Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support the IDS in College Media Madness! Donate here March 24 - April 8.
Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

As many as 12 IU chapters among Greek InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

For as many as 12 greek chapters , weekly bible study is as routine as tailgates and pair parties.

Greek InterVarsity Christian Fellowship spans more than 800 campuses and has 750,000 fraternity and sorority members, said Tori Castek, IU’s Greek InterVarsity campus staff member.

Here at IU, Greek IV has 20 to 25 regular members who attend their larger meetings and numerous students who attend bible study in their chapter houses.

Greek IV is a primarily student-run organization with two divisions of leadership: a leadership team and chapter ministry leaders.

Greek IV’s mantra is that these two worlds don’t need to be mutually exclusive.

“There are definitely a lot of stereotypes when you think of greek houses, and Christianity isn’t the first thing you think of,” Clinton Small, leadership team member and Beta Sigma Psi vice president said. “You come to a place where there are people you can relate to. We very much stress that being Christian doesn’t mean you should hole yourself up with your Bible and not ?participate.”

For chapter ministry leader and Gamma Phi Beta sophomore Meghan Bloxsome, it was the meeting of these two seemingly opposite paths that made rushing all the more worthwhile.

“I can’t imagine my IU experience without it,” Bloxsome said. “It totally wouldn’t be the same. There’s not a ton of people who have faith as their priority, especially at IU, but at big schools in general. It’s nice to have people who are really devoted to their faith and want to go deeper with it.”

Greek IV tackles obstacles of temptation in greek life head-on through campus trainings and regional retreats.

“What I love about IV is we don’t ignore the realities of the greek system,” Castek said. “We’re not naïve in how we think about it. We know the good things that go on in it and the hard things, too.”

Greek IV stresses that growing deeper in faith doesn’t mean giving up on the full greek or college experience, Castek said.

“I think a lot of times people think that going after your faith is kind of a downgrade to your lifestyle,” Castek said. “We just believe that it’s a total upgrade.”

Students in Greek IV also learn how to speak about faith competently and confidently. Greek IV creates a hospitable environment for students who are at all different points of their faith, Castek said.

Greek IV also stresses being a good friend and a good brother or sister.

“It’s not as different as you would think,” Bloxsome said. “God calls us to be in a community and that’s exactly what a sorority and fraternities are. They’re a group of girls and guys that are your brothers and sisters, and that’s exactly what God wants and what he calls us to do.”

Get stories like this in your inbox
Subscribe