God called me to join InterVarsity staff in 1997, and I have been serving as a campus staff member at DePaul University ever since. It is a privilege to be part of these students' lives and to influence them at this crucial time in their spiritual development.

I like to highlight the phrase "witnessing communities" in the InterVarsity Purpose Statement. Our hope for the DePaul chapter is that we would be a supportive, loving, faithful community of students and faculty, and that we would be able to exists as a witness for the love of Christ on our campus.

DePaul University is a Catholic institution (actually, the largest Catholic university in the nation), but it is extremely welcoming of all different kinds of students whether Catholic or not. Most students commute (this includes adults returning to finish their degree or to work on a graduate degree), and about 2,400 students live on campus in university residences. (For more interesting tidbits, read my DePaul Facts page.)

The DePaul IVCF Chapter

Our chapter is made up of students from many different denominations: Presbyterian, Lutheran, Catholic, Messianic Jewish, Baptist, non-denominational, and others. We also have some level of ethnic diversity in our chapter. It is a joy to be able to worship Christ and grow together in our Christian faith in such a diverse community.

We hold a Weekly Worship Meeting on Tuesday nights, where we worship, fellowship, and learn from Scripture. Sometimes we invite speakers to teach us, and sometimes we will have an "in-house" Bible study. I love the way DePaul InterVarsity students dig into Scripture. We are hungry to know God better, and we are growing in our abilities to eat his Word.

DePaul is graced also by the presence of the Gospel Choir on campus. Latina Williams, my InterVarsity colleague, works with this group of students. They have an incredible opportunity to bless people through their worshipful singing. Since they are viewed as a "cultural" group (in addition to being a religious organization), they are invited to minister through their music in many different arenas where other Christian groups would not necessarily be welcome. In addition to rigorous musical rehearsals, the students in the Gospel Choir engage in regular prayer and Bible study to develop themselves spiritually. I have a great deal of respect for Latina and the wonderful ways she has served the DePaul Gospel Choir.

A Week in the Life

What does Ann do on campus in a given week? The answer is always changing, but here are some things that might be in there:

• teaching at the Weekly Worship Meeting
• training students in Bible study skills
• meeting individually with students for pastoral care, discipleship, or leadership development
• meeting with a DePaul University faculty member to minister pastorally and pray for them
• training students in worship leading skills
• meeting with the DePaul InterVarsity leadership team for planning, training, and prayer
• praying for the campus with students at our weekly prayer meeting
• attending an InterVarsity social event
• training students in evangelism
• praying for the campus in between appointments
• meeting with University Ministry staff to discuss InterVarsity activities
• and many other things!

Two-Year Goals

Here are some of my goals for the next two years:

Train 50% of our students in leading evangelistic Bible discussions

I plan to train 50% of the students in GIGs — I want students grow in their heart for lost people (the students in their classes!), to take risks in their faith, and to be able to explain what they believe. Ultimately, I want to see new Christians in our fellowship, and for us all to grow in depth of understanding of how Christ can transform our lives.

Send 25% of our students to participate in a summer mission trip, leadership training program, or an urban project

I am talking to students now, inviting them to consider how they will spend their summers. I want to see 25% of the chapter involved in a summer training program. I already see 5 students considering going to SLT. This program is incredible in developing students’ leadership potential, deepening their faith, and training them in practical ministry skills like Bible study, speaking, and evangelism. I would love to see these 5 students go to SLT and then bring new energy and vision to fellow students in our chapter.

Establish a specialized witnessing community in the Theatre School at DePaul

Students are meeting presently, praying for the Theatre School (TTS). They are discouraged as they are having a hard time recruiting students to join them in their group. It is a spiritually dark and oppressive place, and students have a very hard time sticking up for their faith. I would love for this small group of praying students to become bolder, and to offer the hope of Christ in practical ways to their peers — through seminars “how to survive TTS”, through coffee and cookies during finals, through arts parties where students can have a safe place to share what they have been working on.

Field 2-4 small group Bible studies each year until there is a small group in every dorm on campus

I want to see small group Bible studies in every dorm on campus. We have had a very difficult time with these in the past years. We have just established “coffee talker” groups — 2-4 students who are getting together 2x/month to talk about their relationship with God and pray — and I would love to see these groups develop into small groups that will grow, possibly split, help the students to grow in their love for Jesus, and to reach out to the communities around them.

Pioneer a faculty group that would meet at least twice/quarter.

Faculty are quite isolated on campus. Each time I get together with a faculty member, they are so excited to talk to a Christian and share about what is going on in their lives and with their students. I have relationships with 4 faculty members right now, and I would love to (somehow!) coordinate their schedules and establish a faculty group where they can meet for lunch, encourage one another, pray for one another, and look for ways to live out their faith at DePaul University.

May God’s kingdom come more and more fully at DePaul University.

Funding Needs

Part of my job is to raise up a support network for the ministry at DePaul University. I am always looking for people to support the ministry through financial donations and through prayer. If you would like to give a special donation, or if you would like to learn more about becoming a supporter of this ministry to students, you can find out more details in my "How to Donate" article.

Biography

Although I grew up believing in Jesus, it wasn’t until my freshman year at Northwestern University that I began to follow him as a disciple. Involvement in an InterVarsity small-group Bible study and close contact with strong Christian students challenged me to commit all areas of my life to Christ’s lordship.

After attending a summer leadership training program with InterVarsity, I sensed God leading me to serve university students as an InterVarsity staffworker. I received my B.M. in Music Education in June 1997 from Northwestern University, and began to work with InterVarsity immediately.

Jon Boyd and I met and married a few years after I came on staff. We spend our free time serving our church, baking and cooking, talking long walks, reading voraciously, and gardening.

It is my prayer that students at DePaul will learn to love our Lord and devote their lives to following his direction. May God spread his kingdom in our world through the men and women on our university campuses.