Three Questions You Should Never Ask an InterVarsity Staff Worker

Life is interesting now that I'm posted for an indeterminate amount of time in Roseville, a town that I haven't called home in 6 years, in which I had only lived for 3 years before departing for college. I love the chance to dig into the nitty gritty of dependency on God, the good food abounding, and the chance to reconnect with many budding partners in the ministry the Lord is in the process of funding. Yet there are a few things I don't enjoy as much: the heat, the suburban traffic, and the persistent bewilderment I face when talking to many who think I should be doing "better" things with my life. So, because you are my friends and would never wish to dishonor me thus, I'll clue you into a few things that will prevent me from silently shrinking in horror the next time we are in conversation. I present: Three Questions you should never ask an InterVarsity staff worker (at least if you want them to continue liking you).

The largest class of new staff ever, June 2013. Extra points to whoever can spot me.

1. So, um, what do you DO all day? You know, like a normal day?

Yes, I have heard this one many times, and it causes my eyes to roll every time. A few comments on the question itself. Are the hourly rhythms of our day really more concerning than, say, ANY other form of work? You never hear finance bankers or stock brokers get this question ( I mean, who the hell really knows what they do all day!). Plus, we imply that the question carries with it the assumption that we don't do a whole lot with our time. Sure, we'll take a student out for coffee at some point during the week, or even go to the student services office to fill out some paperwork. But what else is there to campus ministry, really...?

The biggest problem with this question, and why many staff, including myself, seem to stumble over the answer is simply that there is no such thing as a normal day in campus ministry. Every week, from New Student Outreach in the fall, to leadership training and selection each semester, even juggling the hectic panic in students around finals weeks brings with it new challenges. Some of us are tasked to work with Greek Students, whose Inter-fraternal society gatherings are important to track. Some of us are busy planting brand new ministries for specific communities, like Black and Latino students on campus. Many of us have recently become engaged in a sobering fight to regain our legitimacy as a group on campus because of our faith-based leadership requirements. Thus, many of my colleagues awaken each morning without the certainty that they'll be able to do their work on campus that week. I have been working on the community college for two years, and I still don't have the faintest idea what a normal day of ministry looks like. 

Above all, we are committed to a thorough and biblical approach to developing world changers, transforming campuses and communities, all while valuing people of every ethnicity and culture in the world. This deserves our time, attention, and the sacrifice of a "normal" workday. Personally, I wouldn't have it any other way.

2. Do you wish you chose a job that used your degree?

None of us came into our college careers with the expectation that we were going to be campus ministers on the other end. My immediate colleagues have diverse training in biomedical engineering, physics, psychology, and film production, to name a few. My own Cal Poly education focused specifically on a "Learn By Doing" approach, creating marketable and highly skilled workers for a variety of fields. My own experience at Cal Poly was a wonderful one in which I simultaneously developed valuable field experience in natural resource management, urban planning, and the large base of life and physical sciences required to support it. My involvement in InterVarsity was similarly characterized by an intensive, hands-on approach to discipleship, racial reconciliation, and (especially) evangelism to my peers. The harmonious experience I had between my ministry and my high educational goals (Yes, I was a Dean's List student) brought tension in the decision between pursuing a degree in professional Environmental Science or ministry. But the decision was not between conflicting poles of "degree applicable" career on one hand and "degree dismissive" on the other. Many times I surprise my friends when I tell them I've chosen a life of ministry, especially given my own deep passion for environmental education and justice. 

Initially, even upon making the decision to come on staff after college, I did not immediately rule out a future in the professional Environmentalism world. I was able to make another decision to continue on staff with InterVarsity, or pursue other passions. Thankfully, the Lord clarified my calling and cemented my desires in that time. Still, I've been surprised by how much I've been able to use my own training at Cal Poly in my day-to-day work. First, much of my education was oriented around being able to clearly and precisely articulate goals, objectives, and visions for a proposed "action." Although in my class projects these "actions" usually consisted of wetlands restorations, climate change initiatives, and mitigation plans, the process is very well suited towards an active ministry, which is very much like an ecosystem. There are factors which can disrupt the ministry ecosystem into shock and must be accounted for. There are consequences of particular management strategies that can affect growth at different stages of the community's development, and require an adaptive approach. We are constantly juggling different priorities and interests, all of which require sound leadership, conflict management, and good communication. I was able to get great training in school, and in many ways, the students haven't let me forget it! But sorry, Cal Poly, you'll have to wait a bit longer before I start giving you checks to fund your new dorms and libraries...

3. Why don't you have people to raise support for you? Why do it all yourself?

Many are perplexed why our ministry requires that we raise our own support. Surely there are grants and funds that our bosses are able to manipulate to pay our way, right?  Surely some corporations dodge loads of corporate tax obligations by filling our budget requirements, yes? 

Well, in a way, I view all my supporters as advocates and partners in their own right. Every person that I know and care about (regardless of their contribution to the ministry) has the capacity to partner with me. Support is more than money; I do not view people as ATMs. This theme requires development, of course. But you only need to look in the mirror to see the face of somebody whose impact on the ministry goes a long way. 

No, this is not what I look like on campus