It Starts With 12

Urbana 12 is just over a year away! We're already working on promotional materials. The first piece I worked on is the "rave card" (ie: flyer/handout). I was excited that my idea to make it circular was approved. Here's the final piece:

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Meet Laura Two

I’m excited to announce that the design team welcomed a new intern this month! Laura Medina (we’re referring to her as Laura Two) graduated from the University of Missouri and most recently worked as a designer for a music and culture magazine in Atlanta. I’m very grateful that she has joined our team, not only for the extra set of eyes and hands she provides, but also because she brings a lot of experience from the design industry beyond InterVarsity. Please pray that we would adjust to the new dynamics of our team and work well together over the next year.

Here are some photos we took of our new team of four!

 

 

 

Saving the Next Generation

Check out this insightful post from the national InterVarsity blog about how churches can invest in young people.

"The next generation doesn’t need more programs, louder music, or newer church buildings. They need someone to walk with them and help them grow in their faith."

 Read more here.

Settlers of Catan, College Edition

Recently I designed a board game based on Settlers of Catan for a different Fall Conference in southern Illinois. The game, “Snackers of the Dorm” used candy like Hershey Kisses and Starbursts, rather than brick, sheep or ore as in the original. It was used as a training tool alongside the Gospel passage about the rich young ruler. Students had fun while also learning about what it means to make choices as a follower of Jesus.

the board game uses the original hexagonal shapes. instead of ships it's vending machines. instead of the desert, it's a library. :)

in order to build a "mini-fridge" one needs a Rolo, Hershey Kiss, Goldfish cracker, and Starburst.

Behind the scenes at a conference

top - David running lights, Dan running sound; below - me running ProPresenter & PowerPoint, Steve running the switcher; Matt is not pictured because he took this picture!

My experience at Compelling was especially unique because it was the first time I've worked as part of the technical support. Twentyonehundred was asked to provide support with sound, lights, camera, and screens - basically, everything that you need to produce a professional conference. This was especially important since the conference has grown over the years. With 700 students in one room, it's important that everyone is able to see the speaker, hear the speaker, and therefore stay engaged during the main sessions.

my station at our tech table. those headsets were uncomfortable!

 At first I felt a little useless since I know very little about running a conference from a technical standpoint. But by watching my teammates David, Dan, Steve and Matt, I learned things like the names of different types of cords and what they are each needed for. I climbed a tall ladder and adjusted the lighting that hit the various parts of the stage, and set up the headsets that we all used to communicate with each other during the sessions. In each session I was in charge of advancing song lyrics and also keeping track of the speaker's PowerPoint presentation and letting Steve know when to switch from the presentation to the video feed which showed his face on the screens. These are the kinds of details that perhaps most people would not realize need to be thought about, but they are nonetheless vital for pulling off a successful conference.

Compared to the craziness of registration and administrative tasks I'm used to doing at conferences, this job was a breeze! I'm grateful to be on a team where I can learn new skills and serve in different ways. It was even kind of fun!

A Compelling Experience

In October 2000 I attended my very first InterVarsity training conference. I remember learning how to study the Bible in a way that opened my eyes and heart. Realizing that my relationship with God had so much room to grow significantly impacted me then, and has shaped the course of my life ever since.

Eleven years later, freshmen continue to encounter God in meaningful ways at their first InterVarsity conference. A few weeks ago I had the privilege of participating in and witnessing this at Compelling, Michigan’s annual fall conference. With nearly 700 students in attendance this year, it’s clear that God is using Compelling to bring many students to a new understanding of his love and purpose for them.

Close to 700 students from all over the state of Michigan gathered in Lansing for Compelling

Reconnecting with old friends from my former region was, simply put, good for my soul. I loved hearing about all the growth and new work that God has been doing around the state of Michigan. I also met new staff, including the woman who now runs Compelling’s registration. I was excited to see the process I created 5 years ago improved upon, as she dealt with more than double the number of students!

Students spent time in "tracks", receiving practical training in areas of Christian life such as prayer, spiritual disciplines, Bible study and evangelism. Topics such as relationships, life after college and homosexuality were also featured in some of these tracks.

The most special moments for me, however, were conversations with students. I loved reconnecting with AIV, now almost a completely new chapter. The seniors were just freshman the year I left! I had a great conversation with one particular student looking for a way to merge his interest in graphic design with his passion for ministry. During the free time on Saturday, 2100 invited interested students to talk with us about our internship program. It was exciting to meet 8 students with a wide variety of skills and interests in media communications.

Over 60 students from AIV participated in Compelling

At the end of the conference I sat in on AIV’s chapter sharing time and heard many students testify to God’s work in their lives over the weekend. One student who suffered from depression for years finally had the courage to bring it to God and receive healing and peace for the first time in her life. Another student addressed a certain sinful addiction and felt a deep sense that the Holy Spirit had truly removed it from his life. Other students mentioned newfound truths they learned about God and exhorted one another to be passionate about his mission on campus. The time ended with wonderful heartfelt prayers of thanks and praise from many students. It was clear to me that the Lord was with us in that time.

Overall the conference was a huge success, with at least 15 first time decisions to follow Christ, and hundreds of other decisions to follow Him in new ways. It is hard to quantify the significance of weekends like this, but if these 700 students experienced anything like I did eleven years ago, I know that God has accomplished great things. Praise God for his faithfulness and power at Compelling and other conferences like it all over the country! Students are encountering Jesus and being empowered to take the Gospel to campus.