Welcome to IPC College & Young Adult Ministries...
Thanks for visiting our college Ministries page! I'm Rev. Kirk Winslow (but call me Kirk), IPC's Associate Pastor for College and Young Adult Ministries (the best job on earth!). It is my privilege and pleasure to care for college and university students from all over Southern California (UCI, IVC, Biola, Concordia, Cal State Fullerton, CSULB, USC, and OCC...to name just a few).
Our Vision...
In the College Ministry we have one goal: to grow in the love of God and the sincere love of one another and the world as we are led by Jesus Christ. All our study, worship, prayer, celebration, laughter, and fun are directed towards this end. And we aim to do each of these very, very well. We engage in weekly corporate Bible study, we spend a great deal of time discussing the life of prayer and the spiritual exercises and disciplines that foster our experience of God's grace, we participate in the worship of our congregation, and we laugh...a LOT!
Bible Study...
Everything we do is grounded in scripture. This is not to say we read psalms before going to Disneyland, but we trust the Bible to give us true guidance in how we are to grow in love. Therefore we approach the study of scripture by both prayerfully asking for the Holy Spirit's illumination in our reading, and bringing the best of our intellectual gifts to bear on the text. Much of our time is spent learning the academic skills necessary for a proper interpretation of the Bible -- not simply for the purpose of becoming smarter Christians, but in order that we might love God with our whole mind.
Relationships...
Scripture says that we cannot say that we love God if we do not love our sisters and brothers in Christ. Thus we see building and deepening authentic friendships as an essential part of our discipleship. And it's pretty hard to make friends if we don't spend meaningful time together outside of class. So we schedule regular events that allow us to laugh together and play together, as well as serve together, and sometimes cry together. For us, love is not an abstract ideal, but a quality of life in God's Kingdom that we seek to manifest in our community.
Service...
The classical Christian spiritual tradition has always stressed the truth that prayer and service to others are inseparable in the process of spiritual formation. Prayer leads us naturally into serving Christ in the world; and our work in the larger society inevitably leads us back to prayer. Therefore we are also a community of servants. Whether it be working with Habitat for Humanity, caring for orphans in Mexico, shepherding kids at camp, or simply lending our hands and hearts to the needs of our congregation, we are committed to putting our faith into action. What better way to truly experience the love of God and the fellowship of others than cooperating with the Spirit in the redemption of the world?!
So...WELCOME!
There is, of course, much more to tell, but I hope this gives you at least a basic overview of our values and priorities. Thanks again for paying us a virtual visit. If there is anything I can to do extend a more personal welcome, please send me an e-mail and I'll get right back to you.
Grace & Peace, Kirk
FAQ... We're So Glad You Asked!!
Where and when does the college ministry meet?
The College Ministry meets every Thursday evening (7:00-9:00PM in the Youth Lounge -- down the concrete stairs from the main patio). How many people attend? We currently have more than 85 students in the group, but on any given week our attendance usually ranges between 15 and 25 people from a wide variety of schools and majors. The great thing about having such a diverse group of students is that no matter where you go to school or your major subject, it won't be hard to find like-minded peers!
Will I feel comfortable if I don't know the Bible?
In a word: YES! Because we believe that the Bible is God's fully authoritative word in all matters of life and faith so long as it is rightly interpreted, we make every effort to interpret it rightly. This requires the use of our best intellectual gifts -- part of loving God with our "whole mind." Nevertheless, we have no expectation that those who attend the College Ministry have a background in biblical study, or even much personal experience reading the Bible. Thus, while our discussions are intellectual, you don't need to be afraid of being left in the dark. Any background info you'd need to know will be given as a part of the discussion. Indeed, IPC's College Ministry is a wonderful place to grow in your understanding of the Bible, and to gain new skills in personal Bible study!
What about fun stuff and social events?
Healthy, loving relationships are an essential element of the Christian life. Therefore we are committed to "fellowship" in the best sense of the word --and true fellowship usually begins by laughing and playing together. Thus we typically schedule at least one and often two main social events each month such as: holiday parties, movies, beach trips, day hikes, etc..