I realized earlier in the month that I needed to post an update on what's going on with Florida State Chi Alpha. Since it's been a busy few months, I'll give you the bullet point rundown.
* Chi Alpha Live- our weekly meeting, Chi Alpha Live (XAL) kicked off in August with around 75 students. Since then, we have been averaging 50 each week, both new and returning students. We are now meeting on campus in Moore Auditorium, which has provided some unique challenges (transporting and setting up equipment; sharing the auditorium with another Christian group that meets before us; time constraints), but has also provided us with even greater benefits. We are more accessible to students who live on campus and when we talk with students on Market Wednesdays, we can just point to the building where we meet. Our students love meeting on campus again.
* Small Group Bible Studies- our small group Bible studies began meeting the first of September. We strongly encourage our students to get involved in our guys and girls groups because this is such a great way for them to get to know one another and grow in their faith. We have three guys groups and two girls groups that meet once a week and discuss a topic or verses from the Bible. They also have an opportunity to pray for and encourage one another in their walks with Christ.
* Events- we've had several events since the beginning of the semester. We partnered with a local church's college and career ministry to have a digital scavenger hunt. The pictures from the teams were hilarious! We also have had a tailgate for one of the first football games and have watched some of the away games together.
* Staff- the staff have all been staying busy. Our new Chi Alpha director, Anthony, and his wife Heather, have been traveling to different churches sharing about Chi Alpha and connecting with pastors. The staff also had the opportunity recently to serve at the West Florida District Spiritual Emphasis Days. Many pastors, their families, and members from their congregations attended the Spiritual Emphasis Days and our staff was able to set up a cafe to serve them coffee and snacks. This was a great connection point for us and a great way for us to serve and also share about Chi Alpha and what God is doing here in Tallahassee. This was also a great connection point for me since I am still fairly new in the West Florida District and haven't met many pastors in the district. The Spiritual Emphasis Days were also a great time for our staff to absorb the Word of God and return to campus to share it with our students.
* Personal ministry-I have began meeting with students on a regular basis, which is my favorite part of my job. I love sitting down with students and hearing how their life is going, how classes/work/etc are going, and what God is doing in their lives. I also get to pray with them and talk with them through challenging decisions. Another part of ministry I love is small groups and this year, one of my roles has been to oversee our student-led small groups. Like I said before, we have a great group of students leading and part of my role is to make sure our leaders are healthy (spiritually, emotionally, physically) and that they have the resources they need. I love checking in with our leaders and hearing how their small groups are going and how God is moving through each group.
* Personal life- I started playing again with a co-ed team from Mosaic Church. It's been great to play again and I've really enjoyed watching our team come together. I’ve also been spending some time with a family from Mosaic that is also from
Virginia. The husband and wife have become good friends and their three kids
are a lot of fun to be around. I usually eat dinner with them and make a
dessert; it’s a great time for me to make new recipes I find on Pinterest and a
good excuse to get creative :) Also, my nephew, Nicholas, is due in just a few weeks! My older brother and sister-in-law are expecting their first baby mid-November and I'm so excited!!! I can't wait to see pictures and Skype with them, since they are currently living overseas.
So there’s an update on my current life: busy, but a lot of fun! I’ll be
posting more updates soon, so keep an eye out :)
