Chapter Planting at IPFW (Commuters) - Ministry Exchange (MX)

This document is part of a larger cluster of articles about InterVarsity
chapter planting at https://www.intervarsity.org/mx/page/chapterplanting

IPFW Commuters By Amanda Callen

Picture a campus of nearly 12,000 students where only 500+ live on campus.
The rest are commuters. That’s IPFW (Indiana University-Purdue University
Fort Wayne). It’s very hard to get students committed to a regular Bible
study. We don’t even know when to plan them for a time that works for most
students with busy work and school schedules. How does campus ministry
happen at a school like this?

Last year we decided to replace small-group Bible studies with Discipleship
Groups. Each group has three to four women, or three to four men, who meet
for Scripture study, prayer, accountability and encouragement. There are no
designated leaders, so all the students prepare for the study and come
ready to share what they are learning. With only a few per group, they can
dive into each other’s lives and plan their weekly meeting times according
to their individual schedules.

We had a training event to equip students in effective Bible study methods
so they could properly study Scripture on their own, as well as in a group.
We want them to be able to continue this spiritual discipline beyond
college and throughout their lives. From the campus to the world . . .

Chapter_Planting_4yr_Lrg_IPFW_Discipleship_Groups.doc