Virtual We Live Missions Experience | Chi Alpha Campus Ministries

In years past men and women of God were often called deeper into missions involvement as they read their Bibles and the biographies of missionaries like William Carey, Amy Carmichael, Hudson Taylor or John G Paton. It’s important that we expose students to missionaries of the past through the printed page. However, imagine the impact of introducing students to great missionaries of the present by leveraging the wonders of communication today. This is one reason we created the Virtual We Live Missions Experience.

The Virtual We Live Missions Experience has three components: Abiding, Experiences, and Missionary Engagement. We have designed this so that Chi Alpha “team” leaders and AGWM “hosts” can collaborate to create something that works for your capacity, context, and calendar. Below are descriptions of each component and suggestions for implementation.

Budget: Cost set by you and host missionaries for experiences and giving plus $20 per person to national Chi Alpha Expeditions (includes a We Live Missions T-shirt, a Marvels & Miracles in Missions magazine, and other resources that we will ship to each team member).

Click this link to view the Chi Alpha Team Leader Guide.
Click this link to view engagement ideas for hosts.
Click this link to view a YouTube playlist of resources including abiding videos and more.

"Buffet"

The Experience Buffet

Use this tool by selecting ideas from the “Experience Buffet” that you might like to utilize for your team. We’ve provided icons to identify context categories that may help in your search. We’ve also placed a star by recommended activities. At the bottom, you can click “Save and Continue Later” and provide an email with a link in order to return to the tool at a later time. When you hit “Create PDF,” a pdf of your selections will be emailed to the Chi Alpha Team Leader and AGWM Hosts. This is NOT a team registration form. It’s a collaboration tool that you can use as many times as you’d like.

We recommend you choose several items from each of these three categories to ground your team’s virtual mission experience and give it an incarnational reality. You should also be sensitive to those experiences done better individually or as a group depending on if you are doing your virtual trip from the same location or from many locations. Our prayer is that these are not just experiences of challenges, culture or work, but experiences where God, self and the other are encountered and we are transformed.

Team Information
Chi Alpha Team Leader Name
First Last
Chi Alpha Team Leader Email
Campus
Other Campus
Please write out the full name of the college/university. Abbreviations are not clear enough to determine the name as there can be several colleges/universities with the same acronym.
Host Missionary
First Last
Host Missionary Email
Host Country
Comments
We recommend you choose several items from each of these three categories to ground your team’s virtual mission experience and give it an incarnational reality. You should also be sensitive to those experiences done better individually or as a group depending on if you are doing your virtual trip from the same location or from many locations. Our prayer is that these are not just experiences of challenges, culture or work, but experiences where God, self and the other are encountered and we are transformed.
Experience the Challenge
Choose from the list what challenges you would like to experience.
Certain choices or more detailed information will expand in a below field after the list of options. Select all to expand and view all information.
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- Missionary Taboo: anyone caught saying restrictive words (missionary, missions, etc.) must give $1 to the “worker” fund.
- Cultural Taboo: anyone caught saying or doing something that is culturally taboo must give $1 to missionary fund – such as greeting inappropriately.
- Connectivity challenges. (Click here for more ideas that will expand below the list of options.)
- Comfort challenges. (Click here for more ideas that will expand below the list of options.)
- Food challenges. (Click here for more ideas that will expand below the list of options.)
- Readjust your schedule to the time zone of your “host” or where you would be going.
- Wear only clothing that is appropriate in the host country.
- Set an alarm or use an app such as the “Muslim Pro: Ramadan 2020” app to set prayer time notifications.
- Avoid/Limit using a personal vehicle (use public transportation, friends with cars, bike, walking) for a period of time/days.
- A long/bumpy drive to approximate “arriving” at a different place/culture and spend time in prayer for your “host” nation upon arrival.
- Memorize a passage of Scripture per day (five total). Discover your host’s favorite verses and make them some of the Scriptures to memorize.
- Intentionally change something on the schedule or location to see how flexible they are.
- Learn a Bollywood dance and make a TikTok with your best moves.
- Create your own.
Create your own challenge ideas.*
Ideas for limiting connectivity.
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- Communication only with team members for a couple of days.
- Include social media/movies/TV shows fast other than ones relevant to your Virtual WLM Experience.
- Create your own.
Create your own ideas for limiting connectivity.*
Ideas for limiting comforts.
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- Turn off A/C in house/car.
- Choose the longest line everywhere you go (learn to wait).
- Use minimal electricity for the week or have only set hours to use electricity. Use candles or flashlights at night; no hair dryers/irons, etc.
- Bucket bath possibly with nothing else. Fill the bucket (cold water or warmed by the sun) and stand in the bathtub or shower to bathe.
- Hand wash clothes and line dry.
- Live out of a carry-on. Pack a carry-on with only the clothes, shoes, and toiletries you would need for five days and deny yourself the use of anything else.
- Wear the same two outfits for the entire time.
- Brush teeth with bottled water.
- Camp outside for the day/week.
- Sleep on the floor.
- Create your own.
Include your own ideas for limiting comforts.*
Ideas for limiting foods.
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- Limit ready made or processed foods and cook from scratch with limited ingredients.
- Choose a common recipe from your host country and make a meal.
- Do a living below the poverty line challenge and set a five-day meal budget of $7.50, which is $1.50 per day.
- Only eat with hands while sitting on the ground.
- Cook outside only.
- Have a meal together but you have to eat whatever the team leader or another team member chooses for you to eat.
- Create your own.
Create your own ideas for limiting foods.*
Experience the Culture
Choose the cultural experiences you're interested in from the list.
Detailed information will expand in a below field. Select all to expand and view all information.
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- Explore ways to learn language and emphasize the importance of language acquisition in missions. For example: Twenty minutes a day on Duolingo or YouTube channels. Learn a minimal set of important phrases. A good website with resources on learning a number of languages is fluentin3months.com.
- Learn and practice protocols for greetings, body language, gender interaction, dress codes and meal etiquette. “Punish” violations (see Culture Taboo under Experience the Challenge).
- Provide resources (readings or videos) that teach about the prevailing worldview/religion of the host nation. (Click here for more ideas that will expand below the list of options.)
- Create a “Culture Box” that will bring the country to their table. For example India could include chai, chai cup, recipes, spices, a book or two. Build cost into budget to handle contents and shipping.
- Music! Provide a YouTube or Spotify playlist of music from your host nation. Is their worship music from there?
- Find an ethnic market nearest you that’s closest to your host culture. Ask the cashier to recommend their top three favorite desserts. Buy them and ENJOY.
- Visit a place of worship for another faith if one is within distance and accessible. When visiting a mosque, refer to these guidelines.
- Watch documentaries/films that show history, culture and/or religion of the “host nation.” Helping people understand historical context can be just as important as immediate context. (Click here for more ideas that will expand below the list of options.)
- Host a Bollywood movie night either with friends or online. (Click here for more ideas that will expand below the list of options.)
- Trivia – do your research! Reminding students of the importance of getting to know a bit about the culture where they’re headed to, not just heading there blindly. (Click here for more ideas that will expand below the list of options.)
- Watch a recorded church service or participate live if possible.
- Research an Unreached People Group in your “host nation” or region and give a presentation to your team. (Click here for more ideas that will expand below the list of options.)
- Have the students meet someone from the host country and interview him/her about what their life and culture is like. If possible, have a believer from that context share their testimony and what it’s like to be a believer there.
- Create your own.
Create your own cultural experiences.*
Provide resources (readings or videos) that teach about the prevailing worldview/religion of the host nation.
Watch documentaries/films that show history, culture and/or religion of the “host nation.” Helping people understand historical context can be just as important as immediate context.
Here are some examples:
- The Rescue List – PBS Ghana
- The Hajj – PBS
- More than Dreams videos, which are testimonies of unreached around the world being drawn to Jesus through dreams.
- Watch this documentary about social protests in Chile (or find one from your region) and try to understand what drives these protests. Try to understand why institutionalized economic inequality creates culture divisions and social unrest. What role do students have in these social movements? How might these type of situations change ministry context? How might it alter or not your presentation of the Gospel?
- “Children of Heaven” (Iran) or “Kite Runner” (Afghanistan) are examples of fictional movies that still give an accurate portrayal of history and culture of a place.
Host a Bollywood movie night either with friends or online.
These are really fun ways to catch a glimpse of the festive, colorful culture of India. There are regional films that we would encourage depending on which area of India their missionary is located:
- 3 Idiots
- GullyBoy
- Bride and Prejudice
Trivia – do your research! Reminding students of the importance of getting to know a bit about the culture where they’re headed to, not just heading there blindly.
Example, for India:
- When did India gain their Independence and from whom?
- What animals rank the charts as the top five sacred animals and have temples just for them?
- What is a Hindu respectful way to greet an elder?
- Which city holds the record for the highest population in India?
- What is the population in your city?
Research an Unreached People Group in your “host nation” or region and give a presentation to your team.
- Watch the three-minute video What is a UPG?
- Choose one or more of these videos for the team to watch and process.
- One resource for this could be looking at Bible translations and seeing how many languages do not have a copy of the Bible or the New Testament.
- Interview multiple people about their culture and religion.
Experience the Work
Choose from the list ways to experience the work of missions.
Certain choices or more detailed information will expand in a below field. Select all to expand the options and view all information.
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- Partner Development: In order to learn how to build a support team, have students recruit at least five family and friends to pray for them during this experience. Follow up with a report of their experience and takeaways.
- Missiology: Read the article “The Bible as a Missions Story”. Mission is not something the Bible merely speaks about—mission is what the Bible is about.
- Watch Reaching the Unreached,” which is a brief, excellent video that explains the opportunity before the church for engaging unreached people groups and what we can do about it.
- Every Student Goes (Click here for more ideas that will expand below the list of options.)
- Every Student Gives (Click here for more ideas that will expand below the list of options.)
- Every Student Prays (Click here for more ideas that will expand below the list of options.)
- Every Student Welcomes (Click here for more ideas that will expand below the list of options.)
- Create your own.
Create your own ideas of ways to experience the work of missions.*
Choose from the list what "Every Student Goes" works you would like to experience.
Detailed information will expand in a below field. Select all to expand and view all information.
- Select All
- Find some way to serve. Are there ways to serve in obscurity? Are there ways to serve sacrificially? Do a job no one else wants to do.
- Engage with locals. Some platforms around the world have gone virtual in their ministry as well and may be able to include your students. Are there ways for your students to connect and serve virtually? For example: English Centers in Asia have ways for Chi Alpha groups to participate in Zoom call discussion groups. Cairo is equipping Chi Alpha to engage Egyptian students in evangelistic conversations.
- “STS” – Develop a Simple Truth Statement for contexts where it is useful. A STS explains their interest/presence in restricted areas when they interact with Customs or authorities.
- Watch 3D Gospel – guilt innocence, honor shame, and fear power worldviews, which is a video that highlights the need to proclaim the gospel in ways that can be understood and acted upon. Discuss with the missionary which worldview is more predominant—Guilt/Innocence, Honor/Shame, Fear/Power—and how that influences the proclamation of the gospel.
- Train every team member to answer “What is the gospel?”, “How did you become a Christian?”, and “How do I become a Christian?” in three minutes or less and know how to deal with the top three obstacles to Christianity in their “host nation.” (Click here for more details that will expand below this question.)
- Read “The Seven Lies of Living Cross Culturally” and use it as a springboard for discussion with host workers.
- Have team members create and post social media posts using missionary quotes from 100 World Christian Quotes.
- Create your own.
Create your own ideas for "Every Student Goes" works.*
Every team member needs to know how to answer three questions in three minutes or less and know how to deal with the top three obstacles to Christianity in their “host nation.”
- What is the gospel?/What is a Christian? (In this video, Dick Brogden has a brief description of the gospel that begins with three words: God saves us.)
- What’s your story? How did you become a Christian?
- How do I become a Christian?
You could have them make a video to share on social media.

Choose a different team member randomly each day to answer one of the questions. Have team members pair up and role play sharing answers to the questions. Ask the host to provide responses to three obstacles in the host nation.

Could a student make a video where they are sharing the Gospel, telling their testimony, and somehow post it on a social network, or some platform where people from the country they were hoping to visit could see it?

Go to news channels and post in the comments section relevant verses or gospel driven short films. Refer to this video, “How to EASILY Share the Gospel Online!” from Living Waters, a Ray Comfort site.
Choose from the list how you would like to engage in the “Every Student Gives” experience.
For every $100,000 that Christians make, they give $1 to the unreached. Something has to change!
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- Some Business As Missions platforms are taking significant hits due to the pandemic. Consider taking up a significant, sacrificial offering for them.
- Every team member individually goes online to giving.ag.org and sends a gift to the host worker or a new worker who is joining their team or field of ministry.
- Start supporting host or a new, intinerating worker monthly.
- Raise/earn/give money to bless them generously through their AG giving account.
- Learn how to bless workers in addition to giving and praying.
- Read and discuss “Practical Steps to Grow In Giving to Missions” target=”_blank”.
- Send care packages.
- Discover ways to bless MKs.
- Create your own.
Create your own ideas for "Every Student Gives" works.*
Choose from the list how you would like to engage in the “Every Student Prays” experience
- Select All
- 10.2 Prayer: Every team member sets their phone to vibrate at 10:02 am or pm every day to pray for more laborers (Luke 10:2). For this week they pray especially for laborers in their “host” nation. Text xapray to 313131 to join and recruit five more to join them in praying daily. More info at chialpha.com/10.2.
- View Prayercast videos relevant to the “host nation” and worldview.
- Live Dead Kingdom Prayers is useful prayer tool for any region not just Live Dead.
- Have students research the country/people group and create a prayer resource of five ways to pray from what they learned. Post to Instagram or Facebook.
- Read Prayer: Rebelling Against the Status Quo and discuss the importance of prayer as it relates to missions.
- Use Google Earth or Google Maps to do a virtual prayer walk. If the workers assign the specific neighborhoods, then the students can know they are praying over specific houses that our workers will hopefully engage with the gospel but who have likely never heard.
- Have a worker record a virtual prayer walk around their community. Perhaps the worker could share specific ways to pray for neighbors or even asking their neighbors and video them sharing their requests.
- Utilize prayer resources of workers you’re partnering with. Do they utilize LiveDead Prayer Bands? Do they have a prayer guide or other resource they use to mobilize prayer?
- Burn candles, incense or infuse some jasmine, rose or sandalwood oil. Pray for India!
- Operation World/Joshua Project/LiveDead Resources
- One day have students wake up with the first call to prayer and either travel to a place of faith (e.g., a mosque) to sit outside and watch people enter to pray while praying for the Muslim world or pray from their houses.
- Climb a mountain/hill/building that oversees your city. Pray for your city and the city of the missionary who hosted you.
- Fast (maybe even “muslim/Jewish style” where they can’t eat from sun up to sun down); do a two-day fast (something longer and more challenging maybe).
- Read about and pray for the persecuted church.
- Ask God for prophetic words for each member of the missionary’s family and sending them to them in a card/via email.
- Create your own.
Create your own ideas for "Every Student Prays" works.*
Choose from the list how you would like to engage in the “Every Student Welcomes” experience.
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- Brainstorm with your team ways ongoing ways engage people from your community who are from your host country or near in culture or faith.
- Make a list of challenges a foreigner would face coming to America. Watch “The Good Lie” and compare your list with what these young men experienced.
- Read “Madison’s Story”and discuss ways you can you serve and share the gospel with international students on your campus from the same country, faith or similar worldview.
- Create your own.
Create your own ideas for "Welcome" works.*
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