Below is a collection of outreaches recorded (not all of them) that has been found in the UMM Campus and Community in Morris by different campus ministries since 1997.
This is to help UMM Alumns involved in campus ministries reflect and remember what God did during the early years growing with Christ as students. I pray that they'll keep in touch with current and future IVCF members at UMM to encourage them in their walk as students. Also, to bridge the networks amongst the body of beleivers that have passed through here.
If you know of any others that could be added to this list, please e-mail goodnewsumm@hotmail.com. Thank You for serving our Lord Jesus Christ!
Acts of Kindness
-"Pick up Garbage" in each residential hall in February of 2004. Outreach Coordinator 03'-04': Kevin Logan
Person to Person
Booktable-
Stu Farm and Friends, Stu hanged (w/invited guests-mostly students, but adults from local church too!) out both at the Student Center Lobby and Food Service (a.k.a. PFM) during the "busy" mean rush of students. He had Bibles to giveaway, would prayer with others, and give out tracts on various topics concerning students. He would give personal lessons on the guitar to build more of that relationship with people he met.
**Report: I got my first ever Bible here!
GoodNews UMM Table w/ Sal and friends (e.g. Nsoozi-Zambian Int'l student, Peter-Montevideo, MN, Juan-non student, and other guests) did a 2by2 teamwork in sharing with folks that stopped by with prayer requests, questions, or even need of a Bible. Various ways to draw people were: boombox with various Christian music, t.v. with eye catching videos, candy giveways w/verses at times, and just miscellanous Gospel resources.
**Report: A UMM professor came and asked for a Bible quickly, which she would later past away. We'll know what happened when His children go to Heaven.
Christmas Season-
-handing out candy canes with various verses (eg. “…God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9:7; “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from sins.”- Matthew 1:21, etc..”) through the ”GoodNews UMM Table” right before winter break.
New Student Orientation Week-
Homecoming Week-
-"NO Strings Attached" Candy giveaway with info-
"We're glad we had the chance to serve you! We hope this small gift brings some light into your day. It's simple way of saying God loves you-no strings attached. Let us know if ywe can be of more assistance"...w/IVCF contact info (large group meeting, website, and e-mail)
Year? 1999
Committee: Katie-President, Dan, Cecilia, Naomi, Community focus-Crystal, Campus focus-Joe, Sal-Cultural, and Rita.
Random-
A group went 2by2 to talk to individuals in their residential halls and shared the "Gospel" in 2000-2001
Concerts
Sounds of Blackness came before I was first a student at UMM in 1995. I don't know exactly which organization sponsored them.
Jeremy Erickson has come many times (dates unkknown?)
"Firestarters", from Perham, MN did a praise and worship concert along with prayer and salvation alter call. Date?
Films
-"Homecoming" on Tuesday, January 13th @8pm in the Social Science Building Rm 245 by World Wide Pictures. Story about Morris High School! Sponsored by Free Church Campus Ministry-Dan Anaerud
-"Who Was Jesus" (Jesus Film)-on Sunday, Feb 14th (Valentines Day) @8-10p in Edson Aud.
Notes: Since it was a Sunday where many college students were returing to this "suit case" (people go home during the weekends and are only in campus to study during the weekdays) college. Many of them had to study and about 5-10 people were present. Some could stay only for awhile. One student went into tears as she left after the video!
-The Passion (by Mel Gibson) on Tuesday, March 30th @7pm at the local Morris Movie Theater with a group of 8 (many IVCF members saw it the first weekend in Alexandria) that responded to the invitation from tabling in the Student Center for a week. Following the movie, they all went to TMC to share their thoughts and hearts.
Posters
-"Looking for Something to fill that hold in our hearts" 1.888.NEED.HIM phone number in poster that was hanged around the campus with a picture of an open door w/Matthew 7:7 verse
Speakers
Walter Bond gave an alter call for salvation and prayer at Edson Auditorium in 2002/2001?
"I Agree with Ami" (t-shirt/buttons) campaign
Hello,
This is Ami Chouravong and I am humbly writing you regarding a campaign that Christian groups on campus are doing next week. This is an opportunity to promote spiritual discussion among campus and to make God's love known. Very soon, the campus will receive flyers in their PO BOX saying, "I agree with Ami, Edson, 7pm, April 7th." Then, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, many people around campus will be wearing shirts that say "I Agree with Ami." When people ask about the shirts, it is an opportunity for the shirt-wearers to share about God's love through His Son Jesus. This campaign has NOTHING to do with me and EVERYTHING to do with what God has done in my life. I am so amazed at His goodness and am grateful for the opportunity to share about Him to the people I love so much at UMM.
I am writing to ask you to prayerfully consider wearing a T-shirt. Just pray about it. I'm trust He'll speak to you clearly about your contribution. Your names came up as people who would "Agree with Jesus."
This Friday, from 9am-noon, Sara Nowak will be in TMC handing out the shirts. There is a $5 donation, but if you don't have the money, you can get one for free.
Also, this Sunday at 6:30pm, there will be get together and prayer for final details about the campaign at the Mocassin Flower Room. At 7pm, during Food For Thought, Pastor Mike Saeger will be giving an "evangelism training."
Any support you can give to this campaign is grately appreciated. Prayer is extremely vital during this time.
Thank you and God bless you as you draw nearer to Him,
Ami Chouravong
FROM IVCF
Grettings all,
I just want to let you all know that this is my (Jonathan Lofgren) last e-mail. From now on, Bobby Culbertson will be sending the e-mails. Sending e-mails isn't too difficult and he is definitely more than capable.
I AGREE WITH AMI Well, as you all know, Ami is speaking this wednesday at 7pm in Edson. If you'd like to be involved with set-up, praying for people, etc., please come at 6:15 so that we can all figure out what's going on. Also, just continue to pray about this.
On a related note, the shirts have really been working well. We're definitely getting our message out. Please remember that, as a Christian, you're always a witness for Christ, but this is especially true when you're going out of your way to announce that with your bright yellow shirt. Please act in a way that give glory to God. I would also ask that you be flexible with your time. People will be asking about the shirts and that's what we want so plan for that. Come early to your classes so that you can answer questions people might have. I also encouargae you to just walk around outside and enjoy the beautiful day so that people can ask about the shirts.
*Note: This outreach came about with the help of more than several local churches and campus ministries in this college campus commUNITY! My personal suggestion next time is to have the believers worship together along with the prayer that happened before Ami spoke. This would get the presence of God to set the atmosphere for what God can do with the "strangers" that came.
**Report (4/9/04): About 120+ students and members from the community (mostly area church members to show their support) came, which is a high number after the controversy prior to this (many mixed message of the yellow "I Agree With Ami" t-shirts). I heard students came with their protest t-shirts (e.g. "I'm Free because I burned the Bible-something like this), which no heckling occurred as they were "silenced" during the 20-30 minute short message-testimony about pleasing God-no fear of man (during her dark season last semester while helping kick start Chi Alpha). Ami also shared about just how she enjoys the quiet times with God that she missed while in the Philippines last summer.
IVCF got together in prayer afterwards in prayer to praise God for the turnout during the cold windy weather outside. Please pray for the seeds that were planted during outreach before, during, and after. One immediate praise report from this event was my personal prayer with a Somolian that was asking what was this event all about. I ended up praying with him asking Jesus to reveal Himself to him in a personal loving way after he was struggling trying to hear God's voice. Also, before this event, I was able to be forward in sharing about the personal relationship with God when people asked about "I Agree With Ami" button I was wearing. I had the chance to e-mail several student leaders about my personal testimony on how I battled racism (with Jesus) after Tuesday's "Walk Out (against latest campus issues)" the day before.
I'll be updating on other praise reports from this outreach event as time goes one. Till then keep praying!
Related Sites:
I Agree With Ami
InterVarsity Newsletter
"... Near the end we
were led to run the “I Agree with Ami”..Campaign. This was an effort that in-
volved nearly all of the campus minis-
tries and 75 people wearing bright
yellow t-shirts saying “I Agree With Ami”. We also put up posters, ta-
bled, and told our friends. On
Wednesday Ami gave her testimony.
Around 200 people showed up to see
what all the fuss was about. They
found out that the whole deal wasn’t
about Ami, as it seemed to many,
but about the Lord Jesus Christ. We
don’t know of anyone who became
Christians because of the campaign,
but we do know that God did an
amazing work. Never had we
worked so closely together with
other groups, prayed so much, or had to trust God that much, made
such an open statement, or grew
together as much as we did during
that week. For a week Jesus Christ
was the topic of conversation on
campus. That is what we hoped to
do, bring glory to God and display
the truth for all to see. We believe
that God is continuing to work,
change lives, and bringing people
into our lives that need Christ.
Please pray that we would have
increased anointing and boldness for
our Lord."
Unity Focus
Sports
-Friday, Feb. 16th "Gym Party Jam" @9am-12midnight 1999 at P.E. Center. Sponsored by several campus ministries (fun games and dance with positive christian music)
-Walter Bond, former University of Minnesota Gophers Basketball star (see above)
Dances
-Dec. 2003 "Dance at the Oracle"
"Pre-Skillet" Concert Party!! @6-10p at Karl's Coffee on Thursday, Oct. 29th 1998. This was to advertise the actual concert (Nov 1st @7p) at Morris Area Elementary School. Tickets $10. Sponsored by Morris Evangelical Free Church
"Food Drive" with Campus Compact Coordinator: Jen in Winter Quarter of 1997. IVCF Represented that co-helped was Sal, who used his RA position to get the halls involved in a floor by floor competition!
“Set the Captives Free” Conference, sponsored by Women’s Aglow (national ministry encouraging women in their relationship with God). If still interested, please call: Local Morris Aglow Representative Sheryl Woetzel (320) 589-4418.
"Food Drive" with Campus Compact in Winter Quarter of 1998. We got all the floors in the residence halls to compete to raise the most amount of food for the Morris Food Shelf. Also, facutly, staff, and passerbys dropped cans in a box by the Info Desk. In which "IVCF did a special drive during one of their meetings which greatly contriubted to the end result"-UR Article (January 14, 1999).
"Gospel Explosion" a cross cultural teamwork outreach with IVCF and Alpha&Omega. See 1999
"Picnic in the Park" at East Side Park started in 1999 as a celebration party after the first ever "Gospel Explosion". IT has been an annual event to this date, but on August now-the first week of classes at UMM
Prayers:
-National Day of Prayer
See You At the Party 1999 on March during Spring Break, which over 700+ youth came and 200 additional adult and college volunteers!
"Drama theatre" by J.C's Place , from Emmanuel Christian Center (Fridley-Minneapolis, Minnesota) in the hallways of the Student Center and handing out fliers of "be on int'l t.v." that was recorded at Morris Area High School on a Friday night. It was an evangelism drama theatre performance for college and high school students. Sponsored by Hossana Worship Center
Contact: jcsplace@emmanuelcc.com or 1.800.448.4663
"Unity: Community Wide Worship Service". IVCF Outreach committee met with local campus/church leaders on a community wide time of praise and worship every Sundays at the Student Center.
Mission Statement: "The plan is for a handful of teams, with members of different affiliations, to lead these worship services. The worship will consist of meshing of songs from those represented in the worship group. The groups will be intentionally divided up to represent as many affiliations as possible. These worship services will be held on weekly on Sunday nights @8:30p. They are intended to last about an hour, with the first one will beeing held on February 21 (1999) in Oyate H all." -by Daniel Enderton.
Notes: This lasted less than a year-I think and it took a lot of time. The numbers were large at first from the campus and high school, but dwindled slowly.
"Dance" sponsored by campus ministries, ethnic orgnanizations (ASA), and dance clus (Swing Dance, Pom Pom) that was opened to both high school and campus on March 2003.
STATE
"Convoy of Hope" on Saturday, June 27 1998 in inner-city of Minneapolis. We went to the cities separately and met as a group in Minneapolis. It was a one-day outreach to the needy where the love of Jesus was put into action: gospel music, preaching, and an area for children's ministry. Also, there was a medical/dental services ten, free haircuts, clothing and food distribution.
Praise Report: 35,000-40,000 groceries was given away. 230 decisions for Christ!
“Prison Outreach” Group of Men (must be over +21) went to minister to some of the 1,200 maximum prison (Prairie Correctional Facility) population in Appleton (Swift County), MN (1 hour west of Morris) by playing basketball, board games, etc… every other Mondays for awhile in 1998-1999.
Note: During the time we went there in 1998-1999, there were prisoners from Hawaii and Wisconsin
Contact: Neil, who currently goes there every other Mondays of Morris Community Church
NATION
-Arizona Trip ? by IVCF
-Florida Spring Break by Free Church Campus Ministry
GLOBAL
-Mexico Summer of 2001
-Honduras Summer of 2003
-Mexico Winter Break of 2003-2004
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