CHI ALPHA AND A LOCAL CHURCH
Written By Alexis Faubel
Picture this: It’s your freshman year, you were flagged down by a bunch of Christians tabling a couple of days ago, and long story short - you’re leaving your first Chi Alpha Large Group service and are feeling pretty good about it. The announcements, the worship, the sermon and prayer touched on familiar, yet brand-new notions of Church.
As you're heading out the door, one of the upperclassmen comes over to see you off and says “It’s so great that you made it Chi Alpha tonight! So I’ll see you at church on Sunday?” You stop, confused because you’re currently leaving what you thought was a pretty great church service… sp why go to both?
It may seem like an extra commitment right now, but I can promise that the regular practice of engaging with a local faith community outside of your Chi Alpha, will serve you for years to come. What I’ve learned is what I hope you will take away as well - both communities are necessary during this time of our lives.
On the college ministry side, I can’t imagine my faith growing as deep, my lasting friendships being as strong, or my college experience as fulfilling as it was, without a full immersion into my Chi Alpha community. Being able to text friends to grab dinner at the cafeteria, planning movie nights in dorms, or heading to the library to study together after Small Group or Large Group Service is something I could never find from a local church alone. Being able to learn, grow, and build friendships with my peers who were experiencing the same things on our campus was an irreplaceable part of my life. And I suspect some of you feel the same way.. so why pursue more than that?
The truth is, college and Chi Alpha are great, but everyone eventually graduates, and then that Chi Alpha experience will no longer exist for you (even if you join Xa staff). But you know what will still exist? The local church.
It is the local church that exists before, during, and after your college experience. It is the local church where intergenerational relationships can truly thrive, and an opportunity to become engaged in the community arrives. And then ultimately, a home is built to settle into post-grad life that will make all the difference when you transition from one big season to the other.
I was grateful for the church family that I was able to establish while I was still a student. This family that helped me as I graduated, started my first job, and moved around the city to start my professional career. And while my experience was great, it didn’t come without a cost. Consistent investment and attendance are what built up my relationships, and it wasn’t always easy, but it was worth it. I watched many of my friends who didn’t have strong bonds with the local church struggle greatly when they realized that their campus ministry experience doesn’t translate outside of campus. This is a harsh reality, but one that I hope all of you will take as a bit of wisdom when deciding where to invest in college.
Ultimately, both are worth it. Both provide community, relationships, and joy. Both are where Jesus resides. So why wouldn’t you want a double blessing?
