M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 0 9

N EWS & P RAYERupdate

Tim McNinch and InterVarsity @ Kalamazoo College

“Cracking a Window” GROUPS

INVESTIGATING GOD!
You know the cheesy old adage couple months. One of the students
about God closing a door and who recently connected with this I've been meeting each week with two
opening a window? Well, it’s been a circle became a Christian last month freshmen roommates, Sandrine and
challenging winter so far. A few of through their influence. It is Emily. As a part of our time together, I
the good things we had going on apparent that all of this is a work of have helped them think through
campus during the fall fizzled the habits of life that will
over Christmas break. But encourage their spiritual growth
about a month ago, just when and maturity; habits of prayer,
I was starting to feel
Bible study, and community. Iʼve
discouraged about the state
also encouraged them to find
of things, God caused me to
cross paths with a little group ways to share their faith with
of students who are meeting friends on campus. In response,
weekly to pray together. They each of them has begun a G.I.G.
aren't part of any official Amber [ at left ] with Prayer Group friends ("Group Investigating God") with
ministry--just a handful of a few of their friends. They were
God's Spirit. It’s a window of
friends who wanted to support each initially nervous about taking the risk to
ministry God has sovereignly
other as Christian students. invite their friends to talk about spiritual
opened.
In all honesty, I have been things and take a look at Jesus in the
The prayer group is led by a
blown away by this group! They love Bible. But, as typically happens with these
sophomore named Amber. Would
each other, they love their campus,
you join me in praying for her and groups, Sandrine and Emily both came
and they pray fervently and
for the future of this group? We are back to me shocked at the positive
passionately for God to use them
beginning to explore how response of their friends, who were more
there. Each week, after some brief
connecting this group with than willing to participate.
discussion, they all stand, hold
InterVarsity could encourage fruitful
hands, and pray their hearts out for Sandrine's GIG has
ministry at K College that will
at least a half-hour. I haven't seen been meeting for a few
continue to grow over the coming
such passion and spiritual leadership months now. One
years. Pray that the life that God has
at K College in a long time. And the
put into this circle of friends would friend has started
group has doubled in size to more
spill out into the lives of many coming with her to
than a dozen students over the last
Christian students at K church and is
College, and that they exploring what being
IN THIS UPDATE: would continue to grow in a follower of Jesus is Sa ndri ne [ ri
gh t ]
•New prayer group reenergizes ministry their fruitfulness as a all about. Another
•Groups Investigating God are growing witnessing community,
friend shared ...
impacting the whole
•A friend takes steps toward Jesus campus. [CONTINUED ON BACK]

1132 Mason St, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 // tim_mcninch@ivstaff.org // 269-547-9328

 [GIGs CONTINUED FROM FRONT]
...that the GIG has inspired him to try
out praying to God. Together,
Sandrineʼs GIG is reading through the
Gospel of Mark, and talking about the
Jesus they are encountering there. Isn't
that cool!?
Emily just started her GIG a couple
weeks ago. Two of her friends have a
nominal Catholic background, and
another was raised Hindu. In their times
together, they have been
discussing the difference
between superficial
religious practice and
having a real personal
relationship with God. I
encouraged Emily to show
them the story in John
chapter 4 (where Jesus
helps a Samaritan woman see that God
is looking for worshippers who go
beyond mere religion to worship in spirit
and truth) and see what conversation
that sparks. To Emily, it feels risky to
move beyond sharing opinions into
showing her friends what Jesus said
and did, but she is taking that risk.
Sheʼs excited for her friends to discover
what Jesus is really like!
The new prayer group, encouraging progress with GIGʼs, and encounters with students like Jane are all
encouragements to me that God is at work by his Spirit among this student generation at Kalamazoo College.
THANK YOU for your partnership in prayer as we partner with God to see “students' lives transformed, the
campus renewed, and world changers developed!”
“Early Steps Toward Jesus”
I’ve been meeting off and on for
the past three years with a student
named Jane (not her real name), who
doesn’t yet know Jesus. We talk about
life and about spirituality. She sees me
as a friend and someone with whom
she can process her spiritual journey.
Jane is attracted to Christianity, but
has unresolved questions about how
Jesus could actually be God, how his
death could lead to
forgiveness for others, and
what following Jesus would
look like practically in her
life. She wants to be a
“good” person, but
recognizes the
impossibility of really
Em ily succeeding on her own.
The other day we had
a long talk where I had a chance to
share parts of the gospel with her.
After talking it over, she confessed
that she just has a hard time giving up
control of her life to God. She wants
to let go, but (like so many K College
students) she feels such pressure to
succeed academically that trusting
God with her life feels like a big risk.
We processed that sense of risk
together, and I invited Jane to take a
first step in God’s direction by talking
r ia ! - Tim
Soli Deo Glo
to him and telling him what’s on her
heart, to confess her difficulty in
giving over control and ask God to
help her put her life in his hands.
Right there, in the middle of the busy
coffee shop on campus, in her own
words Jane told God that she had
wandered from a path of following
him, and that she wanted back on
that path. She asked God to help her
change course.
I agreed with her in prayer and
asked Jesus to make himself known
in her life. It was a good moment.
I walked back to my car in the
cold February rain, thanking Jesus for
using me to help Jane take her next
step toward him. She is definitely
seeking God, and is very close to
receiving Jesus as her savior and
leader. Will you join me in asking
God to rescue Jane and bring her
fully into his kingdom?
There are lots of students like
Jane at Kalamazoo College, and God
knows each one. Pray that in addition
to seeking out these lost students,
God would renew the whole campus
environment, academically and
socially, so that students experience
more freedom during their college
years to explore spiritual Reality.