Chi Alpha alumna Sarah Malcolm graduated in 2000 from Missouri State University with her BA in Religious Studies, then received her MA in Practical Theology from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS) in 2003. While serving on staff with the Chi Alpha ministry she graduated from, she led missions teams to Scotland, meeting her husband Rob along the way. Since 2013, Sarah and Rob have been leading a new Chi Alpha chapter on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, in addition to being the proud parents of 7-year-old Cameron, who loves Legos and Star Wars, and 4-year-old Lily, who likes to sing and dance all day long.
Sarah shares her experiences with campus ministry at Yale:
Can you talk about your vision for the Chi Alpha house you have been working on?
Sarah: We have just initiated a fundraising campaign in the hopes to buy a building currently being used by the Lutheran community at Yale. After praying for over a year for a meeting place on campus, this opportunity arose very unexpectedly. If we were to acquire the building our ministry outreach to students could be unprecedented. It is often difficult to find meeting space on campus that is available on a regular basis. We have held some of our worship events in the building this semester and our students love it! They crave a place to go and worship. Our hope is that this property would be a haven for students and a ministry center to train future Chi Alpha missionaries for service to the Northeast.
What has it been like as an alumna of Chi Alpha to give back to the ministry by leading a campus of your own?
Sarah: I joined Chi Alpha as a freshman and found my faith renewed through the testimony of my peers. Today, we realize that there are a lot of good things we would do for God but there is nothing as great as working on the college campus. I have a depth of friendship with Chi Alpha alumni from Missouri State University that goes back twenty years. Many of them were the catalyst for the way my faith developed and how I discerned God’s voice for future ministry. When Rob and I look at students we see ourselves in their eyes and know that without someone reaching out on campus, whether or not there is immediate or obvious fruit, they may never get the opportunity to encounter God.
How can Chi Alpha alumni best support you and your efforts at Yale?
Sarah: Chi Alpha alumni, more than anyone else, have a clear picture of the challenges, the joys and the abundant fruit that comes from campus ministry. Many alumni have met their spouses, made significant life long friends, and entered into a relationship with Christ because of Chi Alpha. More than anyone else—pastors, leaders, philanthropic donors—you get it! Not only do you get it, you never graduated from Chi Alpha. You are still the Chi Alpha family and we need our alumni to be the voice of prayer and the hand of help. If every Chi Alpha alumni would pray, give, and serve Chi Alpha ministries local and nationally, our ministry outreach would explode. I just mentioned that our Chi Alpha ministry hopes to purchase a property on campus. It is an incredible dream that comes with a huge price tag! We need alumni to dream with us, make financial contributions, and then invite others in their communities to join with them. The Chi Alpha alumni need to realize how integral they are to the ministry now, not just when they were a student. You made a difference in your four years in college but imagine how the community of alumni could change the world together for the next generation. If you want to see a difference in the world, a difference in the world for our children, get behind Chi Alpha in a new way. We can do this together!