Theology Response (Jacob Gulka)

1. Is Chi Alpha a church? Should a student be involved in a local church on Sunday mornings in addition to their involvement in Chi Alpha? Are your reasons more pragmatic or theological?

Chi Alpha is a body of Christians knowing Jesus and making Him known on campus. They are a Body of believers and are part of “the” Church. This is theologically true being a body of believers who gather they are part of the church. In the cultural sense of it being a church concerning the structure, I believe Chi Alpha isn’t.
As a student involved in Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship I have many times wrestled with the idea of attending church on Sunday. Are I not involved in the Body of Christ of Christ at Purdue? Don’t I worship on Friday nights, am involved in a bible study and discipleship? Isn’t my community here at Purdue? So why should I go to church on Sunday among older folks I don’t know.
Looking back on my experience I believe that a student should attend Sunday services at a church. One day they will graduate and exit the student life, leaving the Chi Alpha body. Chi Alpha functions in drastically different ways than a local church and when a student exits this experience they must be prepared to function in the local church setting.
Chi Alpha is meant to prepare students to make disciples of Jesus in the marketplace and the world, and part of that sphere is the local church. By exposing students to local churches they are being prepared for following Jesus in the marketplace. This may seem pragmatic but I believe it has a theological backing being the church wherever we go.