From Discussing A Video on Campus to Being Baptized in a Church

How does a person go from watching a video to getting baptized? Great question!

If you're looking for a resource to engage with seekers and new believers, I'd recommend Campus Alpha Course.  Filmed in London, this  8 -week video course helps students explore Christianity in a relaxed setting.   Topics include  Who is Jesus? Why and How Can Study the Bible?  What about the Church? and more.  Then students discuss the topic of the week in a small group where no question or opinion is “off limits.”  The Alpha course always includes a “Holy Spirit” weekend retreat, as well.  The Alpha course has been running in over 169 countries as a way to help seekers to find Christ.

Written by Karen Keyser

In Chi Alpha, we have been running a Campus Alpha course at both Georgetown University and Nova Community College each Spring semester for the past several years.  We start with snacks and chatting, then watch the 30 minute video segment, and then divide into 2-4 student-led small groups to discuss the videos.  Many of the students are international students who have never understood Christianity before.

Helen has an Ethiopian background, but has grown up in the United States.  She has been involved in alcohol and drugs since she was a teenager. At age 24,  her world crumbled, and she found herself in a drug detox center.   Upon leaving the center, Helen realized that she needed to get her life straightened out.  She wanted to get back into Nova Community College and surround herself with better influences.  So she joined Alpha right before our Alpha retreat.  At the retreat she learned about the Holy Spirit and his power to transform lives.  

Another student, named Yami, explained to Helen from the Bible about being born again, and Helen was ready to pray a salvation prayer right away.  Afterwards she announced to the group:  “I prayed that prayer.  I’m not sure how you say it, but I’ve been adopted!”   A few weeks later Helen was baptized at our church.

At her baptism she said, “Before Jesus, I had a drug and alcohol problem. Now after, Jesus has set me free!”  Though she joined Alpha mid-semester, God used this resource to bring spiritual freedom to her life!  

Info on Campus Alpha

Let's Worship Together

The following is a post written by Natalie Hill in collaboration with Kevin Kusunoki. They both serve on staff at Chi Alpha at American University and share a passion for worship.

Kevin and I are passionate about developing a culture of worship.  It's easy to think worship is just the words on the screen on Sunday mornings or Thursday nights, but worship is much more than that.  David Crowder talks about developing a habit of praise, much like the Psalmists in the Bible.  We believe music has a way of breaking down walls and opening hearts, so we're exploring how we can encourage a culture of worship that's outside of our normal worship services.  

As John Mark McMillan said, "Worship isn't just singing, but thank God it's also singing."

So we're going to be posting Spotify playlists with different genres of music every other week this summer and expanding our view of what worship really is.  We'll start next week, we'd love for you to follow us as we explore how music can be used to worship our Savior!

Three Books Everyone Should Read This Summer

One of the things that I love about the summer months is that there's a little more time in our schedules (as Campus Missionaries) for personal and leadership development. Well, as I talked to students at the end of the semester, I realized that I kept recommending the same short-list of books in nearly every conversation. So, I thought I'd share them here just in case anyone is looking for reading material. 

Book 1 - Want More? 

Now, I'm actually reading this book with a few students this summer because I haven't read it before. But it came highly recommended to me from a few friends on staff at Chi Alpha at the University of Virginia. Basically, it's a practical yet theologically rich book about the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer today.

We have students from dozens of different theological and denominational backgrounds, but I think what Francis Chan identified in Forgotten God is completely accurate. Christians today have a low view or little knowledge about the Holy Spirit. This book does come from a pentecostal perspective and as a pentecostal myself, I do my best to encourage our students to explore this theological topic personally. It's not that I want everyone to believe in the same things that I do, but I'd like for more people (myself included) to build our theology from biblical doctrine instead of from our experiences. It takes time and careful study, but it's always worth it. 

Amazon Link || Want More? by Tim Enloe

Book 2 - The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership 

I know that everyone isn't a John Maxwell fan like I am but what I appreciate about this book is that it provides a basic framework for processing information about leadership. In turn, it allows for people to get a handle on what it means to influence people so that they can assess themselves, have conversations about leadership and identify strengths they have as a leader that they may not have had language to describe. 

Of course, information doesn't make someone a leader (or even a better one) but most college students I know haven't read any books on the topic of leadership and I think this one is a solid place to start. I had a mentor walk with me through the content of this book via VHS lectures from John Maxwell about ten years ago, but I'm looking forward to a refresher course this summer and a chance to discuss the topic of leadership with a few of the guys I mentor. 

Amazon Link || The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell

Book 3 - Habitudes (Chi Alpha Edition)

If you haven't read anything by Tim Elmore, Habitudes is a wonderful place to start. He basically shares a leadership principle and discussion questions based around a picture. For instance, he shares the lesson of the starving baker. And in short, it's describing the person that gives and gives but never takes care of themselves. So, in Habitudes, he has a picture of a sad, starving baker and goes into depth to tell this parable before sharing the principle. 

My favorite part of this book (and the series as a whole) is that the format really lends itself to people committing these stories and principles to memory for the long haul. I used one of the Habitudes books as the curriculum for a small group a few years ago and to this day, I've had conversations with those guys and they've at least remembered a handful of the lessons we discussed! 

Well, just a few weeks ago, Chi Alpha Campus Ministries partnered with Tim Elmore and Growing Leaders to put out a new edition of Habitudes that specifically discusses the leadership principles we hold most dear in our organization. The price is a little steep and I think it's only available in print, but I think it's worth it! 

Purchase Online Habitudes (Chi Alpha Edition) by Tim Elmore & Harvey Herman 

Which one of the books above look most interesting to you? What other books are on your summer reading list? 

College Tips from a Giraffe

The following is a post written by Bonnie Duncan. She is currently finishing up her Campus-Missionary-in-Training Program and will be serving on staff next year with Chi Alpha at Georgetown University.

So I have this friend. His name is Geoffrey. Geoffrey the Giraffe to be more specific. You can follow him on Twitter here. He would never tell you this (partially because he’s humble, but mainly because he’s a giraffe and can't talk), but he is kind of a big deal.

He officially belongs to my friend Haydee, but we have a shared custody agreement. Now I could give you my 5 biggest tips for college freshman, but I’ve sort of developed a reputation for being that girl who never did the reading in class. But Geoffrey always did his reading, and is kind of just an all-around perfect giraffe so I’ll just let you in on a few of his secrets.

Create great memories, not just a great resume.  

To everything there is a season. A time to do homework. And a time to create memories. Finding that balance is important. Be intentional about spending time with the people you care about. Even if that means making sacrifices in other places. Like good old Mark Twain says, 20 years from now you will regret the things you didn’t do more than the things you did.

Don’t be that person. Carpe Diem.

Find opportunities to serve others and love well

I know what you’re thinking. Geoffrey never said that. That I put him up to it because I’m an intern and it’s my job to tell people that. But you would be wrong.

Everybody comes to college searching for something. And so do you. Maybe you are looking for that one person who would drop everything to help you. Or that person you could call at all hours and they would be there for you. Or that person that simply encourages you with a note or remembers your favorite snack on exam day.

Don’t just search for that person. Be that person for others. Reflect the love of Jesus on campus in practical, but unexpected ways.

That’s Geoffrey. He showed up early to help us set up for our Alpha Course. Cause he wants to be more like Jesus.

Embrace whimsy

Some of you make be thinking. Geoffrey’s not real. Why is he giving us advice? To which I respond you need to back off (in Christian love).  

But really, college and this time of transition creates enough serious moments for all of us. Learn to master the art of embracing whimsy. Sometimes it’s exactly what people need.

Live. Laugh. Smile.

All the time. Or at least most of the time.

Figure out who Jesus is to you

There’s a part in the New Testament where Jesus asks his friend Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” To which Peter responded…

Yeah, I’m not gonna tell you what Peter said. Because it’s easy to base our opinion of Jesus on what other people say (even with our best intentions). We build our faith around great things like joining small groups and going to Church and Chi Alpha, but what would you say if Jesus asked you that question?

It’s okay if you don’t know the answer yet. But chew on it a lot these next four years when you have a spiritual family who can help you figure that out.

Your time in college is limited

Yes, that’s not exactly a tip and more a depressing statement. And yup. That’s a minute glass Geoffrey is holding. He really knows how to go for the jugular (in the most friendly way because giraffes would never hurt anybody).

It’s sad, but true. In 4 years you will be gone. And 4 years after that, all the students who knew you here will be gone as well. Which has the potential to be an extremely depressing thought. But you are given a great opportunity. And it starts with this question: are you here to make a difference or are you here to make a name?

The latter ends when you leave. But the former lives on in the lives that you touch. When I was a freshman, I had two small group leaders: Anna and Rob. If you’re a Georgetown student reading this, then you’ve probably never heard of them. But they inspired me to be a small group leader for others. And the cycle continues. And through Jesus, the outward reflection of what God has done in you creates a legacy that is bigger than yourself.

Be someone’s Rob and Anna.

Life is in the Seed

Feeling a bit discouraged about the “results” of my work with international students, I had a walk and talk with my dad one Christmas break several years ago.  My dad had been a pastor and missionary for 35 years, and I appreciated his perspective.  He held up an imaginary seed between his fingers and said, “Karen, remember the life is in the seed.”  That’s it.  We plant the spiritual seed, someone else may water it, but God makes it grow. There is life within the seed!  

"Karen, remember the life is in the seed." 

Written by Karen Keyser

Yes, the gospel has a life of its own.  My job is simply to keep planting this life-giving seed.  If I keep faithfully doing that, some receptive soil will receive the seed, and God will do the miracle of growth.

Joy had begun to open her heart to the seed of the gospel back in China.  When she arrived at Georgetown as a grad student I matched her with an American Friend partner from a local church, and Joy started coming to our events.  

At the end of her first Chi Alpha worship service on campus, she said to me with tears in her eyes, “I've never felt God like this before!” The seed was being watered.  

Then Joy went with us to our Mosaic international student conference.   During an elective class she responded fully to God’s love, receiving his forgiveness and forgiving others who had hurt her.  She said it felt like she could “breathe again!”  The seedling was sprouting.  A few months later, I had the privilege of baptizing her right in the middle of campus after a Chi Alpha service.

And then Joy graduated, got a job in Nebraska, and moved away.  Would the young seedling grow? Why yes!.  She immediately got involved in a church and Bible study there.  

Yesterday, I was looking at Facebook updates and noticed Joy’s update, “So grateful for every blessing in my life, for great friends, for God’s faithfulness and unfailing love!!!”  We planted the seed that had spiritual life within it into fertile soil.  And God’s love has made it grow.  It is such a privilege to watch His beautiful garden grow in the lives of students from around the world.  

Have faith that there is life within the seed.

(Note - We've changed the name of the student in this story)