Game On!

I know when I'm in the Chic-Fil-A line coveting the cashier's job that it must be August, and that it must be New Student Welcome time. Every year we amp up the events in order to welcome incoming freshmen and transfers.

This year's NSW is by far the most creative and most risky I've ever been a part of. We've got two picnics and a Shane and Shane concert at Chapel Hill Bible Church that we expect will sell out at over 1,000 students along with the usual line-up of Durham Bulls minor league baseball games, ultimate frisbee, junior transfer gatherings, and dorm-specific events.

We will have over 500 students fill out info cards between now and Tuesday night. We will cook up 700 hot dogs. I will stay up way past my bedtime.

Here are some things that we'd love prayer for over the weekend:

Friday Morning: South Campus New Student Move-In. In a rare showing of wisdom, housing is allowing students on the most densely populated part of campus to move in early. We'll have a small band of IVer's to welcome them.

Friday Night: Leadership Gathering. Pray for leaders as we gather together to prepare for the fall--worship, prayer, vision casting, planning and logistics.

Saturday Morning: New Student Move-In. This is the big daddy. Pray for divine appointments and good conversations...as well as for IV students to rouse themselves out of bed to help with this!

Sunday Afternoon: Back to Campus Bash. A chance for current IV students to re-connect and answer the question, "How was your summer?" ad nauseum.

Sunday Night: Fall Fest. Think Mardi Gras only without the alcohol (at least on-site) and with hundreds of student organizations with tables along the main street running through the middle of campus.