There is new life beginning at UMass as we see God begin phase two of a transformation of our ministry to college students. I call it a transformation because the Chi Alpha of today, looks nothing of the Chi Alpha of a year ago. God is doing something new, big, humbling, and frankly out of our control not only in our lives as staff, but also our students.

A couple of years ago we partnered with Project Rescue, and had an open-mic event in one of the towers of Southwest. We called it Café Chi Alpha.  The event went really well, and we even raised $75.00 for Project Rescue, but the expenses outweighed the amount that we were able to contribute. Since then, we have been wanting to build upon this idea by opening a coffee shop that would raise awareness for missions among our students, but again, the expense would not make it worth it, until now!

Next month, we are going to be opening the Freedom Café at Umass. Our vision is that 100 percent of the money given will go directly to rescue women and children in bondage due to human trafficking through the ministry of Project Rescue. They offer general medical care, counseling for the trauma of abuse and exploitation, basic literacy training,the study of spiritual development, vocational training leading to financial independence, and hospice care for women dying of AIDS. Part of the vocational program gives opportunities for these women to learn a trade such as sewing or making jewelry. Project Rescue then sells these handcrafted goods for them. Some of these items are available for purchase in our café!

The Impact

Before, the cost outweighed the benefit. Not anymore. Our café is built into the new Chi Alpha house. The utilities of the house are paid by it’s tenants, the espresso machine was donated by a church in Boston, and we already have students willing to donate their time to help us stay open. As for coffee, one pound makes 64 coffee drinks, that usually sells for an average of two bucks. That’s $120 raised from a $10 investment.

The spiritual impact is set to change the lives of students. Our vision is to see the faith of students change as they begin to meet the needs of others, rather then pursuing their own selfish ends. The Freedom Café will be a constant reminder that our faith is active and alive. I pray that the grace of God will motivate our students to see themselves in the broader picture of God’s redemption being poured out on our world.

Beyond Chi Alpha

It is our experience, that there are many students at Umass who would never consider themselves Christians, but when it comes to needs such as this, they are ready to do something out of pure compassion. We want to partner with them, learn from them and change the lives of those in need together.

Please pray for us as we hold monthly open-mic events, and  recruit a team of volunteers that will keep the café door open. Pray also for some of our remaining financial needs. We want to be able to buy coffee and other refreshments from donations outside the café in order to give 100% of the money raised to Project Rescue. We are also beginning a capitol campaign to renovate our basement to expand our meeting space.

More information

• Our Vision for the Café
• We have a new website at www.endtrade.org. Check it out and learn more about this desperate cause.

• We are also looking for help opening the Café.

Thank you so much for your support of our ministry.

1,740 international students were just invited to our Christmas party by UMass! Please pray that not all of them come! We would be happy with just one representative from each of the 95 nations here are UMass.

After planning an event to serve international students, we were introduced to an international student advisor from the international programs office. Well, it turns out that he advised every international student at UMass to attend our Christmas Party.

This is an amazing opportunity to not only serve the internationals at UMass but to also teach them about Christmas and the hope that we have been given through Christ.

Having a house on campus has caused us to shift gears away from activity based ministry to more of a mentoring community. An example of this is a group of consistent students who have been meeting with me for breakfast. I have called it the breakfast club and have modeled it after the Christian community of Detrick Bonhoffer. My goal is to foster a community of students who meet for the purpose of growing in their faith together.

In our daily devotion time, we have been meditating on about 12 assigned verses of James each week. We then come together as a group on Monday Morning for christian conversation and mentoring.

Each morning starts with breakfast and christian conversation. We then begin to talk about the scriptures that we had been meditating on as a group throughout the week and their impact on our thoughts and actions. We conclude with prayer for each-other followed by the next week’s assignment.

We have seen many areas of spiritual growth in us through this simple activity of meditating on scripture and allowing it to form our days activities… 

In this picture, Rachel is telling us about her week’s encounter with God. She was about to go on vacation and wanted to save her money by skipping meals. At the end of the week, she had saved a good sum of money, although God had a different use for it. At the end of the week, Rachel was introduced by a friend to a woman in need. This woman was disabled, and had no groceries for herself or her dogs. At this moment, God told Rachel that this was why she had saved money throughout the week. Rachel’s face was beaming while she finished sharing the story of her obedience to God as she went grocery shopping for someone in need. You see, on this particular week we were meditating on James 2:14-26

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.  You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

James says that we need to be hearers and doers of the word or we deceive ourselves. By meditating on a small piece of scripture throughout the week, it is easy to find opportunities to walk with God on a very practical way. I have found that by simply reading the Bible, that it is so easy to affirm that you understand, and move on to the next chapter. Often if we find ourselves challenged or convicted by what we read, we don’t give it the necessary consideration that could change our lives.

Throughout this time, I personally have found myself thinking about God during those lone moments of the day. I have also found the world of God to come alive in a whole new way as I stop reading, and take the time to think, listen and apply.

For more information about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, read the new biography written by Eric Metaxas Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

Click here to view the embedded video.

We are finished with phase one of our ministry house at UMass. All four tenants are moved in and community is growing. We are regularly meeting for breakfast, lunch on Wednesday and Chi Alpha Live on Thursday. Soon our café will be open to the public and it’s proceeds given to end human trafficking through Project Rescue. Please keep us in your prayers as we begin the transition to a ministry that centers around community and fellowship.

It feels weird to be sitting at my computer tonight, and not working on the house. It’s the eve of the beginning of the semester and our summer project is nearly finished. Shane, Peggy and I have been putting in long hours building, renovating and preparing the house for students to arrive. It’s been the most busy summer of my life, but God has been so faithful.

We started this project in faith. We were looking at leaping into a lease, without any leads on who might be our tenants.

Each of us have clocked nearly 400 hours renovating a house that was not our own, but knowing that God is up to something.

We have had teams of people coming to help, churches donating money and furnishings, and this week a small business owner donated a 12,000.00 espresso machine for our Café!

Last week we went from having two of our four renters, to being able to raise the ‘no vacancy’ sign on our efforts to find tenants.

Hey, and we’re already popular! Three of our lawn signs have been taken out of our lawn. There must be a good word on the street!

We’re all tired, but excited for what God’s doing. Keep us in your prayers, and stay tuned here for more news!

-Dan

Before and after pictures coming soon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko9nw_r2Lr8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3U0VBR-KZc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-N_ht3FP_w

Open The House! Download Video*

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When we started Chi Alpha at UMass in 2006 we envisioned communities of Christians around campus living life together and sharing their faith with the campus through their witness. How will this ministry house fulfill our vision?

Floor plans:

A new christian talks about his conversion from Deism to Christianity, and discloses areas where he is still struggling but growing in his faith.

As Christians, we often think that a person’s conversion happens quickly. Sometimes it does, but most of the time it’s a process that may take our entire lives. God is always teaching us, and revealing Himself to us. Friendship and guidance is so important for a growing Christian. Don’t be taken back by what they believe at first. God isn’t. He is patient, graceful and has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us into truth.