InterVarsity's history in Southwest Florida began in 1987 when several students at (then) Edison Community College (now Florida Southwestern State College) decided to form a Christian club on campus and asked a friend at the University of Miami (who was a member of the InterVarsity chapter) there if she could help.
Miami staff worker Joy Crumpton began to visit Edison periodically and IV alums Don and Joyce Brown came on board as volunteers. In the mid-1990s FSU alums Lynne Shoap and Charles Burbank also contributed valuable volunteer assistance to the ECC chapter in Ft. Myers.
In the Fall of 1998, Bill Harward, who had been volunteering with InterVarsity's Georgia Tech chapter, moved to Ft. Myers to work full time with the Southwest Florida program. Over the next three years, ECC-Ft. Myers was re-pioneered, ministry was broadened to include ECC campuses in Naples and Punta Gorda and the chapters won three Campus Club of The Year Awards. In the Fall of 2000, Bill helped ECC transfer students pioneer a new chapter at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Between 2000 and 2007, campus outreaches grew from traditional New Student Outreaches to Christian concerts, prayer rallies, the Rose Outreach and others, winning InterVarsity a Most Events on Campus award. During this period also, six Edison students elected to go to Bible college after receiving their AA degrees and two FGCU students enrolled in seminary after earning their BA degrees.
In 2008, Bill helped nursing professor Tina Ellis launch Nurses Christian Fellowship at FGCU. In 2009, Bill helped (then) Edison State College nursing student Christina Theogene and Professor Chitra Paulvictor launch NCF at ESC. Our NCF pioneering story was featured here: in the September 8, 2009 issue of Student Soul, InterVarsity's national on-line magazine.
The vision for InterVarsity in Southwest Florida continues to grow. In 2010 we began ministry to international students.Over the past 5 years, 9 international students have given their lives to Christ at FSW & FGCU. In 2013 we began to build a Christian arts community at FGCU. That year we attended the (Christian) Storytellers Creative Arts Conference in Naples,FL. In 2014 Dick Ryan, InterVarsity's National Arts Ministry Director spoke at that Conference. Thank you for praying for God's guidance as we continue to expand ministry at FSW & FGCU and seek God's direction, timing and resources to plant new ministry at other college campuses in Southwest Florida.
Miami staff worker Joy Crumpton began to visit Edison periodically and IV alums Don and Joyce Brown came on board as volunteers. In the mid-1990s FSU alums Lynne Shoap and Charles Burbank also contributed valuable volunteer assistance to the ECC chapter in Ft. Myers.
In the Fall of 1998, Bill Harward, who had been volunteering with InterVarsity's Georgia Tech chapter, moved to Ft. Myers to work full time with the Southwest Florida program. Over the next three years, ECC-Ft. Myers was re-pioneered, ministry was broadened to include ECC campuses in Naples and Punta Gorda and the chapters won three Campus Club of The Year Awards. In the Fall of 2000, Bill helped ECC transfer students pioneer a new chapter at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Between 2000 and 2007, campus outreaches grew from traditional New Student Outreaches to Christian concerts, prayer rallies, the Rose Outreach and others, winning InterVarsity a Most Events on Campus award. During this period also, six Edison students elected to go to Bible college after receiving their AA degrees and two FGCU students enrolled in seminary after earning their BA degrees.
In 2008, Bill helped nursing professor Tina Ellis launch Nurses Christian Fellowship at FGCU. In 2009, Bill helped (then) Edison State College nursing student Christina Theogene and Professor Chitra Paulvictor launch NCF at ESC. Our NCF pioneering story was featured here: in the September 8, 2009 issue of Student Soul, InterVarsity's national on-line magazine.
The vision for InterVarsity in Southwest Florida continues to grow. In 2010 we began ministry to international students.Over the past 5 years, 9 international students have given their lives to Christ at FSW & FGCU. In 2013 we began to build a Christian arts community at FGCU. That year we attended the (Christian) Storytellers Creative Arts Conference in Naples,FL. In 2014 Dick Ryan, InterVarsity's National Arts Ministry Director spoke at that Conference. Thank you for praying for God's guidance as we continue to expand ministry at FSW & FGCU and seek God's direction, timing and resources to plant new ministry at other college campuses in Southwest Florida.
