Taking a Long-Term Perspective...

...from a District Chi Alpha Director

By Gary Paschal (Chi Alpha Missionary and Texas DXAR)

Chi Alpha campus groups make good investments in missions when a commitment is made by the local group or district to work with the same missionary or field for multiple years. The investment is good for both the teams and the field. This long-term investment gives stability to the missionary or project that the team is working with.

Our district’s Chi Alpha implementation of this strategy began with a relationship with missionary Jerry Gibson 15-plus years ago when he wanted to see campus ministry developed in Mexico City. At that time I was also serving as the local campus missionary at Stephen F. Austin State University and as the district director for Chi Alpha. We strategically determined to make this our local group’s project and the district’s project for several years to see this ministry pioneered in Mexico City. This vision grew and later included students from a neighboring campus, Sam Houston State University.

Our teams benefited greatly from going to the same place each year and building relationships with the missionaries, local churches and students in Mexico. They were able to see the fruit of their labor year after year as the ministry in Mexico developed. Our partnership lasted 10 years! Today, Sam Houston State Chi Alpha continues taking teams. This vision has grown as other groups now in our district have taken this approach to sending teams with a multiple-year commitment to the host missionary or field. We currently have campuses that are making investments in Mexico, Scotland and China.

...from a Campus Pastor

By Mary Gautreaux

Sam Houston State University Chi Alpha has had the privilege of working with our sister group, Jovenes con Decision (Mexico), on annual short-term missions trips for the past nine years. The relatively low cost makes the trip easily accessible, so that we are able to take up to 50 students at a time.

The added energy and vision of our students is a blessing to the Mexican students and their groups. Our group benefits from the always life-changing experience of a week in one of the largest cities in the world. We have been so glad to see students and leaders from both groups really get to know each other, and the outreach just gets better every year as we all learn together what works best. A long-term partnership is definitely a win-win situation for both ministries.