Chi Alpha is a community of students brought together by a common spiritual journey. We want to know where we fit in God's story - where our place is in it all. How does God want to use our gifts, relationships, time, and even our studies to influence His story - to reveal a bit of beauty and meaning to the world?
We don't have all the answers, but we want to have fun asking the questions, discovering friendship, and making a difference in the world.
n. The disposition, character, or fundamental values peculiar to a people, culture, or movement. These are the values that drive what we do as a community. They are the things we talk about, dream about, and strive to make real in our daily lives.
Spirituality isn't knowing things about God, but believing and experiencing God. There's a mystical element to it all - having an encounter with the God of the universe. In that sense, true spirituality is less like a subject to be studied, and more like a romance to be experienced.
Every church, many religions, and even talk show hosts seem to have the inside scoop on the Divine. None of us has a monopoly on truth. Instead, we seek to learn about God from each other, from the beauty of creation, from sacred writings, and even from the movie you saw last Friday night. We especially focus on the life of Jesus - His words, compassion, healing, and self-sacrificial love. We want to ask tough questions, and to explore how the startling answers might affect our lives.
Our world is very connected, yet never have we felt so alone. Real spirituality shouldn't marginalize anyone. This isn't always easy. After all, people are wildly unpredictable. We come in all kinds of flavors, with different personalities, interests, beliefs, and lifestyles. We seek to respect these differences while pursuing a common purpose.
True spirituality is not just a set of beliefs, but rather a way of life. We want to be a community whose spirituality has a positive effect on our relationships, our studies, our wallets - even how we treat the custodian who cleans our bathroom. In that sense we're concerned not only about what we believe, but even more so about how we live.
Real spirituality involves rolling up our sleeves and getting our hands dirty. Love means nothing if it doesn't change lives. We want to be a community of people who care about the starving AIDS orphan in sub-Saharan Africa and the lonely senior citizen in the local care center. We think spirituality has less to do with going to heaven, and more to do with bringing a taste of heaven to earth.
Birthplace: Baton Rouge, LA
Education: BA from University of Louisiana Lafayette
Favorite TV Show: Lost
Soul Food: Fried Catfish with Hush Puppies, Cole Slaw, Corn Bread
Interests: Joe Gavin, Social Action, Stewardship, Equality, Contemplation
Activities: Backpacking, Cycling, Local Coffee Shops, New England Adventuring
Hometown: Cornwall, NY
College: New England Conservatory of Music
Favorite TV Shows: Law and Order, The Office
Most Embarrassing Moment: Getting pantsed by a friend during my co-ed high school gym class
Hobbies: Backpacking, running, reading theology, obsessing over the NY Yankees
Loves about Chi Alpha: Authentic relationships, tough questions, and students who want to change the world.
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Favorite TV Show: The Office, Seinfeld, Arrested Development
Hobbies: Sailing, Watching and playing hockey, Acoustic guitar
Fun Fact: I am nearly unstoppable in Mario Kart 64's battle mode.
Loves About Chi Alpha: The relationships I have had the pleasure to be a part of will be with me for the rest of my life! And I wouldn't have it any other way!
Hometown: Maple Valley, WA
Favorite TV Show: CSI: Las Vegas, The Office, LOST
Hobbies: reading, running, watching hockey with my husband and going to hockey games
Fun Fact: I absolutely love marine mammals. My dream job would be to someday work at a zoo or aquarium on a team of animal behaviorists. One of my favorite dates with Scott was when he took me to the Vancouver Aquarium for the day.
Loves About Chi Alpha:Most of my closest friends today are the girls I was in a small group with during my first year at Western Washington University.