Thoughts So Far

I have really enjoyed thinking about this (see previous post) over the last week or so, and I have so much more to think about. But I have been really enjoying this. The biggest reason is it is something with a purpose. People have noted that I tend to have opinions or idea of what to do in many situations (especially relationships). That is because I usually spend time that I am not actively doing homework, in class, or doing something IV related, or hanging out I am thinking about relationships, my day, or what I need to fix. And it could be argued that I am still thinking about fixing things, but there is a feeling of excitement in this analyzing and thinking that usually my thoughts are trying to make sense of something that is bothering myself or someone close to me. Darn... again that is part of my reason for wanting that, but it doesn't feel the same. I am seeing so many ways we can improve the mechanics of what we are doing to allow the Spirit to work.

I feel like the heart of the chapter is at a great place to hear God's voice. Just in the last week two new members to the VT chapter of IV have posted on facebook about how the community has ministered to them, helped them find themselves, and (as we desire) to find God. But I think the current organization supports people that happen upon us and are freshmen or Sophomores. We do NSO (New Student Outreach) and encourage Small Groups to reach out to the dorms they meet in but that is about it. We have a strong discipleship base here. We have people that disciple 2 or more people at once (some at other schools have told me they think this is foolish but oh well), and most leaders and members that want it are in a discipleship relationship by the end of their first semester or beginning of the second semester in our chapter. But the Juniors and Seniors are largely not discipled. There are not enough staff to disciple the upperclassmen and the few of us that are discipled have found, through luck or a very persistent older student, a member of a local church to disciple us. And with the old small group system where we changed small groups every year for many upperclassmen they had very few friends except those in their major or other older students, so they drifted away their Senior year. Unless you were a leader in which case you were good until the end of your term of service.

So what I am trying to see is how IV can be a place that does what it does now well. But also help the upperclassmen and the non-leaders grow as well. In college people are deciding who they want to be the rest of their lives. We are learning about ourselves and the world around us (specifically our major) each year. I guess I see IV as a community that comes along side the growth we are already doing. It is a place to encourage our spiritual growth while we are growing socially and intellectually. It is a place we can learn how to love people and how to encourage them. How to deal with conflict. And something I think IV can easily do, and doesn't yet at VT or not as well as it could, is help people learn they have a vision and encourage them to run with it.

Most of the things I am trying to figure out are the things that I have seen that have caused frustration or confusion for members. I think that people in positions need to know what they are expected to do. I have seen the expectations be set aside with emphasis on the spiritual aspects only. Something I really learned after the 16th and in the first few weeks of summer before GUPY is that people (more specifically men, but I think for women too) need a purpose. We need to have expectations and goals. We need to be careful because we can make them to hard or to stressful and we take God out of the equation and we also kill the spirit of excitement and joy from the work. but with no expectations nothing happens and the spirit of excitement and joy leave because you don't feel there is any worth to your work. People seem to work and enjoy work most with a specific level of stress. There is a level of stress and expectation that brings out the best work in people, and with that a sense of accomplishment and worth. I feel like the small group leaders and vision team have gotten dangerously close to a point where they have lost the challenge and worth to their work. Not all leaders and not all the time but it seems to be a growing trend. Also we are all students we cannot and should not expect work in IV to the most important thing and not expect there to be 40 hours a week of work in these positions.

I am excited because just thinking of idea and how to do them has given me the most sense of challenge and worth to my job yet.

So I called this my thoughts, but really I have been trying to help you see where I am thinking and explain myself a bit to those who might not have known exactly where I was coming from.

So what have I thought about so far? I am not quite ready to discuss my thoughts on the responsibilities but communication is a huge start to doing what I want to see happen.

Vision team has set a vision the last two years at least. If you are not on vision team I doubt you know what it is. That is the first thing. The vision set for the chapter needs to be communicated to, accepted by, and become the vision of the members of the chapter. This starts with communicating the vision to the small group leaders and action teams (teams that work with the vision team members to get their job done [ex. 180 team and community action team]). Once they know they can work it into their small groups and events. We need to then communicate the vision at each event and meeting. Either the vision for the meeting/ event or the vision over all or both. It doesn't need to be "Hi, this is the vision." we can communicate it in more interesting ways but it needs to be said. Then people will know why we exist, why we are doing what we are doing, and hopefully why they should be part of it.

The VT chapter was only about 40 people 6-7 years ago. And largely we have not changed much of how we do to. That is why I am so excited to be thinking about this. In general I have found that guys like to make a difference. I like making a difference at least. I love it when I have a great talk where someone comes to a better understanding of themselves or God through it. I and everyone in IV at VT right now can be part of helping IV get to a point where the community is ready to reach the campus and help each other grow.

The trick, and the part I am still working on is what is the vision, what are the responsibilities, and how to help the chapter move in that direction. It needs to be done with heart and caring, because this is not a business, and this needs to be God driven, not driven by me or anyone else. I personally think it is in line with God and his will, and that many of these plans and ideas are his. That is why there is a vision team and staff, once the semester starts we will begin thinking about my ideas and others and the best way to challenge and encourage without alienating or condemning the members.

So that is what I am doing, I am trying to look at what we are doing and how to challenge people and encourage them well. And I find it exciting because there is so much potential in the members of the chapter and the chapter as a group. And there is no way I or the current vision team can do all of this, meaning we can only start trying to re-organize and re-imagine how the chapter at VT works. It is exciting because last year in my position I went between doing nothing to caring for people as best I could, but I feel I did little to improve things and I have a second chance to try.

This is not the most organized thing ever as I am writing as I think, but my goal is to have my thoughts more organized in time for next semester. Thanks for your continued prayer as I am thinking and dreaming. Also any thoughts, ideas, or criticism (constructive only please) for the chapter at VT would be greatly appreciated, email preferred.

In case I don't post again this week. Merry Christmas.

I need to get better at this

So I started this blog after GUPY, but I have been really bad at updating it. I have had ideas of what to write but I don't really have a vision for this blog. So since this is the break of vision seeking I will be trying to see about this too.

But here is what I am planning to do this break:
- Define the responsibilities, authority, role and of Vision Team
- Define the responsibilities, authority, role and of each position of Vision Team
- Define the responsibilities, authority, role and of Small Group Leaders
- Figure out how to keep all these people accountable for their positions
- Figure out how to increase communication between the Vision Team and the Chapter
- Figure out how to increase communication in general
- Define the vision for the InterVarsity Chapter at Virginia Tech (err... my vision :) )
- Develop a plan to fix Small Groups at Virginia Tech
- Develop a plan for a sustainable Chapter at Virginia Tech
- Figure out who I am, and who I want to be
- Figure out what happened this semester (I like to evaluate my semesters)

I recently was reading (still am actually) a book about men in the church. And he said something I believe to be true that "Men need vision - not just relationships to stay motivated in church." Now I am not trying to get into the whole argument of is IV the church or not, but I look around and I see almost every other chapter in our region being almost all girls. And In IV at VT we have been praying for women for years and we are finally about 50/50. The only problem... it is both from an increase in women and a decrease in men, at the same time. We have had several visions floating around in the last year or so, for the first time we are trying to have a vision for the chapter, but I do not feel that we have focused on one or a few such that the chapter knows the vision. We have not been communicating with the chapter well. I want to fix that. Or try. So I have huge aspirations for this break, we shall see what happens. I have a goal, I can only set it up over break, but I have been given another year on vision team to start to make it happen. God put IV on the campus of Virginia Tech for a reason, for a long time, arguably still, that reason has been for ourselves. Our growth, our community, our enjoyment, and IV is all of those things. But it is also a place for us to learn how to develop a vision, where the leaders can help provide the resources and authority to make the vision happen. A place where people can learn how to love and care for people well, how to interact with people well. And finally and most importantly a community that exists to share the gospel with those who have not heard it, or need to hear it again, or in a different way.

That is what is on my mind. I hope to blog more over break, so if you want a preview of what will be coming in the next year in IV this is the place.

PS- This is not even considering the fact that my co-Small Group Coordinator is as opinionated as me, more of a visionary than me, with a stronger personality than me. The SGLs are in for an interesting year.

I can't wait!