So what does the 2030 Calling look like in my 4 states?    In the map above, all our large, R1 Institutes are yellow stars.  Clockwise:  Iowa State in Ames, University of Iowa in Iowa City, Washington University in St. Louis, Mizzou in Columbia, Kansas University in Lawrence, Kansas State University in Manhattan, and University of Nebraska in Lincoln.  Its strategic for us to develop our work starting with the R1s and working our way outward.  R1s have the most robust graduate programs because they have the most PhD bound students in addition to professional schools (like Medical, Law and MBA programs).  Faculty and Graduate Student work can both thrive at the same time in these contexts.  My current team has strong faculty work in the places we’re located, but not necessarily significant numbers of graduate students.  We also have plenty of room to grow GFM at R2 and R1 schools.  There are no R1 schools in my town, but we do have the beginnings of groups at UNO, UNMC and Creighton.  This spring on my way to my R1s I’ll connect with potential work we have at schools like Drake University and Des Moines Area Community College (faculty groups at these schools).  Mark Hansard, one of my staff in Manhattan leads a bi-weekly bible study group for faculty at Emporia State University.

Here’s where we have potential to add groups, staff and volunteers.  I’ll be visiting a recently affiliated faculty group in Columbia.  We have undergraduate InterVarsity at Mizzou, but nothing for faculty and graduate students.  When I stop through in a couple of weeks I’ll be connecting with the faculty group helping casting vision for what it would be like to get a GFM staff member in Columbia and grow grad student groups too.  Lincoln and Ames are in the same situation – all kinds of potential, yet no staff and no groups currently.

Mark’s group at Emporia.  Kate is in her 3rd year in Education.  Scott has been at ESU for 35 yrs

My travel schedule this spring

Feb 12-14    Iowa: Des Moines (Drake and Des Moines Area Comm College) Ames (ISU) and Iowa City (Univ of Iowa).

Feb 19-21    Missouri: Columbia (Mizzou) and St. Louis (Wash U, Forest Park Comm College, Lindenwood University)

Feb 27- Mar 1    Kansas: Manhattan (K-State Internationals, Faculty and exploring possible new group in School of Veterinarian Medicine.

Mar 6-7   Kansas: Lawrence (KU is hosting a Veritas Forum with Dr. Ian Hutchinson)

March 26-29    National GFM Staff Conference in Mundelein, Illinois.  I’ll be adding on time for fundraising in the Chicago vicinity.

Apr 23-26   National Evangelism Champions meeting in Southern California