Section 2. Qualified alumni and community members approved by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA may be accepted as Volunteer Staff pending approval of the executive committee, subject to RIT regulations.
Section 3. Full-time and volunteer staff shall be considered non-voting members of the chapter. They shall be ineligible for positions on the executive committee but eligible for Small Group Leader positions and other positions as the need arises.
Article VII. Leadership Selection
Section 1. Nominations for a leadership pool will be taken by anonymous ballot at a regular meeting from all present voting members occurring at some time in the winter quarter with not less than two weeks advanced notice given.
Section 2. The Nomination Committee shall consist of four to eight graduating, non-returning members of InterVarsity who have been active members for not less than two years. The current executive committee will compose the Nomination Committee from eligible members.
Section 3. The Nomination committee shall select individuals for each of the positions on the executive committee and small group leaders.
Section 4. Leaders shall consist of eligible members demonstrating commitment to Christian principles, maturity, and moral behavior. The responsibilities of each leadership position shall be defined in the bylaws.
Section 5. Leaders will be approved by the consent of a majority of active members at a regular meeting. Objections on the grounds of misconduct or ineligibility of candidates for leadership shall be received in private by the currently acting president.
Article VIII. Leadership Structure
Section 1. The executive committee consisting of 6 members shall direct the decisions and business of the chapter. The InterVarsity Campus Staff worker(s) will advise the executive committee. All other InterVarsity leaders will report to the executive committee.
Article IX. Constitution and Amendments
Section 1. This constitution shall be adopted upon receiving a two-thirds vote of the active membership.
Section 2. The constitution may, excepting articles 2 and 3, be amended by a two-thirds vote of active members not sooner than two weeks after the proposed changes have been announced.
Article X - By-Laws
Section 1. By-Laws shall be presented to the chapter at the regular meeting one week before a vote. By-Laws shall be adopted or amended by a majority vote at the next meeting constituent upon more than half of the active members being present.
Forms and Documents
Here you will find various textual material pertaining to IV.
Videos
Photo Gallery
You can find pictures taken at our various events on our Flickr site. A selection of them are displayed at right.
Private: Large Group Audio Recordings
Each week we record the speakers at our Large Group meetings. The recordings will be posted here for your listening enjoyment.
Media
We have pictures, videos, audio recordings, you name it! (Unfortunately, none of them are here yet.)
Private: Prayer Requests
If you need prayer, drop us a note here. You will remain anonymous unless you choose to provide your name.
[form here]
Private: Large Group Prayer Team
More info here.
Prayer Meetings
Fight Club (Men’s Prayer)
Sundays, 7:30pm, 189B Perkins
For information, email Matt Sones.
After Eight (Women’s Prayer)
Sundays, 8pm, Perkins 129-C
After Eight is IV’s women’s prayer meeting that gathers weekly at 7:30 for fellowship with our sisters, and then we pray at 8. Each week we trade off praying in either small groups or as a large group. When praying in smaller groups, we focus more on specifically praying for one another’s personal needs, and when we pray as a whole, we offer praise and requests for our campus, our friends, and our country. For information, email Rachel Unkle, Sarah White or Belinda
Prayer for the World
Wednesday, 9am, Clark Rooms (SAU)
Contact Arricka Nowland for more information.
Prayer for InterVarsity
Thursdays, 10:00am, Fireside Lounge
We are committing this hour each week to pray specifically for the vision of IV and our current needs. All are welcome to join us — this kind of corporate prayer support is vital to the health of our fellowship.
For information, email Adrian Munteanu.
Prayer is also an important aspect of our small groups.
Directory
We will soon have a directory where anyone involved in IV can list their contact information. Stay tuned!
Private: The Team
Interested in being a part of what InterVarsity is doing at RIT? Come to the next Jubilee!
People who are on the team…
- seek God
- regularly attend a small group
- attend Large Group or Jubilee at least once each month
Team privileges:
- Hear and be heard: Servant Team meetings are open to everyone on the team.
- Announcements: Anyone on the team can make a pre-approved announcement at a Jubilee.
- Service: If anyone on the team has an idea for a service project or ministry that is coincident with the Vision Statement, InterVarsity will do everything possible to see that idea come to fruition.
- Leadership: Only those on the team can assume leadership roles within InterVarsity.
Leadership
Here are IV’s leadership groups. Click on a name to send them email.
Servant Team:
Matt Sones :: President and Prayer Coordinator
Matt is a 4th year Mechanical Engineering student in the Bioengineering option. He did gymnastics for 17 years.
Erik Bellandi :: Small Group Coordinator
Erik is a 4th year Mechanical Engineering student in the Aerospace option. He enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee and Disc Golf.
Andy Slippey :: Large Group Coordinator
Slippey is a 4th year Mechanical Engineering student in the Aerospace option. He probably does something interesting.
Chelsea DeCapua :: Outreach Coordinator
Chelsea is a 4th year Information Technology student. She enjoys swing dancing and traveling to new places.
Belinda Segui :: Service and Missions Coordinator
Belinda is a 3rd year Electrical Engineering student. She enjoys learning how to play the piano and how to swim.
Jon Steffens :: Club Coordinator
Jon is a 4th year Mechanical Engineering student in the Aerospace option. He likes climbing trees and pretending to be competent at playing the piano.
Outreach Team:
Katlyn Hutchins :: Secretary of Follow-up
Katlyn is a 3rd year Applied Mathematics student. She enjoys skiing and annoying Val.
Elliot Vos :: Secretary of Events
Elliot is a 4th year/Senior Software Engineering student. He likes to waste lots and lots of time on the internets.
Drew McLean :: Secretary of New Student Outreach
Drew is a 5th year Computer Engineering student. He enjoys sports and making decisions by playing Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Valerie Tracy :: Secretary of Evangelism Education
Val is a 3rd year Film and Animation student. She loves art, music, theater, and travel.
Deaf Leadership Committee
Charles Romer :: Deaf Ministry Director
Charles is a 2nd year Woodworking and Furniture Design major. He enjoys spending time with his family, watching movies, and finding something interesting to do.
Gabe Campbell :: Small Groups Coordinator
Gabe is a 3rd year Computer Science student. He enjoys fishing, chess, and weight lifting.
Eric Cardenas :: Worship Leader
Eric is a 2nd year Information & Computing Studies major. He loves his mama and likes to watch movies, travel, climb, and chatting, and sing signing to Lord.
Jackie Fields :: Events Director
Daniel Pinnell :: Thursday Hands Night
Staff:
Mark Weber :: InterVarsity Staff
Nicole Page :: InterVarsity Staff
Technical:
Tim Peterson :: Webmaster and sound system
Stephen Nichols :: Video projection
Blog
This is where we let the general populace know what’s up.
Who We Are
- Directory - contact information for us, by us.
- Leadership - putting faces with names (and email addresses).
What We Do
- Small groups - communities of 6-10 people seeking God and serving others together on a weekly basis.
- Large group - what happens when we’re all together on Friday evening, including quality speakers on relevant topics.
- Prayer - communication with God.
- Service - getting our hands dirty.
- Missions - going into all the world.
- GIGs - Groups Investigating God.
- Conferences - regional and national events.
Why We Exist
Purpose Statement
In response to God’s love, grace and truth:
The Purpose of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA is
to establish and advance at colleges and universities
witnessing communities of students and faculty
who follow Jesus as Savior and Lord:
growing in love for God,
God’s Word,
God’s people of every ethnicity and culture
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Check out this website: http://www.carm.org/evidence.htm
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Hmm, I’d say not really, but this might help.
http://download.redeemer.com/rpcsermons/storesamplesermons/Who_Is_This_Jesus.mp3
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:48 pm
How do you know you parents are your parents?
How many kids actually get a DNA test to make sure?
Personal anecdote is a proof that your parents are in fact your parents right? Pictures can be “fixed” and most babies look similar until a certain age. Videos can have camera magic involved or might not show everything.
Personal anecdotes are used in science classes. How many labs do you actually do to make sure all proofs are correct? You rely on anecdotes.
Just something to think about for Christians and non-Christians.