InterVarsity Goal and Secret Weapon to Reach 'Every Campus'

InterVarsity is preparing to establish chapters at the top 2,500 college campuses in the next 12 years. It's "2030 Calling" is the ministry's strategy for achieving the goals outlined in the #everycampus movement.

InterVarsity announced the #everycampus movement with Cru, another national collegiate ministry, in January. It aims to reach unreached campuses by partnering with other ministries and churches to establish viable fellowships for students on campuses where there is none.

InterVarsity currently has chapters on close to 700 campuses in all 50 states. The 2030 Calling plan is ambitious but InterVarsity believes it has an untapped resource that could make it achievable: alumni.

Jason Thomas, executive vice president for field ministry at InterVarsity, told CBN News that more than one million students have been touched by the ministry in the last 75 years. In recent years it's begun to survey its graduating students and many are saying they'd like to participate in student outreach.

"Twenty-five percent or more say they'd love to serve in our ministry and we haven't specifically tried to make that happen in a strategic way," Thomas told CBN News. "We believe some of them would be willing to lead a Bible study on a campus that has none."

Thomas says that InterVarsity would like to create a hotline where alumni could call and receive resources like a mentor to help them launch a small group study. "A lot of times people just want to know how to do it," he said. "They have the desire but feel that they don't have the know-how."

Thomas said that the goal is eventually for the #everycampus platform to curate the best resources--from how to share your faith to how to study the Bible.

"In an era where we're seeing increased anxiety, polarization, a sense of despair--there's a desire to bring a real hope to campuses around the country," he said.