Alumni and Staff Profiles / en Latetia Bobo: Remembering Our Friend Who Spoke Life to Many /blog/latetia-bobo-remembering-our-friend-who-spoke-life-many <div class="body-of-blog _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-contented9b3f5f-76ef-4b0b-90f9-56f4838df23b"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="link-to-blog-home"><a href="/blog">Blog</a></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogcreated"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-17T15:37:09-05:00" title="Tuesday, March 17, 2026 - 15:37" class="datetime">March 17, 2026</time> </span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Kelly Aalseth</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogtitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Latetia Bobo: Remembering Our Friend Who Spoke Life to Many</h1></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-square-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="float-md-end field field--name-field-square-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/2026-03/IMG_5462.JPG?itok=qcHDU3wK" width="325" height="213" alt="Woman in yellow smiling" class="image-style-max-325x325"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p dir="ltr"><span>“And if you really understood this God you speak of</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Then your heart should be whole enough to speak life</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Where there is none</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Yes Ezekiel</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>These bones can live and they will live</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>There is blood crying out from the ground</span></p><p>Cain</p><p>And you are Abel to dilute it."</p><p><span>- Latetia Bobo at Ƶ’s Southern California “Ignite” Conference 2015</span></p><p>The excerpt above is from a spoken word piece that Latetia Bobo, Ƶ alumna and volunteer, wrote and performed for an Ƶ evangelism conference in 2015. Latetia believed that Jesus has life for every student, every campus, and every part of our unjust world.</p><p>Latetia’s words rang all the more profoundly in our ears as we received the news last weekend that she was killed in a mass shooting. Latetia led our Ƶ movement, particularly on the West Coast and among our Black Campus Ministries community, in a prophetic invitation to believe that God will bring revival to our campuses, but the revival will start in our own hearts as we allow Jesus to touch the parts of us that feel dead.</p><p>As I write this piece, I wish she were here to write it with me. I loved collaborating with her on writing projects. She had her own poetic words, and she also knew how to draw the poetry out of others.</p><p><strong>Latetia believed in a big and creative God, and today we recognize how her creative vision spoke life into so many places.</strong></p><h2>Latetia Spoke Life to the College Campus</h2><p>When Latetia was a student at&nbsp;University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2015, she noticed a problem: there was no place for Black students to worship Jesus without needing to code switch in order to fit into the majority culture. At that time, less than five percent of undergrads at UCLA were Black and so the community was tightly-knit.</p><p>Latetia and her friends began to dream,&nbsp;<em>there’s no reason we can’t give every Black student at UCLA the experience of a worship service</em><span>. So they started “Black Church Mondays” where they’d bring Black church to a college lecture hall. Hundreds of UCLA students from many ethnicities and spiritual backgrounds encountered Jesus through a tradition that still continues a decade later.</span></p><p>Latetia’s actions helped change the way we think about church partnership in Ƶ. She and her friend, Briana McKoy, started “Revive LA,” where they’d invite local churches to come prayer-walk on the UCLA campus.</p><p>They formed a strong partnership between the Ƶ group at UCLA and the youth ministry at H.O.P.E.'s House Church in Granada Hills and This is Pentecost in Sacramento, California. <strong>Latetia and Briana brought church to campus and campus to church.</strong></p><p>“It was the honor of my life to serve God’s people alongside such a safe, sweet, brilliant, and beautiful soul,” Briana said. “We were hurricanes. She is my sister for eternity, and I eagerly await ‘The Adventures of Bri &amp; Teesh’ to continue on the other side.”</p><p>Latetia’s legacy also continues in the students she invested in. She chose to intentionally disciple freshmen at UCLA, many of whom are now doctors, teachers, lawyers, and professional artists. Latetia did a “Who am I” retreat with some of the freshman women and later worked with them to write a 20 day devotional book called,&nbsp;<em>Soul Work: Who I am.</em></p><p>Latetia truly loved these freshmen, and she spent lots of time with them.</p><p>“We used to kick our RA friends out of their rooms so we could have sleepovers in them,” alumna Ashley Leach recalls.</p><p>Jennille Fleming, another alumna, also has fond memories: “We’ve blended our families and friend groups, traveled to many countries together, celebrated together, mourned together…”</p><p><span>The list of people who’ve been influenced by Latetia’s leadership is long:</span></p><ul><li dir="ltr"><span>“She had a way of seeing the gifts in people and calling them forward.” - Stanley Jackson.</span></li><li dir="ltr"><span>“She listened to and accepted the parts of me that I had never shared before” - Megan Arden.</span></li><li dir="ltr"><span>&nbsp;“She inspired me to take up more space.”- Esther Ekwueme</span></li><li dir="ltr"><span>“She taught me to be bold about what God calls you to and to pursue your purpose with courage and conviction.” - Signora Dillingham</span></li><li dir="ltr"><span>“She&nbsp;had the ability to make everyone believe they were capable.” - Christine Lindsay&nbsp;</span></li><li dir="ltr"><span>“She&nbsp;discipled so many of us (both formally and informally).” - Natalia Williams</span></li><li dir="ltr"><span>“She was a visionary” - Chris Carey&nbsp;</span></li></ul><h2>Latetia Spoke Life to Ƶ’s Movement</h2><p>Latetia was a dreamer. One lecture hall at UCLA was not big enough for students worshipping Jesus. She wanted to see every Black student in the West Coast experience what her community was experiencing,&nbsp;<strong>so she planned and directed conferences for hundreds of Black students from over 25 different college campuses.</strong></p><p>“I love how much I had to keep running with you and your vision and ideas,” Eddy Ekmekji, Regional Director of Ƶ’s Surf and Turf Region, said.</p><p>Latetia also made a big impact at Ambition, a national conference Ƶ hosts every three years designed to help students start something new on their campuses.</p><p>Every Ambition, there are prizes for best ideas created, and Latetia and Briana won one year. Their idea was to host a “Me Too…What’s Next?” event where they would invite trauma counselors and teach students about inner healing prayer as they process the wounds from their past.</p><h2>Latetia Spoke Life to Artists</h2><p>Latetia graduated with an MFA at UCLA’s School of Film, Television, and Theater, and she put her talents to use. She worked on many movies, scripts, and award-winning short films, and even worked in production on shows across the country, like MTV's<em> Wild N’ Out</em><span>, NBC’s&nbsp;</span><em>The Voice</em><span>, and the NBA All Star Weekend.</span></p><p>Not only that, but&nbsp;<strong>Latetia helped many artists discover their callings and meet God within the industry</strong><span>. One creative, Julian Murray, said, “She reminded me that a loving God didn’t have to look stiff or judgmental… he could be joyful, creative, and real. Around her, I never felt judged, cast aside, or less than. I felt seen. I felt believed in. I felt loved out loud.”</span></p><p><span>Here are some other things her fellow artists said about her:</span></p><ul><li dir="ltr"><span>“She partnered with people to bring their visions to life. She was a creator and a visionary.”- Faith Carey</span></li><li dir="ltr"><span>“You were more than just a work associate; you were my friend.” - Melvin Childs</span></li><li dir="ltr"><span>“Latetia was a beautiful soul, a gifted storyteller, and a friend whose encouragement and love I will carry with me always.”- Aszue Wilson</span></li><li dir="ltr"><span>“Teesh functioned as the first manager of my artistry career…She truly understood the assignment:</span><strong> Love your neighbor.” -&nbsp;</strong><span>Alwayne Spencer</span></li></ul><h2>Latetia Spoke Life Because Jesus Was Her Source of Life</h2><p>Ƶ alumna, Lauren DeVaughn writes, “I don’t know another person who moved masses the way she did.”</p><p>Another alumna, Kayla Alexander, writes, “People flung to her, and she loved hard back.”</p><p>Latetia could move the masses because she “really understood” the God she spoke of. God is not a small God. He is not a boring God. He is big. He is creative. He can make dry bones live.</p><p>Latetia really believed this. And she lived her life asking Jesus to revive her. And for many of us in and outside of Ƶ, we have felt the effects.</p><p>As our movement mourns the loss of Latetia and her amazing influence on others, we are grateful for the ways she fully embodied Ƶ’s vision statement: Students and faculty transformed, campuses renewed, and world changers developed. We honor the ways she loved and served, and ask you to join us in prayer for her friends, family, and the legacy she has left on many in the Ƶ community.</p><div> <div class="layout layout--onecol"> <div class="layout__region layout__region--content"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blockmediaimagefield-media-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Image</div> <div class="field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-03/Screenshot%202026-03-13%20at%2011.12.21%E2%80%AFPM.PNG?itok=UDU2iXXT" width="480" height="473" alt="group worshiping" class="image-style-large"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-blog-categories"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-categories field--type-entity-reference field--label-inline"> <div class="field__label">Blog Categories</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2737" hreflang="en">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <article data-history-node-id="6943" class="node node--type-about-the-author node--view-mode-teaser clearfix"> <header> </header> <div class="node__content clearfix"> <div class="medium-gray-background bg-color _none"><div class="w-100"> <div class="layout row no-gutters layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-3 col-12 d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center "> <div class="_none bs-mr-1 block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorfield-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="ata field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/about-author/stub"><img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/author/Screen%20Shot%202019-06-20%20at%204.00.34%20PM.png.webp?h=e69272b1&amp;itok=qweG7ocz" width="220" height="220" alt="smiling woman with glasses" class="image-style-medium"> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-9 col-12"> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authortitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><span><a href="/about-author/stub" hreflang="en">Kelly Aalseth</a></span></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Kelly Aalseth serves with Ƶ as a Regional Coordinator for Leadership Development in the Greater Los Angeles Region. She is the author of&nbsp;"<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Keeper-Your-Life-Actively-Trusting/dp/0692042245/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1550261615&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=keeper+of+your+life">Keeper of Your Life: Actively Trusting Jesus Through Chronic Pain</a>"&nbsp;and "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Eight-Attentive-Questions-become-Jesus/dp/1960290002">8 Attentive Questions: To help you become more like Jesus</a>." More of her writing can be seen at <a href="https://kellyaalseth.com">kellyaalseth.com</a>.</p><p>You can support her ministry here, <a href="https://givetoiv.org/kellyaalseth">givetoiv.org/kellyaalseth</a>.</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="layout layout--onecol"> <div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="-menu" class="_none block block-menu navigation menu--blog-categories-menu"> <h2 id="-menu">Categories</h2> <ul class="clearfix nav" data-component-id="bootstrap_barrio:menu"> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/spiritual-formation" title="Spiritual Formation" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-spiritual-formation" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10527">Spiritual Formation</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/scripture" title="Scripture" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-scripture" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10529">Scripture</a> 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class="content"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-13T11:39:11-05:00" title="Friday, March 13, 2026 - 11:39" class="datetime">March 13, 2026</time> </span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Emily Baez</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogtitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Ƶ Alumnus Troy Anderson “Speaks Up” for Girls in Bangladesh</h1></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-square-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="float-md-end field field--name-field-square-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/2026-03/I%20Speak%20UP_resized_0.jpg?itok=oPcjeQEH" width="282" height="325" alt="Man smiling and holding a sign that says &quot;I speak up...to build a better world&quot;" class="image-style-max-325x325"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em><span>God is using Troy Anderson to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable women and girls around the world.</span></em></p><p><em><span>We sat down with him on the&nbsp;</span></em><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e26-speaking-up-for-the-poor-with-troy-anderson/id1719835730?i=1000725848037"><em><span>Ƶ World Changers podcast</span></em></a> <em><span>to hear how his experience in Ƶ ultimately inspired him to start&nbsp;</span></em><a href="https://www.speakupforthepoor.org/"><em><span>Speak Up for the Poor</span></em></a><em><span>, an organization that prevents child marriage and other exploitation.</span></em></p><p><span>“There’s no child marriage here, Uncle Troy. What are you talking about?” the girls in a small village in Bangladesh tell Troy Anderson, an Ƶ alumnus and the founder of Speak Up.</span></p><p><span>Many of the girls Troy works with are only 9, 10, or 11 years old when they first enter Speak Up’s “Girl Empowerment Program,” which works to prevent child marriage, exploitation, and trafficking through education. Most don’t remember what their villages looked like a decade ago. But Troy does.</span></p><p><span>In Bangladesh alone, roughly 60 to 65 percent of girls are married before the age of 18.</span></p><p><span>Child marriage can lead to lifelong vulnerability. Young brides often leave school, move into their husband’s family home, and have children early. If the marriage fails, they find themselves with little education and nowhere to turn. Some end up in the commercial sex industry to support themselves.</span></p><p><span>But a lot of that is changing in the villages served by Speak Up.</span></p><p><span>“Now it’s normal for girls to stay in school,” Troy said.&nbsp;</span></p><h2><span>‘This is Different’</span></h2><p><span>Troy describes his childhood as “scrambled.” His parents were international teachers, so he grew up in places like Yemen and Syria. From an early age, he saw that the world was vast and full of complex issues and pains.</span></p><p><span>Although he was raised in a Christian family, his faith was wavering by the time he started college at the University of Puget Sound in Washington. When someone invited him to an Ƶ Bible study during his sophomore year, he was skeptical. He wasn’t interested in joining a Christian group that didn’t apply their faith to real-world issues.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>The campus staff minister at the time, Catherine, told him about Ƶ’s urban summer projects, where students serve in cities like Seattle and Tacoma.&nbsp;The group also studied the book of Amos — a prophet who spoke directly about social injustice.</span></p><p><span>“I thought, </span><em><span>Oh, this is different than what I perceived most Christian groups as,</span></em><span>” Troy said. He was used to Christians who talked a lot about theology and being nice but didn’t engage with the poor. “This is a real model of the faith that I can grab onto.”&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Troy became deeply involved with Ƶ until he graduated. Then, he came on staff!&nbsp;</span></p><h2><span>Facing Evil in the World</span></h2><p><span>After seven years with Ƶ, Troy worked with&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.servantpartners.org/"><span>Servant Partners</span></a><span>, a&nbsp;Christian urban ministry born out of Ƶ on the West Coast. He later enrolled in law school, hoping to use his degree to continue serving those on the margins. Around that same time, he began learning more about the commercial sex industry and forced prostitution around the world.</span></p><p><span>One day while he was reading Proverbs 31, a couple of verses stood out to him:</span></p><p style="margin:12.0pt 0in 12.0pt .5in;"><em><span><strong>Speak up</strong> for those who cannot speak for themselves,</span></em></p><p style="margin:12.0pt 0in 12.0pt .5in;"><em><span>for the rights of all who are destitute.</span></em></p><p style="margin:12.0pt 0in 12.0pt .5in;"><em><span><strong>Speak up</strong> and judge fairly;</span></em></p><p style="margin:12.0pt 0in 12.0pt .5in;"><em><span>defend the rights of the poor and needy.</span></em></p><p style="margin:12.0pt 0in 12.0pt .5in;"><em><span>Proverbs 31:8-9</span></em></p><p><em><span>That's&nbsp;what I want&nbsp;to&nbsp;do,</span></em><span> he thought.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>The summer after his first year of law school, he traveled to northern Thailand, where he worked with several organizations addressing human trafficking.</span></p><p><span>However, he soon realized his law degree wasn’t especially useful in that context because he didn’t speak the local language. Instead, he was asked to help in an unusual way: as a white American man, he could be mistaken for a sex tourist. So, Troy was sent to go undercover in brothels across the region, where he saw the horrors of human trafficking firsthand.</span></p><p><span>“I&nbsp;remember going home, and I would physically vomit because it was so, so&nbsp;profoundly evil,” he said. &nbsp;</span></p><h2><span>Imagining a Different Future</span></h2><p><span>Troy’s grief led him to start an organization that prevents this kind of evil from harming girls and women.</span></p><p><span>Speak Up offers education programs in 40 villages and slum communities across the Khulna region in western Bangladesh, serving around <strong>2,500 girls from extremely poor backgrounds</strong>. They run after-school tutoring programs, job training, a stipend program to help girls stay in school, and even operate dormitories for those in particularly difficult circumstances.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“By the time [these girls] are 13 or 14,&nbsp;they start facing these pressures to get married,”&nbsp;Troy explained. “A girl who joins our&nbsp;program in&nbsp;the&nbsp;fifth grade has&nbsp;probably about&nbsp;a 60&nbsp;to&nbsp;70 percent chance of&nbsp;finishing higher education.”</span></p><p><span>When girls stay in school, they begin imagining different futures. “They're realizing, ‘I do want to be a nurse or a teacher,” Troy said. “They start owning it.”&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Several graduates of Speak Up’s programs have even gone on to serve as employees and social workers within the organization.</span></p><p><span>“Who could be a better social worker?” he said. “They’re a great example to the whole village.”</span></p><p><span>Bangladesh has numerous other communities facing similar challenges, but Troy believes that supporting girls’ education could transform entire regions over time.</span></p><p><span>“If you recreate that in tens of millions of young girls, one day you're going to have an army of people that are empowered,” he said.&nbsp;</span></p><h2><span>Go Love People</span></h2><p><span>Troy sees sex trafficking as the extreme outcome of a broader problem: ”It’s the ultimate manifestation of our worst impulse to objectify a girl. It’s just taking it to its evil extreme.”&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>The problems that allow exploitation to continue range from pornography and lust to the everyday ways women are devalued. Troy’s time on Ƶ staff gave him the chance to walk alongside young men struggling with these issues. And while he believes it's good to have spaces for these conversations within Christian community, he also sees the risk of focusing only on self-protection. One of the key lessons he learned through Ƶ — and hopes others embrace — is to take faith seriously by moving beyond self-protection and towards confronting injustice in the world. &nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“Let's go love people instead of just protecting ourselves from the world,” he said.&nbsp;</span></p><p><em><span>Find the rest of Troy’s story&nbsp;</span></em><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e26-speaking-up-for-the-poor-with-troy-anderson/id1719835730?i=1000725848037"><em><span>here</span></em></a><em><span>. And join us in praying for world changers like him as they help vulnerable people around the world imagine better futures.&nbsp;</span></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-blog-categories"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-categories field--type-entity-reference field--label-inline"> <div class="field__label">Blog Categories</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2737" hreflang="en">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <article data-history-node-id="835" class="node node--type-about-the-author node--view-mode-teaser clearfix"> <header> </header> <div class="node__content clearfix"> <div class="medium-gray-background bg-color _none"><div class="w-100"> <div class="layout row no-gutters layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-3 col-12 d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center "> <div class="_none bs-mr-1 block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorfield-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="ata field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/about-author/emily-baez"><img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/author/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%281%29.png.webp?h=1426add3&amp;itok=-6Recl47" width="220" height="220" alt="photo of Emily" class="image-style-medium"> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-9 col-12"> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authortitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><span><a href="/about-author/emily-baez" hreflang="en">Emily Baez</a></span></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>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 <a href="http://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#22836">support her ministry here</a>.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="layout layout--onecol"> <div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="-menu" class="_none block block-menu navigation menu--blog-categories-menu"> <h2 id="-menu">Categories</h2> <ul class="clearfix nav" data-component-id="bootstrap_barrio:menu"> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/spiritual-formation" title="Spiritual Formation" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-spiritual-formation" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10527">Spiritual Formation</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/scripture" title="Scripture" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-scripture" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10529">Scripture</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/community-and-relationships" title="Community and Relationships" 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<a href="/bible-study">Study the Bible</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> </div> </div> </div></div> Fri, 13 Mar 2026 16:39:11 +0000 kyia.hernandez@intervarsity.org 10997 at Ƶ Alumnus Jessie Thomas Listens to Jesus on Set, at the Table, and Everywhere Else /blog/intervarsity-alumnus-jessie-thomas-listens-jesus-set-table-and-everywhere-else <div class="body-of-blog _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-contented9b3f5f-76ef-4b0b-90f9-56f4838df23b"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="link-to-blog-home"><a href="/blog">Blog</a></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogcreated"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-02-13T14:29:11-06:00" title="Friday, February 13, 2026 - 14:29" class="datetime">February 13, 2026</time> </span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Emily Baez</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogtitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Ƶ Alumnus Jessie Thomas Listens to Jesus on Set, at the Table, and Everywhere Else</h1></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-square-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="float-md-end field field--name-field-square-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/2026-02/IMG_1906%20%281%29.jpeg?itok=IAIqriB0" alt="Jessie smiling" class="image-style-max-325x325"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em><span>God uses Jessie Thomas’ passions for food, media, and people to make himself known across a wide range of roles.&nbsp;</span></em></p><p><em><span>We sat down with her on the Ƶ&nbsp;</span></em><a href="https://youtu.be/Tbsluils2Js?si=xDe4zwmoq1PT9D1V"><em><span>World Changers podcast </span></em></a><em><span>to hear how her experience as an Ƶ student prepared her to follow God with openness and trust — even on the set of the Food Network show, Chopped!&nbsp;</span></em></p><h2><span>Surrendering Everything ... Including Career</span></h2><p><span>Jessie grew up in New York City in a South Asian Christian family. Her parents were church planters who could trace their Christian heritage back to the apostle Thomas. While faith was a huge part of Jessie’s early life, it didn’t become real and personal to her until she got involved in Ƶ as a college student in Amherst.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Ƶ staff workers and volunteers modeled a lived-out faith that inspired Jessie to study the Bible more deeply. As Jesus became the center of her life, she decided to surrender everything to him, including her career.</span></p><p><span>Following God in her career led her down many paths — advertising and PR, seminary, church planting, ministry leadership, filming cooking segments for a local TV station, homeschool teacher, podcaster, personal chef, Ƶ volunteer — but perhaps the most pivotal career choice was when she found herself working for the Food Network during the pandemic.</span></p><h2><span>Food as a Means of Connection</span></h2><p><span>Repeatedly in Scripture, food shapes moments where people encounter God — manna in the wilderness, Jesus calling himself the bread of life, meals shared around tables, and communion. Jessie has always seen food as a means of connection.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>While her responsibilities have changed over the years, cooking has remained her one consistent hobby. Over two decades, she estimates she logged nearly 10,000 hours in the kitchen, preparing meals for family, students, church members, friends, or neighbors.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Before the pandemic, Jessie was working for an organization that didn’t engage her passion for food but did engage her passion for people and justice. Her job at Christian Community Health Fellowship gave her the chance to travel extensively to help healthcare students intersect faith, justice, and vocation. Unfortunately, this work came to an abrupt halt when the pandemic began.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Around that same time, a producer Jessie knew from a previous job reached out and asked her to film cooking videos from home. Because she was already home and cooking in her spare time, she agreed to do it. It wasn’t long before those videos caught the attention of a celebrity chef connected to Food Network’s&nbsp;</span><em><span>Chopped</span></em><span>.&nbsp;</span></p><p><em><span>Chopped</span></em><span> was normally filmed in New York, but the pandemic forced production to relocate to Tennessee, where Jessie was living at the time. The chef invited her to join a six-week in-person shoot, and she said yes!</span></p><h2><span>A Quieter Form of Ministry</span></h2><p><span>While Jessie was excited to work on a Food Network show, she never expected the set to become a place for life-changing ministry moments to unfold.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Many of her coworkers arrived from New York frustrated and exhausted. Their city had been hit hard by the pandemic, and working in an industry with little job security only heightened their anxiety about what might come next.</span></p><p><span>Jessie also sensed something deeper going on. Some of the crew’s impressions of Christians had been shaped largely by media portrayals, and they had few examples of what compassionate faith looked like. So, after years of teaching and leading, God invited Jessie into a quieter form of ministry — one that involved sitting with others during 12-hour production days and listening to their stories of anger, anxiety, and church hurt.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>After listening, Jessie shared openly about how her faith shaped her own life: her work with healthcare justice, her past job experiences, and her decision to move to Appalachia to serve communities there.</span> <span>Every career choice, she explained, was guided by Jesus’ hand in her life.</span></p><p><span>She could see something shift in her coworkers as she shared. Some of them responded honestly: “When I think about people who go to church, I hear a lot of noise and negativity. But you’re talking about caring for people.”</span></p><p><span>In these conversations, Jessie never tried to defend Christianity, the church, or evangelicalism. Instead, she simply talked about following Jesus.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“We should not be dependent on technique,” Jessie said. She believes living out the gospel isn’t just about convincing others to recite the sinner’s prayer or having the right presentation, but being “dependent on Jesus, on the Holy Spirit, and just being open.”</span></p><p><span>It’s been five years since her </span><em><span>Chopped</span></em><span> experience, and she maintains a lot of those relationships today.&nbsp;</span></p><h2><span>All Our Interests for His Kingdom</span></h2><p><span>After filming ended and her coworkers returned to New York, new doors opened. Jessie was invited to submit recipes to&nbsp;</span><em><span>The New York Times</span></em><span> and&nbsp;</span><em><span>Food &amp; Wine</span></em><span>. She also launched a podcast centered on worldview, where she interviewed people from a wide range of backgrounds. Many of her guests didn’t follow Jesus, but the goal was to help Christians learn to listen well and love people where they are.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>When that season ended, another began, and just like every season Jessie found herself in, God used her passions for his glory.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>She’s helped design a cooking kitchen for a clinic in a food desert, taught cooking classes for children who may one day enter the culinary world, and continues her work supporting healthcare students while volunteering with Ƶ’s graduate and South Asian ministries.</span></p><p><span>“I was the kid that wasn't good at any one specific thing, but I had lots of interests,” Jessie said. “That's the thing that I want to communicate to people. God is going to use whatever way he wired you to build his kingdom and surprise you with joy.”</span></p><p><span>Jessie’s story reminds us that God delights in using all our interests, talents, and gifts, and that faithfulness means trusting him wherever he takes us.&nbsp;</span></p><hr><p><span>Find the rest of Jessie’s story&nbsp;</span><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/eg/podcast/e25-when-the-food-network-calls-with-jessie-thomas/id1719835730?i=1000721771286"><span>here</span></a><span>. And join us in praying for world changers like her as they reflect Christ’s listening heart to the world.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-blog-categories"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-categories field--type-entity-reference field--label-inline"> <div class="field__label">Blog Categories</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2737" hreflang="en">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <article data-history-node-id="835" class="node node--type-about-the-author node--view-mode-teaser clearfix"> <header> </header> <div class="node__content clearfix"> <div class="medium-gray-background bg-color _none"><div class="w-100"> <div class="layout row no-gutters layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-3 col-12 d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center "> <div class="_none bs-mr-1 block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorfield-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="ata field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/about-author/emily-baez"><img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/author/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%281%29.png.webp?h=1426add3&amp;itok=-6Recl47" width="220" height="220" alt="photo of Emily" class="image-style-medium"> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-9 col-12"> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authortitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><span><a href="/about-author/emily-baez" hreflang="en">Emily Baez</a></span></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>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 <a href="http://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#22836">support her ministry here</a>.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="layout layout--onecol"> <div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="-menu" class="_none block block-menu navigation menu--blog-categories-menu"> <h2 id="-menu">Categories</h2> <ul class="clearfix nav" data-component-id="bootstrap_barrio:menu"> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/spiritual-formation" title="Spiritual Formation" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-spiritual-formation" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10527">Spiritual Formation</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/scripture" title="Scripture" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-scripture" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10529">Scripture</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/community-and-relationships" title="Community and Relationships" 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<a href="/bible-study">Study the Bible</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> </div> </div> </div></div> Fri, 13 Feb 2026 20:29:11 +0000 kyia.hernandez@intervarsity.org 10985 at Ƶ Alumnus Brian Chung Shows the World a Beautiful God /blog/intervarsity-alumnus-brian-chung-shows-world-beautiful-god <div class="body-of-blog _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-contented9b3f5f-76ef-4b0b-90f9-56f4838df23b"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="link-to-blog-home"><a href="/blog">Blog</a></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogcreated"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-12-10T13:48:39-06:00" title="Wednesday, December 10, 2025 - 13:48" class="datetime">December 10, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Emily Baez</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogtitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Ƶ Alumnus Brian Chung Shows the World a Beautiful God </h1></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-square-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="float-md-end field field--name-field-square-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/2025-12/Brian%20Headshot%20%281%29.png?itok=YwHfK89U" width="259" height="325" alt="man smiling reading a book" class="image-style-max-325x325"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em><span>Brian Chung is the co-founder of Alabaster, a company that designs beautiful Bibles and other resources. He’s also an Ƶ alumnus! We sat down with him on the&nbsp;</span></em><a href="https://youtu.be/v-qXBUawxy4?si=7r7nhpRxkRBGWAbU"><em><span>Ƶ World Changers podcast </span></em></a><em><span>to hear how his student experience in Ƶ — including meeting Jesus for the first time — inspired him to start Alabaster. Below is a summary of his story.</span></em></p><h2><span>How it Started — The Woman with The Alabaster Jar&nbsp;</span></h2><p><span><strong>“Alabaster would not be here without Ƶ,” Brian Chung said.</strong></span></p><p><span>Growing up in Hawaii in a Buddhist household, Brian didn’t have any Christian background when he started college at the University of Southern California (USC). During his freshman year, Ƶ students invited him to their first party of the semester, and even though they just played board games and got to know each other, Brian remembered it as the most fun he had at a college party.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Soon after, the students invited him to something called a “GIG”—a Group Investigating God –– designed specifically for students who don’t identify as Christian but are curious about the faith. In this group, Brian felt free to wonder about who God is and ask questions.</span></p><p><span>Eventually, he was invited to an end-of-year chapter camp. All he was told was that camp “would be fun.”&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>The first day opened with an eight-hour manuscript Bible study on the book of Mark —specifically the second half, where Jesus journeys toward the cross. Although this was an unexpected and intense start to the week, something huge happened a few days later when they studied the story of the woman with the alabaster jar.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“This woman carries this expensive jar of perfume and breaks it for Jesus. And everyone around her says that was completely wasteful, but Jesus says what she has done is a beautiful thing,” Brian remembered. “And I think it's the first time in Mark where that word ‘beauty’ is mentioned.”</span></p><p><span>As he studied the passage, Brian felt God speaking to him for the first time. Later, when asked if he wanted to start following Jesus, <strong>he said no.&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p><span>He wanted to return home to Hawaii and see if God still felt real there. Little did he know, two of his close friends back home had just become Christian and invited Brian to a Bible study.&nbsp; After this very first meeting, he went to his bedroom, opened his journal, and wrote: “God, you showed up. <strong>I guess I should now</strong>.”&nbsp;</span></p><h2><span>What is Beautiful?</span></h2><p><span>Right away, Brian wanted his own Bible so he went and bought one. He noticed that every paper-thin page was full of tiny words, and there were no images or visuals to make it look interesting. Still, he was excited to read it.</span></p><p><span>When he returned to USC for his sophomore year, he noticed how beautifully designed his marketing textbook was and began wondering,&nbsp;</span><em><span><strong>Could the Bible be designed differently?&nbsp;</strong></span></em></p><p><span>After graduating, Brian came on staff with Ƶ. While ministering to students from the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, CA, he became increasingly aware of how visual Gen Z was becoming. Around this time, he also read&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.ivpress.com/real-life?srsltid=AfmBOop8D-n97UbQlwUoX7qThsxDptFSHu4X3gv5bqybGhtFckdBb_XU"><span>Real Life</span></a><span> by Ƶ Strategy and Innovation Vice President, James Choung, which says each generation has a spiritual question. For Gen Z, that question is&nbsp;</span><em><span>What is beautiful?</span></em><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Soon after, he met Bryan Ye-Chung (no relation), another Ƶ alumnus and campus minister, and shared his dream of designing a Bible like a magazine with him. Bryan’s eyes lit up.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“Let’s do it!” he said.</span></p><p><span>Neither of them had experience producing books, so they started by designing just twelve prototype pages, which paired Scripture with thoughtful, visual storytelling. They gave the prototype to their Ƶ students and asked questions like, “Is this something you’d actually use?"</span></p><p><span>After receiving positive feedback, they launched a Kickstarter campaign and reached their goal in just ten days. The campaign spread through networks of Ƶ students and alumni, and before long, the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sleek-christian-books-deliver-the-gospels-to-an-instagram-generation_n_57dc4554e4b08cb14095d0fa"><span>HuffPost</span></a><span> and&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2016/09/bible-design-in-an-instagram-age-an-interview-with-bryan-chung-and-brian-chung/"><span>Bible Gateway</span></a><span> reached out wanting to write about this new company <strong>–– Alabaster!</strong></span></p><p><span>Alabaster quickly became a larger team effort, with his mentor offering a free warehouse space and hiring their first designer who was also an Ƶ alumna.</span></p><p><span>“One of the biggest things that Ƶ taught me is the value of relationships,” Brian said. “Doing business is not meant to be a transaction. Doing business is all about relationships.”</span></p><h2><span>God is Really Beautiful</span></h2><p><span>Since its first products shipped in 2017,&nbsp;</span><a href="https://alabasterco.com/"><span>Alabaster</span></a><span> has created beautiful versions of 25 books of the Bible, plus devotionals, studies, prayer journals, pens, bookmarks, and more! Over one million books have been sold, and people around the world have shared with Brian how Alabaster Bibles helped them engage with Scripture. One message, from a non-Christian in Taiwan, said,&nbsp;“This Bible makes it easy for me to read God's word.”&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“When I think about beauty, I think about the opposite of beauty. And for many folks, they would say ‘ugly,’” Brian said. “As I think about my experience with people who aren't Christian, or who might have fallen away from the faith, I would say that's how they would describe Christians or even God. I wanted to show the world that God is not ugly, <strong>but God is in fact really, really beautiful.”</strong></span></p><hr><p><span style="color:#3B3B3B;font-family:&quot;Avenir&quot;,serif;font-size:12.5pt;">Listen to the rest of Brian’s story&nbsp;</span><a href="https://ivalumni.my.canva.site/intervarsity-alumni-podcasts"><span style="font-family:&quot;Avenir&quot;,serif;font-size:12.5pt;">here!</span></a><span style="color:#3B3B3B;font-family:&quot;Avenir&quot;,serif;font-size:12.5pt;"> And pray for world changers like him as they continue showing the world just how beautiful God really is.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-blog-categories"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-categories field--type-entity-reference field--label-inline"> <div class="field__label">Blog Categories</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2737" hreflang="en">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <article data-history-node-id="835" class="node node--type-about-the-author node--view-mode-teaser clearfix"> <header> </header> <div class="node__content clearfix"> <div class="medium-gray-background bg-color _none"><div class="w-100"> <div class="layout row no-gutters layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-3 col-12 d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center "> <div class="_none bs-mr-1 block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorfield-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="ata field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/about-author/emily-baez"><img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/author/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%281%29.png.webp?h=1426add3&amp;itok=-6Recl47" width="220" height="220" alt="photo of Emily" class="image-style-medium"> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-9 col-12"> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authortitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><span><a href="/about-author/emily-baez" hreflang="en">Emily Baez</a></span></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>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 <a href="http://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#22836">support her ministry here</a>.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="layout layout--onecol"> <div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="-menu" class="_none block block-menu navigation menu--blog-categories-menu"> <h2 id="-menu">Categories</h2> <ul class="clearfix nav" data-component-id="bootstrap_barrio:menu"> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/spiritual-formation" title="Spiritual Formation" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-spiritual-formation" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10527">Spiritual Formation</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/scripture" title="Scripture" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-scripture" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10529">Scripture</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/community-and-relationships" title="Community and Relationships" 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<a href="/bible-study">Study the Bible</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> </div> </div> </div></div> Wed, 10 Dec 2025 19:48:39 +0000 kyia.hernandez@intervarsity.org 10947 at From the Middle of Nowhere to Everywhere: Mac and Roy’s Stories /blog/middle-nowhere-everywhere-mac-and-roys-stories <div class="body-of-blog _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-contented9b3f5f-76ef-4b0b-90f9-56f4838df23b"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="link-to-blog-home"><a href="/blog">Blog</a></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogcreated"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-11-25T16:02:03-06:00" title="Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 16:02" class="datetime">November 25, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Kaitlyn Doty</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogtitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>From the Middle of Nowhere to Everywhere: Mac and Roy’s Stories</h1></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-square-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="float-md-end field field--name-field-square-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/2025-11/E22%20Roy%20%26%20Mac.png?itok=0w1JJYb6" width="325" height="212" alt="Roy &amp; Mac smiling in professional photo" class="image-style-max-325x325"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Mac and Roy are Ƶ alumni who are bringing God’s love to the world through both of their ministries. We sat down with them on the Ƶ World Changers podcast. Below is a summary of their story, but you can listen to the full story&nbsp;</em><a href="https://youtu.be/Yz1YOubD2Ds?si=ICTEHcvk1Wl5xSxq" target="_blank" title="https://youtu.be/yz1youbd2ds?si=ictehcvk1wl5xsxq"><em>here</em></a> <em>on the podcast.</em></p><p>Both Mac and Roy landed at the humble University of South Dakota with big dreams. While Mac was a new Christian exploring living for Jesus for the first time, and Roy was a church-raised evangelist hoping to be a pastor, neither ended up where they expected.&nbsp;</p><p>After meeting and becoming friends in Ƶ, Mac and Roy’s vision for God’s kingdom was forever transformed by their campus ministry experience and by their Urbana 79, leading them to create organizations Movement.org and the Faith and Work Movement. Now, they mobilize and encourage leaders to carry out contextualized ministry in hundreds of cities and workplaces, not just throughout the country, but around the world.&nbsp;</p><h2>Mac’s Ƶ Story</h2><p>Having just become a Christian at the beginning of his senior year of high school, Mac was new to faith when he stepped onto campus in the fall of 1977. This didn’t hold him back, however, from getting involved in Ƶ. In fact, his Ƶ involvement progressed quickly.</p><p>Joining a Bible study in his spring semester of freshman year, Mac was already serving on the executive student leadership team by the time he was a sophomore. Then, when he was a junior, he was elected chapter president.&nbsp;</p><p>That same year, Mac attended Urbana 79 and still remembers the call to action from the<span>&nbsp; </span>influential evangelist, Billy Graham: “[He] challenged us on the evening of December 30 to be willing to go anywhere in the world God would send us. And we responded to that. We had no idea where that would take us.”</p><p>Upon graduation, Mac came on staff with Ƶ, serving the chapter he’d been part of for three years. Roy was one of his students.&nbsp;</p><p>God eventually put New York on Mac’s heart, and remembering the commitment he made at Urbana 79, he moved to serve with Ƶ there. It wasn’t until 10 years later that he was called to something new.&nbsp;<span>&nbsp;</span></p><h2>Roy’s Ƶ Story</h2><p>Roy wasn’t even planning to attend a secular university; having gone to a Christian school from kindergarten to 12th grade, Roy wanted to be a pastor and had his eyes set on a Christian college.&nbsp;</p><p>His future Ƶ staff worker, John, changed his mind. Roy met John at a church college fair event and ended up spending the whole time discussing his call into ministry with him.&nbsp;</p><p>“[John] said, ‘You need to go into the university, especially if you’re thinking about ministry, because you need to understand how the world works and how people who haven’t been raised like you’ve been think,’” Roy recalls.&nbsp;</p><p>Agreeing he could benefit from gaining a new perspective, Roy enrolled at the University of South Dakota. When he got there, he found ministry opportunities everywhere and leaped into leadership. He started strategically evangelizing, figuring out which places needed to be reached. He even moved from the nicest dorm on campus to the worst one because he knew students there needed to hear about Jesus.&nbsp;</p><p>Like Mac, Roy was deeply impacted by Urbana 79, and he gained a new heart for unreached corners of the world. Learning that ¼ of those unreached by the Gospel live in China, Roy committed at the conference to search for opportunities to minister to that part of the world.&nbsp;</p><p>Roy attended Fuller Seminary after graduation for their Chinese Studies program. He used what he learned there to serve in Taiwanese, Japanese, and African American churches…until God called him into something new.&nbsp;</p><h2>From a City to the World</h2><p>When Mac moved to New York, he discovered a city in great need. Violence was common and expected at that time, and less than 0.6% of the population attended church. Moved to action, he organized a prayer gathering, inviting 16 different churches to come together to pray for their city…and 75 churches showed up.&nbsp;</p><p>Over the last 35 years, about 200 churches have been active in this regular prayer effort. But God didn’t stop there.</p><p>Mac created a church multiplication alliance, and by 2003, it had 10 different denominations working together. They commissioned research in 2009 and discovered that evangelism in New York City had increased by 300% in 20 years.</p><p>In response, Mac created Movement Day to bring together faith leaders and discuss how to further their impact on the city each year. This has been going on for the last 15 years, and the impact of Movement.org has now reached past the city and even the country. Mac has interacted with leaders from 900 cities around the world. In total, over 60,000 leaders have been involved.&nbsp;</p><p>“A lot of that was an outgrowth of the influence of Ƶ,” Mac reflects today. “We’ve learned the conviction that the width of our influence spiritually is in proportion to the depth of our intimacy with God.”</p><h2>From the Workplace to the Nations</h2><p>Roy was also inspired by Ƶ when he began his ministry, Faith and Work Global. Roy discovered a desire to bring faith into the workplace, and he realized that each company was like its own campus that needed to be reached with the Gospel.</p><p>“Ƶ talks to us about loving our campus. And it was that DNA that really helped me form the ministry that I started,” Roy said.</p><p>It all began when Roy discovered that though Google’s headquarters sit in Mountain View, California, they have a research and development center in Kyiv, Ukraine. This meant that his workplace ministry could reach people internationally.</p><p>Using his Ƶ experience of planting Bible studies, Roy started making sure every corner of Google was reached by an employee-led Bible study or small group. Before long, employees started reaching out to him to ask for help starting groups in their own workplaces, and Faith and Work Global began impacting other large companies like Apple, Cisco, Meta, and LinkedIn.&nbsp;</p><p>Roy was amazed by how much God was doing. “It was just all a very natural, organic, relational spread of the Gospel into workplaces. Our mission is to impact companies who impact the world.”</p><h2>Reconnecting and Collaborating for the Kingdom</h2><p>After years of successful ministry, Mac and Roy reconnected and began exploring the idea of combining the efforts of both of their ministries. When they did, they were both struck by how much God had done through them: two people from the middle of nowhere, used to bring God’s love to the world.&nbsp;</p><p>“We both came from Nazareth!” Roy exclaims. “Can anything good come from Nazareth? We’re from South Dakota for Heaven’s sake! That one university has produced two global ministries on opposite coasts!”</p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-blog-categories"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-categories field--type-entity-reference field--label-inline"> <div class="field__label">Blog Categories</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2737" hreflang="en">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <article data-history-node-id="10858" class="node node--type-about-the-author node--view-mode-teaser clearfix"> <header> </header> <div class="node__content clearfix"> <div class="medium-gray-background bg-color _none"><div class="w-100"> <div class="layout row no-gutters layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-3 col-12 d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center "> <div class="_none bs-mr-1 block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorfield-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="ata field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/bio/kaitlyn-doty"><img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/ata/2025-07/Image%20%286%29.jpeg.webp?h=a5a30366&amp;itok=rZxopt5E" width="220" height="220" alt="Portrait of Kaitlyn" class="image-style-medium"> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-9 col-12"> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authortitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><span><a href="/bio/kaitlyn-doty" hreflang="en">Kaitlyn Doty</a></span></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Kaitlyn Doty is a writing and social media intern on Ƶ’s 2100 team in Madison, WI. She is passionate about books, cats, dragons, and writing for Jesus! You can support her in her ministry <a href="https://give.intervarsity.org/?v=A082024&amp;g=49666,o,100">here</a>.</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="layout layout--onecol"> <div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="-menu" class="_none block block-menu navigation menu--blog-categories-menu"> <h2 id="-menu">Categories</h2> <ul class="clearfix nav" data-component-id="bootstrap_barrio:menu"> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/spiritual-formation" title="Spiritual Formation" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-spiritual-formation" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10527">Spiritual Formation</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/scripture" title="Scripture" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-scripture" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10529">Scripture</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/community-and-relationships" title="Community and Relationships" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-community-and-relationships" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10530">Community and Relationships</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/ethnicity-reconciliation-justice" title="Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-ethnicity-reconciliation-justice" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10531">Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/sharing-your-faith" title="Sharing Your Faith" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-sharing-your-faith" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10532">Sharing Your Faith</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/beyond-campus" title="Beyond Campus" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-beyond-campus" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10533">Beyond Campus</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/alumni-and-staff-profiles" title="Alumni and Staff Profiles" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-alumni-and-staff-profiles" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10534">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/stories-campus" title="Stories from Campus" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-stories-campus" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10535">Stories from Campus</a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> </div></div><div class="fantastic-four-icons-section _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-content45f9bdd4-71c4-41a7-a7d7-c5e528cad965"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="row"> <div class="lightrule">&nbsp;</div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/chapters"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Find a Chapter" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/find_a_chapter-01_3.png"></a><br> <a href="/chapters">Find a Chapter</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <a href="/chapters"> </a> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/chapters"></a><a href="https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#253"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Give to Ƶ" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/give-01_1.png"></a><br> <a href="https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#253">Give</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/get-involved/pray-with-us"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="keep in touch" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/subscribe-01.png"></a><br> <a href="/get-involved/pray-with-us">Subscribe</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/bible-study"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Bible Studies" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/bible_studies-01_3.png"></a><br> <a href="/bible-study">Study the Bible</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> </div> </div> </div></div> Tue, 25 Nov 2025 22:02:03 +0000 kyia.hernandez@intervarsity.org 10938 at Transformed by Scripture: Neil’s Story /blog/transformed-scripture-neils-story <div class="body-of-blog _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-contented9b3f5f-76ef-4b0b-90f9-56f4838df23b"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="link-to-blog-home"><a href="/blog">Blog</a></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogcreated"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-10-30T09:12:14-05:00" title="Thursday, October 30, 2025 - 09:12" class="datetime">October 30, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Kaitlyn Doty</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogtitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Transformed by Scripture: Neil’s Story</h1></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-square-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="float-md-end field field--name-field-square-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/2025-11/2025.04.25_UT%20Austin_07253%20%281%29.jpg?itok=UMdzLxrb" width="217" height="325" alt="Neil smiling" class="image-style-max-325x325"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Neil, now an alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin, encountered Ƶ not through an invitation, a roommate, or a table, but from a humble flyer.&nbsp;</p><p>As a freshman, Neil already had a stack of flyers clutched in his hand as he navigated his way past the student organizations vying for his attention on the way to class. When he was approached by yet another student offering him a flyer, Neil accepted it, only concerned with making it to his class on time. It remained unread for two weeks.</p><p>But as Neil slowly adjusted to life in college, he discovered a longing to go deeper in two areas of his life: his Indian heritage and his faith. When he finally got around to sorting through the flyers he had collected, one in particular caught his eye. It belonged to South Asian Ƶ, or “One Way,” as they called themselves.&nbsp;</p><p>“I looked at the flyer. It said ‘South Asian,’ and it said ‘Jesus.’ And I was like, ‘This is my club,’” Neil recalls. Shortly after, he attended his first Ƶ event.&nbsp;</p><h2>Hunger for the Word</h2><p>Neil had grown up in church, but he didn’t consider his faith very “active.” He didn’t read his Bible outside of church, and he soon discovered he was unfamiliar with many of the stories other Christians seemed to know well. When he entered college, Neil found himself confused about what it was he really believed… And determined to figure it out.</p><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/2025.04.23_UT%20Austin_04054%20%281%29.jpg" data-entity-uuid="dedba3bc-ad62-45ad-a716-d29381207b31" data-entity-type="file" alt="Neil and another person chatting and smiling" width="4100" height="2733" class="align-center" loading="lazy"><p>As he began struggling with his classes and bowing under the weight of his parents’ expectations, Neil became determined to leave behind his failures and sins and simply pursue Jesus.&nbsp;</p><p>“I was pushed against the wall. I didn’t know where to go. At the end of the day, I decided, ‘Hey, I’m going to figure out who Jesus is, I’m going to leave everything <span>—</span> any sin I was part of — behind, and just find out who Jesus is for myself,’” Neil said. “The only thing I want to hold on to is that Jesus Christ is my Lord.”</p><p>Thus began Neil’s transformational journey. He got involved in an Ƶ Bible study and, after receiving encouragement from his Bible study leader, began to participate more and more. Neil’s dedication to Jesus extended into his personal time as well. Determined to fill the gaps in his knowledge, Neil sat down and spent time in the Word twice a day, eventually reading through the entire Bible.</p><h2>The Transformation of Scripture</h2><p>Reading through the Bible changed Neil. He could distinguish between his old self and his new self and no longer recognized who he used to be.&nbsp;</p><p>“God really transformed my life, and I can say that I have gotten to know Jesus personally,” he said.</p><p>Neil wasn’t the only one who noticed the change. His Bible study leader invited him to join leadership, and though he had never planned to, Neil found himself leading a Bible study his junior year. Then, during his senior year, Neil joined Core, his chapter’s executive leadership team, and took on even more responsibilities.&nbsp;</p><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/2025.04.23_UT%20Austin_03839.jpg" data-entity-uuid="5eaf50cd-8101-4c52-9eaf-282f6948e2ed" data-entity-type="file" alt="large group setting" width="4100" height="2733" class="align-center" loading="lazy"><p>Neil remembers his faith feeling different after joining Core. He began giving more time to serving others instead of just exploring his own spiritual needs.&nbsp;</p><p>“Being on Core, I was actually able to put into practice a lot of the things that I was learning through the Bible,” Neil said. It allowed him to love people like Jesus would.&nbsp;</p><h2>Serving After Graduation</h2><p>After graduating in 2019, Neil used his computer engineering degree to get a job in the software industry, but continued to visit his Ƶ community. When COVID-19 hit, he even joined hangouts on Zoom.&nbsp;</p><p>Three years later, Neil decided he wanted to dedicate his extra time to the Lord and start volunteering for the chapter. Though much of what he did seemed insignificant, like transporting worship equipment to and from large group, Neil’s service had a big impact on the chapter and especially his campus staff.&nbsp;</p><p>“Neil is someone who was like, ‘I see there are needs; I want to fill them,’” said UT-Austin Campus Staff Minister Ard. “He is a very instrumental part of how One Way has stayed grounded this last year.”</p><p>Today, Neil continues to serve the chapter and encourages all alumni to consider volunteering, even in small ways. Recalling his own journey to faith, Neil says that having alumni on campus is incredibly valuable.</p><p>“There are always going to be people who are experiencing the faith for the first time, not knowing what to do in certain situations. And that experience from adulthood and through the volunteer’s journey of faith can help guide others who are still going down that path.”<img></p><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/2025.04.23_UT%20Austin_03989.jpg" data-entity-uuid="ee6a1df1-50b9-4843-9a9a-2d34fb1ad24d" data-entity-type="file" alt="UT Austin SAIV Large Group" width="4100" height="2733" class="align-center" loading="lazy"><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-blog-categories"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-categories field--type-entity-reference field--label-inline"> <div class="field__label">Blog Categories</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2736" hreflang="en">Stories from Campus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2737" hreflang="en">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <article data-history-node-id="10858" class="node node--type-about-the-author node--view-mode-teaser clearfix"> <header> </header> <div class="node__content clearfix"> <div class="medium-gray-background bg-color _none"><div class="w-100"> <div class="layout row no-gutters layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-3 col-12 d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center "> <div class="_none bs-mr-1 block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorfield-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="ata field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/bio/kaitlyn-doty"><img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/ata/2025-07/Image%20%286%29.jpeg.webp?h=a5a30366&amp;itok=rZxopt5E" width="220" height="220" alt="Portrait of Kaitlyn" class="image-style-medium"> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-9 col-12"> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authortitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><span><a href="/bio/kaitlyn-doty" hreflang="en">Kaitlyn Doty</a></span></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Kaitlyn Doty is a writing and social media intern on Ƶ’s 2100 team in Madison, WI. She is passionate about books, cats, dragons, and writing for Jesus! You can support her in her ministry <a href="https://give.intervarsity.org/?v=A082024&amp;g=49666,o,100">here</a>.</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="layout layout--onecol"> <div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="-menu" class="_none block block-menu navigation menu--blog-categories-menu"> <h2 id="-menu">Categories</h2> <ul class="clearfix nav" data-component-id="bootstrap_barrio:menu"> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/spiritual-formation" title="Spiritual Formation" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-spiritual-formation" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10527">Spiritual Formation</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/scripture" title="Scripture" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-scripture" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10529">Scripture</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/community-and-relationships" title="Community and Relationships" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-community-and-relationships" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10530">Community and Relationships</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/ethnicity-reconciliation-justice" title="Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-ethnicity-reconciliation-justice" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10531">Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/sharing-your-faith" title="Sharing Your Faith" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-sharing-your-faith" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10532">Sharing Your Faith</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/beyond-campus" title="Beyond Campus" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-beyond-campus" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10533">Beyond Campus</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/alumni-and-staff-profiles" title="Alumni and Staff Profiles" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-alumni-and-staff-profiles" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10534">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/stories-campus" title="Stories from Campus" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-stories-campus" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10535">Stories from Campus</a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> </div></div><div class="fantastic-four-icons-section _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-content45f9bdd4-71c4-41a7-a7d7-c5e528cad965"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="row"> <div class="lightrule">&nbsp;</div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/chapters"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Find a Chapter" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/find_a_chapter-01_3.png"></a><br> <a href="/chapters">Find a Chapter</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <a href="/chapters"> </a> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/chapters"></a><a href="https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#253"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Give to Ƶ" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/give-01_1.png"></a><br> <a href="https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#253">Give</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/get-involved/pray-with-us"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="keep in touch" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/subscribe-01.png"></a><br> <a href="/get-involved/pray-with-us">Subscribe</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/bible-study"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Bible Studies" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/bible_studies-01_3.png"></a><br> <a href="/bible-study">Study the Bible</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> </div> </div> </div></div> Thu, 30 Oct 2025 14:12:14 +0000 kyia.hernandez@intervarsity.org 10915 at Sisterhood and Sustainability: Tatiana Ordoñez and the Zuahaza Story /blog/sisterhood-and-sustainability-tatiana-ordonez-and-zuahaza-story <div class="body-of-blog _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-contented9b3f5f-76ef-4b0b-90f9-56f4838df23b"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="link-to-blog-home"><a href="/blog">Blog</a></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogcreated"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-06-18T10:49:32-05:00" title="Wednesday, June 18, 2025 - 10:49" class="datetime">June 18, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Emily Baez</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogtitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Sisterhood and Sustainability: Tatiana Ordoñez and the Zuahaza Story </h1></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-square-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="float-md-end field field--name-field-square-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/2025-06/Tatiana_Ordon%CC%83ez_Studio_Shot.jpg?itok=DZTnPdyH" width="217" height="325" alt="portrait of Tatiana " class="image-style-max-325x325"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Tatiana Ordoñez is a business owner partnering with artisans in Colombia. She’s also an Ƶ alumna! We sat down with her on the </em><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/intervarsity-world-changers/id1719835730?i=1000676766892"><em>Ƶ World Changers podcast</em></a><em> to hear about how she started Zuahaza, a sustainable textile company. Below is a summary of her story.&nbsp;</em></p><p>When Tatiana first met Ƶ, she was an international student studying at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. As a freshman, she prayed that God would provide her with a Christian community on campus. That prayer was answered when some people at a welcoming booth for international students told her about a club called Ƶ. She started attending and eventually met some of her closest friends at a worship night.&nbsp;</p><p>“I see it as a moment where God answered a lot of prayers from our students. We were all scattered around school, in our dorm rooms, praying for community and friends. And then that night, we all kind of just met each other,” she said.&nbsp;</p><p>Her transformation continued a couple of years later when she took a university trip to Türkiye. There, she met an NGO that preserved cultural crafts being lost to mass production. The NGO worked to give locals the time and space to produce their crafts while also sustaining their livelihoods through jobs. It was this experience that led Tatiana to wonder if God wanted her to use her <em>own</em> love of textiles to serve others.&nbsp;</p><p>“There's so much history, so much culture. I was fascinated by the way textiles are kind of a language on their own,” she said.&nbsp;</p><p>After graduating from college and gaining some knowledge about the fashion industry, Tatiana moved back to Colombia to start her textile business, “<a href="https://www.zuahaza.com/homepage/">Zuahaza</a>.” However, instead of a nonprofit, she decided to start a social enterprise <strong>focused on people</strong>.&nbsp;</p><h2>Forming Sisterhood Through Ethical Business&nbsp;</h2><p>“Zuahaza” is a made-up word combining two indigenous words from the mountainous region of Colombia where Tatiana is originally from. The two words mean “my” and “sister.”</p><p>Although the women of Zuahaza make and sell decorative home goods like pillows, blankets, and table linens, they are more than a business; they’re a sisterhood. Tatiana doesn’t see herself as a boss, but rather a partner working side-by-side with local women artisans to build each other up. Zuahaza primarily employs women because in Colombia, women are traditionally the ones who make these kinds of crafts. &nbsp;</p><p>Tatiana tries to ensure Zuahaza grows at a sustainable rate by using materials that are friendly to the Earth and friendly with the people who use it. While this means items get made at a slower pace, she believes it’s worth it in order to live out her values.&nbsp;</p><p>“The model of work that I want to do is make something and always pay the artisans. Then when we have enough money, make more things,” she said.&nbsp;</p><p>The cotton used is grown in Colombia, and natural dyes are created using native plants. Her&nbsp;business model reduces environmental impact, preserves traditional Colombian craftsmanship, and creates fair-wage jobs in rural areas.&nbsp;</p><p>Even more than making sure her business is sustainable, Tatiana prioritizes her&nbsp;relationships with her co-workers.&nbsp;</p><p>“I want to treasure the wonderful women that God put in my life to be able to work with,” she said. “We’ve become actual friends; we have grown together. We've seen each other in bad moments and in good moments.”&nbsp;</p><p>Starting a business has been one of the hardest things Tatiana has ever done. As someone who’s always considered herself an artist and not a businessperson, she’s had to grow her understanding of what it means to trust God. And just as she trusted God to provide her community through Ƶ as a student, she trusted him to faithfully provide her opportunities and community through Zuahaza.&nbsp;</p><h2>Art as Kingdom Work&nbsp;</h2><p>“I sometimes see artwork and I'm amazed at how in the world that came to be. We are image bearers of God. And he made us to be able to create things beautifully, the way that he creates things beautifully,” Tatiana said.&nbsp;</p><p>Her artist community in Baltimore also played a role in helping her start Zuahaza.&nbsp;</p><p>“[Baltimore] was not just a bubble of art and galleries,” she said. “[We were] always making sure that whatever we were learning in school, we were taking out [to the world].”&nbsp;</p><p>Similarly, Ƶ shapes students to be full life-disciples, teaching them how to take what they learn on their campuses back home and out into the world.&nbsp;</p><p>“If we set our hearts on it, God can really transform us to grow into citizens of the kingdom,” Tatiana said.&nbsp;</p><p>Listen to the rest of Tatiana’s story <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e16-tatiana-ordo%C3%B1ez-culture-craftswomen-and-colombia/id1719835730?i=1000676766892">here</a>! And pray for world changers like her as they continue serving God, his creation, and his people in powerful ways.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-blog-categories"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-categories field--type-entity-reference field--label-inline"> <div class="field__label">Blog Categories</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2737" hreflang="en">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <article data-history-node-id="835" class="node node--type-about-the-author node--view-mode-teaser clearfix"> <header> </header> <div class="node__content clearfix"> <div class="medium-gray-background bg-color _none"><div class="w-100"> <div class="layout row no-gutters layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-3 col-12 d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center "> <div class="_none bs-mr-1 block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorfield-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="ata field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/about-author/emily-baez"><img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/author/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%281%29.png.webp?h=1426add3&amp;itok=-6Recl47" width="220" height="220" alt="photo of Emily" class="image-style-medium"> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-9 col-12"> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authortitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><span><a href="/about-author/emily-baez" hreflang="en">Emily Baez</a></span></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>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 <a href="http://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#22836">support her ministry here</a>.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="layout layout--onecol"> <div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="-menu" class="_none block block-menu navigation menu--blog-categories-menu"> <h2 id="-menu">Categories</h2> <ul class="clearfix nav" data-component-id="bootstrap_barrio:menu"> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/spiritual-formation" title="Spiritual Formation" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-spiritual-formation" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10527">Spiritual Formation</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/scripture" title="Scripture" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-scripture" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10529">Scripture</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/community-and-relationships" title="Community and Relationships" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-community-and-relationships" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10530">Community and Relationships</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/ethnicity-reconciliation-justice" title="Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-ethnicity-reconciliation-justice" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10531">Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/sharing-your-faith" title="Sharing Your Faith" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-sharing-your-faith" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10532">Sharing Your Faith</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/beyond-campus" title="Beyond Campus" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-beyond-campus" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10533">Beyond Campus</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/alumni-and-staff-profiles" title="Alumni and Staff Profiles" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-alumni-and-staff-profiles" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10534">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/stories-campus" title="Stories from Campus" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-stories-campus" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10535">Stories from Campus</a> </li> </ul> </nav> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-call-to-action-library-ite"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-call-to-action-library-ite field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="field field--name-label field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Alumni</div> <div class="field field--name-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--call-to-action paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="cta-relative-position-bg-image-holder"> <div class="cta-absolute-position-bg-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/2025-01/Central%2050th%20Square.jpeg?itok=uYtpy4M3" width="560" height="560" alt="Alumni" class="image-style-square"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="cta-bg-missional-blue"> <div class="cta-text-content"> <div class="cta-standard-title-font"> <div class="field field--name-field-section-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Hey Ƶ Alumni! </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-body field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">The monthly Alumni Newsletter is for world changers like you and full of resources to help you grow in your faith at any stage of life after college.</div> <p class="section-button"> <a href="/get-involved/alumni" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Subscribe Now</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div><div class="fantastic-four-icons-section _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-content45f9bdd4-71c4-41a7-a7d7-c5e528cad965"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="row"> <div class="lightrule">&nbsp;</div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/chapters"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Find a Chapter" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/find_a_chapter-01_3.png"></a><br> <a href="/chapters">Find a Chapter</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <a href="/chapters"> </a> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/chapters"></a><a href="https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#253"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Give to Ƶ" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/give-01_1.png"></a><br> <a href="https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#253">Give</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/get-involved/pray-with-us"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="keep in touch" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/subscribe-01.png"></a><br> <a href="/get-involved/pray-with-us">Subscribe</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/bible-study"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Bible Studies" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/bible_studies-01_3.png"></a><br> <a href="/bible-study">Study the Bible</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> </div> </div> </div></div></div> Wed, 18 Jun 2025 15:49:32 +0000 emily.baez@intervarsity.org 10835 at Ƶ Alumnus Curtis Chang Works to “Redeem Babel”  /blog/intervarsity-alumnus-curtis-chang-works-redeem-babel <div class="body-of-blog _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-contented9b3f5f-76ef-4b0b-90f9-56f4838df23b"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="link-to-blog-home"><a href="/blog">Blog</a></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogcreated"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-05-16T15:21:29-05:00" title="Friday, May 16, 2025 - 15:21" class="datetime">May 16, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Emily Baez</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogtitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Ƶ Alumnus Curtis Chang Works to “Redeem Babel”  </h1></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-square-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="float-md-end field field--name-field-square-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/2025-05/Curtis%20Chang%20edit.jpg?itok=nt7SWbD7" width="325" height="323" alt="portrait of Curtis " class="image-style-max-325x325"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Curtis Chang is the founder of Redeeming Babel, an organization that helps Christians navigate anxiety, organizational dynamics, and political engagement. He’s also an Ƶ Alumnus!  &nbsp;</em></p><p><em>We sat down with him on the </em><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/intervarsity-world-changers/id1719835730?i=1000649016548"><em>Ƶ World Changers podcast</em></a><em>. Below is a summary of his story. </em></p><p>Anxiety seems to be baked into every aspect of modern life. From our churches to our workplaces and our politics, most of us experience anxiety on some level.&nbsp;</p><p>After spending years as an Ƶ staff and then as a pastor of an Evangelical Covenant Church, Curtis Chang left his ministry roles for the non-profit sector, where he helps Christians deal with a variety of anxieties. <em>The Anxiety Opportunity </em>(a book and course) is one of his most well-known tools on the topic.&nbsp;He also started an organization called <a href="https://redeemingbabel.org/">Redeeming Babel</a>, which gets its name from the story of the tower of Babel found in Genesis 11, where language caused division and confusion.&nbsp;</p><h2>Redeeming Organizational and Political Anxiety&nbsp;</h2><p>Through Redeeming Babel, Curtis creates resources like podcasts, courses, and more to help believers navigate a chaotic and anxiety-ridden world.&nbsp;</p><p>“Organizations themselves are anxious, and a lot of their fallenness comes out of ways in which they mishandle their anxiety,” Curtis said.  &nbsp;</p><p>He believes that the world is shaped by organizations — especially secular ones —and our lives as Christians are often defined by how we interact with these organizations.&nbsp;</p><p>When Curtis thinks back to his experience as a campus minister, he remembers being motivated by the belief that each individual student was created in the image of God with inherent dignity, value, and purpose. Similarly, when he was a pastor, he was motivated by the belief that the church also bore the image of God and was destined to be reconciled to Christ. For Curtis, organizations are a collective of human beings and bear the image of God in their own way. </p><p>“Jesus is at work in these places,” he said.  &nbsp;</p><p>As he’s experienced organizational life, Curtis has learned that organizations are fallen beings just like we are. They have the potential to damage us in very real ways, and it can be especially painful when we are betrayed by organizations (including churches) that we have trusted to serve.  &nbsp;</p><p>Fortunately, he’s found comfort in the story of the cross and the significance of Jesus’ own experience with institutional betrayal.  &nbsp;</p><p>“I understand Jesus and Jesus understands me as the betrayed one. And when you live lives that are pressing into institutions, you will experience betrayal,” he said.  &nbsp;</p><p>His work challenges believers to see organizations as opportunities to participate in the redemptive work of Jesus in the world.  &nbsp;</p><p>Curtis also helps Christians prioritize the gospel over political allegiance. "The After Party," a project from Redeeming Babel, creates space for Christians across the political spectrum to engage in thoughtful conversations about faith, culture, and societal issues. &nbsp;</p><p>“There is a better story about politics that has a better ending,” he said. He wants others to discover the truth that God’s kingdom transcends the political right or left.   &nbsp;</p><p>Through these efforts, Curtis is equipping believers to live thoughtfully and courageously in a culture dominated by reactivity and fear.&nbsp;</p><h2>Entering God’s Story&nbsp;</h2><p>Curtis believes that in a time where we are so prone to anxiety, institutional distrust, and division, the Gospel holds surprising relevance, reminding us of the radical way of Jesus. He also believes the vision of Ƶ offers a clue for what needs to happen as we deal with the chaos around us.  &nbsp;</p><p>Ƶ leaves a lasting mark on students because of the way it deeply forms them. Curtis experienced this himself when he was a student. Through chapter camps, meaningful friendships, inductive Bible studies, and discipleship, he learned what it meant to grow as a follower of Christ for the rest of his life. These practices help him face our broken, anxious world with wisdom, humility, and truth. </p><p>For Curtis, anxiety isn't an enemy to be defeated. Instead, it's an opportunity to enter into God's story more deeply.&nbsp;</p><p>You can read Curtis’s books, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/After-Party-Toward-Christian-Politics/dp/0310368707"><em>The After Party: Toward Better Christian Politics</em> </a>and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Anxiety-Opportunity-Worry-Doorway-Your/dp/B0BSP4QZ8P/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_w=37f8G&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&amp;pf_rd_p=0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&amp;pf_rd_r=147-5564715-6973656&amp;pd_rd_wg=sxu5q&amp;pd_rd_r=43008bb3-9c61-4043-a332-ce66d9af10af&amp;ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk"><em>The Anxiety Opportunity</em></a>. And listen to his full story from the Ƶ World Changers podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e7-curtis-chang-and-redeeming-babel/id1719835730?i=1000649016548">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3u-dLNMnMQ">YouTube</a>, or wherever you listen to podcasts!</p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-blog-categories"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-categories field--type-entity-reference field--label-inline"> <div class="field__label">Blog Categories</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2737" hreflang="en">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <article data-history-node-id="835" class="node node--type-about-the-author node--view-mode-teaser clearfix"> <header> </header> <div class="node__content clearfix"> <div class="medium-gray-background bg-color _none"><div class="w-100"> <div class="layout row no-gutters layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-3 col-12 d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center "> <div class="_none bs-mr-1 block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorfield-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="ata field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/about-author/emily-baez"><img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/author/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%281%29.png.webp?h=1426add3&amp;itok=-6Recl47" width="220" height="220" alt="photo of Emily" class="image-style-medium"> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-9 col-12"> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authortitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><span><a href="/about-author/emily-baez" hreflang="en">Emily Baez</a></span></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>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 <a href="http://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#22836">support her ministry here</a>.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="layout layout--onecol"> <div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="-menu" class="_none block block-menu navigation menu--blog-categories-menu"> <h2 id="-menu">Categories</h2> <ul class="clearfix nav" data-component-id="bootstrap_barrio:menu"> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/spiritual-formation" title="Spiritual Formation" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-spiritual-formation" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10527">Spiritual Formation</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/scripture" title="Scripture" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-scripture" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10529">Scripture</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/community-and-relationships" title="Community and Relationships" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-community-and-relationships" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10530">Community and Relationships</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/ethnicity-reconciliation-justice" title="Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-ethnicity-reconciliation-justice" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10531">Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/sharing-your-faith" title="Sharing Your Faith" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-sharing-your-faith" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10532">Sharing Your Faith</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/beyond-campus" title="Beyond Campus" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-beyond-campus" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10533">Beyond Campus</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/alumni-and-staff-profiles" title="Alumni and Staff Profiles" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-alumni-and-staff-profiles" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10534">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/stories-campus" title="Stories from Campus" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-stories-campus" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10535">Stories from Campus</a> </li> </ul> </nav> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-call-to-action-library-ite"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-call-to-action-library-ite field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="field field--name-label field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Alumni</div> <div class="field field--name-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--call-to-action paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="cta-relative-position-bg-image-holder"> <div class="cta-absolute-position-bg-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/2025-01/Central%2050th%20Square.jpeg?itok=uYtpy4M3" width="560" height="560" alt="Alumni" class="image-style-square"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="cta-bg-missional-blue"> <div class="cta-text-content"> <div class="cta-standard-title-font"> <div class="field field--name-field-section-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Hey Ƶ Alumni! </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-body field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">The monthly Alumni Newsletter is for world changers like you and full of resources to help you grow in your faith at any stage of life after college.</div> <p class="section-button"> <a href="/get-involved/alumni" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Subscribe Now</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div><div class="fantastic-four-icons-section _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-content45f9bdd4-71c4-41a7-a7d7-c5e528cad965"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="row"> <div class="lightrule">&nbsp;</div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/chapters"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Find a Chapter" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/find_a_chapter-01_3.png"></a><br> <a href="/chapters">Find a Chapter</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <a href="/chapters"> </a> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/chapters"></a><a href="https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#253"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Give to Ƶ" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/give-01_1.png"></a><br> <a href="https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#253">Give</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/get-involved/pray-with-us"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="keep in touch" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/subscribe-01.png"></a><br> <a href="/get-involved/pray-with-us">Subscribe</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/bible-study"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Bible Studies" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/bible_studies-01_3.png"></a><br> <a href="/bible-study">Study the Bible</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> </div> </div> </div></div></div> Fri, 16 May 2025 20:21:29 +0000 emily.baez@intervarsity.org 10739 at Faithfully Bringing Heaven to Hollywood: Jen's Story /blog/faithfully-bringing-heaven-hollywood-jens-story <div class="body-of-blog _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-contented9b3f5f-76ef-4b0b-90f9-56f4838df23b"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="link-to-blog-home"><a href="/blog">Blog</a></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogcreated"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-04-24T17:07:43-05:00" title="Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 17:07" class="datetime">April 24, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Emily Baez</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogtitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Faithfully Bringing Heaven to Hollywood: Jen's Story </h1></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-square-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="float-md-end field field--name-field-square-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/2025-04/jen%20headshot_1.jpeg?itok=FKfq-7NF" width="310" height="325" alt="headshot of Jen" class="image-style-max-325x325"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Jen Howell is a script coordinator in Hollywood. She’s worked on shows like Tulsa King, Arrested Development, Transparent, and many multi-cam sitcoms. She’s also an Ƶ alumna! We sat down with her on the </em><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/intervarsity-world-changers/id1719835730?i=1000658740639"><em>Ƶ World Changers podcast</em></a><em>. Below is a summary of her story.&nbsp;</em></p><p>Growing up, Jen Howell believed the world was a hopeless place, and she felt powerless about her ability to change it.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>On a mission trip in Mexico her senior year of high school, Jen heard God clearly tell her to “go to Northwestern.” She applied to Northwestern University and was accepted, but she was also accepted to the University of Southern California (USC). Jen knew she wanted to pursue film, and USC was the number one film school in the world at the time. Ultimately, she was obedient to God and decided to attend Northwestern.&nbsp;</p><p>At Northwestern, Jen got plugged into Greek Ƶ. Through Ƶ, she learned for the first time that the gospel wasn’t just about individual salvation but was also a message of hope for a broken world.&nbsp;</p><p>“God is on this move to radically redeem, restore, and renew all things … and we can bring heaven to earth,” Jen said.&nbsp;</p><p>Ƶ also taught Jen how to deeply study Scripture and showed her the value of relational ministry. A year after graduating, she heard God clearly tell her again to move to Los Angeles and work in the entertainment industry.&nbsp;</p><h2>A Megaphone and a Whisper&nbsp;</h2><p>Just as Jen was obedient to God’s direction as a high school senior, she remained obedient after college. Of course, this wasn’t always easy.&nbsp;</p><p>Almost immediately after moving to LA, the entertainment industry shut down due to the 2007 writers' strike. Jen was initially confused, but God told her that she was like Joseph in Genesis, who received a big dream and instead received the opposite. This understanding gave her the hope and endurance she needed to stay in LA.&nbsp;</p><p>“I’m going to give you two voices,” Jen remembers God telling her. “The first is a megaphone, which is the content you’ll create, but the second is a whisper. I care more about the whisper.”&nbsp;</p><p>The whisper was the relational impact Jen would make in Hollywood.&nbsp;</p><p>For the next few years, she slowly built her career as a script coordinator. Her job involves moving from show to show and working with teams of writers to ideate and create season arcs, episodes, and characters. She’s worked on shows like <em>Tulsa King</em>,<em> Arrested Development</em>, and <em>Transparent</em>, among others.&nbsp;</p><p>After 13 years in the industry, a well-known actress and a producer reached out to Jen hoping to develop a new television show with her. This collaboration was extremely exciting and unexpected, but ultimately it fell apart.&nbsp;</p><p>What seemed on the surface like failure was actually an opportunity for Jen to grow close to the two women as one of them went through a divorce. Jen demonstrated the love of Christ to them, speaking into their lives in different ways and supporting one of them through a difficult experience.&nbsp;</p><p>Because Jen’s work involves running into the same people repeatedly, building trust and letting others find out about her faith at the right moment is key. This is a skill Jen says she owes to Ƶ, where she learned that it’s okay to minister to others by building trust and relationships first.&nbsp;</p><h2>Hollywood Encountering God&nbsp;</h2><p>In 2020, God gave Jen a vision for something she calls the “Hollywood Tithe,” which involves building relationships in Hollywood, inviting those people into non-traditional discipleship, and — after those people have a life-changing encounter with God — inviting them to partner in the work God is doing to bring heaven to earth.&nbsp;</p><p>Some of this work can involve developing nations, bringing people access to clean water, rebuilding communities, and ultimately working towards sustainable change that glorifies God here and now.&nbsp;</p><p>Although Jen is still figuring out all the pieces to bring this vision to life, she’s ready to obey God as he directs her. She knows that faithfulness to God doesn’t mean immediate results — her years in Hollywood have required a lot of patience, and she's seen plenty of periods without miracles — but God is faithful, nonetheless.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>“Hollywood needs an encounter with Christ,” she said.&nbsp;</p><p>Listen to Jen's full story <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e11-jen-howell-and-hollywood-script-writing/id1719835730?i=1000658740639">here</a>. And join us in praying for world changers, like Jen and many others, as they invite entire communities to encounter God!</p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-blog-categories"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-categories field--type-entity-reference field--label-inline"> <div class="field__label">Blog Categories</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2737" hreflang="en">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <article data-history-node-id="835" class="node node--type-about-the-author node--view-mode-teaser clearfix"> <header> </header> <div class="node__content clearfix"> <div class="medium-gray-background bg-color _none"><div class="w-100"> <div class="layout row no-gutters layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-3 col-12 d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center "> <div class="_none bs-mr-1 block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorfield-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="ata field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/about-author/emily-baez"><img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/author/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%281%29.png.webp?h=1426add3&amp;itok=-6Recl47" width="220" height="220" alt="photo of Emily" class="image-style-medium"> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-9 col-12"> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authortitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><span><a href="/about-author/emily-baez" hreflang="en">Emily Baez</a></span></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>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 <a href="http://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#22836">support her ministry here</a>.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="layout layout--onecol"> <div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="-menu" class="_none block block-menu navigation menu--blog-categories-menu"> <h2 id="-menu">Categories</h2> <ul class="clearfix nav" data-component-id="bootstrap_barrio:menu"> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/spiritual-formation" title="Spiritual Formation" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-spiritual-formation" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10527">Spiritual Formation</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/scripture" title="Scripture" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-scripture" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10529">Scripture</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/community-and-relationships" title="Community and Relationships" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-community-and-relationships" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10530">Community and Relationships</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/ethnicity-reconciliation-justice" title="Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-ethnicity-reconciliation-justice" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10531">Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/sharing-your-faith" title="Sharing Your Faith" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-sharing-your-faith" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10532">Sharing Your Faith</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/beyond-campus" title="Beyond Campus" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-beyond-campus" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10533">Beyond Campus</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/alumni-and-staff-profiles" title="Alumni and Staff Profiles" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-alumni-and-staff-profiles" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10534">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/stories-campus" title="Stories from Campus" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-stories-campus" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10535">Stories from Campus</a> </li> </ul> </nav> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-call-to-action-library-ite"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-call-to-action-library-ite field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="field field--name-label field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Alumni</div> <div class="field field--name-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--call-to-action paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="cta-relative-position-bg-image-holder"> <div class="cta-absolute-position-bg-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/2025-01/Central%2050th%20Square.jpeg?itok=uYtpy4M3" width="560" height="560" alt="Alumni" class="image-style-square"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="cta-bg-missional-blue"> <div class="cta-text-content"> <div class="cta-standard-title-font"> <div class="field field--name-field-section-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Hey Ƶ Alumni! </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-body field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">The monthly Alumni Newsletter is for world changers like you and full of resources to help you grow in your faith at any stage of life after college.</div> <p class="section-button"> <a href="/get-involved/alumni" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Subscribe Now</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div><div class="fantastic-four-icons-section _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-content45f9bdd4-71c4-41a7-a7d7-c5e528cad965"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="row"> <div class="lightrule">&nbsp;</div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/chapters"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Find a Chapter" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/find_a_chapter-01_3.png"></a><br> <a href="/chapters">Find a Chapter</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <a href="/chapters"> </a> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/chapters"></a><a href="https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#253"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Give to Ƶ" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/give-01_1.png"></a><br> <a href="https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#253">Give</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/get-involved/pray-with-us"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="keep in touch" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/subscribe-01.png"></a><br> <a href="/get-involved/pray-with-us">Subscribe</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-12 text-center mb-4"> <p class="cool-gray transparency"> <a href="/bible-study"><img style="max-width: 60px" alt="Bible Studies" class="mb-3" src="/sites/default/files/bible_studies-01_3.png"></a><br> <a href="/bible-study">Study the Bible</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> </div> </div> </div></div></div> Thu, 24 Apr 2025 22:07:43 +0000 emily.baez@intervarsity.org 10725 at From Closet Atheist to Corporate Evangelist – Kyle’s Story /blog/closet-atheist-corporate-evangelist-kyles-story <div class="body-of-blog _none"><div class="container"> <div class="layout row layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-12 col-12"> <div class="_none block-content-text_block block block-block-content block-block-contented9b3f5f-76ef-4b0b-90f9-56f4838df23b"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="link-to-blog-home"><a href="/blog">Blog</a></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogcreated"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2025-03-17T16:36:07-05:00" title="Monday, March 17, 2025 - 16:36" class="datetime">March 17, 2025</time> </span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Emily Baez</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogtitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>From Closet Atheist to Corporate Evangelist – Kyle’s Story </h1></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-square-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="float-md-end field field--name-field-square-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/2025-03/Kyle%20Campbell%20Headshot%20edited.jpg?itok=VZ6a2feV" width="325" height="232" alt="headshot of Kyle" class="image-style-max-325x325"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Kyle Campbell is an Ƶ alumnus who's seen Jesus move powerfully through moments of risky evangelism in his corporate work setting. We sat down with him on the Ƶ World Changers podcast. Below is a summary of his story, but you can listen to his full story </em><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e8-kyle-campbell-and-risky-corporate-evangelism/id1719835730?i=1000651990745"><em>here</em></a><em> on the podcast.</em></p><p>Kyle Campbell grew up “making Christian noises.”&nbsp;</p><p>As the son of a pastor, he was a worship leader and a youth group leader in his church growing up. Despite all that, he and his twin brother entered college as closet atheists.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>“I was the guy that liked to debate Christians,” Kyle said.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>Everything changed the night God saved Kyle’s brother from committing suicide. As his brother prayed and cried out to God, he began to experience unexplainable joy. The next day, he approached Kyle with a Bible in his hand and asked, “What if we lived like everything in here is true?”&nbsp;</p><h2>A Story to Redeem&nbsp;</h2><p>Although Kyle was unconvinced by his brother’s newfound faith, he agreed to give God 30 days to prove himself.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>“I very arrogantly challenged God,” he said.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>Part of that challenge included meeting with Andrew Givens, his Ƶ campus minister who is now an area director.&nbsp;</p><p>Earlier experiences with racism led Kyle to hold prejudices towards white people. Andrew sensed Kyle’s apprehensions towards him during their meeting and asked him about it.&nbsp;</p><p>"I don’t really trust you people,” Kyle confessed.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>Andrew responded by being humble, curious, and willing to dig in with him. They continued meeting regularly, and when they did, they argued, asked questions, and wrestled back and forth. Eventually, Kyle agreed to attend Ƶ at UNC Wilmington.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>Already, God was starting to redeem a piece of Kyle’s story.</p><p>Kyle eventually became a worship leader in his chapter and through that, became close friends with his co-worship leader, a white student named John. During this time, Kyle was also having trouble coping with an extremely traumatic experience from his childhood.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>One night he became deeply depressed and called John at 2 a.m.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>“I told him I felt like dying,” Kyle remembered saying.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at his door. John came over and decided to stay the night with Kyle to make sure he was okay.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>“He was the picture and the voice and the arms of Jesus,” Kyle said.&nbsp;</p><p>Although they had nothing in common, Kyle realized that their love for God was the most important thing they shared. That moment shifted his perspective forever. Through Andrew and John, God was showing his love to Kyle through the people he least expected to receive it from.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><h2>Evangelism in College and Beyond&nbsp;</h2><p>Until Ƶ, the idea of evangelism was foreign to Kyle.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>“I believed you didn’t really talk about your faith unless you were one of God’s ‘special people,’” Kyle said.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>Sometimes when his Ƶ chapter gathered, they studied a passage in Scripture before going out in pairs around campus to share the gospel.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>“It was scary and weird, but God showed up in miraculous ways,” Kyle said. “And I learned early on that God doesn’t need much. He just needs a yes.”&nbsp;</p><p>While he was in college, Kyle assumed God would use his evangelistic experience to be a missionary overseas. But instead, God called him to be a missionary to the marketplace.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>After graduating, he started working in the corporate world and was the first Black employee his company ever hired. Unfortunately, that work environment stretched him in some very uncomfortable ways. Other employees complained about Kyle unfairly and he ended up working in a windowless room, isolated and unseen. Despite this, he worked hard and managed to get promoted 11 times in eight years.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>In this hostile work environment, Kyle couldn’t help but think, “I would love to go where people don’t hate me.”&nbsp;</p><p>Just like in Ƶ, he wrestled with bitterness toward others. So, he began to challenge himself. Each day, Kyle asked God to reveal someone to pray for in his workplace. Then, he invited those people to lunch and asked them about themselves. One effective strategy was asking for the three most important nouns in their lives. When he shared his own nouns in return, he mentioned Jesus. At the end of the lunch, he asked the other person how he could pray for them.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>“It’s hard to hate people when you know their stories,” Kyle said.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>Through this process, Kyle realized that God used Ƶ to shape him into someone uniquely able to witness in this difficult workplace. Once again, he broke through barriers of distrust and racial tension and found deep connection.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><h2>An Exercise in Humility&nbsp;</h2><p>One particular prayer turned into years of regular meetings.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>God brought the face of a senior executive to Kyle’s mind one day. Nervously, he sent an email to the executive with the message God gave him, which was that he should love his wife the way Hosea loved Gomer in Scripture. After reading the email, the executive asked Kyle to meet him by the lake and confessed that his marriage was falling apart.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>“I have no idea how you could possibly know what’s going on,” he told Kyle.&nbsp;</p><p>At the end of the walk, the executive asked if they could keep meeting every other week by the lake.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>During their walks, Kyle shared the gospel with him. Ultimately, Kyle wanted the executive to know that he couldn’t promise that God would fix his marriage.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>“But I can promise you what I was promised,” Kyle told him. “One, in this life you will suffer. And two, [God] will be with you. Him being with you will be better than if you had never suffered at all.”&nbsp;</p><p>Kyle doesn’t know if the executive ever came to faith, but that doesn’t matter to him.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>“Evangelism is an exercise in humility,” he said. And it’s one he continues to practice in his personal life and work life, whether it’s through how he cares for his family, one-on-one prayer lunches with co-workers, or the small group he leads in his corporate office.<span>&nbsp;</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-blog-categories"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-categories field--type-entity-reference field--label-inline"> <div class="field__label">Blog Categories</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2737" hreflang="en">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-about-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-about-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <article data-history-node-id="835" class="node node--type-about-the-author node--view-mode-teaser clearfix"> <header> </header> <div class="node__content clearfix"> <div class="medium-gray-background bg-color _none"><div class="w-100"> <div class="layout row no-gutters layout-builder__layout"> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-3 col-12 d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center "> <div class="_none bs-mr-1 block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorfield-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="ata field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/about-author/emily-baez"><img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/author/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%281%29.png.webp?h=1426add3&amp;itok=-6Recl47" width="220" height="220" alt="photo of Emily" class="image-style-medium"> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-9 col-12"> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authortitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><span><a href="/about-author/emily-baez" hreflang="en">Emily Baez</a></span></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeabout-the-authorbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>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 <a href="http://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#22836">support her ministry here</a>.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="layout layout--onecol"> <div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-12 col-12"> <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="-menu" class="_none block block-menu navigation menu--blog-categories-menu"> <h2 id="-menu">Categories</h2> <ul class="clearfix nav" data-component-id="bootstrap_barrio:menu"> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/spiritual-formation" title="Spiritual Formation" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-spiritual-formation" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10527">Spiritual Formation</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/scripture" title="Scripture" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-scripture" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10529">Scripture</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/community-and-relationships" title="Community and Relationships" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-community-and-relationships" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10530">Community and Relationships</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/ethnicity-reconciliation-justice" title="Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-ethnicity-reconciliation-justice" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10531">Ethnicity, Reconciliation, and Justice</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/sharing-your-faith" title="Sharing Your Faith" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-sharing-your-faith" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10532">Sharing Your Faith</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/beyond-campus" title="Beyond Campus" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-beyond-campus" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10533">Beyond Campus</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/alumni-and-staff-profiles" title="Alumni and Staff Profiles" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-alumni-and-staff-profiles" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10534">Alumni and Staff Profiles</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/blog/stories-campus" title="Stories from Campus" class="nav-link nav-link--blog-stories-campus" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/10535">Stories from Campus</a> </li> </ul> </nav> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeblogfield-call-to-action-library-ite"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-call-to-action-library-ite field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="field field--name-label field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Alumni</div> <div class="field field--name-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--call-to-action paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="cta-relative-position-bg-image-holder"> <div class="cta-absolute-position-bg-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/2025-01/Central%2050th%20Square.jpeg?itok=uYtpy4M3" width="560" height="560" alt="Alumni" class="image-style-square"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="cta-bg-missional-blue"> <div class="cta-text-content"> <div class="cta-standard-title-font"> <div class="field field--name-field-section-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Hey Ƶ Alumni! 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