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Before answering, Laura smiled to herself at the tremendous opportunity for witness Molly had just tossed into her lap. Laura said, “Yeah, a lot, actually. How much time do you have to talk about it?”

Greek students like Molly and Laura make up about 20 percent of the undergraduate student body at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Yet for many years there was no viable Christian outreach to the Greek system at Michigan. Four years ago, staff worker Lori Kroll and several Greek students started Greek InterVarsity, a fellowship for fraternity and sorority students. Many other campuses have similar ministries to Greek students.

The main focus of the “Greek I-V” chapter at the U. of Michigan is to pull Christians in the Greek system together weekly for fellowship, prayer, and teaching. Then these students are equipped and sent back into their own Greek houses to reach their non-Christian fraternity brothers and sorority sisters. Because of the strong friendships that already exist in Greek houses, Christians have many natural opportunities to share Christ, such as the one described between Molly and Laura. Evangelistic Bible studies (also known as Investigative Bible Discussions) within Greek houses also provide great opportunities to introduce non-Christians to Jesus Christ.

The growth begins

God has been very faithful to the Michigan Greek InterVarsity chapter and the students who have started Bible studies in their Greek houses. In the first year, only one student led a Bible study in his fraternity, Chi Psi. That number grew to four the next year as Bible studies started in three sororities, Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Gamma and Sigma Kappa. During the third year, new studies began in Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. In three years, God multiplied the Greek ministry’s numbers from one to six Bible study groups. Each year, God has continued to send Christians into the Michigan Greek system where they have started new groups.

Leading a Bible study in a fraternity or sorority requires a lot of faith, perseverance, and just plain guts. The University of Michigan has a very large Jewish population (particularly in the Greek system), and the general atmosphere on campus tends to be hostile to Christianity and those who speak in Christ’s name. Most Greek houses at Michigan pride themselves on being diverse. Heads turn and the room goes silent when someone gets up during a house meeting and announces a Bible study. Some who hear the announcement will not be interested at all. Some will be offended. Some will worry that the house is going to turn “Christian” or at least get that reputation. But some will be intrigued.

Melissa, one of the founding student members of the Greek InterVarsity chapter, made repeated announcements at her sorority’s chapter meetings and invited specific sisters to come to her Bible study. Yet week after week, she sat alone in the living room waiting for people to come, feeling embarrassed as sorority sisters walked by and saw that no one had come to her Bible study. But instead of giving up, Melissa kept praying, and the Greek I-V chapter prayed with her.

One day Melissa was talking to some sorority sisters about going to church, and a woman named Suzanne expressed interest. Melissa was quite surprised by Suzanne’s interest because she called herself a Unitarian Universalist. But Suzanne and Melissa started going to church anyway, and Suzanne started coming to the house Bible study as well. After months of waiting and praying, Melissa finally had someone coming to her Bible study. Suzanne was the only woman who attended the Bible study regularly that year, but their time alone together provided Melissa with many opportunities to share Christ with Suzanne and to discuss Universalism. The Bible study continued the next fall, and in October Suzanne became a Christian! That certainly made all those lonely nights in the living room worth it to Melissa.

The results of Melissa’s perseverance did not end there. During the second year of the Bible study, more women started to come regularly. Week after week, a group of five sorority sisters studied about Jesus and his gospel of grace. In the winter, another mature Christian in the sorority, Kelly, committed to carry on the Bible study the year after Melissa graduated.

The fruit of Melissa’s prayers continued to be seen. Two months before Melissa graduated, her sorority sister Courtney started attending the Bible study. Courtney came from a Christian background, but had strayed from her faith during her first couple of years at college. In the sorority Bible study, Courtney renewed her joy and commitment to Christ. She attended the Bible study faithfully, calling it the best part of her week. Through attending Chapter Focus Week at Cedar Campus with the Greek I-V chapter, Courtney discovered a passion for evangelism. She then committed to lead the sorority Bible study after Kelly graduated.

Now, two years later, Courtney is the Greek I-V President at the U. of Michigan and the Bible study in her sorority house is being led by Mary Beth, a young woman who, like Courtney, came back to the Lord through attending the sorority Bible study. So Melissa’s influence in the sorority continues today, even though she has graduated and moved on. God has blessed Melissa’s steadfastness and is continuing to reap a harvest from the seeds she so faithfully sowed.

It’s happening everywhere

Another influence on the growth of the Greek I-V mission at Michigan has been InterVarsity’s Greek Conference. This conference, which is held annually in Indianapolis, is specifically for fraternity and sorority students. Roughly 650 students from 33 campuses across the country attended this year’s Greek Conference, held January 28-30, 2000.

The Greek Conference is unique and effective in that it is geared for both Christians and non-Christians. It provides a great opportunity for students to bring their non-Christian fraternity brothers and sorority sisters to hear the Gospel. There are two “seeker” tracks where non-Christians can safely explore faith in Christ; one is for students who have had no Christian background or influence in their lives, and the other is for students who are “churched” but do not yet have an alive, growing relationship with Christ. The Michigan Greek chapter has brought a handful of non-Christians to the conference every year, and a number have become Christians at the conference over the years. This year 20 students from across the country received Christ, with others intending to investigate further.

In addition to reaching non-Christian Greeks, the Greek Conference also provides training and opportunities for growth to Greeks who are already believers. For example, this year there were four tracks for Christians: “Day by Day,” “Greek Ministry,” “Christians: Sex and Intimacy” and “Beyond College.” In these tracks, the students actively explored how their developing faith in Christ can impact their daily lives.

As the news often reminds us, Greek houses can be filled with students who are involved in alcohol abuse and dysfunctional relationships and are deeply concerned with personal image and success. But through Greek Christians who are willing to take a risk and step out in faith, non-Christian Greek students are presented with the alternative path of following Christ as Savior and Lord and discovering true life.