Why I Wrote GROWING A STUDENT MOVEMENT

What does a real estate office, fraternity house, and a church have in common?

They are all Chi Alpha properties. These places next to campus provide a welcoming space for students. Chi Alpha complexes provide a place for Bible studies, worship gatherings, outreach, housing, social events, and a place to study. These settings provide a context for building community and training. 

The latest XA facilities procured are all in the state of Texas at the University of North Texas /Texas Woman’s University, Denton; Texas A&M University, College Station; and Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

Matt and Allison Liberio are the campus missionaries at the UNT and TWU.

As the attendance numbers regularly approached or exceeded triple digits, space was an issue. XA had met at local AG churches in the area, but these places were not near the campus. In 2019, a team of XA staff outlined a four–year plan and one goal was to have a ministry facility near the campus. Matt explained that almost immediately, XA received significant financial gifts toward purchasing the building—$3,000, then $5,000 and $8,000 after he spoke at a church on a Wednesday night. Students worked extra jobs and extra hours and raised $7,000. 

A church within four blocks of UNT wedged between five large student housing complexes came onto the market. The church was a 1,800-square-foot property and 930 square-foot parsonage, on a 1.3-acre lot at a cost of $285,000. A donor contributed $200,000, and by then, XA had raised $70,000, so Matt made an offer of $250,000, expecting a counter offer. The owners accepted the offer and XA now owns property not only near the campus but in the heart of the student housing.

Eli and Mandy Stewart, campus missionaries at Texas A&M U

They restarted XA in 2016 with 10 small group leaders, and after five years they have 175 small group leaders, and 35 in the Campus Missionary-in-Training program. TAMU is the second-largest public university in the U.S. with an enrollment of 69,523 in 2019-20. This number represents almost 60% of the population of College Station (a major city within a city) and AG did not have a church until the XA planting team started a new church, Mountain Valley Fellowship. 

TAMU XA prayed and believed God for a half-million dollars to purchase and refurbish a 25 bedroom, 12,000 square foot fraternity house. By August 2021, they had raised $460, 000. They put $400,000 down with $20,000 closing costs and applied $80,000 to renovate. The building is already being used to train graduates to start university ministries, plant churches, and go into the world as missionaries. What was a former fraternity house they are calling the TAMU XA Discipleship School. The value is $1.8 million. 

Nick and Paige Hester, serve as campus missionaries at Texas Tech University. 

In 2019, XA purchased an 8,100 square foot building with plans to renovate, bringing the value of the property to $400,000. They were poised to begin renovation when a local credit union needing to expand called to see if XA will sell their recently purchased property. XA sold the property for $400.000. So XA had to find another building. They found a former Lutheran Church turned Real Estate training offices, which was newly remodeled with five offices, a sanctuary, board room, kitchen, five-bathroom, $30,000 worth of furniture included, and another 1/3 space available for other use. The entire process was miraculous. They closed on the first building, August 19, and on the new one, August 20. Not only do they have a fully furnished and completed training center — move-in ready — they cleared more than $90,000 on the sale. 

Besides the obvious context for creating community that builds up Christian student believers and attracts students that have never experienced Christianity, and ongoing discipleship, these XA centers offer training programs for the AGs, the Pentecostal movement and the Christian world community at large. The XA staff leaders and team members imagine XA graduates gainfully employed in diverse fields in the marketplace, as lay leaders and tithing members in the Church, and as called to vocational ministry and missions work.

Related stories: AG NEWS “From Drug Lair to Holy Home,“ by Deann Alford, August 20, 2021, AG NEWS “Chi Alpha Denton Sees Prayers Answered in a Miraculous Way,” by Dan Van Veen, May 25, 2021, and AG NEWS “Campus and City Church Launch” by Deann Alford, October 24, 2016 , and AG NEWS, “Atheist Turned Missionary,” by Rachel Dawn Hayes, September 1, 2016.

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.

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.

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.