Chi Alpha is a national organization established on campuses all over the country. According to Chi Alpha’s website, it got its name through the term, “Christian Ambassadors,” which affiliates with the Greek letters Chi and Alpha.

“Our mission is to reach the campus and to reach the students that aren’t necessarily already in a college ministry, but to reach those who aren’t already in a college ministry, and bring them into an intimate relationship with Jesus,” said Ashley Moeller, senior in interior design and Chi Alpha treasurer.

Chi Alpha will host an All-Night Prayer event March 8, 2013, from 9 p.m. to  7 a.m. 

“We are looking forward to it,” said Drew Meyer, who is one of Chi Alpha’s pastors. “This is an open event, and students don’t have to feel pressure to stay the entire night. We want to give an extended opportunity for prayer and we are hoping that this event will allow students to slow down and really experience true prayer.”

Meyer and his wife, Tanya, are both the pastors for the Chi Alpha chapter at Iowa State. They came to Iowa State in order to help the chapter grow and impact the lives of students. 

“We want to establish an organization or committee that is going to be sustainable for years,” Drew said. “Really, our goal is that students 20 or 30 years from now will be walking for Jesus and it would be because Chi Alpha’s discipleship.”

Isaac Glidewell, president of Chi Alpha and senior in math and secondary education, spoke about how Chi Alpha has impacted him.

“The way that Chi Alpha has helped me is that it has helped me grow in Christ by being in a community of other believers,” Glidewell said. “Having other people pray for me, encourage me and just having other people to grow in Christ with really helps me get closer to God.” 

Moeller said Iowa State’s chapter of Chi Alpha was founded in 2011 by students who were searching for a ministry that advocated for Pentecostal Christians. Chi Alpha is based out of Lifepointe Church in Ames, but their group worship is held at 8 p.m. every Tuesday in Lagomarcino Hall.

Moeller was one of the students who helped first establish the group on campus.

“We do believe in the holy spirit and speaking in tongues,” Moeller said. “The reason that the group was started was that there wasn’t another group on campus that was spirit-filled like our ministry.” 

During the service, many students will speak in tongues.

“Speaking in tongues is a form of prayer through the holy spirit that is not in English; it’s a language that we don’t understand, but it’s a language that our spirit man is understanding and communicating with God, for things that we don’t think in our physical mind to pray for,” said Moeller.

One of Chi Alpha’s goals is to help the newly built chapter at the University of Iowa.

“University of Iowa just started this semester, so we’ve been trying to get involved with them. We do support them financially, somewhat. That’s been really important to us, just to help them out,” Moeller said. “Even though we are a new organization, we want to be able to help them out as well.”

The University of Iowa’s chapter will also participate in the Chi Alpha All-Night Prayer event this Friday. 

“Although they are Hawkeyes, they are still nice to get together with,” Moeller said.