Adventures: Toah Nipi NH

InterVarsity Fall Conference

Seventeen Rhode Island College students joined 170 students from around the state at this year's "Fall Conference." The theme this year was "God is _____" about getting rid of false images of God. We explored scripture to answer the questions- "Is God near or distant? Is God caring or indifferent? Is God loving or unforgiving? Is God relevant to my daily life or my friends?"

Saturday night's Prayer Stations continued to be a meaningful time for the students. We re-named the fireplace room "The Crying Room" after almost every RIC student poured out their hearts while writing and praying in different postures.

Below, Lindsey teaches Kelley that everyone has an inner artist, and God the creator wants us to be creative. New staff Erin enjoys all the praises recorded in the heavenly prayer station she created.

 

The "Hug Prayer Station" became mobile the next day, Danielle and Sarah Beth.

We had an amazing weekend, as each student heard from God in personal ways- messages of love, encouragement, calling, or invitation. Sarah Beth was stirred during the call to faith when our speaker said, "Some of you have followed the faith of your family and culture, but have been Christians in name only," and she wanted to make it personal. Vanessa has spent the semester seeking God with us, but this weekend said she needed to seek God for herself. Though very extroverted and chatty, she surprised us by spending the "Retreat of Silence" transfixed by the gospel of John. At the evening invitation, she felt God say, "Stand up- you are ready!" Vanessa gave her heart to Jesus.

Danielle felt convicted that she'd been fake with her faith and relationships and wants to become real. Samantha realized she had a broken image of who God is, and wants to get to know Him personally. Filipe was assured that God loves him and is willing to meet him where he is.

Adventures: Summit Toah Nipi NH

Ginger and five RIC students attended "Summit" InterVarsity's summer retreat in New Hampshire. Below, Michael, Karlie, Charity, Lindsey, Jeremy and Ginger.

Summit week had a mix of silly activities in with the serious- the Great Race included carrying a cup of water through an obstacle course, building a house of cards-

and catching a frog.

The students woke up early each day for prayer meetings. We prayed psalms, personal prayers, prayers for our campuses, and prayers for the world.

Afternoon free time on the lake- Karlie tried out a kayak. 

Every morning, we studied Genesis chapters 1 through 11. In the afternoons, speakers asked, "Is the Bible reliable? What is God's plan for human sexuality? Can I trust God? What is God's plan for ethnicity?"

After studying the story of the flood, the question of trusting God was meditated on in an open space activity. Students read posters that categorized the early Genesis chapters into a pattern of God building trust (creating people for a purpose, with security, intimacy, and significance), Trust broken (People acting with suspicion, disobedience, shame and fear), and God rebuilding trust (God providing, remembering them, and blessing people.) Want to see more? [link lost]

The students reflected on places in their lives when they have trusted or lost trust with God. How is God inviting you to trust Him again?

RIC students made their own skits to advertize a book related to the day's topic. After studying the Tower of Babel and Abram's calling, we "plugged" a book called "Living in Color" with a video skit. The skit was meant to question the value of being "color-blind" and appreaciate all the different ethnicities and cultures that developed from God encouraging people to scatter across the earth.

During nightly "Campus Time" the RIC student leaders made some goals and plans for the next school year. They also developed a new vision statement based on 1 John 4:18a- "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear." The vision is:

Imperfect people sharing the perfect love of Christ

The emphasis on being imperfect was a felt need on the Rhode Island College campus, because of negative stereotypes about Christians acting superior. But we also wanted to redefine what perfect love really is, rather than tossing around the word love so casually nobody knows what it means anymore. We'll be learning more about it as we strive to live it.

More photos on facebook.

Adventures: InterVarsity Fall Retreat, NH

Rhode Island and Connecticut students went back to Toah Nipi for a Fall Retreat. After we arrived, it snowed and snowed!

The prayer station evening had many artistic ways for students to connect with the theme of "Identity" for the weekend. My favorite station was of masks that people wear- a mask that makes you feel comfortable, but isn't who you really are. Below, Lindsey adds a mask to the wall. One mask says, "I'm fine. I don't mind. It's okay," of a student trying to cover up his real feelings and hurts. We invited students to be real with God, and open to being who He wants us to be. 

 

Two stations below share expressions of God's vision for who you are, and burning in a fire old lies about yourself.

Early morning sessions had students met for prayer, and to pray for each other personally. Our praise band led songs about understanding identity in Christ. The RI guys staff also performed silly musical skits to understand identity. 

My group had ten RIC students, who all enjoyed being silly, playing in the snow, and also each heard powerful and personal messages from God through the weekend. 

Jill became a Christian on their spring break trip to New Orleans last year. But she felt like she'd wandered some, and needed this retreat to re-focus on God. The topic of the retreat was "Identity." During one evening with prayer stations, she was doing an artistic sculpting prayer station. There was a pile of little stones and one fell on the floor. She turned it over, and "Jillian" was written on it. 

Jill turned to her best friend, Michelle, and said, "Did you write my name on this stone?" Michelle said no. Jill dug through the other stones- they were all blank. She asked the staff, but no one knew how her name got on a stone. She finally said, "God's calling me by name!"

Michelle became a Christian at the same time as Jill, and although she has continued attending church-related things since then, she had a good revelation over the weekend also- "Before I was a Christian, I spent my time trying to get people to accept me through drinking and partying. After I became a Christian, I kept trying to get acceptance- this time through doing good Christian things. But this weekend, God told me I'm supposed to pursue Him, not pursue the acceptance of Christians."