Joining with our brothers and sisters in 135 graduate Christian fellowships on 75 campuses, our University of Illinois InterVarsity Graduate Christian Fellowship (GCF) shares the following Four Ministry Commitments that are grounded in Jesus Christ and the Gospel:
Jesus and the Gospel
The Gospel as announced in the Bible is the Good News that Israel’s King Jesus was crucified for the sin of the world and was raised from the dead to reign as the world’s true Lord. New creation had begun. The summons of this Gospel is to give up all other ultimate loyalties and allegiances and to receive Jesus Christ as Lord to follow him in a new life of obedience in God’s new creation as a member of his one new humanity in the world.
Spiritual Formation
Our goal is to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ as part of God’s one new humanity in Christ that is filled by his Spirit. This requires thoughtful intentionality on our part. Together we try to discern the many ways the cultures of our various academic disciplines seek to shape and form us and we adopt those spiritual practices that shape our love for God and our neighbors even within our academic callings. Such practices include those for deepening our engagement with the Scriptures, developing a life of prayerful obedience, and being active members of Christian community.
Christian Community
We gather as alternative communities of graduate students at the University that are centered in Christ. Together we worship and learn, challenge and care for each other, and serve as a welcoming place for believers and those not-yet believers. As part of God’s one new humanity we pursue the reconciliation of all social and cultural divisions by practicing grace and truth, and by promoting personal and systemic justice. We encourage one another to be involved in local congregations where we worship God with the broader body of Christ where our faith is thus further nourished.
Evangelism
We work to proclaim and demonstrate through our lives together the Good News that the crucified Messiah Jesus was raised from the dead to be the world’s true King and Lord. Within the university and professions and with love and boldness, we call everyone to the repentance and obedience of faith that characterize new life in Christ as his one new humanity. We join with God's people to serve in our communities and to extend his Kingdom cross-culturally on campus and around the world.
Integration of Faith, Learning, & Practice
As members of God’s one new humanity in Christ, we engage in learning and biblical reflection in every area of life and seek a faithful unity of knowledge and practice because the God whom we worship is Creator and Lord of all. We work to form leaders in every field who honor God's gifts and calling. We believe that the integrity of these pursuits will be a witness of his Kingdom to the academic and professional worlds, and help extend God’s shalom or peace in his world.