A bit too much snow on the ground to do anything, and it’s been too long since my last post…

It’s amazing how the end of the semester comes out of nowhere. Next week, students start their finals, so they are (mostly) in study mode already, and we’ve been wrapping up our Bible studies in anticipation of the Christmas break. Looking back on the semester, it was a great time to grow in relationships with each other and with Christ, and I have big expectations for this coming semester. More on that in a little bit…

I personally have kept very busy the past several weeks. Towards the end of November, all InterVarsity staff from Minnesota and the Dakotas gathered for our regional staff conference. I hadn’t realized it, but I really needed that time together with other people that God has called to this ministry. Campus work can be quite lonely at times, but our 4 days of training provided some good opportunities for me to get to know other staff members and be reminded of why we do this. It’s all about the students and seeing God work in their lives.

I’ve also spent a lot of time meeting with students. This is my favorite part of the job, and I have seen God working in amazing ways in their lives. One particular passage that resonates with several of the students is Romans 5:3-5:

And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Each students’ story is different, but God is walking with them through difficult circumstances, and the hope and expectation that is evident in their lives gets me excited for the rest of this school year.

Looking ahead to next semester, there are some great things ahead. In January, students have intensive classes that actually open their schedules up a bit, so we will spend a decent amount of time in the study and practice of prayer. Through this, we hope to develop a greater understanding of the role prayer plays in reaching the campus for Christ. We are also hosting an event at the end of February to share Christ with many students. More details on that in January. Please be in prayer for these two things, and also be praying that new students would be introduced to the ministry of InterVarsity.

On the financial side of the ministry, things are still good. Praise God for that. If anybody is considering year-end giving opportunities, please think about InterVarsity as an option. If you have any questions in that regard, please contact me. Thanks for reading!

Fall Retreat Recap

"This place is really nice!" It was always said with a mixture of shock and awe, and it's something I heard several times this past weekend from the students who came on our Fall Retreat.

13 students and I ventured to a farm south of the Cities on Saturday, and until Sunday afternoon, we spent our time connecting with God and each other through personal devotions, small group discussions, food, games, and a spontaneous dance party aided by blaring car stereos. Our main topic of discussion for the weekend was Transformation...what it is, what it looks like, how it happens, and how all these ideas come together for God to work through us to transform Hamline's campus. Also tied up in those discussions was the idea of why we do what we do on campus. Basically, it's all about how God works through the transformation that's happening in our own lives to transform others. It's a message that resonated with the students and will influence how we approach much of what we do for the rest of the year.

Our time also provided some relief from the responsibilities of school and a chance to get out of the city and admire the beauty of God's creation. Several of the students spent some of their personal time on Saturday afternoon wandering around the pastures enjoying the beautiful October afternoon.

Moving forward, my work now turns to integrating the discussion from this past weekend into the day-to-day ministry on campus. That will mostly involve discipleship of students, encouraging deeper relationships, and planning new opportunities for new students to engage in the InterVarsity community. This coming Friday, we are hosting a movie night with an opportunity afterwards for a discussion on how faith is portrayed in the film. Plans are also coming together for at least one service opportunity this semester and a couple outreach events in the Spring. Please keep all of this in your prayers.

Thank you so much for all your prayers that went in to this weekend. It came together quite rapidly, and that unfortunately added a bit of stress to the planning and preparation. However, God definitely was at work, and because of it, the students are even more excited for what is ahead this year. Actually, I am, too. It's going to be a great rest of the year.

Retreat Update

Hey all....

Just wanted to post a quick update. Our Fall Retreat is this weekend. Final registrations are due tomorrow, and it's looking like we could have 15 students coming together for a time of relaxation, fellowship, and teaching. I'm very excited, still have a bit of work to do, and have big expectations about how this weekend will turn out.

There are still a couple needs heading in to this weekend:

-I'm still looking for somebody who would be willing to help out with dinner on Saturday night. Anybody out there in the Twin Cities metro feel like flipping some burgers and hanging out with some college students? Call me if that sounds appealing.

-Have any interest in providing some financial support? With any retreat, there are needs that come up in planning, usually in the form of scholarships for students who otherwise wouldn't be able to go. If you're interested in knowing more, please let me know.

If you want more information on either of these, give me a call. My cell is (815) 793-3523.

Above all, prayer for this weekend is greatly appreciated. Please be praying for the weather, for safety, and for God to be at work in the lives of all of us there as we grow closer to each other and to God.

I think that's it for today. Now to figure out what's for dinner.
-Deron

Volunteers?

Wanted to pass along a quick update...

Things are still rolling along on campus, and in the past week, plans have come together for us to hold a Fall retreat October 23-24. There's a good amount of excitement already and I know it will be a good weekend for students to get away from campus, connect with each other in a new setting, and grow in their understanding of God and ministry on campus.

In preparing for this weekend, I'm wondering if any of you would be willing to volunteer with some meal preparation. The retreat is at a farm south of the Twin Cities, so most prep would take place there. We are looking for help with dinner on Saturday and lunch on Sunday. If you have any questions about it or are interested in helping out, e-mail me at deron.vaupel@gmail.com.

I think that's all for today...for those of you in the Twin Cities, enjoy the beautiful day. Thanks for reading.
-Deron

Well, students are just finishing up their third full week of classes, and I'm happy to say that things are rolling right along with ministry on campus this school year. There are 4 small groups meeting each week with students coming to study topics such as love and Jesus' examples of crossing cultural borders. There has been a lot of positive feedback from those involved in the different groups, and I know as the year moves on, the leaders will grow in their abilities to engage students in discussion and really dig in to scripture.

A few weeks ago, we had a table at the annual Organization Fair, a chance for students to check out the different orgs on campus. We had a table with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and had several students sign up for e-mail updates and take information about the small groups. There have been several new additions to the Facebook group (57 members and counting)...now we're just praying for more opportunities to connect with these new students.

Speaking of opportunities to connect, tonight we're having a BBQ (free food) and a worship gathering. It should be a good opportunity for getting to know new people, especially freshmen who are wanting to get involved with something on campus. Hopefully I'll have a few stories to share in the next week or two from tonight...also, we are in process of planning out the rest of the semester. As details come together, I'll pass along info to you all.

One other fun bit, this past Sunday evening Lisa and I hosted several students for dessert and games. Lots of laughter, plenty of conversation, and overall good times. We'll have them over several more times between now and the end of the semester.

Time to wrap things up, so here's some prayer requests:

For the students, please be praying that they will all be finding new ways to connect with friends, classmates, roommates, coworkers, and, most importantly, Christ. Also, being a few weeks in to the semester, they are starting to get in to routines for classes, work, and activities. Please be in prayer for those involved as they balance all the different requirements in their lives. Also, remember Zach, Evie, and Rachel who are studying in the UK.

Personally, I could use prayer for a deeper understanding of the many different aspects of campus...there's a lot to learn (building names, best places to hang out, how to navigate the different leadership structures on campus). Also, please pray for more connections with students. So far, so good, but there's still plenty more that I want to do in that area.

Thanks for reading, thanks for your prayers, and just thank you for being you.
-Deron

...and now it begins

As I write this, I'm looking out over Hamline's campus, watching people make their way to and from their first classes of the Fall semester. It's Wednesday, September 8, and Hamline University is now officially in session. This day has come with a great deal of excitement, lots of planning, conversations, prayer, processing, and a little bit of anxiety. There has been a barrage of communication between myself and the student leaders on campus trying to figure out the last details for what we're trying to do to let people know who we are and what we're about. For the most part, it's gone well, but there's still more work to do.

There was an event last night meant to welcome students back to campus. Different organizations were able to set up table and offer games in a carnival-esque atmosphere. Many students came by our table to take a chance at knocking down pop cans, some were simply attracted by the chance to get some candy, and others simply wanted to find out more about who we are. We passed out information about the Bible studies going on this semester and about different events that are happening.

Next week is the annual organization fair where different student groups have informational tables set up. We will be there trying to reach as many students as possible, again getting the info out about all we're doing to reach the campus through discipleship and relationships. There's also a BBQ coming up, a worship event that we're working on for the end of the month, and plenty of other things in the preliminary stages of planning. Sounds like a lot, but praise God for student leaders who are willing to jump in wherever they can. Without them, I would be a lot more anxious and nothing would be coming together.

While I'm typing about student leaders, I might as well pass along this bit of info: this semester, 3 students who have been very involved in IV at Hamline are studying in the United Kingdom. Two of them have already arrived while one is leaving this weekend. Their absence will definitely be noticed, but this will be a great experience for them. If you could please be in prayer for Evie, Zach, and Rachel, that God would challenge them in amazing ways in the coming months and that they would build some great relationships.

As far as prayers for ministry on campus, please be in prayer for the students as they get back in to the routine of classes. For those that feel the need to connect, pray that we might be able to point them towards God. For those looking for a Christian community, pray that they are able to sort through all the different things vying for their attention and find InterVarsity or another local Christian organization. For IV, pray for wisdom for the leadership in getting the last details figured out for these first few weeks and also for planning out the rest of the semester.

Praise God for those he has brought around me, from the students to supporters, providing logistics, prayer, finances, a voice of reason, an ear to listen, and baked goods. You are all awesome. I look forward to sharing more specific stories about what God is doing in the lives of students in the coming months.

July Update

It's hard to believe that the school year starts in less than 2 months. The past month has been full of planning and meeting with students, spending time on campus in the IV office, tracking down people in coffee shops throughout the Twin Cities, and a lot of time spent with open Word documents and papers scrawled with marginally understandable notes outlining a semester's worth of programming, outreach, and discipleship. It's all building up to the first week of September when we try to tell as many students as possible about the opportunities available through InterVarsity's ministry on campus. It's all starting to come together into a comprehensible form, but there's still plenty of work left to do.

I have been able to meet with most of the student leaders for this coming year. They're an exciting group (to say the least), and I'm starting to understand what they're passionate about and how they are preparing to contribute to God's work at Hamline. The specific roles they will take on in the coming year are pretty much all figured out, so please be in prayer for them as God works to prepare them over the next couple months.

On the funding front, over 90% of my initial goal has been committed! Quite exciting, I know...it's been a real blessing to not only have so many people coming alongside this ministry, but also to share what God has called me to for the coming years. To all of you, thank you so much for all your support.

Over the next few weeks, a few things that can be prayed for:

-Continued guidance in the planning process. I am brainstorming with the student leaders about many different topics for this coming year. Small group structure, Vision for ministry, Events, Scheduling, all that stuff.
-New students. We're still a few months away from school starting, but I believe God is right now preparing students for ministry on campus at Hamline.
-Funding. Prayer is always appreciated for this aspect of ministry. Just a few more percentage points to go right now, and I'm always looking for new opportunities to share about this ministry with others.

Think that's it for now. Hope you all have a beautiful weekend.
-Deron

*unable to think of catchy title for today

Well, that time of year has come again. Dorm rooms are packed up, finals are winding down, fancy hats and long flowing robes are being worn, flocks of young adults are being released on the summer job market...to the delight of many, the school year is over!

For the students at Hamline, that means unwinding from the stress of finals, freedom from homework for a few months, and another year of ministry on campus has come to an end. For me, next school year has (in ways) already begun. This summer will be spent planning, reading, brainstorming, trying to meet with as many student leaders as I can (who's available next week?), basically doing whatever is possible to hit the ground running when students come back to campus in August.

Over the past several weeks, I have had a few opportunities to get on campus and meet with some of the student leaders. They are a fun group, excited to see God work on campus, and anxious to be used in that work. There are already plans in place for at least 5 Bible studies, with some of the students taking their first foray into the exciting world of small group leadership. As they head back to families, summer jobs, camps, and wherever else they might be going, please be in prayer that God would use many opportunities to prepare them for serving in the upcoming school year and that they would be always growing in their understanding of how they can be used on campus.

The end of the school year did come with a bit of sadness. Dan Stirratt, Hamline's InterVarsity staff worker for the past couple years, announced that he will be leaving his position as of May 31. Dan has worked with InterVarsity for the past 15 years, and his ability to engage with students will be greatly missed on campus. He has helped me quite a bit as I transition into the role of campus staff member, and I know his work at Hamline has paved the way for some amazing transformation in the coming years.

I will also continue the process of raising support over the summer. As of yesterday 65% of my initial funding goal has been committed. That means I have a further $6600 dollars to raise for this coming year of ministry. However, with the staffing changes on campus, if more funding comes in, I will be able to put in more hours. That is an unanticipated development that I'll know more about in the coming months.

I think that's all I have for updates right now. I have posted an updated copy of the ministry overview here:

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B2S8P4fnqrcfYzhkOWY1OGYtMmM5Ny00YmIxLThiMDMtZjFmM2EwM2E5YTQw&hl=en

As always, if you have any questions, post in the comments or contact me directly. Thanks for reading.
-Deron

Greetings All!

Not knowing who all will come across this blog in their random perusing of the web...I figure I should introduce myself for those who may not already know me.

So...I'm Deron. Born and raised in a small farm town outside DeKalb, Illinois, completed a good deal of schooling in the area which included a degree from Northern Illinois University. While there, I was quite active in the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship chapter on campus, serving with small groups, worship, and the student leadership team. Through these experiences, God was building in me a passion for ministry, so after graduation I joined up with a ministry called Youth Encounter. Over the next two years, I traveled throughout the United States and spent time serving abroad in Peru, Bolivia, and Australia. Most of the ministry involved music in various forms, but I also had the chance to share through puppets, testimonies, drama, and home stays. God stretched me in many ways during this time (plenty of stories to share!), but after it was finished I felt a call to pursue a bit more training. So, I was off to the Twin Cities to enroll at Bethel Seminary. I spent a few years there taking a variety of classes all towards finding a position as an associate pastor or in a para-church ministry, leading to graduation in May 2009. While in school, I worked as an intern at a local church primarily with the junior and senior high students and had plenty of chances for other ministry experiences as well.

Along the way I met Lisa, and we got married in early 2008. Born and raised in the Twin Cities, she did a brief stint at Wheaton for her undergrad then eventually made her way back to Minnesota to study Marriage and Family Therapy at Bethel Seminary. She's currently working as the mental health professional at an elementary school on the South side of the cities, and she also has quite a bit of ministry experience including young adult ministry. Lisa and I don't have any kids right now...we get the experience vicariously through the children of friends scattered throughout the Twin Cities.

I guess that's the quick version. I'm really excited about student ministry at Hamline. If you want to know more specifics about InterVarsity at Hamline and some goals for the coming year, please check this document:

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B2S8P4fnqrcfNGVmNTFhMjAtODEwNy00NDlhLWJmY2UtYzhhYzY1NzQxMmU0&hl=en

Sorry for the long link. Hope that method of hosting and posting works out for people...if not, please leave a comment and I can try to get it resolved. That document will be revised over the summer as more planning starts to happen for next school year. I'll post when it's updated.

Guess that's all for now. Spending a bit of time on campus this week, so maybe some storied will come out of that. Thanks for reading.
-Deron

Off and Running

Just wanted to put up a quick post to christen the blog for all that I'll be doing on campus @ Hamline University with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. I've been hard at work with fundraising for the past 6 weeks and have roughly 40% of my goal for this coming year committed from many awesome partners. Many more meetings to come, lots of phone calls to make, letters to send, and plenty of opportunities to share with others what God has called me to for this coming year.

A quick word about the title of this blog. From the first time I attended a staff meeting for IV in the Twin Cities Metro region, the desire to see Christ's transforming work in every student we work with has been clearly expressed. It is without a doubt the overarching vision for ministry in this area, and it's a constant reminder of why I am called to work with college students. We want to see Every Student Transformed.

More formal introduction soon to come...