Ideal Participants

There are a diverse number of people for which this training has proven beneficial.  The most common fall into the following four categories: emerging new director, pioneering new director, second career new director, and church-sponsored new directors (volunteers).

Emerging New Directors

The emerging new director track is designed for a veteran Chi Alpha associate staff who has completed RUI, CMIT, is an AG licensed minister, and who desires to become a director. These leaders know Chi Alpha’s values, vision, and missionary/discipleship culture, desire to sharpen the skills for leading a staff team, and strategically growing ministry on campus to its next levels. The emerging new directors track equips great staff to become great directors of existing ministries.

Pioneering New Directors

The pioneering new director track is designed for a veteran Chi Alpha associate staff who has completed RUI, CMIT, is an AG licensed minister, and desires to pioneer or re-pioneer a campus. These leaders know Chi Alpha’s values, vision, and missionary/discipleship culture, and will spend the next year learning how to establish a ministry from scratch. The cohort of pioneers will become friends that learn and support one another through the pioneering process.

Second Career New Directors

The second career new director track is designed for a marketplace leader and/or veteran minister who has served the Lord through the local church or mission assignments. They desire to make Chi Alpha their career path, and are unable to relocate for a residential CMIT program. This leader must be solid theologically. Through the training leaders will gain the vision, values, and culture of Chi Alpha’s trans-generational discipleship strategy. This track also serves those who have already made the transition to Chi Alpha staff, didn’t complete a CMIT, and desires further training as a Chi Alpha director. The second career new director’s track equips leaders for group/team leadership and facilitates their acclimation into our missionary organization.

Note: A residential CMIT program is the ideal way for any leader to transition into Chi Alpha and be prepared for staff service. The residential CMIT program will equip a leader, and their family if applicable, to the culture, demands, and mission of Chi Alpha in a way that a long distance learning program cannot. It must be emphasized that all options for participating in a residential CMIT program should be exhausted before applying for New Director Training.

Church-Sponsored New (Volunteer) Directors

This track is uniquely designed for a church staff person who is being released by the local church to plant a healthy Chi Alpha group on a small college or community college in their area. The minimum age is 23, and directors must have some college (degree preferred) or professional certificate and have previous ministry experience. Theological training and biblical literacy is also assumed. The emphasis is on the basics of building a trans-generational discipleship ministry on campus and the personal spiritual disciplines that become the foundation for their discipleship plan. Relational connection with full time campus ministers will help to understand our values and practices. Campus visits to other ministries and participation in Chi Alpha events are required. We seek to empower the leader to shape an effective ministry in their context.

If you are not sure where you fit into one of these categories, contact Paul Austin.