[Joanne Acevedo, who has joined Grace Church staff as a seminary intern, is celebrating 35 years on the staff of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF). Kyia Hernandez, one of Joanne’s colleagues at IVCF, interviewed Joanne for a series of articles aimed at encouraging other IVCF staff members.]
Today we have the honor of hearing from Joanne Acevedo.
Joanne will hit her 35th anniversary on staff this October! Currently she is the National Director of Interim Leadership and an Associate Director with LaFe.
Stick around for insight and advice from almost 35 years of service!
The First
“I still remember the first person I led to the Lord. There is nothing in this experience of being on staff, leading that one person to the Lord, that first student to Christ [that can compare]. The eyes, you just see something happen within them, in saying yes to Jesus. It is amazing to me that I get to have a front row seat in the transformation in someone’s life.” Joanne is still involved in that student’s life today. See their then and now photo below.
The Call
There were two defining moments for Joanne that made her say yes to joining staff. The first was when she was at Baruch College and she heard the Lord tell her, “I want you to stay.” The second was at her first Urbana in the early 90’s. Noticing a student crying in the distance, she could sense that student’s sorrow. Again, she heard the Lord, and he said, “For this reason, I have called you to this mission.” And here she is 35 years later. Joanne wants to continue to empower students and staff alike. In this current season, she is working more closely with staff than students. But she also has a granddaughter about to turn 14. “She’s the 2030 calling,” Joanne said. She wants this next generation of students, like her granddaughter, to step into the call the Lord has for each one of them. Joanne shares, “My loyalty is to the Lord, and if I hear him calling, that’s why I stay.”
Words of advice from Joanne:
- Prayer is pivotal! Everyone should have an intercessor team. Joanne is willing to train your team of four, if you don’t have one yet.
- Bring your insecurities to the Lord and remember your affirmation and worth comes from him.
- “If you’re stuck, ask for help.” From your supervisor, your colleagues, and the Lord.
- Don’t play the comparison game. Learn your job really well and the format that is needed to accomplish the required work. Then bring your own unique God-given fingerprints to it, your sazón (seasoning).
- Build community, not just within InterVarsity, but outside the organization as well. Joanne said, “We’re not flat Stanleys. we are multidimensional people.” No one group of people will meet all our communal needs.
Prayer Requests:
- “I keep praying for funding, that there would be ample funding for staff, especially staff of color. It’s always on my heart. Because I don’t want staff to find worth in what people give. I want there to be ample money, ample resources, so that staff can freely do the work that God has called them to and not wrap their identity in funding.”
- Continuous revival among students and the pursuit of justice. “Our nation is hurting, our communities are hurting, our world is hurting, and we know that throughout history, it has been students who God has used to change or to bend the needle towards justice. I’ve watched how God has used the humility of students to do such things and so I continuously pray for that.”
Thank you for engaging in this longer form content today! We hope you were blessed and motivated by what Joanne had to share.