Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Navigating the Journey
0:00:00
This is a KUNV Studios original program.
0:00:04
The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 Jazz & More, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.
0:00:15
Black Ball Triple 7 Productions presents the Black Ball Triple 7 Productions podcast, Faith Knowledge in College Edition. This program has been brought to you by Blackball.777 Productions. And now, here is your host...
0:00:33
And I'm back! Yay, the Blackball himself, Debrie Foster, here with another episode of Faith, Knowledge, and College Edition.
0:00:40
Here I've got Dominic Basile from InterVarsity, a staff member at InterVarsity of the greater Vegas area. How are you doing today? I'm doing good, Debrie. Thanks for having me on. So, I'm here to ask him a couple of questions, because students often see InterVarsity walking around campus or tabling, and they often wonder what InterVarsity is about, and my host, or I'm the host, actually, my assistant, Case, is here to assist me with some questions. So, let's get the black ball rolling. Could you give a description to InterVarsity is a Christian college community that wants to see people and students and faculty have their lives renewed and shaped by Jesus to the point to where they are able to take what they learn about Jesus and then go and impact the rest of the world. So InterVarsity's core values is to see the students and faculty transformed, the campuses renewed, and the world changers developed.
0:01:48
What is your position at InterVarsity and how did you get started?
0:01:51
Yeah, so my position at InterVarsity is kind of like a mentor or a teacher for student leaders. So inside of Inner Varsity, we have a lot of Christians who are developing, being developed in their leadership with regards to impacting the world, like actually going out intangibly, like doing service stuff and being able to like be the hands and feet of Jesus. So I serve as a mentor and a coach and a teacher. The Christian language that we use more so is often a shepherd of those people. And a lot of what I end up doing is engaging with students and looking towards Jesus in to help motivate us to go out and change the world. So a lot of what I do is not just, hey, let's learn these things about Christianity. It's about let's look at Jesus and what he does and try to go and emulate that in our world today. Yeah, and given my former leadership positions
0:03:06
at Inner Varsity and experiences, I can tell you he is really good at speaking. He's really good at teaching giving people multiple different perspectives very Very well spoken guy very well spoken. Thanks to be so Yeah leadership meetings large groups He's let me he Is an awesome speaker given the fact that you are in Las Vegas local and you grew up in a church. What inspired you to work with InnerVarsity?
0:03:42
Yeah, so I think my story is a lot more complex than the fact that I was just Christian growing up. When I went to college, I thought that I was going to go to medical school and impact the world by being a physician, to help people with regards to their ailments that are plaguing them, to be a change in that system to be able to actually like listen to patients and impact their infirmities and ailments in a very tangible way. That was how I thought that I was going to be like the hands and feet of Jesus. But when I was in grad school, I one day was like donating blood. And the phlebotomist went, instead of into my vein, she accidentally punctured a nerve. And so I lost a lot of feeling in my hand. And I still to this day have wrestle with the ability to like hold pencils to type to do any like kind of like fine motor skills with my hands. And so the vision of me becoming a doctor was kind of just thrown out the window because I can't hold a scalpel. And then so what had caused me to then shift my mindset was to go and think, how can I still make an impact in the world, even if I can't be a physician. finally experienced InterVarsity as a grad student myself and I saw the community and how it really focused on allowing people to bring the wholeness of who they are, to wrestle with the questions about what they have about Jesus, and to still like move forward and be like world changers. And so why I came found a really good niche in that. I recognize that like while I might not be able to heal people on a, on a physical level anymore, or even like have like that as an option on my table, what I recognize is that I am somebody who is gifted in teaching, coaching, and uh, kind of just lead reading through the scripture and honoring the local culture that it was written to, but also translating that into our culture today. And so that was a big thing as to why I said yes to come on to leadership with InterVarsity. I saw the potential on the college campuses because of how many students are like coming, learning what it means to be an adult here on this college campus. These four years are the most formative years in anybody's life if you are to go to college. And so I figured that was a very strategic place for me to be to be able to impact the most amount of people, not only directly through my personal discipleship, like a fugue degree, but through the future people in which you would disciple later down the line in your own careers and trajectories. And so that's like actually why I said yes to doing something like this, because I see the things that you are trying to do and how you are trying to impact the world through Christ's name, and I love that and I want to come and support that with you.
0:07:09
Thank you, and have you noticed that with like other staff members, they go on to pursue a certain career but then they automatically just join staff, like they start off with their volunteer position.
0:07:24
Have you noticed that with staff here or beyond? Yeah, I think most people don't go to college, unless they go to a Bible college or a seminary, thinking that they're going to major in ministry. I think most people that are on staff with InterVarsity had that drastic life change to where they decided, hey, I'm going to follow Jesus and kind of give him the rest of my career, give up what I aspired to do, and just serve him in a more tangible and missional way. That's not to say that people who decide to go into non-ministry vocations are lesser than. That's just saying this is a different beast and that most people who say yes to this, this might be their second or third option, but God has really led them here. I noticed I think with at least two or three staff members, specifically John and, what's the other guy, Eric. Eric, yeah. Yeah. I don't remember what John was majoring in, but Eric was, he was a professor at one point before he got his PhD. And then surprisingly, I don't remember exactly when he made the announcement, but he's now a full-time staff member. Like, no, I don't know who saw that coming. Yeah I think that's a really interesting story that Eric would do more justice in telling. So what are some things that you enjoy while working as an InnoVarsity staff member? Yeah I like getting to know the students and where they're at. I think one of the the biggest things that I enjoy like Jabri you brought up earlier like me teaching at large group or leading at leadership, that Bible study that we do there, that's not the most enjoyable thing. I really enjoy sitting down with students one-on-one, getting to hear their stories, and getting to see practically where Jesus can impact their story and their identities more tangibly, but then also challenging students of how we can take what we see in the word and what we see through Jesus to actually impact their life in a very tangible way. So I definitely enjoy interacting with students and discipling them more in a one-on-one setting because that's where I see the most growth. Like I've had a student that I've been discipling for the past three years. And I can say from three years ago when we started to meet one-on-one that she's a very different person than who she is today. And that's because we have engaged and talked about what are the ways that Jesus can come into your life and impact some of these rougher edges or some of these more immature edges for you to be a more well-rounded individual and also what are some of the ways that Jesus can partner with you in where you have strengths. And so I really appreciate being able to see that growth in a student over the typically four years that we have with them.
0:10:54
I'll say you notice, so you guys, staff members, they usually do one-on-ones like weekly with students, and you notice growth within those students? Yeah, yeah.
0:11:05
Yeah, and especially as somebody starts to come around more often and really start asking questions about Jesus and what they mean for our lives, what he means for our lives. It's something that also just starts to happen naturally, even if it's not in a formalized one-on-one setting. They're just continual conversations that happen because we are to always be, we are to never assume that we are like perfect as a human being and always recognizing that fact allows us to continually grow.
0:11:45
So what are some words of encouragement you would give non-believers who are looking for a community?
0:11:51
Yeah, so I wanna recognize and own that we are specifically a Christian space and that we typically are a space full of believers. But to any non-believers that might be listening to this, the word of encouragement I really want to give is that you should find a place where you find that you have a belonging in the community. And what I mean by that is that once you find a place that you have belonging, you are able to bring your whole identity, all of who you are. You are able to have good and genuine conflict with one another that also is able to be resolved in a healthy way. And that you don't feel as if you have to hide any aspects of your identity. I would hope that our community in Inner Varsity is one of those places that you can bring the wholeness of who you are and feel belonged inside of this community. But I also recognize that typically as somebody who doesn't profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior that this can be a daunting community to step into because of how Christians are portrayed in media. and so if you don't find that a community that you're stepping into gives you that kind of sense of belonging, that might not be the community for you.
0:13:24
We have seen some non-believers who have attended our chapter in the past.
0:13:29
Yeah, I think those people have specifically found that our community does bring them that value and that belonging. And so this is definitely, as with anything, it's definitely a case-by-case basis. But I think one of the most important aspects is to find a community that loves you and that you love. I can hope that we would have that in our community, but your experience with our community or your experience with any kind of Christian community is kind of your experience. And so I can't like say that yes we are a community that will always do these things because you know we are human and sometimes we do fail and so I want to I want to honor that for anybody who might have experienced that in like church communities as a whole. Yeah and what matters most is that we plant the seeds in people's hearts and heart and we're not here to force anything on anybody. And as long as we plant the seed and they're open, at least some of them are open. I noticed there was one student who came to our fall conference. They were almost open to accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. And another person who went to our camp at least once or I think twice, who was a non-believer. And we pray that both of these students come to Christ
0:14:54
and any other non-believers who attend in the future.
0:14:57
Yeah, I think a little bit more practically beyond that these students come to know Christ, I think what we also would emphasize is that there's a community of Christ followers and Christ believers that radically embrace these individuals, not because they are about to like profess Jesus as Lord and Savior, but because they are a child of God no matter what, and that they are made in his image, and that our love is not conditional on you like professing Jesus or believing the same things that we do, but our love is being outpoured towards anybody in our community.
0:15:39
Amen to that.
0:15:40
So what are some university events that take place each semester? I know I've already mentioned Fall Conference and MarkCamp, but are there any other types of events that take place?
0:15:51
Yeah, so let me just backtrack for us and help define what FallCon, MarkCamp, and other events are. So rather than focusing on a semester to semester basis, let me focus on the year. So in the in the fall semester, we have this thing called Fall Conference that typically gets shortened to Fall Con. Here at this, you get to experience what it is like to kind of be in a community that emphasizes belonging, inclusion, and welcoming. This is our yearly rhythm that happens in the fall, and it's more so focused on typically how we as individuals on the campus, whether believer or non-believer, can still be impacted by Jesus and who he is. So, the fall kind of theme is like how we personally can be impacted by Jesus. And then in the spring, we have this thing called Mark Camp, where we go and we study the book of Mark. We'll study the first half one year and the second half the following year, just because it's a really long book and we have like a week to do it and we don't want to over cram that time. But what that focuses on is the kind of true word that the scripture is. We, during that time, we enter into reading the book of Mark as kind of first century Jewish individuals. Like we are people who are reading the book of Mark for the very first time or actually more so listening to it or like viewing it as a stage play. And so when we enter in there we try to eliminate a lot of our biases as 21st century typically American individuals. Like the things that we hear maybe our pastors or other podcasters say on podcasts, and we just try to enter in as if we are first century Jewish individuals. So it's really hard trying to eliminate some of those biases, but through that process we get to see via explicitly in the scripture who Jesus is and what he values. And we see that he values the lost, the outcast, the people who are marginalized by our society. And we are told that those people are not only loved and welcome, but are to be brought in and that the kingdom is for them first, not the people who are the majority, not the people who are the insiders, but Jesus has come for the outcast and the lost. And so, during spring is when we really engage into scripture in a really deep and heavy way to see who Jesus is. And then lastly, during the summer, is when we go out and actually try to tangibly do things with our hands and feet, going out, being in the community, and impacting the community through social justice and service work. And so I also run what our program is, which is the Vegas Urban Service Program. And so students from inner varsity, from California, Nevada, we would hope other places as well, would come to Las Vegas and learn what Christians can do to impact their neighborhood tangibly. So we talk about human trafficking, we talk about homelessness, we talk about poverty and social issues, we talk about racial divides, and how we as individuals who believe in Christ can step into those spaces and try to correct those injustices that we see. And so that is all based upon scripture, but we try to also partner with local non-believing organizations because we don't want to deny that good work is being done, whether or not it's being done by Christians or not. And so we ultimately believe that at the end of the day, it's about impacting the world to make a more equitable society rather than being able to toot our own horn that like Christians were the ones that did it Awesome and a question about like our community our community events that are here. Yeah locally to Vegas. Do you notice? The faith like students faith increasing or Connections being formed. Yeah, I think the ways in which we passively hang out and go to the board game cafe that's on Sahara or just two weeks ago, we just watched the sunset on the Tropicana parking garage. That is really a time for us to come together and do what I said earlier, emphasize belonging and inclusivity and like really get to know one another on a like a more personal and intimate basis that goes beyond oh hey what's your major, hey like where'd you grow up, did you grow up church, like it's more so about like asking those like more deep and intimate questions that foster a better relationship with one another and I think we see that happen on a good regular basis because people who Do not profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior or don't believe that the Bible has anything to do with them still Continually come to those spaces and do find that belonging like what I was saying earlier in our community. And so Yeah, I think those those community things that we do are a great way to get to know the community, but also find a place where you have belonging and inclusion. So what inspired you and the other staff to come up with the title Greater Vegas Area? Yeah, so we recognize that here in the Vegas Valley that there are a good number of colleges and universities that aren't in a zip code that is specifically Vegas. So for example, there is CSN Henderson, there is Nevada State University, which is on its way to Boulder City, that are here in the Vegas Valley, but are not specifically Vegas. And so when talking about metropolitan areas, you typically refer to the greater Chicago area, or the greater Boston or New York area. That's trying to refer to not just the city and the zip code, but also the surrounding other municipalities and whatnot. And so the Greater Vegas area is an attempt to try to include places like CSN Henderson and Nevada State into the vision of what we do. I recognize that our language isn't the best of saying like, hey, Henderson is also something that God longs for and wants to see people that live in Henderson renewed and shaped and changed by him. But it is an attempt to recognize that we are more than just UNLV. How do you encourage people to who have So I think church hurt is a unfortunately very common thing inside the Christian community because while we see Jesus in the scriptures impact people in a very radical, tangible and uplifting way, the church, which is run by humans, not by God, it might be like inspired by God, but the people who are practically like running our churches and running our ministries are very much human and they have brokenness and their own issues that they are trying to point back towards God. And so in the spectrum of human experience, I believe everybody will experience church hurt in some way or another. It's more so about what you believe that you can handle. For those individuals who experience church hurt to the point to where they say, hey, I think the encouragement to them is to say, good on you for recognizing that this space is not entirely healthy for you. Take a step back, heal from whatever issues or traumas that you have related to that. Jesus is going to be there with you as you take your time healing. If that means you step out of church space, if that means that you no longer attend Sunday service, so be it. God is going to be there with you through it, and I think that is a more loving way to view how God works. God doesn't just work inside the brick and mortars of the church. God doesn't just work inside the people who have hurt you. God can work outside of those things. And so if you need to take your time, if you need to take a step back and say, hey, for a period of time, this Christianity thing is not for me, I think the best advice I can give you is do that. Now that's to say once you do that, you'll be experiencing a lot of pushback. There'll be a lot of Christians who say, hey, you should still be in community, or hey, like, you might have experienced hurt there, but you're not gonna experience hurt here. And I think that is actually a very additionally hurtful statement to say. I think it's important for us to recognize that because we are all human, because we are all broken in the flaws that we uniquely have, we hurt people in a vast majority of ways. And so even if this new community might not hurt you in the same way that your previous community did, that doesn't mean you won't experience hurt at all. It's more so a conversation around what hurts are something that are not able to be healed within the community. If the community has a posture for healing those hurts and seeking reconciliation and actually like apologizing and correcting that wrong, then that's a community that you would be accepted and welcomed in. But if you don't see that as an overall trend in your local Christian community, and you have reached the point to where that hurt is now outweighing the benefits that you have in the community, I think God would say, time to step back and rest. Time to take your time up onto the mountain and just be with me and heal. I don't wanna force anybody to be in community that they deem unhealthy or toxic. And we all know that God can heal people through those hurts. Yeah. That's always possible. God is a miracle worker. And if you want to join InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at UNLV, you can find us on Instagram at intervarsity at UNLV, intervarsity at Nevada State and if you want to join Fall Conference I believe there will be... We have a website that is linked onto our Instagram where you can find all of our like bigger events like Fall Con, Mark Camp and the Vegas Urban
0:28:17
Service Program. Alright so remember if you if you want to accept Christ today say something like this, Dear God I admit I'm a sinner. I'm sorry for my sins. I repent and I ask you to forgive me of all of my sins. Thank you that Jesus died so I could repair my broken relationship with you. Help me live with you as Lord of my life and keep me focused on the plans that you have for me. I believe with my heart and confess my mouth that Jesus is Lord and he is my Lord and Savior. If you're listening and you want to pause and repeat, please do so and if you've accepted Christ, welcome to the kingdom. If you haven't, I pray you do so today. And thank you. Thank you again, Dom, for coming, for joining me. Yeah, of course, Shabrie. And on a teaser, I have a little teaser to give you guys. So I will be doing some episode, two episodes on Mark Camp and Vegas Urban Services, so you'll get to hear more about that in the not too distant future. Thanks again for joining the Black Ball Triple 7 Productions podcast. As always, Black Balls Gotta Bounce! podcast. As always, Black Balls Gotta Bounce!
0:29:21
I'm just a little bit, a little bit, a little bit, a little bit
Transcribed with Cockatoo