Lives & Our World Forever Changed

Senior testimonies At Large group inspire underclassmen to trust God for love and provision. They proclaim they’ve been changed through struggling, Healing, and growing and are sent out with God’s love.

Into the land I will show you…

Seniors attending Camp had the opportunity to study the life of Abram in Genesis. InterVarsity staff Danny Greenawalt and I led students through times of study, praise and reflection on God’s promises to us over our lifetimes.  We talked extensively about the value remembering God’s promises while aiming to act faithfully in daily life especially in the unknown of the world after college. Abram experienced abundance and scarcity, traveled with and without family, had to make hard choices that would affect his future, but through it all continued in relationship with God and all let God bless him in new ways beyond his imagination, changing our world forever. Following our Father Abraham, our seniors leave trusting God for direction and provision for each step of their journey. They, like Abraham, seek to live as blessed to be a blessing to our local and global communities.

York Fast Facts

As the year ends, we celebrate:

• 103 students impacted with the gospel message 
• 72 at weekly Large Group & 54 in Small Groups
• 21 leaders led weekly worship and activities at large group 
• 8 small groups & 2 prayer meetings
• 13 students made adult decisions to follow Christ this year

Please pray for York’s next year:

• 18 students bring new ideas from Camp 
• 3 students a summer missions and 20 will be leaders next fall
• Evan Smith hopes to raise $10,850 for York ministry needs

Megan’s Next Steps…

Ministry at York this year has been a wonderful adventure. It’s been an honor to walk with students as they’ve learned new ways to pray, taken on new leadership, and shared personally. However, I feel God turning the pages to my story once again. I feel God calling me away from InterVarsity to fully prepare for a new area of ministry he will reveal to me as I finish seminary classes at Lancaster Theological in Dec. 2013. As of June 30, I will also start a new phase of life as I marry my best friend, Tim Lester, and we begin this new adventure together.

  

A Note from Evan Smith:

Working with Megan has been wonderful! Her compassion, contagious joy, and unfailing love of students have inspired me and students both. Of particular note was her work with Alex, a new leader. Alex is a young woman filled with potential, but hobbled by a fear of vulnerability and “real” relationships. Though discipling Alex was challenging, Megan stayed with her long after others would have given up. Megan’s commitment to Alex has transformed her, and Alex is now on a path to healthier, more Christ-reflective friendships. I’m grateful for all that Megan has done for Alex and our whole chapter at York, sad that she’s been called elsewhere, and so excited to see where God puts her special talents to work next!

Tuesday Bible Study Partners - Megan and Alex

Thanks so much for all your prayers and support over the last five years.

I’ve been blessed to be a blessing to college students by you! 

Thank you for making a big difference in the lives of 100s of students and my own!  
           Thanks! Megan

NEW CONTACT INFO
Megan Eldredge (Lester)
450 Euclid Ave, Apt. I  (as of June 30)
Lancaster, PA 17603

717-250-6713

megan.eldredge@gmail.com

to donate visit:  www.intervarsity.org

Lives Blossoming on Campus

The new semester brought new resolutions with accountability! In January students were challenged to grow together as a witnessing community. They made renewed decisions to meet weekly for prayer, to read the Bible more closely, and to grow in honesty with each other, building community while testifying to the glory of God in their own lives. I’ve been blessed to help lead one of two resulting weekly prayer meetings. Join us in prayer wherever you are Tuesdays at 7pm if you’re able.

York Crew at the ReSTORE Conference Jan. 29

When one thing leads to another…

Saturday, March 24 was a cold, rainy day – perfect conditions for group bonding. I came to day 2 of a York Spring Retreat and spent the morning with 4 wired and sleep-deprived students. What began as small talk about rain and spring, lead to family stories, and then to shared advice for reflective living and carving out quiet time for God. I couldn’t see it in the moment, but one of these students was in flux. This conference was the fertile ground for the gospel to take root in Paul who became a Christian within the week. God works in mysterious ways. During the retreat, students were challenged to identify the things they’ve allowed to lead their lives instead of God. Students laid down these areas of their lives inviting God to lead and guide them. Praise God for these softened hearts. Let’s pray they continue to listen to God’s leading through the stress of finals.

Students burn collages representing

 current idols in a Bonfire at spring retreat

Prayer Requests

•  Tuesdays currently hold Prayer Meetings and Bible Studies that are challenging the way students think about Christian community. Please pray this would be continue over the summer.

•  Camp Invitations: Pray 15 -20 students would decide to join us for worship, study and fellowship for a week after finals.

•  Financial and Prayer provision: We’ve raised $20,252 which leaves $6,543 to go as I hope to raise $26,795 to meet our full budget needs for the year. 

                 

On a Personal Note:

I’m getting married June 30! I’ve been blessed with the company of a wonderful, loving, Christlike man, Timothy Lester, who asked me to marry him last December.       

           

 

Thank you!

Thanks for your continued prayers and support for what God is doing at York College!  

Thanks! Megan

Growing Together

It has been a challenge to get to know so many new people on a new campus, but students like my Bible Study partner, Alexa, are making it a fun adventure. Alexa is a junior science major that cares deeply about helping freshman students find their way at York. With her heart for the students in the Manor dorms and the Bible study and leadership skills I am sharing with her, she and I are reaching out to a small group of freshman that keep inviting their friends to join us on Tuesday nights. We have 8 students that are weekly seeking God’s guidance in their relationships, choice of majors, how to act with integrity in their work, and how to share the good news with others. I praise God for this growing group!

York College Crew at the area Fall Conference Oct. 21-23

An Answer to Prayer

by Evan Smith, lead staff at InterVarsity at York College

Greetings, faithful pray-ers and supporters. My name is Evan, and for the last 4 years I’ve been asking the Lord to send a staff partner to share in the work and the harvest at York College. Last Spring, when I learned that Megan would be the answer to that prayer, I rejoiced!

What a blessing to students she has been. I don’t think I can overstate the value of her unique contributions to this ministry. From her partnership teaching Mark 1 at Chapter Camp, to her discipleship of the students leading our weekly Large Group meetings, to her love for the freshmen in the small group she co-leads… in all these things, Christ’s love for York College students is made evident.

Part of what I appreciate about her leadership is her humility. At a recent Large Group meeting, Ethan (a student she’s mentored this semester) taught the fellowship about a faith that “lives to be forgotten,” meaning that faithful leadership eschews the spotlight, opting instead to quietly equip the saints for lives of ministry. And Ethan was able to edify that whole room (about 65 students!) because he’s been the recipient of just that kind of leadership in Megan.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to boast in the Lord about the life-changing ministry Megan’s been doing here at York. And I’m grateful too for you who have sent her.

Prayer Requests

• Bible Study: The area spring re-treat, RESTORE, in January will be a great next step for our group. Please pray for the planning and invitations to York students.

• Getting to campus: For wisdom in finding a new car since the brake line is rusted in my car

• Financial and Prayer provision: We’ve raised $16,280 which leaves $3,720 to go as I hope to raise $20,000 this year and in-crease in prayer partners as I build relationships with students

Thank you!

Thanks for your continued prayers and support as I step into leadership with students at York College! Thanks! Megan

Recalculating... recalculating...

Feeling refreshed from our area staff weekend retreat, I hopped in my car more excited than ever to head to work in York today. I'd woken up earlier and enjoyed my breakfast outside. I was glad to be squeezing in all the extra little things because I knew it was going to be a full day. As I left the sun was shining (and wasn't too hot); I'd left with plenty of time; and I'd finally remembered all the extra things I needed that day (I usually forget something small) and was cruising down the highway. Life was good. Then about 40 minutes into my drive, I get a text from my coworker asking if we were having a staff meeting in Elizabethtown.

Bummer... I was headed the wrong direction. Right attitude, wrong location. I'm glad I was able to laugh at myself as I turned around and headed back across the bridge separating York and Lancaster counties. The lovely british voice on my GPS calmly saying "recalculating" as if this was a expected. I was extra thankful I'd remembered to grab the GPS because now I'd be approaching the staff meeting in Etown from unfamiliar roads. I pulled over for gas and put in the address of the coffee shop in Etown all the while wishing I'd checked my calendar before I left my house that day.

It reminded me of the value of checking in with God for the daily plans which is unfortunately too easy to forget. Routines are only helpful if they help you get to where you need to be. Had I spent a little more time reflecting on God's plans instead of my own. I wouldn't have lost an hour of travel time (or seen a new beautiful part of Lancaster county for that matter). As I prepare for new ministry at York I want to remember that God's got the best plans for the ministry and my part in it. I want to be better at starting each day checking in with him to be breaking ground, planting and growing the gospel on campus as he intends. After all in Luke 5, Jesus knew more about where to cast a net than the fishermen that would become his disciples. I want to follow his directions and begin by being in close conversation with God through prayer for my ministry work on campus. Please pray with me for these students and the funds to help me care for these students.

I don't know all of these students yet, but I know God does and I'm certain he will guide me as I begin to connect with these new brothers and sisters and York.

New Beginnings...

Over the river and through the woods (or farmlands) not only takes me to our InterVarsity chapter camp each year but could describe my drive to York Campus in the fall as well. This fall I will still be living in Lancaster and commuting to York several times a week for part-time ministry through InterVarsity. May 7-13 I said a tearful goodbye to my wonderful F&M InterVarsity students, and May 14-20 I was welcomed by the York group for week 2 of camp. We then spent a week together in scripture, worship, and fellowship. I'm so excited get to know these students that are a part of the ministry through InterVarsity at York. I was blessed to spend one week with this awesome bunch of students. They deeply care about their friends and their faith and am excited to walk with them and Evan, the other staff at York, as they discover what it means to actively follow Jesus in college and after.

I will be spending summer Tuesdays in York to get to know this city, the people, the college and the students. Thanks for your prayers for my eyes, ears, mouth and heart to be open to seeing, knowing, and better understanding what it is that God is doing in York for these students and for the role that I will play in his ministry.

In Christ,

Megan

Dirt Dessert No-Hands-Eating contest with a few new friends from York