InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
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InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, commonly referred to as InterVarsity, IVCF or simply "IV", is a nondenominational, evangelical Christian ministry for college students. The organization works with over 35,000 students and faculty on over 560 campuses in the United States, with the purpose of developing their love for God, the Bible, and people around the world. It is a member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, the umbrella organization of similar ministries around the world. Its current president is Alec Hill. Its vice-president and Director of Missions is Jim Tebbe.
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Ministries
College Ministry
InterVarsity, in 2002-2003, had 810 undergraduate chapters on 565 college campuses around the country, with some campuses having multiple chapters with different focuses. These include multi-ethnic ministries (which include Black Student Ministries, Asian American Ministries and Latino Fellowship) and ministries for international students (about 3000 participate), sororities and fraternities. Additionally, 141 chapters are primarily oriented toward graduate students and/or faculty, and about 2000 nursing professionals and students participate in Nurses Christian Fellowship.
Bible studies (known as Groups Investigating God, or GIGs) play an important role in the collegiate ministry as well, as nearly 1000 such groups exist, serving nearly 3000 students.
Missions
InterVarsity students regularly participate in both long- and short-term missions projects. Projects include Global Urban Trek (ministry in some of the poorest cities of the world), Global Mission Projects, and Urban Projects (ministry "plunges" into cities like Boston, Los Angeles, and Tampa). Additionally, InterVarsity runs Urbana, a triennial mission convention held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (until being moved to St. Louis, Missouri following the 2003 convention).
Training
InterVarsity operates four training centers that are designed to equip students, staff, families and church groups for Christian ministry. The organization also runs InterVarsity Press, which publishes about 100 new books per year, and currently has over 800 titles in print.
See also
External link
- InterVarsity website (http://www.intervarsity.org/)