Origins: An Old Testament Survey Course

Lindsay and I's plans for each page and illustration.

This summer, I was invited to attend the Rocky Mountain Region's staff training in Utah, to help design for a new Old Testament curriculum (to be called Origins) for student camps. I was so excited when my boss told me, I ran down the hall to confirm the appointment. I love getting to know our staff around the country and I love getting to know God! Lindsay Olesburg, our Director of Scripture Engagement, would be teaching the course to us staff first to develop and get feedback on the content, and later she and I would work together on the workbook.

It's so valuable to experience what I'm designing for. So many parts of a curriculum aren't on a sheet of paper, like the night we sat around a fire in groups representing the tribes of Israel. The eldest of each group read allowed the story of the births of each brother. Our tribe, the Levites, cheered when Levi's name was announced! Later, we had to read out verses from the prophets, major and minor, warning and pleading with Israel and Judah to return to God. Each time the people rejected the message. There was sadness in the room when we realized the people would be exiled, led away from the promised land, the kingdom destroyed. Lindsay wanted us to seriously step into history with our minds and hearts, and see God's love in the story He'd designed. Now I can bring that spirit into the visuals. 

Although I now not designing the final workbook (I did sketch the layout of every page and organize the chapters), I'm still doing illustrations for each chapter, showing the growth of God's people as a tree. Starting with the trees in the garden of Eden to the small tree planted in the promised land, the great tree of David's kingdom, and the stump of the exiled remnant--12 illustrations in all. The idea came from the sketches I drew in my notes with pen and colored pencil.

Drawing on my Genesis 2 manuscript, imagining the people reading about Eden and Isreal.

Staff Conference 2014

This is the last in a series of staff conferences (2008, 2011, and now 2014) on our vision statement: to see students and faculty transformed, campuses renewed, and world changers developed. We’ll be sharing the stories of our alumni, who are following Jesus faithfully in great and small tasks, and studying the life of Jesus, as the example of ultimate world change: world change takes incarnation and sacrifice, and leads to renewal and more of God’s kingdom on earth.

Above is the visual theme I’ve developed (though it's a little small here!) and animates between each stage. It shows what looks like a greek hero’s just-picked laurel crown, but it’s really a living crown of thorns, which dies to show the classic crown of thorns (Matt. 27:29), which—metaphorically depicting the resurrection (hence also sunrise background)—buds like Aaron’s staff (Numbers 17:8) replacing a ‘crown of beauty instead of ashes’ (Isaiah 61:3) the first blooming of, becoming the last crown, the crown representing God’s Kingdom, His victory over sin and death. The last crown is purple and gold-kingly colors—but also looks like a memorial wreath that might be found on a hero’s grave, but has traditional Easter lilies.

World Student Day: A Story and a Few Stats

As most of you know by now, I headed up communications for World Student Day in the United States this year-- especially to our students and staff. But wasn't I surprised when I got a phone call from... Jamaica? 

Yes, it was Love 101 Christian radio station calling from Kingston, asking if they could interview some American participants of World Student day!  I knew who to call-- my friend and coworker Geoff at Northern Arizona University.  I knew the International student chapter (ISM) and the undergrad chapter had both celebrated the day with prayer, Bible study and a potluck (ISM) and fasting, worship in 7 languages and prayer stations (undergrad), and that an International student made a decision for Christ at one of the events.

Although they didn’t get to tell the whole story on the radio show, Brittany Kurtz, the ISM staff, and an undergrad student, Katie Budd, were interviewed by Love 101 for their regular segment ‘Campus Connection,' along with students from Jamaican and St. Lucian IFES movements, and the Caribbean regional secretary. They all talked about the day and about why and how they were reaching their campuses for Jesus. The regional secretary wrapped it up with explaining that we help each other bring Christ to our universities.
 

A FEW STATS

 

Although I know that more staff ans students celebrated world student day than signed up, we did look at who signed up. This year the US had 97 staff, 190 students, and 58 supporters sign up on the IFES world site (often representing chapters or churches), compared to overall world numbers of 388 staff, 1130 students, and 419 supporters around the world. Although our sign-ups for WSD are far, far lower than those of our movement as a whole, this year we were the movement with the most sign-ups! 

 

Also, from the video, we see we have from the US, more than 9,412 loads and 458 plays, the most of either from any country. Total video loads are 23,126 and total plays in 1,405, for the English video. There are completed plays in 105 countries, plays or loads in 150 countries--global reach!

Here are a few of the American campuses that participated:

San Diego State University, Harvard University, Tufts University (Fletcher School) with grad students and faculty, University of Iowa, Ohio State, Illinois State University, Georgia State University, Northern Arizona University, Vanier College, WVU, Cal State University of East Bay, UTEP, Lewis & Clark, Northwestern, University of Oklahoma, Portland State University in Oregon, USA, Emory University, Middlebury College, MIT, Wellesley College and Boston College, PSU, UC Berkeley, UNI, Oberlin College, University of Kentucky, Texas A&M, and North Dakota.

Native Ministries Logo

It's official! Native ministries finally has a logo!

Finding a visual sensibility that speaks within Native Cultures from coast to coast and in Hawai'i (and looks 'InterVarsity') was no easy task, but a blessed one. I got to research Native cultures and spend more time with our Native ministries staff, especially Megan and Willie from Colorado and Moani from Hawai'i (on the phone). They were very thoughtful about the symbolism behind shapes and colors, which every designer appreciates. 

We had some 'God moments' along the way as well, discovering young staff who have Native heritage, when they'd overhear our conversations and join in! Megan and Willie were able to minister to them and also to exhort more of our staff to reach Native students. Not to mention, the younger staff and I got to hear Megan and Willie's stories. Here, God used my work, not just to bless others with the product, but to bless me with the process.

Greek Conference Boston 2013

I've been serving Greek InterVarsity for eight years and eight conferences! At my first GC in 2006 I ran tech and took photos. Every conference since I've designed the whole look. 

We started early this year because the first location--Boston--was held in October. (Charlotte & Indianapolis are in February.) I worked on 'the big stuff': banners, stage, handbook, but Eric, the Greek communications staff, designed the promotions, with me critiquing and consulting. I'm very proud of him and his great work! 

In spite of it's proximity to Salem near Halloween (they were in Peabody), and the spiritual warfare involved, God blessed the Boston students! The video below shows moments from the conference. My favorite is the end: the guy who stands in the last shot, had been prayed for by his friend for a long time. When he is the first to stand to make a first-time commitment to Jesus, the friend hugs him!



FYI for you Bostonians, next year's will be in Waltham!