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Hannah Keziah Agustin

Hannah Keziah Agustin is a social media coordinator and writer for ��Ƶ’s communications team. She was born in Manila and is currently working towards an MFA at NYU. You can support her ministry at givetoiv.org/hannah-keziah-agustin.

Friendship: The Spiritual Practice I Needed After College

kyia.hernandez@intervarsity.org — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:14:17 +0000

April 30, 2026

Timothy Holmes

Friendship: The Spiritual Practice I Needed After College

When I graduated college, I didn’t expect to feel so… disconnected.

I was stepping into a new job, learning how to “adult,” figuring out bills and schedules and responsibilities. On paper, life was moving forward. But spiritually? Something felt off, and I couldn’t put a finger on it.

In college, my faith felt alive. Not just because of what I believed, but because of who I was surrounded by. There were people to pray with, process with, laugh with, confess to, and do mission with. Community wasn’t something I had to build; it was already there.

After graduation, that changed overnight. Suddenly, all my relationships felt like they were in limbo. School had been the anchor for our community, and now that anchor was gone. There was no ��Ƶ meeting to ensure I would see my friends. There was no campus schedule that I could intuit to think about who was free to talk. Everyone was scattered, busy, adjusting. And no one really knew how to name what we were losing.

As someone who’s wired for people, that shift hit me hard. I felt isolated, but what made it harder was realizing I wasn’t the only one. A lot of my friends were feeling the same thing. We just didn’t know how to talk about it. Looking back, I don’t think what I lost was just structure. I think I lost the kind of friendships that helped me follow Jesus.

The Risk That Changed Everything

After sitting with that for a while, I felt like I had a choice: either wait for community to happen again… or build it on purpose. So, I did something that honestly felt a little awkward. I reached out to a couple of friends and asked if they wanted to be more intentional about staying connected spiritually. We were already friends, so I wasn’t asking for friendship, but building rhythms to follow Jesus together. It felt weird. Like I was “asking them out”… but for spiritual friendship.

And if I’m being real, it felt risky, especially as a guy. There’s an unspoken pressure to keep things surface-level, to not need too much, to not say, “Hey, I actually want deeper connection.” I wasn’t taught to show vulnerability or to communicate needs. So, I didn’t know how this would be received by them. I was afraid they wouldn’t want that. Or that I’d come off as too intense. But their response surprised me. They wanted the same thing.

Turning Friendship Into a Practice

We started simple. We set up regular times to connect: lunches when we could, phone calls when life got busy, texts to check in. Nothing complicated, nothing overly structured, but we tried to stay consistent. Over time, the rhythm flexed with our seasons. Jobs changed. Schedules shifted. Life got fuller. But what didn’t change was the expectation that we were going to show up for each other. That consistency created something deeper than I expected. These weren’t just friendships anymore. They became spiritual friendships, relationships where Jesus was at the center, and there was a mutual commitment to each other’s thriving.

Years later, those same friendships are some of the most important relationships in my life. Our wives are close. Our kids know each other. These friends have become brothers. We’ve walked through a lot together: job transitions, loss, personal struggles, big life milestones. But more than anything, we’ve helped each other stay close to Jesus.

There have been seasons where finding Jesus felt hard. Moments where faith felt dry. Times where decisions felt unclear. And in those moments, these friendships carried weight. They reminded me of truth when I couldn’t see it clearly. They offered wisdom when I didn’t have it. They encouraged me to take risks in following Jesus when fear was taking up a lot of space. We made a commitment to each other to love Jesus, to love each other, and to want the best for one another. There’s no competition. No comparison. Only a shared desire to follow Jesus faithfully, and to help each other do the same.

If You’re About To Graduate (Or Just Did)

If you’re in that transition right now, here’s what I wish someone told me: spiritual friendships don’t just happen after college. You must build them. You might feel disconnected and not know why. You might miss the depth you once had. You might assume everyone else has it figured out. They don’t. And chances are, someone in your life is hoping you’ll make the first move. So, take the risk. Text the friend you trust. Invite them into something more intentional. Start simple but start on purpose. Because following Jesus was never meant to be done alone. And sometimes, the way Jesus keeps us close to him is through the people who choose to walk with us.

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Spiritual Formation

Timothy Holmes

Timothy Holmes is an ��Ƶ campus staff minister at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He is a rapper and poet as well as an alumnus of The City College of New York, where he double-majored in media communications and English.

What Do Students Really Think About AI?

kyia.hernandez@intervarsity.org — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:41:39 +0000

April 07, 2026

Emily Baez

What Do Students Really Think About AI?

“The worries of AI outweigh the potential benefits in my mind,” Ian, a medical student in Wisconsin, said.

Artificial Intelligence is inescapable. AI songs flood our social media apps, AI videos spread misinformation, and soon enough, AI-written books will dominate the self-publishing world.

“Whether I’m intentionally looking for it or not, AI seems to find its way into my technology usage,” Alayna, an education major, said.

On campus, the consequences of AI — both good and bad — are even more apparent. College administrators have quickly created policies around usage, and students have to contend with how the technology will impact mental health, job displacement, creative and cognitive development, and the environment.

While these impacts deserve our attention, ��Ƶ’s ministry is already shaped by practices that nurture students’ well-being and help them navigate the growing influence of AI.

Mental Health and Social Development

“Some people are probably in their rooms talking to ChatGPT [right now] and being secretive about it,” Jordan, a social work major, said.

One of the most popular uses of ChatGPT is, in fact, therapy and companionship.

While this might sound helpful (free, unlimited therapy! Accessible companionship for those struggling with loneliness!), prolonged interaction with chatbots can lead to what clinicians call “AI psychosis.” Some users develop serious delusions because chatbots mirror tone and tend to escalate distorted beliefs, which can lead to risk of psychosis, suicidality, and even murder-suicide.

While the findings don’t suggest a widespread causal link, they do raise concern about the danger chatbots pose to vulnerable individuals. At their current state, chatbots aren’t meant to provide professional therapeutic help; they’re meant to maximize engagement.

College students can be susceptible to these issues, causing them to miss out on opportunities to grow friendships that improve mental and physical health during this crucial window for developing social skills:

NSSE data shows that students who engage in meaningful peer interactions report higher academic success, a stronger sense of belonging, and better post-college outcomes.
A 2025 study found that university environments allow students to develop “diverse relationships fostered by classes, clubs, and communal living.”
According to a 2024 national wellness study, “students say they turn to their peers for mental health advice and information more than faculty or staff,” and “among students who reported positive feelings around their lives and future lives, they were more likely to feel thankful, happy, and connected to their peers.”

Jordan says AI helps him de-clutter his thoughts when he feels overwhelmed. But he does have a caveat: “Have that balance. Be in your human life, socializing with other people.”

For ��Ƶ’s ministry on campus, and with community being the heartbeat of our ministry, these realities present us with opportunity, not panic.

First, campus ministers encourage students to take an honest look at their AI usage and to set limits. Then, we do what we have done for decades and invite them into a consistent, embodied community where real conversations with real people will always beat a chat session with a bot.

Job Displacement and Supplementation

As students invest time and money into degrees related to communication, business, or technology fields, AI’s potential to automate roles in these fields can cause serious concern.

One study identified 40 occupations with high potential to be displaced by AI, including interpreters, writers, customer service representatives, sales representatives, and certain teaching and analyst positions. Although it’s still early, at the very least, many jobs can be supplemented by AI, which causes anxiety for students currently in college.

“I am most worried about AI interfering with students studying to be doctors and progressing towards a career they are not 100 percent educated on,” Colby, a health sciences major, said.

Ian, however, said, “The nuance of human relationships as well as the large amount of social factors that play into health leave me with hope that people will seek out people for their care instead of an algorithm.”

Looking ahead at her future as a teacher, Alayna is also worried that AI will interfere. “There’s only so much that technology can observe about student knowledge, so trusting it to determine and pace student learning is risky,” she said.

A 2025 survey found that while more than 60% of 1,000+ global executives had reduced headcount or slowed hiring due to anticipated AI impact, only about 2% cited layoffs directly tied to AI-delivered results (i.e., an AI tool replacing an actual person). But much about how job markets will be affected is still unknown.

“It seems a lot of companies believe they can replace lucrative positions like Software Engineers with an AI,” a computer science major from the University of South Florida, said. “I see it advancing [computer science] heavily but not outright replacing it. This does mean the job market will be much more competitive.”

As AI reshapes the job market, our campus ministers sit with students in their anxiety. They also disciple them into people whose identity is rooted in God’s love, rather than a job title.

AI may mean that some students will have to pivot their majors or career goals. It may mean giving up certain dreams in favor of others. But even as technology advances, students should remember that their ultimate purpose is to point to Christ in everything they do, working with excellence to reflect his glory. Many ��Ƶ alumni model this well, showing just how creatively and faithfully vocation can be lived out.

Creative and Cognitive Development

Creative industries, like video production, digital art, and writing, are not spared from AI’s impact. An ABC News report explains how Sora, a text-to-video platform, can generate lifelike videos from simple prompts. While Sora videos are often considered “AI slop” that very few people appreciate or value, AI-generated videos are becoming more realistic. New ethical questions have also arisen over the use of real images of people without their consent and of “AI art” stealing work from real artists. When it comes to writing, many feel that AI-assisted writing produces uniform results that students can identify.

Some research argues that generative AI may already be reshaping cognitive habits, causing people to practice skills like analytical writing, brainstorming, and creative problem-solving less frequently.

Alayna confirms that students are already recognizing the ways AI is reducing our ability to think analytically.

“I’m worried that a growing reliance on AI will make our generation lazy and overlook the reward of independently completing tasks, even if they may seem mundane,” she said. “The brain is a muscle that needs to be exercised. So if we only use it for the heavy-lifting tasks, then I fear we’ll be less effective at creating and problem-solving.”

Colby shared similar sentiments: “I am worried that humans are going to become too reliant on it for critical thinking and everyday tasks, bypassing the need for creativity.”

MIT experiments found that students who used AI tools like ChatGPT demonstrated lower brain activity, and that early reliance on AI reduced neural engagement and memory recall — a phenomenon researchers call “cognitive debt.”

For this reason, many professors restrict AI for class assignments and exams.

“If we get caught using any AI through any detector, they'll flag the assignment. Some teachers allow us to use it, but it depends on the specific assignment,” Jordan said. “Some people use it as a way to cheat and not learn anything.”

On the other hand, students and professors are finding creative ways to use AI to actually enhance learning, with many citing it as a helpful study tool.

For anyone trying to minister to or reach Gen Z students, it’s important to know they can smell AI from a mile away, so we have to be cognizant of our own usage. Particularly with Gen Z’s high value for authenticity, human-created media will work better to disciple them and express our care for them more than an algorithm ever can.

There’s also the importance of recognizing and upholding the value of art itself. Engaging in creativity helps people connect to the Creator himself. But if art is meant only to be consumed, then we might as well let AI conquer it all. The process of creating something enhances our human experience and aligns with our God-given purpose on earth.

As for combating the cognitive impact of AI, ��Ƶ continues inviting students to Bible studies where they think deeply about the meaning of Scripture, its context, and its relevance. Manuscript Bible studies rarely ever involve the use of technology, and a weekly rhythm of gathering, discussing, and learning alongside others reminds students of the value of intellectual curiosity and growth.

The Environment

“A few years ago, people did care about the environment more, but now everyone is just so consumed by other things that they aren’t taking the time to think about how their actions do affect the environment,” Hailey, a biomedical sciences major, said.

Another concern Gen Z has about AI is its environmental consequences, which are mainly seen through the operation of data centers. New sites are being constructed at a rapid and unsustainable rate and demand a staggering amount of electricity, leading to increased carbon dioxide emissions. Servers produce hazardous electronic waste, like mercury and lead, which are released into the environment. Then, as AI models progress, the need for even more energy increases.

Data centers also require enormous amounts of water to keep their hardware cool — a growing concern in a world where a quarter of the population still lacks reliable access to clean water.

But like everything mentioned, AI could be used to aid the environment if properly monitored, such as using it to map the destructive dredging of sand and chart emissions of methane.

��Ƶ has a long history of addressing issues of injustices, and the environment is no exception. By forming students with a theology of creation care, campus ministers offer opportunities for local cleanups and other volunteer opportunities. Serving the local community in this way not only instills in students a sense of responsibility over God’s earth but also shows them that believers can work together to meaningfully tackle injustice.

Following an Unchanging God

“The hope I have is that ethics usually lag behind new technology. As time continues, these will balance out, and AI will be used supplementally instead of being used as a replacement,” Ian said. “I’m optimistic that as a society we can find a balance of embracing it with caution.”

As with any new technology, fear often accompanies change. Social media presented similar fears in the 2010s, especially with the introduction of smartphones. While social media gave people the ability to reconnect with friends and family, have infinite access to world news, gain career opportunities, etc., it didn’t come without significant sacrifice and may be responsible for the devastating mental health crisis that young adults are still coping with today.

Regardless, AI will permeate society and our lives. So, the true question for anyone who cares about the spiritual, mental, social, and physical health of young people becomes, How can we help?

Whether it’s through embodied community, Bible study, discipleship, or learning about justice, creation care, or the imago dei, we can help students make wise decisions about their technology usage. We can also be wise about how our own AI usage may attract Gen Z to our ministries or cause them to reject our invitations to learn about Jesus. We must recognize the difference between technology that makes certain tasks easier and technology that diminishes humanity.

More importantly, though, we can remind students that no technology will ever replace or alter our God — his character, our dependence on him, and the peace and purpose he gives to all who follow him, even in a constantly-changing world.

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Spiritual Formation

Emily Baez

Emily Baez is a writer for ��Ƶ’s communications team. She lives in Tampa, FL, and enjoys long hikes, watching movies, and overly competitive game nights with friends. You can support her ministry here.

Finding Home on Campus : Black Campus Ministry at Michigan State University

emily.baez@intervarsity.org — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 17:19:59 +0000

Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice

February 27, 2026

Kyia Hernandez

Finding Home on Campus : Black Campus Ministry at Michigan State University

At Michigan State University, Brittany, ��Ƶ Black Campus Ministries (BCM) staff, says, “There are many Christian organizations on campus, but they don’t necessarily celebrate Black culture in Christianity. They don't carry the same intentionality around reaching Black students on campus.” 

Michigan State has a relatively small community of Black students, with less than ten percent of students being Black. Often, these students feel the need to mask parts of themselves and who God made them to be, and they struggle to find Christian spaces where they feel accepted.

“I think about [how] Black students like to talk back to the pastor, or they like a different cadence in how the speaker is connecting,” Brittany said. "Students [can] more freely enter into the worship and surrender. They can more readily think about what the Lord is inviting them to do or what he's doing in their heart."

BCM’s mission is to “[equip] Black students and faculty to lead with faith from the fullness of their identity.” This allows students to not have to choose between being Black and Christian –– they can celebrate both.

Additionally, many BCM students at Michigan State are also part of other campus clubs and organizations, which opens doors to influence so much more of the campus culture.

A’Lvinia and Neveah are two BCM student leaders who are well-connected like this on campus. They desire to see their friends and the whole campus find a place where they can experience the love of Jesus.

A'Lvinia: Healing and Finding Her Voice

At a young age, A’Lvinia lost her mother, leaving her feeling abandoned, sad, and angry. One night, she reached a breaking point.

Alone in her dorm room, she sat crying on the carpet. “I can't keep walking around with this much anger in me,” she said. “It's harming me [and] my relationships with people.” In her desperation, she cried out to God.

A’Lvinia thought she could grow in her walk with God on her own and didn't expect there was a place for her to do that on campus, at least not a place where she could fit in. “Sometimes, it can be intimidating to be one of the only people of color or one of the only Black people when you go to an event on campus,” she said.

Not long after, A’Lvinia went to an organization fair on campus. From across the way, she saw a table of giving away free ramen noodles –– one of her favorite foods. She met an ��Ƶ staff who invited her to fill out a contact card.

When her schedule didn't enable A’Lvinia to make Bible study, Shaylen Hardy, National Director of BCM and former Michigan State staff, offered to disciple her personally. As they met for coffee, Shaylen explained what ��Ƶ was and the vision for BCM.

“It just clicked with me,” A’Lvinia shared joyfully. “I wanted to be part of this community.”

Through the intentional investment of Shaylen and Brittany, A’Lvinia found a place where she could authentically be herself and grow with Jesus, surrounded by other Black students with similar experiences. Over time, God replaced her anger and despair with his joy and love that she wanted to overflow to others on campus.

As A’Lvinia leaned into the fullness of who God created her to be, something even more surprising happened. She began to believe he could call her to lead.

“We’re conditioned from a young age to believe that we are not able to be in leadership positions…But when you see a Black person leading, it's like, ‘oh, maybe I can do it!’” A’Lvinia said.

Now A'Lvinia is the president of BCM at Michigan State and hopes the ministry can be "the most welcoming Black community on campus."

A'Lvinia's leadership extends far beyond the ministry as she connects with other campus clubs and organizations, including the campus's African Student Union. She is influencing campus culture in profound ways, inviting students to Bible study or getting her community together to offer prayer to strangers on campus.

And the positive reception from Black students on campus has been overwhelming. When students learn that BCM exists at Michigan State exists –– not only as a place to discuss religion without judgement, but also as a space created specifically for them –– their excitement is contagious.

“I really feel like there is [spiritual curiosity on campus]. There’s so much going on in the world that people have to turn to something,” A’Lvinia said. “People are searching for community, especially Black people on campus."

Four years after that night in her dorm room, A’Lvinia has seen God move in incredible ways, not just in her chapter's growth but also in her own transformation. She’s prayerfully considering where God is calling her after graduation, and she’s excited to pass on a legacy of servant leadership in BCM to other students like Neveah.

Neveah: Welcome Like Jesus

Before college, Neveah often felt invisible. She went to a Christian school she describes as a “very mixed environment” that sometimes made her feel lost in the crowd, unnoticed and pushed to the side.

When she started college at Michigan State, she was determined to experience something different.

“I appreciate[d] all of the spaces for Christians here [on campus],” she said. “But I wanted a space that feels like home.”

Neveah scrolled Instagram one day and saw a post from a friend about BCM. Her curiosity quickly became an answered prayer, as started attending Bible study and making friends. That feeling of home she had never received before is exactly what she got.

“It felt like a safe space, not just a Bible study that meets once a week,” she said.

Neveah for the first time felt cared for by other students like her. She watched how Shaylen and Brittany poured into all of them, answering their questions about Jesus, showing up for the big and small moments in their lives, and celebrating how God was moving.

In this environment of true belonging, Nevaeah felt called by God to do create that belonging for others.

“I'm going to try to provide warmth for people or try to provide some type of comfort,” she thought. “[That’s] the same love Jesus showed me.”

Even with this call, however, doubt and self-consciousness crept in, as Nevaeah felt like no one would trust her or want to listen to anything she had to say.

But one day, that all changed. Freshmen began coming to Nevaeah, confiding in her about feeling lost or having trouble making friends on campus. They then each told Neveah how thankful they were to have her around as a listening ear.

Through this, Neveah started to see herself differently and believe in the gifts of empathy and hospitality God had blessed her with. Her BCM community affirmed this, with Brittany even telling her, “I would have loved to have a Neveah when I was in college!”

Now, Neveah no longer sees herself as invisible, but instead sees herself the way God sees her. She understands the unique and essential role he has for her in the BCM community, to help others find a home where they're seen and known.

“It's cool to see new people come and bring their friends,” Neveah said, excited for her chapter to grow and for more people to experience the same God-affirming community she has. She understands that there is something profound about what BCM offers and the way it's meeting a great need on campus.

“As students, we spend a lot of time in our rooms, thinking, I'm here alone. I think people on campus need a reminder that God is there for them.”

��Ƶ’s Black Campus Ministries is working on college campuses across the country to reach Black students with the gospel and send them out as leaders who can impact everywhere they go with the hope of Jesus. To learn more about and support BCM, go here.

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Stories from Campus

Kyia Hernandez

Kyia is a content coordinator for ��Ƶ's editorial team. She is based in Milwaukee, WI. She loves creating, especially with bright bold colors! In additional to her editorial work, she enjoys mentoring the LaFe Bible study at Marquette University. You can support her ministry here.

Do I Need a Significant Other to Experience Intimacy?

kyia.hernandez@intervarsity.org — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 19:56:14 +0000

February 12, 2026

Stephan Teng

Do I Need a Significant Other to Experience Intimacy?

In college, I was desperate for friendship.

In fact, my university knew that it had a loneliness problem among commuters like me. So it created commuter cohorts to help students make friends, and I attended as many of these events as I could. I even worked with my commuter advisor to host gatherings, but no one came. I was still alone and still searching for intimate friendships.

Intimacy is a term usually reserved for romantic relationships, but at its core, it just means to know and be known, check out ��Ƶ’s Ministry Playbook for more information. Our culture today confuses the intimate with the romantic, sometimes resulting in confusion between friends and often the sexualization of intimacy. But with current trends showing that Gen Z is getting married and having families later, there may be a growing hunger for intimacy beyond the romantic. That provides us with an opportunity.

Intimacy Isn’t Just One Thing

The church has been around for hundreds of years and has practiced healthy, platonic, close relationships just as long. Paul himself testifies of such intimate relationships to the churches, writing to them, “Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well” (1 Thess 2:7–8), and he invites them to do the same (“Being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” Phil 2:1-2).

When Gen Z is looking for communities that practice this, where else would be the best place to look but among God’s people?

Whether you’re someone looking to build community for Gen Z or you yourself are looking to grow in healthy intimacy with others, here are some different kinds of intimacy and ways to grow them in your church or fellowship:

Spiritual intimacy –– You can practice spiritual intimacy with others by exploring God’s Word together, sharing testimonies, worshipping God together, debriefing a sermon, or praying for each other.
Mental intimacy –– Groups can practice mental intimacy by listening to each other, asking questions, affirming or challenging ideas and perspectives, and sharing what they’re learning.
Emotional intimacy –– You can practice emotional intimacy by sharing family stories, being vulnerable about experiences and hopes, and practicing empathy with each other.
Social/experiential intimacy –– This kind of intimacy can be practiced by having shared experiences together, like volunteer work, travelling and exploring, and supporting each other on projects!
Physical intimacy –– This last kind of intimacy requires permission from others. It can be something as simple as a hug or putting a hand on someone’s shoulder.

I believe that learning and developing friendships in these kinds of intimacy can lead to a flourishing life, regardless of your relationship status!

Discovering Intimacy in Community

At some point in my freshman year, I found my ��Ƶ chapter. It was the first place in college where I felt connected to others in all these forms of intimacy. I found friends with whom I could explore the Bible, theological ideas, and life with God. We got together and shared our family backgrounds and burdens, marking a deep moment in our friendship. We even collaborated on skits for our chapter events.

Five years later, I moved from my church friends, college friends, and family to become a campus minister in upstate New York. I was told the biggest challenge facing young staff who move away was loneliness, but fortunately, my time as a student leader in ��Ƶ prepared me well.

I prioritized finding a community – and I found three: Local ministers invited me to a prayer group, I studied Scripture and volunteered with a group of graduate students, and the pastor of my church gave me permission to initiate a young adult small group where we debriefed Sunday sermons and grieved public tragedies.

Although I was single for all those years, those communities kept me flourishing and growing in my love for God and others. There were definitely moments where I longed for a spouse, but that longing did not define me. I was able to live in the present, loving and being loved by God and others.

Worth the Risk

For some of us, intimacy of any kind can sound intimidating. We wonder, Will others truly accept me? Will I belong? Will I be hurt? We would rather risk being lonely than being hurt. Trust me, I’ve been there. I’ve felt what it’s like to be abandoned, disappointed, and crushed… and what I’ve found is that what I needed most in those moments is more intimacy with others, not less.

If this describes you, then perhaps this is a chance to discover what kind of intimacy you need in your life. God made you to know and be known, to see others and be seen, to love and be loved. And the best time to begin experiencing that is now.

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Stephan Teng

Stephan Teng serves as an ��Ƶ Campus Staff Minister at Indiana University, where he currently staffs an Asian American chapter. He is a fourth-generation minister, alumnus of NYU, and is passionate about creativity and leadership. You can support his ministry at givetoiv.org/stephan_teng.

Coming in a Good Way at Tribal Colleges

emily.baez@intervarsity.org — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 19:29:27 +0000

Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice

December 30, 2025

Rashawn Ramone

Coming in a Good Way at Tribal Colleges

Imagine going to a new area without knowing the best spots to eat or the history of the place. You can’t use any resources to help you either.

I want to invite you to learn about a process called “coming in a good way.” It’s a protocol that Native ��Ƶ uses when arriving in a place where an invitation is needed. When we’re invited somewhere, we’re guests, and we want to be respectful and honorable to those who came before us.

Being Invited by Creator God and Learning How to Listen

Tim Webster, Native ��Ƶ Resource Specialist, stated, “Coming in a good way finds a path to the kind of resilient, empowered faith that transforms communities.”

Coming in a good way means asking permission when arriving at a new space and being invited there by Creator God and the local community. It involves taking initiative to build relationships and connections with people you meet and thanking Creator God for witnessing his works. Eventually, it should lead to partnership, affirming the gifts God has already given the community, and redefining success done among the community.

Since 2022, Native ��Ƶ has been attending a Tribal college student conference called American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). AIHEC started in 1972 by leaders of the first Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) in the United States and Canada. Their focus is to strengthen higher education for American Indian College students. At AIHEC, coming in a good way has meant initiating conversations with the coordinators about how we can support Native students well on their campuses.

While tabling at AIHEC, we ask students or faculty if Jesus would eat frybread. Several of them see humor when answering yes, no, or maybe, while others reveal how complicated this question can be for them. It helps Native ��Ƶ staff build relationships with university and college faculty and students, and we follow up to see if we can gain their permission to come to their campuses.  

Coming in a Good Way at NTU 

AIHEC has helped me connect with Tribal Colleges within the Four Corners region, specifically. One example of this is Navajo Technical University (NTU), the largest campus of these Tribal Colleges. We had been praying for revival and for a small group Bible study to start at NTU since 2016! And so, partnering with AIHEC was an answer to our prayers, asking God to show us how to come in a good way as we waited for a person of peace to build connections on campus.

After AIHEC in 2023, we began hosting a Bible study at NTU’s main campus. A handful of students met online and in-person, and many shared how important it was to have a safe space where they could talk honestly about being Native and a follower of Creator Sets Free (Jesus).

This didn’t come without challenges. Several students soon found themselves facing family situations that put their faith to the test.

Over my years on ��Ƶ staff, I’ve seen spiritual warfare on several Tribal college campuses — NTU has been no exception — especially when safe spaces are created for Native students and staff to grow spiritually. But God is always working to provide what Native students need to be able to strengthen their walk with him.

Coming in a Good Way in Scripture

This experience with NTU reminds me of Acts 10 and the powerful vision God gave Cornelius to send for Peter.

When Peter arrived, he entered the home of Gentiles, the home of another nation, which was considered unholy. But the Spirit led him to come in a good way.

Peter shared the gospel with Cornelius and his household, and they were all baptized in the name of the Chosen One, Creator Sets Free (Jesus), welcoming them into the sacred family. 

In the same way, Native ��Ƶ trusts the Holy Spirit to welcome us into places where we’re needed. We want to keep trusting in the Spirit and always come in a good way.  

Please pray for Tribal College students and faculty throughout the nation, for God to empower their faith as we continue witnessing God’s good work.

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Rashawn Ramone

Rashawn Ramone is a campus minister working with Native ��Ƶ at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico. He is from the Eastern Agency of the Navajo Nation.

Good Food Good Community

kyia.hernandez@intervarsity.org — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 22:26:57 +0000

November 26, 2025

Brenda Jo Wong

Good Food Good Community

I often say, “Food is the love language of the Chinese people.” If you’ve ever been to a Chinese banquet, you know that we love good food and lots of it! We celebrate birthdays, weddings, memorials, and all special occasions with food. Good food is the way we share love and celebrate relationships. I’ve found this to be true in every culture I’ve experienced.

Good food is also enjoyed whenever I gather with close friends. We’re able to be fully present in every way, and there’s no limit to our time together as it is physically, emotionally, and spiritually fulfilling.

Good Food and Good Community in Scripture

After Jesus rose from the dead, he cooked fish and invited his disciples to have breakfast with him. (John 21:9-13). They could have just talked at the beach, but Jesus wanted to share some good food with his disciples in one of their last times together.

The early believers “worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity” (Acts 2:46). Fellowship together involved Scripture, prayer, the Lord’s Supper, and a meal together.

There were seven major annual feasts/festivals commanded in Leviticus 23, including the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of First fruits, the Feast of the Weeks (Pentecost), the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of the Tabernacles. These feasts, celebrated with food and in community, served as ways to remember God’s protection, provision, and redemption.

Even in hard times, God talks about preparing a feast for us in the presence of our enemies. (Psalm 23:5).

Bringing Good Food to Your Community

��Ƶ volunteer staff Isaiah has been cooking regularly for Hui Pasi, our Pacific islander fellowship in Hawaii. I would happily drive across town to eat his food, and I’m sure his students also look forward to enjoying his food together each week. Good food is part of the good community they enjoy as they study Scripture, pray, and worship our Lord.

When I asked a friend who loves to cook about the topic of good food and good community, she talked about food being something that slows us down so we can connect with others. We sit down and all our attention is given to both eating and connecting.

If you’re not a great cook like me, there’s always something simple that you can provide. I bring tuna sandwiches, chips, and a simple salad when it’s my turn to bring lunch to church. When I host dinner in my home, it’s not fancy but hopefully enjoyable. I grew up with parents that had gifts of hospitality and community. Our food was simple but abundant, and everyone we invited over enjoyed our time together.

Ask God how he might be inviting you to extend hospitality to your ��Ƶ community through food. This doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You can also focus on one or two dishes you feel great about. Form a rotating team of people to give those who love cooking and hospitality the chance to serve, or consider asking alumni and volunteers to contribute funds, time, or their own food. Or, if you yourself are an ��Ƶ alumnus or partner, consider how you can serve a campus in this way.

Cooking with others also develops community, so you can even plan time to make and eat food together! If you’re the one providing the food, don’t let the preparation and serving of the food take away from you experiencing community. Have others help you serve and clean up.

God’s Great Banquet on Campus

How can good food play a larger role in your ��Ƶ community? Whether simple or fancy, it’s undeniable that food adds another dimension to our gatherings. The physical nourishment we experience when we eat together mirrors the spiritual nourishment we’re also experiencing together.

Jesus talks about the Great Banquet where everyone is invited. (Luke 14:15-24) Who might Jesus be inviting you to bring to the table — into good food and good community — so they can experience him for themselves?

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Brenda Jo Wong

Brenda has spent over 46 years leading, discipling, and developing ��Ƶ students and staff in San Francisco and Hawai`i. She has a passion for multiethnicity, justice, God’s presence, supernatural ministry, and enjoys the beach, good food, and time with friends of all ages. You can also support her ministry at https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#17.

Could Friendship Be a Salve for Church Hurt?

kyia.hernandez@intervarsity.org — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 21:48:41 +0000

November 21, 2025

Abby Beasley

Could Friendship Be a Salve for Church Hurt?

I always tell my students that tax collectors were kind of like mobsters. They weren’t your typical blue-collar criminals; they were the worst kind of traitor, getting rich off the imperial oppression of their own people.

Because of their questionable vocation, tax collectors were treated like they’d sold their souls: They couldn't testify in court, they were often disowned by their families and shunned by their community, and they weren’t welcomed in synagogues

Talk about church hurt.

Zacchaeus: The Don of Jericho

In Luke 19, we meet a chief tax collector named Zacchaeus. If we stick with our mobster analogy, the chief tax collector isn’t just one of the guys in the ranks. Zacchaeus is the Don of Jericho. He’s the leader of the syndicate in his city.

If tax collectors are bad, Zacchaeus is, well… extra bad.

He’s a man who has everything. He’s undoubtedly one of the wealthiest men in his city – maybe even in all of Rome’s empire. He’s corrupt. He’s power-hungry. He’s an extortionist – a man willing to sacrifice his own people on Rome’s altar if it means shaking the pennies from their pockets.

Even those of us who haven’t seen the movie (It’s me, hi!) can conjure a mental image of The Godfather. When we think of Don Corleone, we think of a man people feared and respected, even as they hated him. It’s not far reaching to extend this persona to Zacchaeus.

Yet, in his story, instead of commanding lackeys from behind a desk, Zacchaeus rolls up his sleeves and climbs a tree to catch a glimpse of the strange rabbi, Jesus, everyone has been talking about.

There’s something profoundly humble and childlike in that choice. Can you imagine Don Corleone in a tree?

When Jesus sees Zacchaeus, he approaches a Jewish mobster hanging from the branches and gives him a beautiful extension of friendship (which, I think, is often lost on modern readers). He calls Zacchaeus by name, tells him to climb down, and invites himself over to Zacchaeus’ house to stay. Zacchaeus, to the reader’s surprise, responds immediately and excitedly.

But while Jesus is at Zacchaeus’ house, the people complain about him. They’re no longer solely disgusted by Zacchaeus, but Jesus too.

It would have been one thing to teach Zacchaeus. But to enter his home? To be with him like a friend? That was to refrain from condemning him, and that was too far.

Bearing his shame and calling him son

It’s interesting, isn’t it? Even here, before the cross, Jesus is bearing the shame of his people. The people don’t like Zacchaeus, and when Jesus associates with him and extends friendship, they decide they don’t like Jesus either. Jesus takes on Zacchaeus’ shame.

And it works.

Where Zacchaeus had been rejected, Jesus offers acceptance. Where Zacchaeus had been wounded, Jesus offers healing.

Zacchaeus responds to Jesus’ friendship with transformation: “I’m giving everything I stole back to everyone I stole from, fourfold!” When you consider that the nature of this man’s job is stealing, it’s hard to imagine he’ll have anything left after fulfilling such a promise.

And, in response, Jesus affirms Zacchaeus’ place among the sons of Abraham — the very people who claimed Zacchaeus had been cut from the family tree. With his statement in Luke 19:9, he essentially says, our people have rejected you, but I say you are still a child of God. I came for the lost, not those who have already been found.

This isn’t to say that the things people had said about Zacchaeus weren’t true. He was a mobster, after all.

Rather, it means that Jesus’ acceptance of Zacchaeus isn’t contingent upon his behavior or others’ opinions.

What about us?

The people who hated Zacchaeus, and then Jesus by association, probably felt justified in their hatred. Everything about Zacchaeus was antithetical to their religious way of life.

How often do we hurt people because they don’t fit into our “religious way of life?” Do we feel justified in hurting others because they don’t fit into our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus?

Ultimately, this wrong and self-righteous belief has led to many people turning away from Jesus, not toward him.

As Jesus-followers, it would do us well to realize that there are victims all around us, on campus and in the world, who have giant, gaping church-inflicted wounds. Where have you seen your peers experience rejection from the church? I urge you to consider: How might you partner with Jesus to offer them friendship and healing?

It seems that, to Jesus, ‘right behavior’ wasn’t a prerequisite to friendship. In this story, and in countless others, it was actually his ability to make friends with the “wrong people” that resulted in their salvation. His friendship was a salve on the wound of rejection inflicted by the religious people around them.

And if we are to be like Jesus, if we are to, like him, be reconcilers on campus and in every area of our lives, then we are also not here for the found, but for the lost.

Our friendship, like Jesus’, is a balm. Our radical acceptance of people who don’t fit can be their salvation. Entering into their spaces, even the spaces that make us or others uncomfortable, can remind them of the fact that they, too, are a child of God, even if someone has said otherwise.

I encourage you to pursue friendship with the Zacchaeus’ on campus. Because our friendship with the “wrong person”, the person who has been wounded by the church and who is living lost, is exactly the kind of thing God might use to draw them into his beautiful and upside-down kingdom.

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Abby Beasley

Abby Beasley serves with ��Ƶ as a Campus Staff Minister in the South Indiana Area. You can support her ministry here.

Every "Yes" Matters: Why We Celebrate Faith Decisions

kyia.hernandez@intervarsity.org — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 19:07:09 +0000

November 14, 2025

Kelly Aalseth

Every "Yes" Matters: Why We Celebrate Faith Decisions

In ��Ƶ, we make a big deal about decisions to follow Jesus. This year, we counted 2,670 first-time decisions to follow Jesus across the United States. Discipleship with Jesus is a daily decision to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8). But formal moments of decision play a key role in our lives with God too.

Decisions Require Honest Reflection

I recently made a decision to dedicate my baby, Lucy, to God. She will make her own decisions as she grows, but this was a decision for me to choose to trust Jesus as I parent her.

I had previously dedicated my firstborn daughter, Julia, to Jesus. She passed away from leukemia at 19 months old. The night before Lucy’s baby dedication, I felt physically sick, sweaty, and headachy. My body knew grief before my brain caught up. I prayed honestly, God, I dedicated Julia to you. And you took her from me. Can’t I keep one baby for myself? I pondered if I could hold to my commitment to follow Jesus and to teach my daughter about him. I’m still so mad at him.

An old hymn hummed in my mind, “I have decided to follow Jesus… no turning back, no turning back.” I had already decided, when I was six years old, to follow Jesus. But I needed to decide again. I wrote in my journal, “God, I’m still in this with you.” I made a bullet-pointed list as to why I’m still committed to him, though it still had several asterisks and question marks.

The morning of Lucy’s baby dedication, she had a blowout diaper and spit up all over her cute dress that I had planned for her to wear. After washing and drying her dress, in my haste to get out the door, I spilled my water bottle all over both of us. Getting an infant dressed and to church on time, hoping they don’t scream on stage, feels unnecessarily torturous.

But I’m glad we got dressed up. I’m glad we got a cake. I’m glad we took pictures and had the whole family come over to celebrate. Because it is a big deal.

Why Do We Celebrate?

This experience made me reflect on what it is we are celebrating when we make faith decisions. If you’ve made a decision to follow Jesus in your ��Ƶ chapter, you may wonder why your friends are making such a big deal about it. Here are a few reasons:

We celebrate the work of the Holy Spirit. When we have moments of decision or commitment, it’s because the Spirit has been convicting and inviting us into a decision point. He’s gotten our attention. His actions towards us and for us are what we celebrate. His transformative work in our lives will be ongoing and eternal (Philippians 1:6, 2:13).
We celebrate the courage it takes to make the decision. Decisions to follow Jesus are costly. For students, a decision for Jesus can mean a break in family trust, giving up resources, a change in career path, a surrender of desires, and an honest wrestling with distrust and pain. Historically and globally, decisions for Jesus can lead to imprisonment and even literal death. We don’t celebrate the suffering for suffering's sake, but for the hope it reveals (Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2). It’s courageous to say yes.
We celebrate every decision. Some students make a decision to trust Jesus for the first time. Others grew up with family faith traditions but decided to make a commitment as adults. Others make a recommitment after a season of hardship. Some students make a decision with certainty. Others take small, cautious first steps. All of these faith decisions and steps in the discipleship process are worthy of celebration (Mark 4:26-29).
We celebrate in community. If you decided to follow Jesus in ��Ƶ, there’s a reason your community shared in your joy. I dedicated my daughters to Jesus with my friends in front of my whole community because when I’m doubting and angry with God, I can be encouraged that others have suffered too and are still saying yes to Jesus. When I can’t remember why I follow Jesus, I can remember the global and historical Church and those who have given up everything because of their belief in Jesus’s worthiness. We can celebrate because we are not alone (Luke 15:11-32).
We celebrate God’s loyalty to us. That church hymn that was playing in my head, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” can be a bit confusing. Is it our decision that saves us or God’s grace? And how much weight do we put on the decision? It’s good that we make the decision and celebrate it, but our decisiveness and loyalty are not enough to lead us into holiness. It’s God’s fierce loyalty to us that makes us into disciples (2 Timothy 2:13, Romans 5:8, 8:10).

Deciding to trust Jesus with my life and with my daughters’ lives is something I will need help with hourly, but I’m glad I had this formal time of dedication. Whether I’m changing diapers in the middle of the night, sending my baby off to college, or remembering my firstborn, I can look back at this time and remember that I made a commitment, in community, to trust Jesus with their lives. And Jesus, in his faithfulness, will help me stick to that commitment.

What would you add to my list? How has God met you in your decision to follow him on campus this year, and who can celebrate that with you? Maybe you’re like me and want to make a decision, but you have honest questions and doubts. Who or what can help you take one more step of honest courage towards Jesus? How will you celebrate that when you do?

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Sharing Your Faith

Kelly Aalseth

Kelly Aalseth serves with ��Ƶ as a Regional Coordinator for Leadership Development in the Greater Los Angeles Region. She is the author of "Keeper of Your Life: Actively Trusting Jesus Through Chronic Pain" and "8 Attentive Questions: To help you become more like Jesus." More of her writing can be seen at kellyaalseth.com.

You can support her ministry here, givetoiv.org/kellyaalseth.

To Wait or To Date

kyia.hernandez@intervarsity.org — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 21:53:32 +0000

November 06, 2025

Megan Littel

To Wait or To Date

I met my husband at UW-Milwaukee’s ��Ƶ chapter. At that time, there was a culture of not dating. Two of the male student leaders were especially advocates for creating a culture of brothers and sisters in Christ. My now husband, Ethan, was one of them.

These leaders would encourage each other and fellow students to have a year of intentional singleness to pursue God before considering a relationship. This promoted the idea that God should always be our number one priority. Intentional singleness could also prepare hearts for dating by focusing on the God Who is Love, so we begin to learn the foundation of what love looks like and how to love a spouse as Scripture says (see Ephesians 5:25 on how a husband should love his wife).

That chapter culture ran deep, so when Ethan began pursuing me, it was an intentional (and slow) process, and it was after he had finished his commitment to a year of intentional singleness. We did not begin dating until our senior year, and it was through prayer and seeking the opinions of those around us that we decided to date.

Whether your chapter has unofficial “dos” and “don'ts” for dating like ours did (Do: wait. Don’t: date) or couples are dating in your chapter already, the question remains: how do you date well in college ministry?

Prioritizing God and His Mission

God is the whole point. Many Christians glorify romantic relationships above all, and this is not Scriptural. God should be our first devotion (see Paul's words about singleness and marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:6-9, 32-35).

College is a precious time, only a handful of years of great opportunity for Gospel engagement. God invites us into what he is doing on our campuses, and it would be a shame to miss out on something with eternal Kingdom value. This is not to suggest that dating and the pursuit of marriage are wrong. However, God is always the main focus, whether we are single, dating, or married.

Dating can easily become a distraction from the mission. Learning to find balance between ministry and other areas of our lives is important. We must learn to align our lives with God's mission and calling for us in any given season.

Setting Boundaries

If you are dating, you are not married. And there must be boundaries — both physical and sexual, and spiritual and emotional — in a dating relationship. Going it alone can't be an option because when left to us, boundaries easily get crossed or slips are justified. If we date, our priority in the relationship should be about honoring God.

If you are dating, find someone (like a staff worker) to hold you accountable to boundaries and healthy relationship expectations.

We Were Made for Community

Sometimes couples become a two-person bubble, but this is not how we are meant to live.

If you are in a relationship, you cannot thrive in a bubble with just your significant other. Just as those of us who are single need friends, mentors, leaders, those we are pouring into, so do those in romantic relationships outside of their partner. Do spend time with your significant other. Don't spend all of your time with your significant other.

When we began dating, Ethan and I had intentional conversations around this topic. We intentionally wouldn't sit next to each other at our weekly large group gatherings, attended separate Bible studies, and left space when we were with our chapter for other relationships to be prioritized, to welcome freshmen and newcomers, and to practice healthy boundaries within community. Did we do this perfectly? Of course not. But the intention was discussed because we understood the value of not closing ourselves off in a bubble.

If you are dating someone in your college ministry, have a conversation about what it could look like to not isolate, but to prioritize the community you are currently a part of. All too soon, this season of student community life will end upon graduation.

The Relationship Question

We used to joke among our chapter members that we were “majoring in ��Ƶ,” meaning ministry was a top priority of our time on campus. Even though my relationship with Ethan was very important to me because I hoped it would continue after college (and it did; we have now been married for nine years), our time in college was a precious and unique time for ministry.

God should be our first love all the time. Community with our chapter is a blessing when it is prioritized. A dating relationship shouldn't interfere with God's mission on campus or take away from our time in such a unique season. You and your partner should be better together for God's Kingdom and working within his design and purposes. God desires our whole hearts and works in spectacular ways when we surrender our lives to him, including our romantic aspirations and statuses.

While there are a lot of good questions we can ask about dating, like “should I date this person?” or “is it okay to date in college/in my campus ministry?” The main question we should all ask ourselves, regardless of our romantic relationship status, is this:

How can I honor God with my time in college?

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Megan Littel

Megan Littel is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (UWM), holding both a bachelor's and a master's degree from UWM. She loves using her passion for writing and language to nurture others and serve ��Ƶ. She lives in Milwaukee with her husband and daughter.