Growth

Three and a half years ago i served on the planning team for a new fall conference that would be for all InterVarsity students in the state of Michigan. It began as a conference to train students in bearing witness on their campuses, and we decided to name it Compelling. Compelling 2007 had about 275 students attend, which at the time was one of the largest gatherings of students in Michigan (other than Chapter Focus Week at Cedar Campus).

Though I'm no longer on staff in Michigan i've stayed connected to this conference by working on the visual components - the flyer, website, and other graphics. This year there are nearly 600 students attending Compelling 2010! (i also hear that they unfortunately had to close registration early because there were no more beds available!) I am blown away at how much this conference, and InterVarsity chapters in Michigan, have grown over only 3 years. It is evident that God is working through this conference and as a result more and more students are inviting their peers to join.  It is so exciting to see this happen, from the beginning, when it was just 5 staff with a vision, to now with such a large number of students attending. I am grateful and honored to have a part in God's work.

Compelling 2010 is happening Nov. 12-14 in East Lansing, Michigan. Please pray with me for God to continue to meet students at this conference and that it will result in changed lives. Pray that Compelling 2010 will serve as a catapult in growing our movement in Michigan, that more and more students would become wholehearted followers of Jesus and make a lasting impact on their campuses and in the world.

Camps Calendars: Collect all four!

I am SO excited. After six weeks, the four calendars I've been designing have been finalized and sent to the printer! The project began with a bit of reluctance as I knew it would be a lot of work. And it was. But it also ended up being very enjoyable at the same time.

It was fun to be working with images of such beautiful places, and to think of the thousands of homes where these calendars might be hanging in the coming year. These are the homes of people who have experienced significant God moments at these camps and of those who support the ministry that continues to happen there. I'm glad to be able to minister to these people through these calendars.

Here are the front and back covers. Click on these thumbnails to view them larger.  (InterVarsity staff - these are going to be available to order as donor gifts on the staff store in a few weeks!)

It's in the bag

I received a wonderful surprise a few weeks ago. After having helped design a plastic bag for Carol, whose team was going to use them for New Student Outreach in the Bay Area (California), she sent me a sample with thank you notes written all over the back! I wanted to show it you to also thank you! Your support and prayers enable me to produce things like this bag, which was used this fall to welcome hundreds of students, introducing them to the love of Christ in community!

 this plastic bag was used on campuses in the Bay Area (California) to give out care packages and other information to students new to InterVarsity.

it was such a pleasant surprise to get one of the bags in the mail with notes written all over the back!

here's a closer shot of one of the messages!