From start to finish with each school year, there are discernable patterns that occur as the school year progresses. Campuses have different personalities (see Matt Herman’s “Me Pioneer, No Way,”) and students differ often determined by the personality, expectations, and location of the campus. Understanding and adapting to the rhythms in campus ministry will ensure a flow in the work of ministry, and maximize how time and energy and resources are allocated for the entire year.
Assimilation
The fall of the year is a period of assimilation during which we will reach many new students through back-to-school events and welcome week. In fact, the one week before the fall term begins as students return to campus and move in, and the following couple of weeks of school are the most important ministry weeks of the year for connecting with new, transfer and returning students. This is the best time to introduce your group to the campus at every venue given to student organizations, by sponsoring social events, starting your weekly worship gathering, recruiting for small groups, and announcing your retreat. All this gets underway and occurs before Thanksgiving break.
South Central SALT in 1972 with 23 attendees.
By the first Fall break, you need to be advertising your regional SALT conference and get as many students to attend as possible. SALT provides students a larger picture of XA with students from other campuses and states, and equips students for effective ministry on campus.
Forty-nine years later on December 29–31 South Central SALT was held in Dallas, Texas. More than 2000 students and staff in attendance. Sean Smith and Destiny Deas were the featured speakers
Southeast SALT Northeast SALT Great Lakes SALT Great Plains North SALT Great Plains South SALT West Coast SALT Pacific Northwest Winter Camp
January 2–5, 2022 January 7–9, 2022 January 14–17, 2022 January 14–17, 2022 January 14–17, 2022 January 14–17, 2022 February 4–6, 2022
Atlanta Philadelphia Lombard Lake Geneva Omaha Santa Cruz Stanwood
Georgia Pennsylvania Illinois Michigan Nebraska California Washington
The South Central SALT convened in Dallas, Texas, December 29–31, 2021 with an attendance that exceeded 2000 students and staff. It was the largest regional SALT of the 8 regional SALTS held.
This photo is the December 29-31, 2021 SC SALT in Dallas, Texas
Like the Fall, the start of Spring semester or Winter quarter is another opportunity for connecting with new students and transfer students. Don’t miss this opportunity. This is another vital assimilation time.
Consolidation
You are still meeting new students after the holiday break, but now with discipleship groups well underway and strengthened you can plug students into existing small groups and start new small groups, and begin leadership classes. This is a time of consolidation and solidifying the ministry. Becoming a biblical “community” of collegiate believers on campus becomes visible. When we gather as students, we put on display what it means to be people of God. We worship God, pray together, rejoice with one another’s company, teach and study the Word of God, and tell others about Jesus Christ.
Mobilization
The Spring semester or quarter is the time for mobilization. Campus outreach, Spring Break campus-to-campus ministry evangelistic teams, and missions and social concern projects come into focus. Multiple opportunities to get students engaged are at hand. Discipleship groups and leadership training continue. Plans will get underway for the next school year. New student leadership are selected during this time. Graduating students will be commissioned and encouraged to join the national alumni association.
In every phase, assimilation, consolidation and mobilization, precise advanced planning and prayer are essential.
How likely is it you would recommend your XA to a new college student?
XA Tabling on Campus
We need to see XA in the eyes of incoming students, especially first-year students and transfer students. One person in speaking of comparisons, explained that “the competition is anyone the customer (in this case, thecollege student) compares youwith.” New students are looking for relationships and a group to belong to. They are seeking the truth. Students want to know what life is all about. They desire to have a meaningful campus experience.
New Students Gathering at XA House
What does XA offer students? What do leaders and XA students need to know and do to attract fellow students to XA?
Here’s three questions you might consider when planning XA meetings:
Will my friend feel welcomed? The atmosphere, nomenclature, and style of meeting should invite and not intimidate college students. Students without a faith experience may not understand your Christian vocabulary or may not understand your worship style. Do some up front explaining when you speak and worship. Create an environment where it is safe to ask questions.
Will my friend fit in. Understand the differences between three things–absolutes, cultural differences, and preferences. Appreciate diversity. Respect the spiritual journey of every person in the room.
Will my friend get something out of this? Trust the Holy Spirit to lead people into the lifestyle changes they need to make. Can everything that happens in the gathering be explained through Scripture?
Michael F. Gleason in When God Walked On Campus challenges students and campus leaders to “imagine that an outsider requested to spend several months at your college or university [campus ministry] to evaluate the school (ministry) based upon the criteria outlined below.” He proposed that the Christian students and fellowship group rate on a scale of 1–5 (one being poor, 5 being outstanding) in the following categories. To what extent have we as students and as a campus group.
practiced disciplined, sustained prayer
responded to conviction and earnest in confession
studied, practiced and when applicable, shared the Scriptures
represented a strong student involvement within the meetings and related ministries
engaged in service through short-term and vocational missions/ ministry
cultivated an inter-denominational focus
When we grow in these spiritual dimensions as students and as a campus ministry, we will be the people of God—a community that attracts students. Creating a welcoming, loving, and spiritual gathering is a powerful way to draw students to Jesus. As we look back over the school year, ask ourselves, have we reached new students, met the worship and fellowship needs, deliberately proclaimed the good news in a variety of venues, and discipled students, who have begun to disciple other students?
It may not be a trend, but certainly, more XA females are getting ordained, and that is exciting and important in reaching our collegiate mission field with female enrollment in college at an all-time high. Since 2010, the number of female career campus missionaries and missionary associates in XA continued to increase each academic year, and in 2021, female leadership in XA surpassed males. XA has always embraced women in ministry and leadership. I asked several XA females what led them to get ordination, and how does XA ministry work for them. I talked to so many, and they were all so kind to respond, but there’s only room for 5 vignettes this time. Watch for more females telling their stories next time.
Katie Moran – James Madison University
The Potomac Network AG ordained Katie May 2020. She completed a CMIT in 2008-09, and served at the University of Virginia for 11 years. In 2019, she and her husband, Josh, moved to Harrisonburg, VA. to pioneer XA at James Madison University and they continue there today. Katie had been credentialed at the certified level for 10 years when the network superintendent at the time spoke at a credentialed women’s breakfast she was attending. He cast vision for continuing our education, our commitment to the movement, and strengthening our endorsement by the AG, by pursuing ordination. This was extremely influential for me. I decided then to pursue licensing and ordination as soon as possible and have been an advocate for others to do the same. Along with her husband, she is XA co-director at JMU, serving primarily by discipling the staff team, student leaders, and students. She preaches regularly at the large group meetings, teaches at student leadership meetings, and trains CMITs in classes XA offers. Katie reveals, “Chi Alpha has been a place of transformative relationships for me: from my early days as a student being discipled for the first time, through transitions such as the internship, staff team, pioneering to more personal ones such as marriage and parenthood. Chi Alpha is a great place to see the Kingdom of God at work; transforming individuals within the context of community. . . . God continuously transforms us to reflect God’s image and do the work we were created for in this place where Heaven and Earth come together by God. “
Melissa Nguyen – Central Washington University
The Northwest Network AG ordained Melissa in 2021. She has served for 11 years on staff at Central Washington University, Ellensburg. She completed a CMIT at Western Washington University in Bellingham as preparation for campus ministry. She and her husband, Tony, watched their first ordination service at the NW Network Conference many years ago and decided it would be so cool to do that service together. “Between pressing ministry seasons and having kids and full plates it took us a few more years than we intended to complete all the steps for ordination, but we were happy to complete it together and get to walk together in ordination in April 2021.” Melissa explained, “Our main reasons for pursuing ordination (and doing so together) seemed like a meaningful step to show our lifelong commitment to ministry and to serving as AG ministers. We enjoyed the educational requirements and thought it was a nice step to show our network that we’re committed for the long haul.” Melissa preaches regularly in the large group services. She leads a core group, mentors small group leaders, and pre-engagements couples, mobilizes students for missions, assists with the CMIT program along with administrative roles. She reminds us, and identifies with other spouses and parents in saying, “Besides my full-time ministry, she and her husband are raising two preschoolers – XA missionary kids.”
Alicia Youngblood – Texas Christian University
The North Texas District AG ordained Alicia in 2021. She has served as co-director of XA with her husband, Andrew, at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX, for 9 years. Alicia candidly said, “I initially pursued certification to get a better paycheck as I came on staff full time and quit my job. Then, I pursued licensing as we went through national appointment in 2016. In the last few years, my convictions around women in ministry and the need for women representation has grown, so I decided to go ahead and get ordained since I was in a denomination that valued women and allowed me to do so.” Serving as a campus minister at TCU allows her to disciple female leaders, help her husband manage the leadership team, teach leadership classes, preach to the entire campus group several times per year, and handle the administrative side of campus ministries. Alicia says she loves being a part of XA. “It has empowered me to be a woman in leadership and it is the only paradigm I have for ministry. Because of working side by side with my husband, I have been given awesome opportunities to lead, to minister, and to be a part of God’s plan to reach young adults with the message of Jesus.”
Rachel Yokers – University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
The Wisconsin/Northern Michigan AG Network ordained Rachel in 2021. She started off her journey with XA at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh as a freshman in 2008; the very year that XA launched on campus. She completed a CMIT at Western Washington University from 2013-2014, and was invited to serve on staff at UWO in 2014 with the campus minister, Josh Ernst. When Josh assumed the position as district director of W/NM in 2016, Rachel became the director of XA at UWO. Rachel says her reason for pursuing ordination. “I pursued ordination because of the example it sets to my female students and the leadership is shows to my male students; to boldly proclaim that God can call anyone into vocational ministry and leadership. It also felt like the next right thing Jesus was asking me to do for myself and for Him.” Her ministry at XA at UWO includes preaching at services, leading a small group, mentoring students and staff, and working with “Give-a-Year” students, and occasionally speaks at women’s conferences. She also has the unique responsibility serving as a chaplain with the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department. Rachel says, “XA was the place where Jesus took hold of my heart and transformed my life. There’s no other way to put it; the Lord used Chi Alpha to raise me, disciple me, to train me to be the woman I am today. And I am forever grateful.”
Crystal Burkhart – University of Alaska Fairbanks
The Alaska Ministry Network AG ordained Crystal in 2020. She serves at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She and her husband, Paul, have been there 8 years. She felt compelled by God to pursue ordination. She teaches, preaches, and leads small groups, and directs the marketplace missions internship. She also serves on the national XA Guiding Coalition, and as presbyter for the Alaska Ministry Network. She explains, “After serving as world missionaries for almost a decade in Southeast Asia, God called my husband and I at a World Missions Summit to transition from overseas to serve and pioneer XA at the UA Fairbanks.” She and her husband completed an internship at Sam Houston State University XA and then took a team of 8 missionaries to pioneer in Fairbanks. “Every step of the way we have felt encouraged, welcomed, and supported by the XA nation and feel grateful to serve in this movement.”
