The InterVarsity Christian Fellowship challenges the notion that religion should not be discussed in public with its realHope week March 9-13.
Timothy Lin is a pastor working on the UMKC campus. He is not a student, nor is he an employee of UMKC.
He is an employee of the non-profit, InterVarsity/USA.
InterVarsity is an interdenominational organization in its first year on campus. Lin works in an advisory and support role.
"We are a community of students who are interested in finding out what it means to follow Jesus on campus," Lin said. "We are not a church. We are considered a parachurch."
Parachurches are organizations that work with and near churches, but are not a church.
They often work to bring Christians of different denominations together.
During realHope, InterVarsity will be holding several events around campus.
It will also be working with other student organizations during the week.
"The purpose is to engage the campus in questions of hope and spirituality and how those two things intersect and interact with each other," Lin said.
Along with hope and spirituality, creating a community of Christians is a focus of the organization.
"One way we will be engaging people is what we call an interactive display," Lin said. "Around campus there will be different display boards. We will invite people to respond and think critically about hope and spirituality."
InterVarsity is responding to what it sees as a lack of open dialogue on college campuses around the country.
The week of activities is only about raising awareness and giving students a chance to toss around ideas about faith.
InterVarsity is not fundraising, according to Lin.
Last semester, InterVarsity was outside Royall Hall with a display board called "Tell Me All Your Thoughts on God."
"We think, as we have been talking to students around campus, that students are interested in talking about issues of faith and spirituality," Lin said.
However, InterVarsity believes there has been a lack of outlets for students until recently.
Recent studies have shown that 80 percent of college students are interested in these topics, according to Lin.
When religious organizations sponsor a dialogue, the question becomes what it means by dialogue.
"If a church really wants to invite someone to have a life-long relationship with Jesus it is utter stupidity to beat them into it, because that just will not work in the end," Lin said.
According to Lin, the events will not be about standing up and telling people what to think and believe.
Instead, it will be about presenting ideas and then engaging in discussion.
Students from the University of St. Louis, Washington University, Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill will be on campus to help put on realHope.
InterVarsity encourages strong student leadership and initiative.
The organization was started in Great Britain by college students. After success there, it moved to Canada, and eventually to the United States.
InterVarsity/USA's headquarters is in Madison, Wisc. It is on 600 college campuses around the country.
For more information on InterVarsity or realHope, find them on Facebook, e-mail jamieivkansas@gmail.com or timivkansas@gmail.com or visit the Web site www.ivkansas.org.
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