When you look at this guy’s picture what goes through your mind?  Probably not “Oooo, that’s the guy who invented that catchy cheer they use down in Lawrence!”  That’s the dude!  Looks more like a chemistry professor.  That’s because that’s what he was.  According to his granddaughter (and KU librarian) Prof. E. H. S. Bailey and a group of students in the science club  devised the cheer circa 1886.  It’s unclear if they invented it for sporting events or interscholastic science fairs!  Check it out for yourself if you’re a KU fan!

My first campus visit to KU.

I’ve never been to Lawrence, KS.  People who’ve lived there absolutely love it. We once had next door neighbors who moved to Omaha from Lawrence. It’s all they could talk about. Lawrence. Lawrence. Lawrence. They lasted about 5 years in Omaha, and decided they had to move back. Was it us? Was it Omaha?

Jake Evans is our staff member at the University of Kansas. He’s beginning his fourth year with GFM. I’m excited to have Jake show me around campus and introduce me to the cool town he lives in. We’ll cover a bunch of stuff in our conversations tomorrow. Supervisors typically want to know how life and ministry are going for staff.  I’m convinced the best way to encourage a team mate is to spend time with them in their context. This is my second campus visit since taking this role with GFM. I’m amazed at the way my team serves. We’re very spread out geographically. We’re potentially very isolated. Yet, we’re united by InterVarsity’s passion to reach every corner of every campus. Face to face time is so sparse it’s like gold to me!

Jake and I will have some time to talk about strategy for growing GFM. What could our 2030 Calling look like moving forward on his campus? Our work at the University of Kansas is a wide open field at the moment. What will it take to gain momentum with Grad Students? How can we expand our network of known Christian faculty members? Jake has conducted his first Veritas Forum last spring [link] how can we build on that? When we dream of InterVarsity’s ministry expanding in Kansas more broadly, what role could our work in Lawrence play in that?

It’s a balance. What is God doing at the grass-roots level right now? What does he long to do through his people into the future?  Pray for Jake and I have a great day together.  My rental is in the driveway waiting to take off at 6:30 in the morning!

From KU Jayhawks to Creighton Jays

Thursday I’ll be helping a Creighton faculty member with a New Student Outreach event. We’re going to have an information table at a back to school involvement fair for the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions.  Kathy Padilla and her husband Rene have been faculty sponsors for InterVarsity’s undergrad work for many years. Recently, God has been bringing some terrific Christian grad students to the Occupational Therapy program. Kathy invited me to help her meet people and gather contact information.  Last year there was a group of over 20 OT students involved in a monthly study-group the Padillas hosted in their home. We’re eager to reconnect with some of them and even more eager to meet new people interested in GFM at Creighton.

After I get back in the office next week, I’ll have to catch you up on the past few weeks.  I attended Regional Staff Conference with the South Central GFM team in North Carolina then headed to Cedar Campus for a week of vacationing and teaching Bad Company Christology!  Catch you later.  Thanks for reading.