Steve Tamayo: 0:02
One of the big questions that a lot of us are asking as we think about ministry during the disruption is, "What does it look like for ministries to grow and flourish during this time, to not just survive but to thrive?" Our guest today has a story where you get to see that happen.
Steve Tamayo: 0:32
Welcome back to the podcast, everyone. My name is Steve Tamayo, and joining us here in our virtual studio is a sophomore from Louisiana State University. She is bio pre-med, even in the midst of a global pandemic. Welcome to the podcast, Rachel Butz!
Rachel Butz: 0:50
Thanks for having me. I'm so happy to be here!
Steve Tamayo: 0:52
I'm so incredibly grateful that you're here and that you're willing to share your story of ministry during the disruption with us. Now, I heard a little bit about this story through the grapevine from Alison Smith with Greek InterVarsity. And then I saw your story on InterVarsity Live. If people haven't checked out InterVarsity Live on April 3rd, Rachel came and shared her story on InterVarsity Live. But we thought we would share it here as well. So, Rachel, what kind of ministry had you been doing in your house before classes were cancelled at LSU?
Rachel Butz: 1:28
I was doing a chapter ministry each week through Greek InterVarsity. I'm chaplain in ADPi, so that's part of my officer role is to lead Bible study each week. I really love that role because just getting to create a place for the girls in the sorority to get to encounter Jesus on a weekly basis is just so important to me. It was rough, though, leading it in person. A lot of people were always busy and, you know, had school and extracurriculars and all kinds of things they were busy with. And so we'd have five or six people. Sometimes sometimes we have none.
Steve Tamayo: 2:02
Well, let's just pause there. So five or six people in a chapter ministry is wonderful and even just for you to have that space available for your sisters, I mean, that must have been really powerful. I bet there were times where people would, even if they didn't make it to the Bible study, they would know, "Okay, well, you know, Rachel's the chaplain. I've got something going on. I could talk to her about it, or I could ask her for prayer." That you're kind of creating that space for your sisters.
Rachel Butz: 2:27
Yeah, absolutely.
Steve Tamayo: 2:29
So talk to me a little bit: LSU cancels classes, people go home or they're in their apartments, and you're trying to decide what I do with this chapter ministry? What do I do with this Bible study? Like, what's your first instinct in that moment?
Rachel Butz: 2:44
Well, so at Greek IV at LSU, we have 11 chapter ministry leaders and our supervisor, Miss Allison Allred got us all on a Zoom call and basically asked us if we wanted to continue the chapter ministries virtually.
Steve Tamayo: 3:00
So you had an option to say, "Nope. This has been too much. I'm trying to figure out how to take a bio class online. I'm out." So Alison gives you this invitation, "Do you want to do this?" What do you say?
Rachel Butz: 3:11
We were all on board. We were all very excited. Like, why wouldn't we continue doing this? This is such a great opportunity to meet people where they are and really have a place for community when people are really needing it.
Steve Tamayo: 3:25
So all 11 of the chapter ministries made the jump online.
Rachel Butz: 3:30
Well, it's chapter ministry leaders. So there are six chapter ministries. Yes.
Steve Tamayo: 3:34
So how did you get the word out to your sisters? That you were going to be doing some kind of online ministry? What kind of response did you get?
Rachel Butz: 3:42
It was very hard to get the word out. So we really focused on personal invites. And so, like I mentioned before, I had that core group of five or six girls who would always come to Bible study to the chapter ministry. And I asked each and every one of them to try and think of three people that they each wanted to invite. And I wrote up a message for them and had it all laid out for them, and they sent those out. And it was amazing the response we got. But it was all about that personal, not just sending out of mass text, but also people feeling like someone wanted them there.
Steve Tamayo: 4:16
So talk to me about that first study. You reach out to your sisters, the five or six had been attending, they reach out to the broader network. You don't exactly know who's going to show up.
Rachel Butz: 4:29
I was expecting, you know, a couple of new people, but we ended up having 14 people show up. I mean, it was like we were on the Zoom call, and people just kept popping in and it ended up reaching 14 which was absolutely amazing. I never expected that many.
Steve Tamayo: 4:45
What was it like? To lead a study with 14 people in it?
Rachel Butz: 4:51
That was a little nerve-wracking for me, but in the end, I was very grateful for everyone there. And I really think we did have a great conversation, and I hope that everyone got a lot out of it.
Steve Tamayo: 5:02
Yeah, so for those of you don't know Greek, InterVarsity has a Bible study-in-a-box that they've created. They've got, I think an Alpha, Delta, Gamma series that they could have run through each semester. And they're fantastic. They're really, really great. You can get them at the TnterVarsity Store, if you're interested in starting your own chapter ministry. So, Rachel, what did you study?
Rachel Butz: 5:24
I believe it was the stoning of Stephen. So we've been doing the whole series. You know, we've been going through Acts before we left for the coronavirus. Before all that, we studied the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit and beginning to start churches and spread the good news. And now we're all the way in to Saul, who's now Paul.
Steve Tamayo: 5:49
Oh, so this has kept going. So you've kept going from week to week?
Rachel Butz: 5:53
Yes.
Steve Tamayo: 5:54
Well, share with me a little bit about how it feels to be leading a growing ministry in the midst of this disruption.
Rachel Butz: 6:03
I just feel so blessed, honestly, that I'm able to do something like this because, you know, a lot of people like I mentioned before are seeking community and seeking encouragement and hope in something. And I know a lot of my close friends, a lot of people I knew back at LSU, live really far away and are no longer near anyone that they went to school with the past year. And it's so nice that they get to see everyone each week and get to grow in faith together. Still, even with all this happening, it's just a really great source of community and encouragement. For me, that's such a blessing to be able to help people find that.
Steve Tamayo: 6:45
How could we be praying for you and the ministry at LSU, right now?
spk_1: 6:52
Well, Greek IV at LSU - it's only on its second year - it's brand new. So, just praying that we continue to grow and we continue to reach more chapters and reach more, people.
Steve Tamayo: 7:05
Okay, let's pray right now. Jesus, thanks so much for Rachel, her faithfulness, her willingness to lead, for the women in her chapter ministry and their willingness to invite friends and to create this space of connection, community ,and faith in the heart of their sorority - even as they're not gathered together in the house. We pray this in your name, Jesus. Amen. Thanks, Rachel.
Rachel Butz: 7:33
Thank you!.