InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

InterVarsity is an interdenominational college ministry founded in 1941. Active on over 700 campuses across the US, InterVarsity’s vision is to see student and faculty lives transformed, campuses renewed, and world-changers developed. We strive to reach every corner of every campus, as we establish witnessing communities that follow Jesus as Savior and Lord.

The roots of our movement are with students at the University of Cambridge, England, in 1877. There, a group of Christian students began to meet together, in spite of the disapproval of some university officials, to pray, study the Bible, and share their faith with fellow students. Soon similar groups sprang up on other campuses. Eventually, they formed the British Inter-Varsity. Hence our name—inter meaning “between,” and varsity, the British term for college level students. From the very beginning, they had a strong concern to take the gospel to those all over the world who had never heard it—a concern that continues to drive InterVarsity today.

InterVarsity has long had a presence in Pennsylvania, at campuses such as Franklin & Marshall College, Penn State Harrisburg, York College of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg University, and many more. Currently there are recognized InterVarsity fellowships at 16 campuses in Central Pennsylvania, led by InterVarsity staff, volunteers, and student leaders. As missionaries to the college campus, InterVarsity staff seek to bring the good news of Jesus to every corner of campus. Our primary means of doing so is by training student leaders in skills of leading small groups and doing evangelism, so that they can be the ones reaching their friends for Jesus. Whether it’s a Bible study on the football team, or a small group in the cafeteria, or a prayer meeting in a freshmen dorm, we are seeing God move in big ways.
As of May 2024, we saw 342 college students actively involved in InterVarsity on 16 campuses, led by 11 paid staff and 18 volunteers. Last year, we discipled 77 student leaders and 45 potential leaders. Staff and students led 43 small group Bible studies. And we saw over 900 students come to at least one InterVarsity event on campus. But what’s important is not these numbers, but rather what each of these numbers represent: a life transformed, taking steps of discipleship closer to Jesus.

InterVarsity is a founding member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, as well as part of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. InterVarsity has been rated four-stars (out of four) for eight consecutive years by Charity Navigator.

Here’s how your gift might help:

• $10 can provide discipleship over coffee.
• $30 can provide Bible study materials for six students.
• $100 can provide training for a student leader.
• $225 can provide a full scholarship to Fall Conference for a student with financial need.
• $300 can fund a student outreach event.
• $500 can throw a community pizza party.
• $2500 can provide a start-up grant to a new staff joining InterVarsity