JOINING THE WORK

IWU’s 2025 Summer Ministry Teams Lead in a Posture of Service

In a season when higher education often wrestles with questions of purpose and value, IWU students are finding their answers in service. During the summer of 2025, six Summer Ministry Teams traveled across the United States and Canada, sharing the gospel and building community through music, mentorship, and faith-filled leadership.

Led by Kasey Kalk, director of student engagement for youth ministry events, and Charlie Alcock, assistant professor of youth ministry, IWU’s Summer Ministry Teams partnered with local churches and camps to reach more than 15,000 students at 38 sites across the United States and Canada. Each team blended worship, service, and discipleship to help young people encounter Christ in personal and lasting ways.

“These numbers are not just data,” Alcock said. “They represent moments of worship, late-night conversations, and life change. That is true impact.”

Before deployment, students spent a week in on-campus training focused on humility and service. “You are not going to these camps to perform,” Kalk reminded them. “You are going to serve and learn.” About half of the students were returning members who brought leadership and spiritual maturity to guide new participants. Camp directors described IWU’s teams as well prepared and deeply rooted in faith. “It is true what people say about Gen Z,” Kalk said. “They are eager to serve and hungry for meaning.

STUDENT MINISTRIES BY THE NUMBERS

MINISTRY TEAMS

STATES VISITED + CANADA

STUDENTS REACHED

CAMPS VISITED

Learning to Join God

The ministry teams experienced both joy and heartbreak in their summer service. “You get to know campers for a week and then say goodbye,” Kalk said. “Sometimes you know what they are going home to, and that is hard. We have to trust that God keeps working after we leave.”

That mindset shapes Kalk’s approach to leadership. “We do not start God’s work or finish it,” she said. “We join it. Our calling is to walk alongside others in faith and obedience.”

This summer, she reminded students that ministry is participation, not performance. “We are not Jesus,” Kalk said. “We are not the main character. What matters is pointing people back to God and trusting Him with their story.”

Beyond serving campers, Kalk found joy in mentoring students. “Watching students grow in confidence and compassion is one of the best parts of my job,” she said.

A Summer of Impact

This season of service became a living example of what it means to thrive in turbulent times. At a moment when culture often questions faith, these students embodied it through action. “I have never been prouder of our ministry teams,” Alcock said. “Camp directors told us this was one of the strongest groups we have ever sent out.”

EXAMEN BY THE NUMBERS

STUDENTS

ONE-TIME LILLY AWARDED GRANT FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE EXAMEN PROGRAM

August 2025-December 2026

OF EXAMEN STUDENTS COMMITTED TO IWU

Examen Prepares Future Leaders

Among the camps served by IWU’s Summer Ministry Teams this summer was Examen Camp, a two-week experience designed for high school students exploring both faith and calling. The program blends spiritual growth with academic exploration, allowing participants to earn college credit while discerning how God may be leading them to serve. Each year’s theme, such as the Old Testament, New Testament, or Theology 101, helps students deepen their understanding of Scripture and leadership.

In 2025, 24 students attended, and most have already committed to enroll at IWU. A $50,000 Lilly Endowment grant will sustain and expand the program, preparing future Christ-centered leaders to live out their faith with purpose.

Thriving in Service and Faith

Whether on a summer stage, in a church camp, or in a classroom, IWU students are learning that ministry is not about performance but participation in God’s ongoing work. Their service, creativity, and compassion offer a living testimony to faith that endures and thrives even in uncertain times.

THEN & NOW