Last year, Rachel, a senior in Kappa Alpha Theta, met with an InterVarsity staff to discuss planting a Greek chapter. A little over a year later, there is a thriving ministry at Belmont with five different fraternities and sororities involved hosting four chapter ministries. Rachel is now on staff and preparing to plant another chapter in Tennessee. Rachel and her friends were able to see Greek student lives transformed by Jesus all because she planted a Greek InterVarsity chapter!
Does this story inspire you? Are you interested in seeing Greek students transformed, your Greek system renewed, and world changers developed at your school? If so, here are a couple easy steps you can take toward planting Greek Ministry on your campus!
Prayer
The first step of planting is prayer. Jesus says, “Whatever you ask for in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” John 14:12-14.
Vision is our road map. It allows us to know where we are going and how we are going to get there.
When I began to plant at the University of Georgia, I was told by a Kappa that there would never be a Bible study in our sorority. Being stubborn, I ignored her. I began to meet with the Kappa cook to pray every morning. Today there is a thriving chapter ministry where women read scripture together on a weekly basis and multiple Groups Investigating God, Bible studies for non-Christians.
Prayer is vital to any plant; however, many of us do not know how to effectively host a prayer meeting. So we get bored or discouraged. Here is a great post with five tips for how to pray constantly. Try gathering a couple of your friends and praying specifically for God’s kingdom to come to your campus.
Vision
I have had the pleasure of coaching students to start new ministries at UGA and on other campuses in the South East. Students that have a clear vision see growth and change happen on their campuses. Students, with the same resources but without vision, usually flounder around until they eventually give up.
Vision is our road map. It allows us to know where we are going and how we are going to get there. Spend some time asking God what he wants and what His vision is for Greek InterVarstiy on your campus. After you have spent some time with God, share the vision with your friends and ask what they think.
If you’re looking for a starting point, read our national vision as Greek InterVarsity. We encourage you to use this vision as your own.
Chapter Ministries
Chapter ministries are missional small groups within a specific fraternity or sorority chapter. This is the bread and butter of Greek ministry. These small groups allow your friends to come to a safe place to meet Jesus and to grow in their relationship with Christ.
A couple years ago, a woman called me asking how to start Greek ministry. I sent her this guide to start a chapter ministry. She started a chapter ministry in her sorority. Her ministry inspired other women to start chapter ministries in their sororities, which invigorated InterVarsity on their campus.
Strong chapter ministries are the most successful ways to transform your schools Greek system. They allow you to disciple your brothers or sisters while sharing the gospel with your friends who don’t know Jesus.
Gathering Events
One of the women who planted and led a successful ministry in her sorority attributed her success to the strong community that encouraged her on a daily basis. Gathering together mission-minded Greeks can both help encourage Greeks leading chapter ministries, as well as train and equip new leaders. Here is great resource in creating a gathering event on your campus.
While events are amazing opportunities to grow your community, they can become a burden to students leading chapter ministries. Try hosting a gathering event once a month so that your friends have time to attend the gathering event and their chapter ministry.
Getting the Word Out
Publicity is key; you want to share the vision with everybody you meet. You can do that through your Greek Life Office, chapter announcements and email and Facebook blasts. Remember to never say no for somebody, you have no idea who God is already working in. One of my sophomore student leaders started up a spiritual conversation with a woman from our Jewish sorority. The girl politely told us she wasn’t interested in God and I thought we would never hear from her again. One of her sisters emailed the chapter a month later about the possibility of starting something in her house. She doesn’t remember who told her about Greek IV, but just remembers somebody in her sorority saying that there was one cool Christian group, so she decided to check Greek IV out.
When planting, you want to continually reach out to new students. Consider using proxe stations, GIGs and other outreach ideas to reach out to students on your campus. No matter how large your chapter becomes, there are always new places on campus you can plant!
When you meet new students, whether Christian or not, plan on following up with them individually. In addition, you can host a gathering event for all those you’ve met!
Additional Resources
One of the most effective ways to plant Greek ministry is by attending Greek Conference. This conference gives you an opportunity to learn more about Greek ministry. It’s also a great place to bring your friends so that they can experience Jesus and get the vision of Greek ministry.
This website has great resources. Besides the resources that I’ve linked on this blog, there are stories written about current leaders just like you. Their stories can be an inspiration for you!
Finally, our staff want to help you plant on your campus! Please reach out to us and let us know how we can help you start something new on your campus.
There are a ton of resources to plant, but first step you need to trust God and get started!
List of Resources from Article
