Go Greek!By Chelsea Kingston .jpg) Toga! Toga! Toga! Maybe your picture of Greek life is Animal House-esque debauchery. Or perhaps the word “sorority” evokes images of ABC Family’s drama, Greek, with all its cattiness over boys and rivalry between houses, or of Legally Blonde’s Elle Woods and the pink splashed walls of the Delta Nu house. But have you ever considered that the Greek system can be an amazing place to live missionaly as a Christian college student?
A college campus presents countless opportunities to be intentional with the people around you—and being a sorority woman maximizes these opportunities thanks to instant friendships with a hundred or more sisters. The experience of sorority life bonds members together in a way that makes it natural to share each other’s lives and beliefs.
When you live in such close proximity with so many women—whether or not you live in an actual sorority house—your authentic relationship with Christ is bound to attract some attention. Playing intramural sports, eating meals together, studying in groups, taking spring break and post-exam trips, holding office, and dancing the night away at socials are all ways to share your life and faith with women who do not yet know Christ.
Although the church has often viewed the Greek system as pagan culture to be avoided, these days you can find Christians who are invested in their Greek chapters at nearly every university Greek system across the country.
InterVarsity (IV), a non-denominational college ministry on more than 200 campuses nationwide, has 32 Greek IV (sometimes called Greek Impact) chapters with full-time staff and a few student-led chapters. Locate a staffed chapter at http://www.intervarsity.org/greek/aboutus/479. Greek men and women at these schools come together weekly to connect as Christians living out their faith in a dark place. They share their struggles and their victories as they brainstorm ways to be more effective in ministering to Greek brothers and sisters.
Greek IV equips these students to begin house Bible studies in their fraternities and sororities. Women who would never go to a Christian campus meeting feel safe studying the Bible with a group of sisters. Once a sorority woman gets connected spiritually within her house, the study leader can help connect her to other campus ministries or to a local church. To find out more about Greek IV, visit www.greekiv.org.
Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) has also launched a ministry for Greeks called Greek Movement. Although there are currently no Greek specific Cru chapters, you can find resources for Greek Christians at http://greekmovement.com/.
Both Greek IV and Greek Movement host several conferences for Greek students every year. Even if your campus does not currently have a weekly gathering for Christian Greek students, you can rally some friends to attend one of these conferences.
If you are thinking about going through recruitment, here are several things to consider:
First, ask yourself if you struggle with feeling the need to fit in or with using alcohol. Greek life will put you in many situations where you must stand alone in order to live the Christian life victoriously. It is natural to want acceptance. But if you are a person who struggles to go against the crowd, then Greek life may not be right for you. Perhaps you should look for other ways to live missionally. If you are prepared, however, to live boldly for Christ and to radically love your sisters, then God can use the Greek experience to sharpen you in ways you will not believe!
Second, ask yourself if you have a supportive Christian community. Sorority life is not for the faint of heart! There will be many pressures associated with being Greek, especially if you attend a secular college. You will need a solid group of Christian friends—Greek or non-Greek—to pray for and encourage you as you minister in a place where Christians may be scarce. Is there a Greek IV group meeting on your campus? Can you commit to attending a campus Bible study every week for spiritual nourishment? Are you actively involved in a local church? You will need the retreat of friends who are pursuing Christ in order to be effective in Greek ministry.
Third, ask yourself where God might send you. If you are considering Greek life as a way to serve others and serve Him, then your decisions during the week of recruitment will be weightier. Where might God ask you to go that will put you out of your comfort zone? Be prayerful and seek counsel from godly people in your life as you wait on the Lord in this process.
Through Greek ministry, hundreds of students are living out the mandate of 1 Peter 2:9, 12:
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (NIV).
Will you join them?
___________________________________________
Terms to know before you go Greek:
Sorority—A community of collegiate women who support one another through shared experiences on a college campus. Sorority women participate in philanthropic efforts, intramural sports, social events, and day-to-day activities such as studying, eating, and volunteering. Each sorority is identified with two or three Greek letters and has its own colors, symbols, rituals, and traditions. For many women, a sorority becomes a sort of “home” on campus.
Sisters—The current members of a certain sorority.
Chapter—The individual identity of a national sorority at a specific school. For example, while there are Kappa Alpha Thetas that share the same traditions and bi-laws across the country, one chapter (and its members) may be very different than the next.
House—The physical structure that houses the chapter’s activities and/or members of the chapter. Some campuses have physical houses and some do not; some chapters require their members to live in the house, while others use the house only for chapter meetings and meals. A “house Bible study” simply refers to a Bible study that takes place among members of a specific sorority, whether or not the chapter has a physical house.
National Panhellenic Conference—The governing body of all 26 national sororities (such as Chi Omega, Tri Delta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kappa Delta, Delta Gamma, etc.). The NPC is run by sorority alumnae at the National Headquarters and by collegiate women at universities across the country. The NPC exists to protect current and potential members and to ensure that each sorority chapter operates with integrity. Visit http://www.npcwomen.org/undergrads.aspx for more information about NPC recruitment practices.
Rush—More properly termed “recruitment,” this is the process by which women find their way into sororities. Recruitment is a way for current sorority women to select new members that will best suit the chapter's unique personality. It is also the best way for a potential new member to see which chapter she likes best. In Panhellenic sororities, recruitment is a mutual selection process, meaning that current members and a potential new member must agree that the woman would be a good fit for a given sorority. Although this system has a reputation for being catty, the national offices of each panhellenic chapter have worked to ensure that potential new members are treated with respect. The National Panhellenic Conference enforces regulations so that as many women as possible find a sorority that fits them.
Deferred Recruitment—At many schools, recruitment takes place in the spring rather than the fall. This helps to ensure that women are well acclimated to college life before they make a decision about going Greek.
Pledging—The process by which new members learn the traditions and culture of their sorority. This three-to-six-week period usually includes sleepovers, dinners, games, and meetings for the new members.
Hazing—Traditionally part of the pledging process. This method uses humiliation, excessive drinking, and exhaustion as means to bring pledges together and to eliminate new members who are not committed to the chapter. Thankfully, the NPC has outlawed hazing for all panhellenic sororities, and it is punishable by extreme measures—even the closing of a chapter. As such, it is uncommon today in NPC sororities; although, many fraternities still practice some form of hazing. If you find yourself hazed through forced drinking or degradation of any kind, please report it immediately! Sorority life should be a wonderful experience of mutual support and respect, not an exercise of fear and humiliation.
Initiation—The ritual by which members are formally accepted into the chapter after a pledge period. In most chapters, the pledge period is meant to allow new members to acclimate to the chapter before they become full members; it is typically not intended as a “weeding out” period.
Pledge sisters—Members who pledged together in the same year. These women have a special bond because they were initiated together.
|
.jpg)
