Please Pray With Us: InterVarsity Update March 2020
Like you, we in InterVarsity are seeking God daily as we endeavor to know how to best respond to our rapidly changing and uncertain world.
We are a ministry of gathering. We gather students together on campus for Bible studies, social events and worship nights; we gather groups for retreats at our camps; we gather to study Scripture at MARKcamps and we gather to pray on campus, at our camps and in our national office.
Amidst the escalating precautions surrounding COVID-19, we are no longer able to gather in our accustomed ways.
What can we do but fix our eyes on God?
March 24: Join Us for a Day of Prayer, Fasting and Worship
For some time, our national office staff have been planning a day of prayer, worship and fasting for our ministry. We were going to do this in person, now we will do it virtually – and not only for our ministry, but for our world as it grapples with COVID-19.
We would love you to join us.
Later in this email, we share key prayer requests we are bringing before God on the 24th. Some of them are specific to our ministry while others are more global. Please feel free to reference them as you pray from wherever you are.
COVID-19 and Other Challenges
Across our whole ministry team, we have sensed God prompting us to a greater leaning on prayer for some time. As many of you know, InterVarsity has been in a time of transition and challenge for the past two years.
We welcomed our new president Nigel Pollock just as we were beginning to face some significant financial challenges, which led to downsizing of resource staff and a leadership restructuring. For some years now, we have been struggling to grow our campus and camp ministries in our increasingly secular culture. We need more volunteers and staff in key ministry locations.
Our camp ministry has always operated on a tight budget, reliant both on group and camper fees and on donations. We anticipate a loss of close to $1 million due to COVID-19 related group cancellations across our nine camps.
We have no way of knowing what the impact of the pandemic will be on our summer camp registrations and staffing needs. These are extraordinary challenges that we cannot work our way through on our own strength and wisdom.
About a month ago, a group of staff from across our ministries gathered online to share with one another what they have been hearing from God recently. They all agreed on two things:
Our need to repent of our belief that personal productivity, working harder and planning better will solve our challenges
Our need to pray in unity for God’s strength, guidance and provision daily
Our president, Nigel, pennedthese thoughtsas he reflected on the story of Nehemiah and its relevance to us today.
God Is Still at Work
Despite all the challenges, both within our organization and in a pandemic-challenged world, we know God is actively at work.
Last summer, almost 1,000 campers made a commitment to Jesus. We are encouraged by new high school ministry in Calgary and continued work in Toronto. University students are praying together regularly and recently two students decided to follow Jesus, even as campuses shut down.
We have a new director for our work in Atlantic Canada and the beginnings of workplace ministry in British Columbia. Our year-round camp season, including weekend retreats for church youth groups, was strong until the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to stop hosting groups.
Thanks to technology, God has provided ways for us to connect with students and campers via video conferencing tools. Bible studies, prayer groups and one-one-one conversations are still happening. Community is still taking place. It’s just happening online.
Some Ways to Pray
For the health and safety of scientists, doctors and other health care professionals and their families. May God help them find a cure quickly
For our students, campers and their families: that they would feel a sense of God’s protection and find community despite social distancing requirements
For international students separated from their families and in need of places to live as university residences shut down
For our summer camps to go forward and for provision of funds to compensate for the great loss of the spring retreat season
For continued commitment to seek God instead of giving into the urge to develop our own plans and solutions
For unity, across InterVarsity and the church as a whole
That we would not be discouraged in hard times but that we would be able to remember God is working
If you hear a word or see a picture from God for InterVarsity during your time of prayer, would you share it with us by sending an email toinfo@ivcf.ca? You all are our partners, and we believe God will speak to you as well.
