In 2016, a nationwide initiative was launched with a bold challenge: Every campus in the U.S. should have a Christian ministry presence.
This movement—Together 2016, spearheaded by PULSE—called on ministries, churches, and individuals to step up and reach the hundreds of college campuses that had no known ministry presence. Out of that event, EveryCampus was formed as a joint effort between InterVarsity and CRU, inviting other paraministries (Navigators, Chi Alpha, etc.) to work together in praying for and planting ministries on these overlooked campuses.
InterVarsity’s Answer: The Catalyze Team
While many ministries joined the effort, InterVarsity created the Catalyze Team as our unique response to the challenge. Our mission is simple but ambitious: to find, equip, and empower leaders to plant ministries on the 680 U.S. college campuses with no known Christian presence.
We are a team of 11 InterVarsity staff dedicated to seeing new ministries launched on these campuses. We believe every student should have the opportunity to encounter Jesus where they are—and that means ensuring that no campus is left without a Christian witness.
How We Do This Work
Rather than relying on InterVarsity staff to plant and sustain these ministries ourselves, we focus on identifying and developing local leaders who already have a heart for their campus:
1. Empowering Christian Faculty, Local Pastors, and Alumni
• Often, there are faculty members, pastors, or alumni who care deeply about a particular campus but may not know how to start a student ministry. We come alongside them—coaching, resourcing, and supporting them so they can launch and sustain a ministry in their context.
2. Strengthening Existing Small Ministries
• Sometimes, we discover small, existing Bible studies that are already meeting on a campus, but they lack connection, resources, or a broader community. We help strengthen and grow these groups, offering support to ensure their reach expands.
3. Prayerfully Seeking New Opportunities
• Not every campus has an obvious starting point. Some schools have little to no Christian presence at all. In these cases, we pray and seek opportunities—trusting that God will open doors and connect us to the right people.
Why This Matters
Every year, millions of students enter college without access to a Christian community on their campus. Some are seeking Jesus for the first time. Others are believers looking for fellowship but can’t find one.
A student’s time in college is one of the most formative seasons of their life—what if every student had the opportunity to encounter Jesus in the middle of it?
That’s why I’m part of this team. That’s why I spend time praying, networking, and equipping others to bring the Gospel to campuses that have been overlooked for too long.
How You Can Be Part of This Work
InterVarsity’s Catalyze Team is not working alone. We need partners, churches, and individuals who believe in this vision and want to see it become reality. Here’s how you can join us:
• Pray – Commit to praying for these 680 campuses, for open doors, and for leaders willing to step in and start something new.
• Connect – Do you know a faculty member, pastor, or alumni who has a heart for a campus without known ministry? Introduce them to us!
• Give – This work requires financial support to resource and equip new campus ministries. You can partner with me in this mission by giving at givetoiv.org/spw.
Together, we can ensure that every campus has a Gospel presence—so that no student is left without the opportunity to encounter Jesus.
Let’s go, disciple, and send.
