Support Team

January 9. 2011

Thanking God for what He’s done

Since you heard from me last, much has happened in the life of our chapter.  We have seen numerical growth, with up to 120 students coming to our weekly Large Group gatherings.  We have seen spiritual growth, with the launch of a weekly prayer time in which students develop spiritual disciplines.  Personally, it’s been a semester where I sense the Lord maturing me as a campus minister, friend and wife.  Here are a few stories of where God is moving us toward the vision to see “students and faculty transformed, campuses renewed and world changers developed”

Students Transformed

This semester was a radical one for Brittney, a sophmore who sent me a Facebook message in August, asking if I would meet with her so she can learn about the Jesus Christ her beloved grandmother knew.  Pray for her as she counts the cost of following Christ.  In November she went to our Eastern Va Area Conference where she told me, “this is a big deal! I mean, Jesus is great, but giving your whole heart to him? I’m just feeling overwhelmed!”

Developing World Changers

Pray for Rob as he considers joining InterVarsity staff and pursuing this life of full time ministry to college students.  As a freshman, he met Jesus through friends in InterVarsity and the end of year conference.  Now a graduating senior, he could impact hundreds of college students by staffing a witnessing community on another campus.

Peter’s passion can’t be missed- he wears his heart on his sleeve.  You might see him light up when talking about some outdoor sport or rock climbing, but you will see an even deeper fire emerge if you bring up issues of injustice and caring for the poor.  This year has been one of great maturity for Peter (e.g. learning to use a calendar and not miss meetings!) that will serve him as he works for justice now and years from now.

Looking forward to what’s to come

Spring Semester begins on Monday.  Please pray for our student leadership team to come back committed and prepared to lead, live and pray towards the vision God has given us for this campus.  Pray for students who are just now realizing they need a change, that they will find friends in InterVarsity and start coming to small group bible studies and Large Group.

 

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Nov. 15, 2009

Hello again!  It has been some time since I have really gotten to share what’s going on at Old Dominion and with the ministry of InterVarsity.  A few weeks ago I started writing a prayer update, but now that it is the beginning of November I find that things have been changing and am excited to catch you up!

As of June, I am engaged to be married to an amazing man of God, Tyler, who is perfectly matched to become my husband.  I am growing in my understanding and love for God through him and excited to commit my life to him on December 12 of this year!  We will live here in Norfolk and he will continue management training with the Krispy Kreme corporation.

Part of July was spent taking a Systematic Theology class in Madison, WI.  At the end of August I had 24 students on a leadership retreat, praying for the upcoming year and preparing for September’s New Student Welcome season.  During this time we held fun events, began small group bible studies, and introduced a new crowd of people to weekly large groups, called “Crash.”

On the first day of school, we had our first night of Crash.  Almost 100 students, many of them freshmen, came out to hear what InterVarsity is all about and worship with us.  Student leaders who I have been discipling led the night. They did a great job casting the vision for a missional community who offers authentic relationships—compelling for both Christian and non-Christian alike.

A few weeks ago, I would have written “several non-Christians have attached themselves to our chapter.  Pray that they would not only experience but commit to a life marked by God’s love.” One of these students, an outgoing freshman named AJ eagerly volunteered for a game on stage that first day, and began attending small group bible study that week.

This week at Crash, AJ once again got up front, this time with a mic in his hand and a changed heart.  He shared the story of God’s transformation of his heart and life.  He thanked everyone present for welcoming him, listening to his views, and most of all for pursuing him with real conversation about Jesus.

The night AJ gave his life to Christ, his small group leader Rob gave him a Bible.  A bit of history– Rob became a Christian his freshman year in college, and I was the one who gave that Bible to him as I discipled him last year.  He is now leading Bible study and “passing the torch!”

In this story, I see 3 significant aspects of this ministry that I ask you to pray over:

Staff- pray for me as I disciple many of the student leaders, look for leadership potential in younger students, and balance this ministry with the changes in my personal life.

Leaders- pray for the leaders in this chapter, like Rob, 24 young adults dedicated to furthering God’s mission on this campus.  Pray for them to pass the Word along to others, especially those who have not heard the gospel of Jesus.

Campus- pray for the 26,000 students, many like AJ, who will see, hear and experience the love of God through Crash, small group Bible studies, and friendships with people in the IV chapter.  Pray that the Word would be declared on our campus!

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Sep. 4, 2009

On Monday night I had a few interactions with new students that seemed to me a great representation of this ministry.  It was the first day of class and our first gathering on campus for the year, planned this summer by our “Crash” coordinating team.  The student leaders did a great job welcoming the almost 100 students who came and telling them who we are as a campus community.  I saw some new students filling out a card with their contact information and began to ask them about themselves to get to know them.  It starts with the typical week-one conversation:  I’m Brittany, freshman, commuting from Chesapeake, excited about college… but then, atypically, wants to go into missions.

Brittany told me “I am really excited about getting on the mission field but feel that I should finish college first”.  How right she is!  This 4 year period is one of incredible growth as young people become more mature in knowing themselves and growing to know the Lord.  I told her she came to the right place to be trained well for a lifetime of ministry.  Her faith will grow as she studies scripture with her peers, learns to reach out to non-Christians in her classes, and has the opportunity for cross-cultural training at the largest student missions conference, Urbana, happening this winter.

The second interaction I want to describe was with another new student:  Shawn, a Korean-American student, living on campus, excited about college, heard about Crash that morning in the cafeteria.  I asked him about his spiritual background and he told me “well, it’s tricky.  You see my family is Christian, and they pray and everything.  But when I was in high school I took a philosophy class and decided that I don’t believe anything spiritual.  But now I have come to this and I’m not sure.  I guess I’m in between now.  I’ve never had an experience of God… I guess that’s what I need.”

Please pray for the incoming freshman as they wrap up their first week at Old Dominion.  Pray that our community would invite and welcome them well.  Pray for the student leaders to follow up with the almost 100 new students who are signing up for “more information”.  Pray for relationships to blossom, and for the gospel to be lived out and spoken!  Pray for the 13 Bible study leaders as they prepare for their first week of leading and building a small-group community.

Keep me in your prayers as I try to diligently finish my fundraising for this year.  As a staff, when soon as school starts it’s hard to take time “off campus,” but if I don’t regain my budget for this year I will have to spend my days fundraising instead.  Please pray for new donors to come on board with monthly giving, and those who put me on campus last year to give again if possible.

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Aug. 30th, 2009

Today was the first day of classes at Old Dominion, and tonight is the first night of our weekly large group gathering (called Crash)!  It was a rainy day here in Norfolk, but the energy level of the student leaders is at an all-time high as we anticipate beginning our season of “New Student Welcome”.  This past weekend I met with the entire leadership team– 25 students and myself– to talk about the year, spend time in prayer, and unify ourselves for this mission.  Will you pray for us tonight as we meet for the first time?  Pray that freshmen and new students will brave the rain to come, that they will be warmly greeted, drawn in to our community, and ultimately drawn closer to God’s heart!

I am excited as I begin this year as their only campus staff worker.  I feel that I have gained their trust and am ready to see what God does with me, this community, new students and the campus at large this year.  We have a lot of events planned for the first few weeks, culminating with a weekend retreat at the beginning of October.  Pray that I will be able to discern who the Lord is calling me to meet with regularly, and that I will trust him for the words as I speak at Crash in two weeks.  Please also pray for my fundraising process, as I am not fully funded and have to balance my time between pursuing donors and being on campus.

Updated 1/20

www.intervarsity.org/donate/to/Kristen_McCrillis

InterVarsity staff members are responsible for locating the finances to support their ministries.  We do this by inviting partners into the ministry- those who will give financial support and pray with us for God’s work on campus.

Will you pray about becoming a partner with me in this ministry by committing to pray for me and by giving to my support?

Praise God for providing the funds needed to make this year happen for me!  –> as I pray towards continuing this ministry, pray for additional monthly support.

What does working full-time as an InterVarsity staff look like?  For me, it’s 4o hrs a week consisting of…

Meeting  weekly with a variety of students for discipleship.  I meet regularly with 7 students (freshmen, upperclassmen, new Christians, schooled Christians, leaders,  non-leaders), and spend time with lots of others over lunch, coffee, bowling…  –> pray that I will be able to connect with and care for them well.

Diligently working on my “study program”: reading books on discipleship, evangelism, student leadership.  Meeting with Shane weekly to be coached through this whole “staff life” thing. –> pray for my relationship with Christ to be one of a disciple, and that I would continue to grow faithfully towards Him

Attending CRASH, the weekly student gathering.  Meeting with the student leaders who plan Crash– they are a dynamic group who love non-Christians, YouTube videos and meaningful skits. –>pray for students to get involved in authentic relationships and meet Jesus through the messages at Crash.

Helping the worship leaders come up with a vision for worship in our community, and equipping them to lead a team (potentially adding members in the spring) –> pray for our understanding of God’s character to grow, so that we grow in our worship of Him

for more about the ODU InterVarsity community, link it on up… www.oduiv.org