Greek ��Ƶ

The Passion of Greek Conference 2017

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 18:41:07 +0000

March 21, 2017

Gordon Govier

The Passion of Greek Conference 2017

When the line outside the prayer room runs down the hall and is longer than the line to get into the Saturday night dance party at Greek Conference, it’s obvious God is at work. That was the case at Greek Conference 2017 in Indianapolis.

“I don’t know if it’s a revival, or an awakening, or a cultural shift in this generation of students,” said Brandt Booram, Greek ��Ƶ’s Associate Director for Conferencing. “Greek students want to know God, but they want to experience him more than anything else.”

In his 15 years of ministry with fraternity and sorority students, ever since he was a student, Brandt has never seen a hunger and thirst for God like he saw this year at Indianapolis. The students’ desire to encounter God and deal with their own brokenness also surprised ��Ƶ evangelist York Moore, who was the featured speaker.

“God’s presence was thick throughout the conference with spontaneous weeping, prayer, community huddles, and passionate worship,” York said. “The students are interested in authenticity, not easy answers and simple formulas to faith. They want to experience the true presence of God in their lives and their communities.”

Attendance at Greek Conference continues to increase, growing from 514 last year to 664 this year in Indianapolis, which was held the second weekend in February. Seventy students made a first-time commitment to become a follower of Jesus. Forty-one campuses were represented.

The weekend before Indianapolis, and the weekend after, Greek Conferences were held in Los Angeles and Raleigh. A total of 990 students from 89 campuses attended the three events, which was more students but fewer campuses than a year ago. Brandt calls the increasing number of student attendees a sign of healthy growth. “That tells me that Greek ministry is helping staff grow Greek ��Ƶ on their campuses,” he said.

Los Angeles is in its second year hosting Greek Conference. Southern California staff have been working to plant Greek ministry on 17 campuses, and their success is shown in the increasing numbers who are attending Greek Conference. A student who finished leadership training at last year’s Greek Conference felt encouraged and empowered to lead a Bible study in her sorority at San Diego State University, and saw 12 sisters come to faith. “We’re hoping for those kinds of stories—students who are mobilized to launch chapter ministries from Greek Conference,” Brandt said.

The final Greek Conference weekend shifted from Charlotte to Raleigh this year. The move east brought the conference several hours closer to many of the campuses on the eastern seaboard, and also put Greek Conference right in the middle of a half dozen schools that are ripe for planting Greek ministry.

John MacKorell, a Clemson alumnus and the Associate Director of Resourcing for Greek ��Ƶ, challenged the Raleigh attendees on the nominalism of their faith. “We saw students identifying strongly with John’s story, of faking it for most of his life,” Brandt said. John invited them to live authentic lives of faith and to follow Christ, and many responded.

“Greek Conference feels healthier than ever,” Brandt observed, noting that his goal of crossing the 1,000 student barrier is within sight.

News Keywords

San Diege State University

Counterculture on Campus

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 17:16:17 +0000

News

December 26, 2014

Gordon Govier

Counterculture on Campus

As the saying goes, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” The problems with sex and alcohol on campus have been growing for decades, and were pushed into the limelight again this month by the University of Virginia rape story reported by Rolling Stone magazine.

Greek ��Ƶ is a part of the solution on many campuses by being faithful to the gospel message. On the University of Virginia campus, still in shock from the pain of all of the media attention, Christian fraternity and sorority members are sharing hope and comfort.

"It's really hard to talk about the brokenness," Greek ��Ƶ Campus Staff Member Katie Nowell explained to CBN News. "It's really hard to talk about this culture and that our brothers and sisters are being assaulted like this and we hate this. But, we know that we serve a God who brings healing and brings justice and hates those things, too."

On campuses across the country, Greek ��Ƶ staff and student leaders are being encouraged to initiate conversations that may be difficult and uncomfortable — and listen well to those who have been hurt by the excesses of the campus culture.

At the University of Utah, Greek ��Ƶ student leader Mitchell Cox is working with the Rape Recovery Center through his fraternity Beta Theta Pi to sponsor sexual assault prevention forums on campus.

"As a fraternity, our partnership with the Rape Recovery Center is so important to us because not only are we able to positively impact the community, but we are able to dispel the negative stereotypes that are often associated with fraternity life,” Mitchell said on the Dr. Phil syndicated television program.

For his efforts Mitchell was recognized as a winner of the iAspire Grant by the Robin McGraw Revelation Foundation, which is associated with the Dr. Phil talk show.

Greek ��Ƶ has chapters on 29 campuses across the U.S., and works with more than 3,000 students on a total of 81 campuses.

News Keywords

University of Virginia

University of Utah

Greek ��Ƶ

Standing Firm in His Fraternity

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 20:04:33 +0000

News

November 3, 2014

Amy Hauptman

Standing Firm in His Fraternity

“It never occurred to me that God could use me to reach my fraternity brothers,” said Skylar Walker, a senior at the University of Georgia (UGA).

When Skylar arrived on campus for his freshman year, he joined the Greek system right away and eventually became a re-founding father of Chi Psi Fraternity at UGA. He was also a Young Life leader during college, building relationships with middle school students and extending God’s love to them—but he never considered how God might use him to reach his fraternity brothers with the good news of Jesus as well.

Inside the Greek System

According to Skylar, the typical “frat” stereotypes portrayed by media are the exception rather than the norm. “Greek life provides education to members that they cannot get in the classroom,” he said. “For example, Greek students learn about leadership, how to work together to accomplish tasks, how to engage in professional settings, networking, etc.”

But he admitted that there are many challenges in the Greek system, especially for Christians. “Yes, there are parties, drinking, and hook-up culture,” he said. “And many see religion as something that they can get into after college—they think that college is the time to get out there and make mistakes. Essentially, they don’t want to be held down by the rules of religion despite what they believe about God.”

After two years in the Greek system, Skylar received an email from a Greek ��Ƶ staff member about a meeting they were holding. He decided he’d check it out.

“The first meeting that I went to really helped me realize that the Greek system was a place where Jesus’ light needed to shine, and I could actually help,” said Skylar. “God opened my eyes to the opportunity that was sitting right in front of me the whole time—I was going to start a Bible study in Chi Psi.”

The Start of Something New

Greek ��Ƶ staff member Paula Frances Price was instrumental in helping Skylar get his Bible study up and running. She encouraged him to focus on strengthening his own relationship with God before taking on his new leadership role, so that when challenges came his way, he’d be ready.

Skylar was particularly encouraged (and still is) by Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm! Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

Several of the fraternity brothers he invited to come to the first study spurred him on in a similar way. “They encouraged me to grow closer to God so that I could be the best leader that I could be,” said Skylar. “Some of them rallied behind me.”

Still, starting the Bible study was challenging. Though the first few meetings went well and Skylar saw close to half of his fraternity brothers coming, there were also weeks when no one showed up. He faithfully prepared to lead each week, however—and if no one came, he often spent that time praying for his brothers.

What Risks Can Spark

After two years of leading a Bible study in Chi Psi, Skylar has seen change in many of his fraternity brothers. “There are guys who are now boldly proclaiming their faith,” he said. “Also, there are many brothers who were introduced to the gospel for the first time in this Bible study. They are actively seeking out Christian brothers to ask questions and learn more about the Christianity presented in the Bible rather than what is portrayed through media.”

“Being vulnerable and talking about my faith with my brothers has been a huge risk that has been met with a mixture of ridicule and awe,” said Skylar. “However, I’ve seen God work through my risks and spark great spiritual conversations as well as seeing brothers turn their lives over to God.”

News Keywords

University of Georgia

Greek ��Ƶ

In Business and About God's Purposes

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 15:56:05 +0000

Alumni Profile

News

April 8, 2014

Kathryn Brill

In Business and About God's Purposes

Jesus is Lord over every industry and field of study. What does it look like when we commit ourselves to making choices that honor him in the work that we do?

For Will Haughey, an alumnus of Greek ��Ƶ at Indiana University, it meant using his business skills to be part of the solution to social problems in Honduras. Will left the investment banking world in 2008 to join his brother Chris in founding a toy company called Tegu. Learn how Will is following Christ in the business world in this video from ��Ƶ Staff Conference 2014:

The idea for Tegu sprung from the brothers’ experiences in Honduras, a place with abundant natural resources but a great deal of poverty. Will and Chris saw an opportunity here when he wondered: how could they utilize these resources, such as the beautiful wood of Honduran trees, and create a business that might provide job opportunities in Honduras?

Tegu produces wooden blocks with strong magnets inside. Kids can play with the blocks by sticking them together to form their own creations. While Tegu is a for-profit business, it’s also committed to making choices that reflect God’s values, such as sustainably sourcing their wood and helping support a local school for children whose families scavenge in the nearby trash dump. For Will and Chris, “business as usual” means business for the glory of God—and it’s making a difference in the life of the community around them.

For further reflection:

“Are You a Disciple For Life?”

-From the blog: “Glorifying God in Every Vocation”

-“From Oreos to Justice”

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��Ƶ alumni

Indiana University

Greek ��Ƶ

Transformed by Greek Conference

AD-16225 — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:29:08 +0000

News

March 28, 2011

John Evanko

Transformed by Greek Conference

I arrived at the University of Louisville in the Fall of 2008, eager to see what the college life had to offer. Although I grew up going to church and lived what I thought was a good life, I had never considered what knowing Jesus Christ really meant. Through a dorm Bible study and some Christian organizations on campus, I came to learn that my basically good life was actually full of sin that had kept me from having a right relationship with God. But the good news was that Jesus’ death on the cross was the perfect sacrifice for my sin, and through faith in Christ I could now have a right relationship with God.

During my first semester of college, I came to believe in that message, and it changed my life. The next semester, I decided to pledge Sigma Chi. Throughout the following year, I got to know my fraternity brothers and much of the rest of the Greek system. They were great people, having a general knowledge about God, but many did not know they were missing out on a real relationship with God. In so many ways, they were exactly like I used to be. In light of this, God broke my heart for my brothers.

My sophomore year, my ��Ƶ staff told me about Greek ��Ƶ and Greek Conference. For months I tried to get my brothers and other Greeks on campus to come with me to check out Greek Conference. When February rolled around, I was still the only one registered from Louisville, so I packed my bags and headed to Indianapolis alone. While there, I had a phenomenal weekend of meeting other Greek Christians and hearing tons of encouraging stories.

I headed back to Louisville excited about improving Greek ministry. However, it was hard to get moving on all these great ideas when I seemed to be the only one who cared about them. I prayed for God to raise up Christian leaders to help out with the ministry. The next year, Fall 2010, God answered my prayers. A girl in Kappa Delta, Robin, approached me about the Greek Bible study she heard I was involved in. Fresh off a year of spiritual growth capped off by a trip mission trip to Africa, Robin was eager to share her newfound faith with her sisters and the rest of the Greek system.

Although we had no Greek ��Ƶ chapter at U of L, Robin was excited about the possibilities of ministry in her sorority and the rest of the Greek community. We talked about how we could reach all Greeks with the gospel message, while still being faithful within our own houses. We knew getting students to Greek Conference would be key in launching Greek-wide ministry on campus.

Later that year, when Greek Conference rolled around, I didn’t go alone this time. Eight other Greeks from Louisville attended, largely because of Robin’s recruiting efforts. In addition, my sister, who attends Western Kentucky University, recruited ten students to attend from her school, where no students had ever attended GC! God had taken two campuses with virtually no ministry and sparked movements on both of them!

Today, God continues to move in amazing ways in Louisville’s Greek community. Last year’s semi-fruitful all Greek Bible study has turned into two amazing house Bible studies in KD and Sigma Chi, where students can open up and discuss big questions with their fraternity brothers and sorority sisters. Non-Christians have been hungry to pursue a true relationship with God, while leaders in other organizations have stepped up and are eager to start Bible studies in their houses! We continue to pray for our Greek system and can’t wait to see God move even more at U of L.

For more stories about Greek ��Ƶ's ministry to fraternity and sorority students, check out the Greek ��Ƶ website.

News Keywords

University of Louisville

Kentucky

Greek ��Ƶ

Greek Conference in the Times

AD-16225 — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:06:04 +0000

News

March 7, 2011

Greek Conference in the Times

The New York Times sent a reporter to ��Ƶ’s Greek Conference and the story was reported in today’s edition of the newspaper. The story is here and more photos are here.

Here’s the rest of the story from Greek Ministry’s Associate Director of Communications, Eric Holmer:

For over 15 years, Greek Conference has been a weekend where fraternity and sorority students encounter Jesus in powerful ways. It is a weekend of commitments that bring changes back to campuses and chapter houses.

Greek Conference 2011 saw many of these commitments made. From times of worship and prayer, to the discussion and interaction of the general sessions and concentrations, students spent their weekends reflecting on who Jesus is, and how he is relevant to life in the Greek system.

Here are some of the commitments that came from this year's Greek Conferences in Charlotte and Indianapolis:

16 fraternity and sorority members made first-time decisions to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord.
21 made a commitment to investigate Jesus further along with brothers and sisters in their chapter
254 students made re-commitments, indicating they wanted to repent from what was replacing God in their lives.
295 students made a commitment to lead ministry on campus and in their house.

Learn more about ��Ƶ's Greek ministry and check out more photos and videos from Greek conference at the Greek ��Ƶ webpage. Look for Greek conference in the northeast later this year, and in Indianapolis and Charlotte again in winter 2012.

News Keywords

Media Coverage

Greek ��Ƶ

Greek ������Ƶ

The Passion of Greek Conference 2017

The Passion of Greek Conference 2017

Counterculture on Campus

Counterculture on Campus

Standing Firm in His Fraternity

Standing Firm in His Fraternity

Inside the Greek System

The Start of Something New

What Risks Can Spark

In Business and About God's Purposes

In Business and About God's Purposes

Transformed by Greek Conference

Transformed by Greek Conference

Greek Conference in the Times

Greek Conference in the Times

Greek ��Ƶ