Friday, February 26, 2010
Veritas Forum Banners
Just wanted to show you a couple of banners I designed this week for a Veritas Forum happening at Florida State University. For more info about Veritas Forum, visit veritas.org.
Monday, February 8, 2010
a little late: Imago Dei
hello! i'm sorry for the lateness but i wanted to mention that i was at Imago Dei this past weekend in ohio! Imago Dei was Great Lakes East's first Asian American student leadership conference in 5 years! i was involved with the planning up until i left the region, and i was delighted that i was able to participate as a small group leader. i also helped with the print materials/graphics. :)
Asian American ministries in Great Lakes East has been growing in the past 5 years. back in 2005 when we had our last conference, there were only 2 Asian American specific chapters and a few full-time Asian American staff. now there are 5 chapters and about 8 staff! God has really been at work in building up this ministry.
the conference focused on leadership development, because the planning team had discerned that this was the greatest need for our students. we wanted to emphasize that as Asian Americans, we have unique gifts and opportunities to be leaders in our communities and in the world.
kathy khang, multiethnic ministries director of Great Lakes West, was our main speaker. we were also blessed to have james choung, newly appointed National Asian American Ministries director with us during the weekend to share and speak. along with about 20 staff and volunteers, there were over 100 students from Lansing, Ann Arbor, Columbus, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
this conference felt different than the many others i have been to. there was an energy of openness and enthusiasm that was perhaps generated from the group being predominantly Asian American. students were affirmed in their identity as Asian Americans and for some, it was the first time they had been told that their Asian American-ness is a reflection of God that is unique, purposeful, and very good. students spent time repenting and receiving healing prayer; they were challenged to make the choice to identify with Christ even while walking the line between differing cultural values.
overall, Imago Dei was a time to affirm who we are in Christ as Asian Americans, to celebrate God's gifts to us, and to decide to take the next step of using all that we are, including our ethnic identity, for the glory of God. i am overjoyed at what i saw God do in individuals and communities! praise God with me for changing lives and empowering students to be leaders. (a special praise for a new young sister in Christ from MSU!)
you can continue to pray for Asian American ministry in Great Lakes East. pray that students who attended Imago Dei would follow through in the decisions they made, and also that the chapters they represent would grow in their awareness of ethnic identity, resulting in further development as leaders and world-changers. and pray that new Asian American staff would be raised up from this generation of students!
the conference focused on leadership development, because the planning team had discerned that this was the greatest need for our students. we wanted to emphasize that as Asian Americans, we have unique gifts and opportunities to be leaders in our communities and in the world.
kathy khang, multiethnic ministries director of Great Lakes West, was our main speaker. we were also blessed to have james choung, newly appointed National Asian American Ministries director with us during the weekend to share and speak. along with about 20 staff and volunteers, there were over 100 students from Lansing, Ann Arbor, Columbus, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
(Imago Dei staff and volunteers!)
this conference felt different than the many others i have been to. there was an energy of openness and enthusiasm that was perhaps generated from the group being predominantly Asian American. students were affirmed in their identity as Asian Americans and for some, it was the first time they had been told that their Asian American-ness is a reflection of God that is unique, purposeful, and very good. students spent time repenting and receiving healing prayer; they were challenged to make the choice to identify with Christ even while walking the line between differing cultural values.
overall, Imago Dei was a time to affirm who we are in Christ as Asian Americans, to celebrate God's gifts to us, and to decide to take the next step of using all that we are, including our ethnic identity, for the glory of God. i am overjoyed at what i saw God do in individuals and communities! praise God with me for changing lives and empowering students to be leaders. (a special praise for a new young sister in Christ from MSU!)
you can continue to pray for Asian American ministry in Great Lakes East. pray that students who attended Imago Dei would follow through in the decisions they made, and also that the chapters they represent would grow in their awareness of ethnic identity, resulting in further development as leaders and world-changers. and pray that new Asian American staff would be raised up from this generation of students!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Urbana 09 - a selection of photos
I've selected some photos from Urbana to highlight some of my work as well as to give you a glimpse of what happened. Much thanks to our extremely talented team of professional photographers who volunteered their time to take these beautiful photos!
Feel free to leave comments, & enjoy!
Feel free to leave comments, & enjoy!
Urbana Stories
While visiting Ann Arbor on my week off after Urbana, I attended AIV’s large group. It was a great time to see my old students and colleagues, as well as hear some of their stories from Urbana. Here are a couple of the stories that were shared that night:
Dear Donor,
Thank you so much for providing generously to allow me to attend Urbana 09. For someone oriented toward scientific research and development, mission work was something that I did not really see myself pursuing. Once arriving at Urbana I realized that God had many good things in store for me. Surprisingly the things I learned related more towards my relationship with Jesus and with the world than my call to missions. Coming out of Urbana, I have a few major takeaways that I would like to share with you.
1. A vision of justice in the world. At Urbana, I learned about poverty, human trafficking, and injustice around the world. My learned response is to feel bad and be pressured into sending money, but at Urbana I learned that there is value in identifying with the people who suffer these injustices, that there is value in providing a voice to the voiceless, and that there is great power in prayer. I learned about a God who has come into the middle of history to redeem the world and make all things new. I learned about a God who hates injustice and I learned about some of the practical ways that injustice is being combated. Specifically, I learned about advocacy campaigns and the role of politics in bringing about God's work. It made me realize that I may not be William Wilberforce, come to set the slaves free through politics, but I might be someone who nudges a new Wilberforce to set the slaves of the world free. Practically, I'm hoping to help out with bringing the Human Wrong campaign to the University of Michigan campus, as well as get the ball rolling on a city-wide, week-long campaign to raise awareness, voice, and funds to help end human trafficking.
2. A new take on prayer. At Urbana I realized that my prayers often sound like they are being read off of a prayer request sheet. I've learned about praying like the Bible shows us, and I have learned the importance of the voice that I am given. The ability to communicate with a holy and powerful God never seemed real to me, but I have grown a great deal in this understanding.
3. A worldwide vision. At Urbana I was struck by the phrase, "get to know the world God so loved." In our fellowship's Large Group gatherings I have sensed that we have become ingrown. In response to this, I'm putting together a new segment titled "Get to Know the World God So Loved." We'll have testimonies from missionaries, send letters of support and encouragement, and pray for countries that we learn about. It is my hope that I can bring the world-wide vision of Urbana back to campus and enable others to explore their call to overseas missions.
4. Local mission. I was struck at Urbana, by the sheer number of people making commitments to long term missions, but I then realized that almost all of us had made that commitment when we chose to follow Jesus. I've realized that my apartment, my family, and my friends are all unreached populations who need Jesus, and I am positioned quite well to be a tool to allow that to happen. I hope to invite my family to church, invite my friend to study John 1-4 with me and to reach out to my apartment mate and bring him to an AIV small group.
Again, thank you so much for enabling me to attend this conference. I hope that you can now share in some of the wonderful and hopefully life changing experiences that I was able to be a part of.
Blessings,
Ryan
Jesus said that we are to love our enemies. I always thought, “Sure...I love my enemies - I don't really hate anybody.” But two speakers at Urbana09 opened my eyes to what Jesus spoke of. Both men began with their stories of pain and oppression by another group of humans - one as a Tutsi, the other as a Korean. Although they began in very different places, both of them ended up in the same place - realizing that the reconciliation that Jesus spoke of was hard but necessary. Although it was difficult, each man spoke about how reconciling with someone you hated (with cause) brings the only way to point to God together. I realized that I do have enemies that I hate: people who oppressed me, people who hated me, people that I thought I could hate because they did me wrong. But God said I was once alienated from God and was an enemy because of my evil behavior.
- Lily
As a senior about to graduate with a piano performance degree from the University of Michigan, I entered Urbana09 hopeful and expectant for God to reveal more of his plan for my life. He did not disappoint, although He responded in ways I didn’t expect. (Praise be to our surprising God!)
Instead of calling me forward into global missions work, He led me inward and homeward – back to the places I had come from. “Come and see,” He said to me. “You cannot carry the burdens of far-flung territories yet, for these places need you first.” At Urbana, God showed me that at least for the next few years, I must consider it my calling to be a cross-cultural missionary to the very culture I come from. Now equipped and immersed in the culture of our Lord Jesus Christ, I must learn and understand the deep-rooted brokenness that handicaps my family. Furthermore, I must discover creative and loving ways to demonstrate the holiness, truth, and love that Jesus proclaims.
His word never fails to be a light unto my path. Thank you for your contributions to the workings of God’s eternal kingdom. Peace be with you.
- Margaret
Dear Donor,
Thank you so much for providing generously to allow me to attend Urbana 09. For someone oriented toward scientific research and development, mission work was something that I did not really see myself pursuing. Once arriving at Urbana I realized that God had many good things in store for me. Surprisingly the things I learned related more towards my relationship with Jesus and with the world than my call to missions. Coming out of Urbana, I have a few major takeaways that I would like to share with you.
1. A vision of justice in the world. At Urbana, I learned about poverty, human trafficking, and injustice around the world. My learned response is to feel bad and be pressured into sending money, but at Urbana I learned that there is value in identifying with the people who suffer these injustices, that there is value in providing a voice to the voiceless, and that there is great power in prayer. I learned about a God who has come into the middle of history to redeem the world and make all things new. I learned about a God who hates injustice and I learned about some of the practical ways that injustice is being combated. Specifically, I learned about advocacy campaigns and the role of politics in bringing about God's work. It made me realize that I may not be William Wilberforce, come to set the slaves free through politics, but I might be someone who nudges a new Wilberforce to set the slaves of the world free. Practically, I'm hoping to help out with bringing the Human Wrong campaign to the University of Michigan campus, as well as get the ball rolling on a city-wide, week-long campaign to raise awareness, voice, and funds to help end human trafficking.
2. A new take on prayer. At Urbana I realized that my prayers often sound like they are being read off of a prayer request sheet. I've learned about praying like the Bible shows us, and I have learned the importance of the voice that I am given. The ability to communicate with a holy and powerful God never seemed real to me, but I have grown a great deal in this understanding.
3. A worldwide vision. At Urbana I was struck by the phrase, "get to know the world God so loved." In our fellowship's Large Group gatherings I have sensed that we have become ingrown. In response to this, I'm putting together a new segment titled "Get to Know the World God So Loved." We'll have testimonies from missionaries, send letters of support and encouragement, and pray for countries that we learn about. It is my hope that I can bring the world-wide vision of Urbana back to campus and enable others to explore their call to overseas missions.
4. Local mission. I was struck at Urbana, by the sheer number of people making commitments to long term missions, but I then realized that almost all of us had made that commitment when we chose to follow Jesus. I've realized that my apartment, my family, and my friends are all unreached populations who need Jesus, and I am positioned quite well to be a tool to allow that to happen. I hope to invite my family to church, invite my friend to study John 1-4 with me and to reach out to my apartment mate and bring him to an AIV small group.
Again, thank you so much for enabling me to attend this conference. I hope that you can now share in some of the wonderful and hopefully life changing experiences that I was able to be a part of.
Blessings,
Ryan
Jesus said that we are to love our enemies. I always thought, “Sure...I love my enemies - I don't really hate anybody.” But two speakers at Urbana09 opened my eyes to what Jesus spoke of. Both men began with their stories of pain and oppression by another group of humans - one as a Tutsi, the other as a Korean. Although they began in very different places, both of them ended up in the same place - realizing that the reconciliation that Jesus spoke of was hard but necessary. Although it was difficult, each man spoke about how reconciling with someone you hated (with cause) brings the only way to point to God together. I realized that I do have enemies that I hate: people who oppressed me, people who hated me, people that I thought I could hate because they did me wrong. But God said I was once alienated from God and was an enemy because of my evil behavior.
- Lily
As a senior about to graduate with a piano performance degree from the University of Michigan, I entered Urbana09 hopeful and expectant for God to reveal more of his plan for my life. He did not disappoint, although He responded in ways I didn’t expect. (Praise be to our surprising God!)
Instead of calling me forward into global missions work, He led me inward and homeward – back to the places I had come from. “Come and see,” He said to me. “You cannot carry the burdens of far-flung territories yet, for these places need you first.” At Urbana, God showed me that at least for the next few years, I must consider it my calling to be a cross-cultural missionary to the very culture I come from. Now equipped and immersed in the culture of our Lord Jesus Christ, I must learn and understand the deep-rooted brokenness that handicaps my family. Furthermore, I must discover creative and loving ways to demonstrate the holiness, truth, and love that Jesus proclaims.
His word never fails to be a light unto my path. Thank you for your contributions to the workings of God’s eternal kingdom. Peace be with you.
- Margaret
Friday, January 29, 2010
Style Guide - why it's important
One of the projects our team is currently working on is updating our style guide. A style guide is something that all professional organizations create to provide rules and guidelines for how their materials look. It includes things like what the logo should look like in relation to the piece on which it appears (a brochure, a banner, a website, etc.), what colors should be used, which fonts are appropriate, etc.
Some people might ask, who cares? Why spend so much time thinking about what our stuff looks like? Does it really matter?
A big emphatic YES is appropriate here!
This is what my job is all about. My job as a graphic designer for InterVarsity is to visually communicate with students, donors and staff who InterVarsity is. Just like InterVarsity's core doctrines, all of our communication must be united in some essential things.We want InterVarsity's look to clearly communicate our identity: we're a national campus ministry. Whatever campus you find InterVarsity on, you can expect it to be about the same thing - reaching the whole campus with the whole Gospel. When our graphics are consistent, that communicates that the ministry is consistent and unified. When our logo is used across the country, InterVarsity will become a kind of brand. Not the kind of brand that is trying to sell something, but the kind that communicates our values and our mission. When we are haphazard about using the logo or other elements of the style, it communicates that we are not united, that we don't know who we are, or that we don't agree on who we are.
That being said, we also have a challenge as a ministry that celebrates and values diversity. There isn't necessarily one image that could aptly describe who InterVarsity is. We also are about student-led, indigenous, grassroots ministry. To try to control what font people use or what colors are appropriate can be very challenging. The process of creating a Style Guide as well as making it accessible and user-friendly for our busy campus staff around the country is a project that our whole team will be working on in the next several months.
Please pray for wisdom, grace, creativity and healthy interactions as we enter this process! And pray that ultimately our work will go towards advancing God's purposes through InterVarsity.
Some people might ask, who cares? Why spend so much time thinking about what our stuff looks like? Does it really matter?
A big emphatic YES is appropriate here!
This is what my job is all about. My job as a graphic designer for InterVarsity is to visually communicate with students, donors and staff who InterVarsity is. Just like InterVarsity's core doctrines, all of our communication must be united in some essential things.We want InterVarsity's look to clearly communicate our identity: we're a national campus ministry. Whatever campus you find InterVarsity on, you can expect it to be about the same thing - reaching the whole campus with the whole Gospel. When our graphics are consistent, that communicates that the ministry is consistent and unified. When our logo is used across the country, InterVarsity will become a kind of brand. Not the kind of brand that is trying to sell something, but the kind that communicates our values and our mission. When we are haphazard about using the logo or other elements of the style, it communicates that we are not united, that we don't know who we are, or that we don't agree on who we are.
Please pray for wisdom, grace, creativity and healthy interactions as we enter this process! And pray that ultimately our work will go towards advancing God's purposes through InterVarsity.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Project Focus: Greek Ministry
Every year 750,000 students are involved in fraternities and sororities on U.S. campuses, but they remain a mostly unreached group by churches and other Christian ministries. Many of these students go on to become influential leaders in the U.S. government and business world, and yet on campus, Greek students are often condemned and negatively labeled.Greek InterVarsity aims to reach these students with the gospel, through discipleship, House ministry (student-led Bible studies within fraternity and sorority houses) and other events. Because of the nature of Greek life, Christians who belong to fraternities or sororities have a built-in community with whom they can share their faith. The influence also extends beyond college years through a strong alumni network within the Greek system.
I’ve been working on materials for two upcoming Greek conferences, each of which gather close to 400 Greek students, many of whom are non-believers. Please pray that God will transform the lives of both believers and non-believers who attend.
To find out more about Greek Ministry, please visit greekintervarsity.org.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
What's ahead...
Life after Urbana has slowed down quite a bit - I am not complaining! I'm hoping that the slower pace will give me space to get more involved in a church community, as well as establish other activities where I can meet new friends. The pace is about to pick up again though, due to a lot of traveling in February and March. Here are some of my upcoming travel plans:
Feb. 5-7: Great Lakes East Asian American Leadership Conference, in Ohio.
This is only the 2nd time my former region has had held a conference specifically for Asian American students. The focus will be on leadership development. I was on the planning team up until I left the region, so I am excited that I get to go and see what God will do there!
Feb. 17-22: London vacation!
Super excited! It's been almost 11 years since I was last in Europe.
Mar. 4-7: Asian American Staff Conference in San Mateo, CA.
We have this conference every 3 years. It will be great to spend time with other Asian American staff and have a time of training. I'm also going to work on some of the designs for it, so it's extra fun!
Mar. 8-14: Visiting friends/family in California
Since I'm already going to be in California, I'll be spending a couple of extra days in the Bay Area visiting friends, then driving down to LA to see my sister and other friends. Looking forward to some sun (hopefully)!
Feb. 5-7: Great Lakes East Asian American Leadership Conference, in Ohio.
This is only the 2nd time my former region has had held a conference specifically for Asian American students. The focus will be on leadership development. I was on the planning team up until I left the region, so I am excited that I get to go and see what God will do there!
Feb. 17-22: London vacation!
Super excited! It's been almost 11 years since I was last in Europe.
Mar. 4-7: Asian American Staff Conference in San Mateo, CA.
We have this conference every 3 years. It will be great to spend time with other Asian American staff and have a time of training. I'm also going to work on some of the designs for it, so it's extra fun!
Mar. 8-14: Visiting friends/family in California
Since I'm already going to be in California, I'll be spending a couple of extra days in the Bay Area visiting friends, then driving down to LA to see my sister and other friends. Looking forward to some sun (hopefully)!
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