In the book Growing a Student Movement, The Development of Chi Alpha Campus Ministries 1940-2020, I included photos and reported on twenty-five XA student centers. Three new properties opened this school year and I wrote about them in an article, “What does a real estate office, fraternity house, and a church have in common?” (see  Dennis’ Blog, September 1, 2021). They are XA student centers. These properties are popping up everywhere. 

Since writing about XA properties in my XA history book and in the September blog,  I discovered more new properties and several I missed. They all share a similar purpose: office space, housing, meeting place for Bible studies, prayer, fellowship meals, training, games, outreach, and special events. Everyone agrees having a place to gather can create an atmosphere for building community, making disciples, and evangelism.

Stephen F. Austin University

The Stephen F. Austin University XA group in Nacogdoches, Texas has existed for more than 50 years. Early on the group leased space calling it the AG Student Center. In 1992 they purchased a former fraternity house to serve as a student center and housing for students. XA purchased the house for $80,000 and paid it off in 2007.

An ink drawing by XA alumnus Brent Hale of the Stephen F. Austin University Administration Building, the statue of Stephen F. Austin (known as the Father of Texas), and the two XA student centers: The first AG Student Center leased (upper right) and today’s XA House purchased (lower right), was to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of SFAU XA in 1967-1992

Clemson University, South Carolina

When Joe and Holloway arrived at Clemson University to pioneer XA, they wanted to establish a XA House, but due to the geography and layout of the University, there were few opportunities to find property adjacent to the University. There is only a one and one half mile section of road on the north side of campus which has close access to the campus. The other three sides were a lake, a major highway, and a golf course. This small strip was being bought up by investors for commercial buildings.

XA was able to rent an old print shop located in NW corner for the first few years they were on campus. We had staff offices and it was large enough to host events. In 2013 the lease expired and XA had to find another place.

This is when God’s blessing opened the way to find and purchase a house (see XA in the Clemson orange box at the top of the above map). In 2014, we noticed that one of the last few houses on this strip came up for sale and we decided to investigate. 

It was a 3 bedroom, 3 bath home, directly across from the university. It was listed at $360,000. With little financial collateral, we asked the AG South Carolina District to help which they were happy to do. We began a financial campaign and were able to raise money to cover the down payment, and for improvements to the house.

By year’s end, December 2014, we negotiated a purchase price of $295,000, replaced the carpet and painted the house. They added a large porch, a new entry to the office area, and spaces to the parking area. The house would accommodate four persons in the two upstairs bedrooms. The lower level is used for XA ministry, a place for students to hang out in a common area and in a converted master bedroom used for meetings, staff prayers, small groups, and game nights. The XA House continues to be the hub of ministry year to year.

Three XA Houses in Oklahoma

Oklahoma State University

Brandon Garrett and his wife moved to OSU back in 2011 to work with Destry and Cynthia Dobbs to rebuild the XA here. He served with the Dobbs until 2020 when the Dobbs relocated to Tulsa University. Brandon became the director of XA at OSU and remains there today. XA has owned the house at 331 S. Duck for 30 + years. An earlier director did a major renovation in 2008, and additional improvements were done in 2012.
Brandon explained that  “the house has been an INCREDIBLE blessing to OSU XA. It is used for student housing, offices, bible studies, leadership training, CMIT classes, prayer meetings, big fellowship events, as well as many meals. Those are all things that are happening currently. There is not a week where ministry is not happening there.”

University of Tulsa

Tulsa University has had a XA ministry at different times since the mid-1980s. They began renting a house in 2011 and purchased it in 2016. Pastors in the area led a campaign to pay for and renovate the house. The Oklahoma AG Women’s Ministries gave generously and helped furnish the house. XA received around $100,000 by way of a matching grant to retire the debt and do renovation to remodel the kitchen, add a new bathroom, and student lounge, replace windows and eliminate a wall to create a larger meeting space. Woodlake Church partnered with XA to assist with this project. Plans are underway to use the house as a staging area for outreaches, a venue for Bible studies, staff and leadership training, prayer meetings, offices, game nights, creative arts studio space, and a gathering place for weekly fellowship meetings on Friday nights.

Central Oklahoma State University

The third Oklahoma XA house is in Edmond which has been there for years. XA has been active at Central since 1999.

Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas

Marshall and Stacy Morse have been working with XA since 2014 and direct the XA 17^th Street Student Center. Topeka First originally purchased the building in 2008 and last year they set up a non-profit Washburn Chi Alpha Inc. that is on a contract-for-deed for the property. It has 27 dorm-style rooms. RDA /RAs are usually XA leaders. Their main meetings are held in the living room of the property that is directly adjacent to the Washburn campus. The university places international students in its facility. 

Central Washington University  Ellensburg

This property has been around for a long time. Michael and Carol Mowry have served as the leaders for 42 years. No one could remember when the house was secured but it gets lots of use.

University of Missouri Rolla

Jason was an electrical engineer for 12 years all the while he had an interest in doing XA since his undergraduate days at Montana State University in 2002. The Lord released him to do XA about 4 years ago so he did an internship and went on staff at Sam Houston State University in Texas. After serving there he went to grad school at the University of Missouri in Columbia from 2006 to 2008 and assisted with XA under the leadership of Tom and Missy Trask. Tom approached Jason Smith to consider re-pioneering XA at the University of Missouri Rolla an engineering school. Having a background in engineering gives Jason a unique perspective on ministering to future engineers and scientists. He relocated to UM Rolla to establish XA. XA purchased a building last summer and now operates it as a coffee house with office space in the basement and student rentals upstairs.

Rent or Lease.   Not everyone owns the property, but many XA groups lease or rent properties to serve as student centers. It is a great place to start. And the latest lease is with XA at Louisiana State University. Jonathan and Ali Buras have led XA at LSU for 15 years. They have signed a lease for 5 years for a property across the street from the campus and fraternity houses. It will be used for offices, Bible studies, leadership meetings, prayer meetings, and fellowship events.

Louisiana State University Baton Rouge

And that’s the news about XA Houses/ Student Centers past, present, and future.

What Is the Metaverse

Metaverse” is a new word, and we’ve only heard it because of Mark Zuckerberg’s recent accouncement that Facebook’s parent company is changing its name to Meta. The new name is a nod to the future. Meta is positioning itself as the first mover of a new digital universe.

The metaverse is not a digital world. It’s a digital world of worlds through which people can travel seamlessly, retaining their appearance and digital possessions wherever they go. These worlds do not merely exist in VR (virtual reality), but also layer onto physical reality through AR (augmented reality). 

What does the metaverse mean for campus ministry and Christians?

When Facebook debuted in 2004 and the iPhone released in 2007, we didn’t know what the future held. We can’t catch up a decade after the metaverse reshapes culture. We must prepare disciples now, knowing the metaverse will only exacerbate the current problems created by a (believe it or not) less invasive internet.

Three themes we should start emphasizing today, so we can form resilient disciples of tomorrow.

1. Givenness of Identity in a Customized World                                                                     

If you think society is struggling with questions of identity now, get ready. Individuals will be able to express themselves however they want through fully customizable avatars in the metaverse. 

What happens when we identify more with a virtual version of ourselves than with our real selves? People may conflate their God-given identity with the self-made identity they crafted in the metaverse. The imago Dei is about to encounter the imago meta.

In a world where every aspect of our identity will be completely customizable, celebrating a received identity—given by God to be his human image-bearers, made with flesh and bone, male and female, for the cultivation of the world—will be radically countercultural.

2. Goodness of Creation in a Disembodied World

We will live more of our lives disembodied, either as avatars in VR spaces or holograms using AR technology. The separation we feel—between our physical bodies and surroundings, and our virtually expanded consciousness—will grow. It will be easy to see the infinite possibilities of our virtual world and bodies as better and more real than the physical world.

As disciples of Jesus, we insist upon the goodness of our physical world and bodies. Followers of Jesus must resist the constant digital connection, forming communities where people intentionally disconnect from virtual reality to be present with others: look them in the eye, give them a hug, and simply be with them. This will be countercultural in the best way.

3. Limits as Grace in a Limitless World

The metaverse will present us with the opportunity to experience glimpses of power only God has. Readiness of information will give us a glimpse of being omniscient. The ability to create worlds and identities will give us a glimpse of being omnipotent. Conquering of geographic boundaries will allow us to be wherever we want to be at any given time, approximating omnipresence. Our futuristic tower of Babel is luring us in with promises of limitlessness.

Disciples of Jesus will need to resist by embracing God-given limits. We can be a presence in our local communities, focus on the slow incremental growth of systems and structures that lead to people’s flourishing (both physical and virtual), and embrace the increasingly unfashionable phrase “I don’t know.” Our lives can manifest the truth that we can’t be everywhere, and we can’t be everything, and that’s a gift from the God who is.

Faithfulness on a New Frontier

While we can’t predict all the ways the metaverse will change us, we know that Christian witness is always countercultural. The metaverse may promise godlike power and knowledge, but like all idols, it will take more than it gives.

Like every technological innovation, the metaverse will bring both opportunities and threats. But if we begin the hard work of discipleship today, we might find resilient disciples of Jesus faithfully leading on the edge of a new frontier, working for the flourishing of everyone—physically and virtually—with confident humility in the face of monumental change.

This is a condensation of the full article “How to Prepare for the Metaverse” by Ian Harber and Patrick Miller, November 2, 2021 in TGC, (TheGospelCoalition.org). https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/prepare-metaverse/  and for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gElfIo6uw4g&ab_channel=CNETPreview