It’s been a while since my last update. And I’m glad to finally be filling you in on what’s transpired since my last letter. There’s big news all over this ministry as things get rolling. We’re developing partnerships with local churches, and other campus ministries. We’re building relationships with students and faculty and we’re developing a unique vision for what God wants InterVarsity to be at Kansas State University. But the biggest news of all is the students.
When last I updated you I introduced you to two student leaders who have heroically preserved the remnant of InterVarsity at KSU. That single meeting has now exploded into 6. Each one with its own identity, and serving a specific segment of the student populous. I’d like to briefly introduce you to each of our “cells.”
Boyd: The study that started it all is located in Boyd Hall. A girls-only dorm on campus, the students in that study have been going through the book of John chapter by chapter since before I arrived.
FarmHouse: One of the unique things about InterVarsity is our love for the Greek system. FarmHouse Fraternity is our first new Greek study, where we are going through the oft neglected book of 1Thesselonians.
WOW: Racism is still very much a reality on campus at KSU. Many students of color do not feel comfortable in what they consider to be “white campus groups,” so some students have stepped up to create a community that caters especially to African American Wildcats called the Workers Of Wisdom. Everyone is welcome, but we play Christian Rap, and talk is a style that’s less Rick Warren, and more T.D. Jakes. We’re going through Galatians topically.
Guys Night: On Friday night the WOW men gather together for prayer, fellowship, and male bonding.
Girls Night: I’m not allowed at Girls Night, but my student leaders tell me that they cook dinner together and talk about Jesus. (They probably talk about their feelings a lot, too.)
MATC: In the shadow of KSU, there is a small technical college called Manhattan Tech, where the blue collar workers get their education. A soon-to-be auto mechanic is helping me run a study of Mark in their break room where we learn about Jesus the Servant.
Please pray for me, for these studies, and for all the new ones that we hope to develop by the end of the year. You are a critical part of this project, and I am incredibly thankful to you and to God for the blessings that have already been poured out.
Grace and Peace
-Ryan Gaffney