Why University Ministry

Author Info: Stefa Chappell was just named Chi Alpha’s first National Field Director, after serving faithfully in a variety of roles throughout the country. She recently completed her Master's degree, and when she's not taking care of her adorable dog Finn (who has his own Instagram) she's probably out for a run, or searching for authentic salsa. She has a passion for college students that’s unparalleled and has a gift for teaching about stress, rest and cultivating healthy devotional rhythms.

Facebook | | Twitter | | Finn's Instagram | | Stefa's Instagram

Originally published at: http://dcchialpha.com/blog

When I stepped onto my university campus as an 18-year-old freshman, God was the farthest thing from my mind.  I love to tell people, though, that I was not the farthest thing from His.

Outside of an occasional visit to my grandparents Greek Orthodox church (where Mom did have us baptized), my family didn’t really engage much in a life of faith.  I knew only a few people who walked with Christ until I went away to college.  It was in my freshman dorm that I encountered the reality of the presence of Christ. 

Dennis, Kristin, Lisa and Andrew all lived on my hall, and they loved God beautifully.  What confused me (besides some of their views on things like partying and sex) was that I really liked these guys.  They were fun.  They were funny.  They were people I would want to be friends with.  I was totally surprised.

My new friends were all a part of a couple campus ministries on our campus, one of which was Chi Alpha.  In their ministries the four were well connected with other believers, and were encouraged that God would strengthen their faith in college and use their lives to show His goodness on our campus.  

Midway through my freshman year, my roommate started following Christ.  So did my neighbor, Randy.  They quickly got involved in Chi Alpha and before I knew it, Chi Alpha was praying for me, loving me, and showing me the sweetness of God reflected through their lives.  The students of this ministry loved me past my resistance.  Looking back, I really don’t know why I resisted.

My story demonstrates the value of university ministry.  

Students who come to college with faith grow stronger in their faith when they are connected to a faith-filled community on campus.  They live in the center of God’s mission for their college years.  Students who come from little faith background can see the goodness of God reflected through the lives of their peers. 

“Ours are the lives deepened and changed for Jesus’ joy on the university campus. ”

Yes, we can speak of the future leaders who study today on our campuses, and lead our communities tomorrow…and we do.  We can talk about the hundreds of thousands of international students who come through our borders and to our campuses to study before they go back home to their nations that are often closed to missionary efforts…and we do.  We can talk about how what happens on the university campus affects our larger society…and we do.  But if we break it down it comes down to Andrew and Dennis and Kristin and Lisa and Sandy and Randy and…me.  Ours are the lives deepened and changed for Jesus’ joy on the university campus.  

Two decades later we all still love God passionately.  We have travelled the world for Jesus and so much of our faith journey points back to our time as college students.  

And when I look at the students who walk by me on campus every day, I can hear their names in my mind. 
Andrew. Dennis. Kristin. Lisa. Sandy. Randy. Stefanie.

Originally published on July 9, 2014 • Short Link: http://bit.ly/2ab7LwS

The Forgotten Discipline Of Simplicity

Author Info: Josh is passionate about studying the Bible and having deep conversations with college students at American University and Georgetown University. In his spare time, he can be found with a book, a video game, or outdoors in a hammock, normally fueled by caffeine. You can connect with him via our AU Chi Alpha Staff Page.

The older I get, the more I realize that I like simple things. 

Simple meals. 
Simple dates. 
Simple technology. 

The last one is big. I love technology. I love being on the forefront of the newest thing, and I love when it is simple to use. Recently I had a conversation with a friend about the new trend towards 3D movies and virtual reality. It is intriguing to me that these things are becoming popular, but that there are many people who stay back from them due to the fact that it is more complicated than we are used to. I don’t want to have to put another set of glasses over my own glasses to watch a movie, or play a video game a specific way. Yes, I know that it is supposed to be more “immersive”, but to me, it is just complicating things that were fine to begin with. I’m only 26, but the older I get, the more I like things to just be simple. 

Simplicity. What is it about simplicity that we tend to be scared of? We live in such a complex world. If you don’t believe me, or if you don’t see it in the news, all you have to do is bring home something from IKEA and try assembling it. 

In his book, Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster talks about what seems to be this forgotten discipline of simplicity. He states, “The Christian discipline of simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle.” 

“...a lot of times, when we have that much stuff, we begin to let stuff define us instead of letting Christ define us”

Moving from a three bedroom house to a studio apartment has taught me a lot about how to live simply. Frankly, there is just a lot of stuff that we do not need. And a lot of times, when we have that much stuff, we begin to let stuff define us instead of letting Christ define us. We are living in a generation that is all about the stuff that we have, and does not find joy in living simply, therefore the identity of this generation is based in what’s new, what’s hot, and what’s not. 

Foster goes on to list ten principles on living simply, and ones that I have found to be very helpful in evaluating the discipline of simplicity in my life. I encourage you to read over these, and implement them in yours. You’d be surprised at how much more refreshing living a simple life can be! (Personally, #5 has had the most impact on me!)

  1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.
  2. Get rid of anything that is producing an addiction in you, anything you can’t do without.
  3. Develop a habit of giving things away.
  4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.
  5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
  6. Develop a deeper appreciation for creation.
  7. Look with a healthy skepticism at all “buy now, pay later” schemes.
  8. Obey Jesus’ instructions about plain, honest speech. (Matt. 5:37)
  9. Reject anything that breeds oppression of others.
  10. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the Kingdom of God.

Published on August 4, 2016 • Short Link: http://bit.ly/2anStIA

What Is Excellence?

Author info: Blane has served on staff at AU Chi Alpha for several years and became the Director in the Fall of 2014. This New Mexico native is a proud graduate of the University of Alabama but has fallen in love with the big city. He and his wife (Hannah) moved to DC to complete the DC Chi Alpha CMIT Program under Mike & Jen Godzwa. They are parents to a pretty amazing toddler, Jeremiah. You'll find him biking around DC in search of a coffee by day and pouring over a book by night. You can find him at www.blaneyoung.com, and connect with him via our AU Chi Alpha Staff Page.

Originally posted at: https://churchm.ag/how-do-you-define-excellence/

How do you define excellence? 

You’ve heard it before and you’ve probably used the term as you trained volunteers. I know that I have.  At times, it feels like the perfect word to describe the efforts of a well-orchestrated team accomplishing a project but at other times, it feels like a source of frustration as it is ever elusive. But what does it really mean? How do we actually define it?

Sure, I could quote Webster’s or lookup something from Seth Godin but I think my concern over the term being used in the creative arts arena is that it can’t be defined. Or better yet, it can be defined in a multitude of different ways.

It’s not quantifiable and even though spreedsheets aren’t always sexy, they at least provide us objective means of evaluation and feedback. Now, I am in now way going to try and create a system by which we grade our projects and creative endeavors. However, I do want to make an observation.

Everyone has their own working definition of excellence as defined by their experience. For instance, if you asked me about a moment when I witnessed excellence in church communication, I might mention the time that I saw an interactive, multimedia presentation in the middle of a Christmas service. However, you might mention a moment in which you were served communion, while an orchestra played behind a chorus of singing children.

“Everyone has their own working definition of excellence as defined by their experience.”

I know, the illustration is not perfect but I hope that it illustrates my point. It is difficult to use the term excellence as a goal when the definition is so varied. People will come to believe the project is complete or more than satisfactory while you are scratching your head wondering how in the world they considered the project anywhere near completion. Sound familiar?

Now, I must admit – the term can seem helpful at times. And no, I don’t think we should remove all mystery or idealist values from the creative process. I just think that, for whatever reason, the term can become the proverbial carrot, always out of reach and never grabbed. Or worse, it can wind up being used as an easier to swallow synonym for perfection. If that’s the case, then those around us will be robbed of times of celebration which I believe are crucial to both a team dynamic and a creative individually.

For the majority of us, I don’t think we mean for this to happen. I know I don’t. But I’m just unsure of how to use the term to effectively communicate expectations. Perhaps the solution is to define it and invite others to utilize that definition. I’m not entirely sure. I’m merely asking if there is a better way. A way in which we can facilitate art to a certain standard without every having to critique a piece with the words, “It just doesn’t feel or seem right.”

How do you navigate this? What are ways that you’ve seen the term used?

Originally published on November 29, 2012 • Short Link: http://bit.ly/2arVxoe

I Met My Fiancé In Chi Alpha

Joel Kimpela is a recent graduate of Georgetown University. He was captain of the football team, but more importantly, led the Transformers men's Life group for 3 years. He now works for Oracle in Northern, VA and is volunteer staff for Chi Alpha. You can follow him on Twitter. 

I met my fiancé in Chi Alpha at Georgetown University. As an 18 year old freshmen in college, it's not as if I went to school looking for a wife but God granted me a “good and perfect gift” (James 1:17)  when He introduced me to Kimberly Portes. She was beautiful, loving, caring and most importantly she loved Jesus. 

During our Chi Alpha Mission trip to Atlanta, Georgia freshmen year, I witnessed Kim love, serve, and pray for the people we came across. Her passion for Jesus and people attracted me in ways that I could never have imagined. Over the course of our spring semester, I watched Kim’s faith grow tremendously. Her passion for justice and equality challenged my way of thinking about the world around me and the kind of role our God played in all of it. 

The more I got to know Kim that semester, the more I was drawn to her. We began to spend a lot of time together that year and our conversations, whether serious or silly, always flowed with such ease. Kim and I started dating our sophomore year of college. As the very first Georgetown Chi Alpha couple, we prayed that God would make us examples of a healthy relationship on our campus. Funny thing is, I believe God answered our prayers when He allowed us to be interviewed by Georgetown University’s Take Back The Night campaign this past semester. When asked what a healthy relationship looked like we said:

"A healthy relationship is selfless. For us, a healthy relationship is centered not around the other person, but around God. We find it easier to love one another when our value is found in God. In our relationship, we are reminded we must love one another similar to how Christ loves us--selflessly and completely. We learned that the more we seek and fall in love with God, the more we have the capacity to love each other in a way that honors our own stories." 

I think that generally some people may have a skewed image of marriage. The thought of being committed to one person for the rest of your life may scare some folks. I know that it scarred me at first. But I learned that in marriage, “God calls you to display the love that God has shown you to the precious person made in his image that he has joined you to.” Marriage is the best picture that describes how God's love for us looks like despite our sinful nature. 

Kim and I are now engaged and on June 16th, 2018 we will become one with the name Mr. & Mrs. Kimpela. Our prayer is that God will continue to teach us both how to best love one another in the way that He loved us. With a love that is persistent, sacrificial, and forgiving. 

Published August 2, 2016 (Updated at 4:23pm) • Short Link: http://bit.ly/2ahCtt8

Redeeming Mondays

Author Info: Blane has served on staff at AU Chi Alpha for several years and became the Director in the Fall of 2014. This New Mexico native is a proud graduate of the University of Alabama but has fallen in love with the big city. He and his wife (Hannah) moved to DC to complete the DC Chi Alpha CMIT Program under Mike & Jen Godzwa. They are parents to a pretty amazing toddler, Jeremiah. You'll find him biking around DC in search of a coffee by day and pouring over a book by night. You can find him at www.blaneyoung.com, and connect with him via our AU Chi Alpha Staff Page.

Originally a guest post on thecreativepunk.familylife.ws

NOTE: If you are reading this on another day of the week, you have two options. You can pretend that it is Monday or plan to redeem the upcoming Monday.

Everyone hates Mondays. Almost as much as they hate lines at Wal-Mart or having to go into the bank to make a transaction or losing their keys. It’s like it is an unwritten rule of the universe that humans and Mondays don’t mix. But think about it this way: If everyone has a low expectation for Monday, then strategically, it is a great time to shine when it comes to productivity. Here are a few tips to redeem Monday:

Do Something Before Checking Your Email
The dreaded yet important tool (or beast) of our day. Do something that is on your task list before you check your email. Because email will always take every minute of time that you give it and then ask for seconds. (A cheesy pun, I know) 

Plan Your Week
Look at your upcoming tasks and projects and prioritize them based on deadlines and importance. Don’t forget to reconcile this list with the to-do’s that just didn’t quite get done the last week. The key to this tip is to be realistic. If you over plan or have ridiculously high expectations, then you are setting yourself up for a guilt trip.

Think About A Game-Changer
Take at least ten minutes to think and dream about a project or idea that would be game-changing. Particularly, something that would benefit both your organization positively and yourself positively. For me, I am working on a way to use Flickr as a hub for all of our volunteers that love photography to upload and store their files. (I stole the idea from Phil Bowdle and his sweet project called Exposure for Frazer UMC ) You don’t necessarily have to execute this idea or dream today, but start thinking about what has to happen for it to actualize.

Celebrate A Win

It doesn’t matter if it is big or small, celebrate a win from the previous week. Remind yourself why you took this job in the first place. And remember these simple but true equations:

Vision + Action = Running
Action – Vision = Crawling

Originally Published on October 11, 2010 • Short Link: http://bit.ly/29Ua6M5