Pat & Katie Mentzer
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
Serving at Fairmont State University, West Virginia Evangelizing & training students on campus. Engaging with faculty and staff to pray for and participate in student ministry. Abigail Louise born July 7, 2015 Teresa Marie Mentzer was born Friday, June 23 |
Teresa Marie Mentzer was born Friday, June 23 at 6:58 am. She weighed 7 lbs, 7 oz and was 20.5" long. She's a content baby so far and we are all doing well.
Let me introduce to you West Virginia’s new Associate Area Director of ministry: Katie Mentzer!
Ten and half years ago I met Katie while doing outreach at West Virginia Univ. She was a part of the IV chapter and was a transfer from Indiana Univ. Pennsylvania. I told her staff worker that she was the kind of student they needed in order to see the chapter be a witnessing community and the staff needed to get her more involved. I knew she would make a difference, I didn’t know how much.
Katie was courageous and joined in sharing the gospel and she helped point an insular group towards being an evangelistic movement. Risk was nothing new for her (she competed on the woodsman team by wielding an axe at great speeds to chop wood between her feet) so she chose to join staff. Over the next 5 years she worked hard to plant ministry on campuses that have little to no evangelical witness. During these years she saw many come to faith, reached Greek students, faculty ministry grew and she saw the other Christian groups start proclaiming the gospel.
At the same time Katie helped develop the West Virginia Rural Plunge into a program where students across our region have come to WV to experience our beauty and challenges. Her work with partners to keep it affordable and paint a possible picture for students has helped them consider how to seriously live out their faith and establish Jesus’ justice through their lives.
These past couple of years Katie has hit her stride as she has managed the culture change of affiliating chapter and started something new on her campus for Greek students, athletes, and internationals. This work is flourishing and she is doing ground breaking work with volunteers to expand ministry. She has become a great coach, strategist and leader.
Now Katie is stepping on to new things. I am excited that Katie is joining the leadership of our state. We need her courage, skills and commitment to the gospel and campus to see the 2030 Vision continue to become a realty. I am excited to work along side her to lead the state and dream about what’s next. I am excited to see her help develop staff and grow more as a follower of Jesus. In many ways Katie has already been doing these things. Join me in celebrating with her and congratulating her on her new appointment.
Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel,
Jesse Roselius
Area Director, West Virginia
March 1
Prayers appreciated!
I am grateful for your prayers over the last few years for direction in my career - God has been working! I want you to know - they opened a position for an Associate Area Ministry Director in WV and I am applying.
God is doing exciting things in WV, particularly as we are seeing ministry going to new campuses and new corners on current campuses! I've enjoyed the work I've been doing over the last year and this position should allow me to continue to do have some of the same influence (continue to develop the WVWC chapter, particularly through partners, empower the faculty & staff at FSU to reach the campus, work with new staff at WVU). It will also enable me to share in the supervision, leadership, and direction of ministry in our state and develop our understanding and practice of utilizing partnerships on campus. (My exact roles and responsibilities will be defined more if I am offered the position)
Please join me in praying that if this is the right next step, I will get the role and we will have wisdom in filling out what it will exactly look like. If you have any questions, please let me know!
Prayers appreciated!
I am grateful for your prayers over the last few years for direction in my career - God has been working! I want you to know - they opened a position for an Associate Area Ministry Director in WV and I am applying.
God is doing exciting things in WV, particularly as we are seeing ministry going to new campuses and new corners on current campuses! I've enjoyed the work I've been doing over the last year and this position should allow me to continue to do have some of the same influence (continue to develop the WVWC chapter, particularly through partners, empower the faculty & staff at FSU to reach the campus, work with new staff at WVU). It will also enable me to share in the supervision, leadership, and direction of ministry in our state and develop our understanding and practice of utilizing partnerships on campus. (My exact roles and responsibilities will be defined more if I am offered the position)
Please join me in praying that if this is the right next step, I will get the role and we will have wisdom in filling out what it will exactly look like. If you have any questions, please let me know!
January 2018
Ministry is reaching the edges“Can I show you a picture?” I walked into the lunch spot on campus and saw these two talking. Marie (right) is a leader of our freshman Bible study and Sarah (left) is in her small group. When I heard Marie mention InterVarsity, I knew what this meeting was about
I’ve been coaching Lauren, a volunteer who is investing in Marie, in how to help Marie invite someone to become an apprentice. I knew it was in the works, but it was a pleasant surprise to see it happening that day! As you know, we have worked through a lot of culture change over the past two years, so as I overheard bits of their conversation, I was encouraged to hear:
These stories happen because of our faithful volunteer partners. Through faculty, pastors, community members, and alumni, we now have a (growing) team of 8 volunteers whom I am coaching to lead 15 student leaders/apprentices to reach 13 niches on campus! (including Betiglu helping reach internationals, pictured above) And, already 4 people have made decisions to give their lives to Jesus! Praise God! We could not have this breadth of impact on my own, so praise God for partners in this work.
Ministry is reaching the edges“Can I show you a picture?” I walked into the lunch spot on campus and saw these two talking. Marie (right) is a leader of our freshman Bible study and Sarah (left) is in her small group. When I heard Marie mention InterVarsity, I knew what this meeting was about
I’ve been coaching Lauren, a volunteer who is investing in Marie, in how to help Marie invite someone to become an apprentice. I knew it was in the works, but it was a pleasant surprise to see it happening that day! As you know, we have worked through a lot of culture change over the past two years, so as I overheard bits of their conversation, I was encouraged to hear:
- Our leadership structure working (volunteers investing in leaders investing in apprentices)
- Students sharing the Gospel (Marie shared it as vision for what we’re about)
- Reaching niches on campus (Sarah shared her vision to reach her Service Scholar group)
These stories happen because of our faithful volunteer partners. Through faculty, pastors, community members, and alumni, we now have a (growing) team of 8 volunteers whom I am coaching to lead 15 student leaders/apprentices to reach 13 niches on campus! (including Betiglu helping reach internationals, pictured above) And, already 4 people have made decisions to give their lives to Jesus! Praise God! We could not have this breadth of impact on my own, so praise God for partners in this work.