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There are a lot of student organizations on the UTSA campus. Some are academic, others are social, but there are also religious organizations on campus. One is bigger than all of them and that is Chi Alpha! Chi Alpha is a Christian Fellowship Student Organization at UTSA focused on walking with God together and advancing His purposes on our campus.
The backbone of Chi Alpha are SMALL GROUPS! Everyone is a part of a single small group made up of a few people who meet up weekly for bible study and fellowship. There are boy small groups and girl small groups. Everyone meets back together on Thursdays each week for service at 6:30pm or 8:00pm on the first floor of the Main Building.
I met my small group leader at the start of my third year at UTSA. It was a blessing in itself that she found me because I’m one of those students who shows up for class and goes home right after. I was never one to stay on campus longer than I needed too. But one day, I decided to take a walk through the sombrilla when I noticed a Jesus Exhibit that Chi Alpha had going on. I stopped to listen for a few minutes when my now small group leader approached me. She told me a little bit about Chi Alpha and what it meant to her and I was intrigued. She invited me to meet her small group later that week so I decided to give it a chance.
It was nothing I’ve experienced before, seeing so many people my age worshiping and loving God and each other. I always shied away from Christian groups when I saw them on campus because I thought they wouldn’t be understanding to my lack of knowledge or strong relationship pertaining to God. I thought they were so different from me. But when I met my small group leader, I felt an instant connection with her and knew we were going to be great friends. I had the same feeling meeting the other girls in her small group. After service, we went to go eat at Canes and I easily fell into conversations with them like I’d known them for years. We talked about our favorite movies and shows, music, and school. The girls were so nice and friendly, it felt good knowing I made some new friends.
Since then, I’ve been attending our weekly small group meetings and attending service every Thursday and I can honestly say these girls have saved my life. Through my hardships over the past two years whether it was school-related or in my personal life, these girls have been by my side in fellowship. They are patient with me when I ask questions about God, they teach me things I never knew about Him, and they’ve prayed with me and for me. A true blessing they are.
Chi Alpha reaches far beyond those four years at college, it really is only the beginning. College can be a confusing time for many people. Some get lost in the parties and drinking, others drown in the stress of deadlines and grades, I know because I’ve experienced it all. I could say without a doubt that after I joined Chi Alpha, my outlook on the world changed. I realized what was most important and how I wanted to be. I have always loved Jesus but somewhere along the way I stopped feeding that hunger to get to know him and grow closer to him. My girls brought me back. Chi Alpha is more than weekly bible studies, it’s about finding friends to walk beside you as you explore your journey with God. My small group has had weeks where instead of having a lesson about God, we strengthen our fellowship and allow God to work through us together by having pizza parties and dance battles and games! We are all best friends and that is something I’ll cherish after I graduate. I thank Chi Alpha for giving me that and I thank them for loving me and teaching me more about God.
If you’re feeling lost or just need a friend to talk to, Chi Alpha is a safe place you can go. Don’t be afraid of being judged or feel ashamed for not knowing a lot about Jesus or that you haven’t attended church since you were 10 years old, Chi Alpha will welcome you with open arms. Trust me, these are the nicest people you will ever meet, God’s love truly shines through them all. God created us to be in community, you don’t have to do this alone anymore.
Since being in Chi Alpha, I’ve heard countless testimony’s of how God has changed people’s lives around and saved them from sin. I’ve attended two conferences, Breakaway and SALT, where I got to hear from inspiring speakers and learned more about God and discipleship than I have in my whole life. I went on a Spring Break Mission Trip where I saw God’s work being done and it was really inspiring. I thought if God could save all these people, why not me? Why not you?.,lkop