PRINCIPLES OF CONDUCT INFORMED BY A CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW
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Why is it important to have principles of conduct as student leaders?
First, Jesus calls us to have integrity with our words and actions. We want our lifestyle to demonstrate the good news we have encountered. Second, as “Christ’s Ambassadors”, we serve as Jesus’ representatives and act on his behalf! Third, the Bible provides standards for spiritual leaders. Our student leadership (officers, small group leaders, ministry leaders) in Chi Alpha serve as spiritual leaders to the community, and thus are held to the same biblical standards. We are instructed to live prophetically and not follow broken or sinful practices in our culture. And finally, being a spiritual leader means we set an example for others in our life of purity. We are sacrificial and self-limiting in order to help those who need strengthening in their faith.
(Matthew 23, 2 Corinthians 5:18–20, 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Romans 12:1–2, 1 Corinthians 11:1, 1 Timothy 4:12, Romans 14:1-4)
The Student Leader’s Commitment to God: I believe that Scripture clearly teaches that those who are spiritual leaders in the body of Christ must live their lives by a standard. I will do my best to reflect the Lord Jesus to those around me, recognizing that I am a living epistle from God (2 Corinthians 3:3). Therefore…
I Will Maintain A Growing Relationship With God: As spiritual leaders, it is important that we keep our personal relationships with God a priority (John 15:1-8). We strive to nurture a life of repentance, prayer, Bible study, confession of sin, and openness to God and we commit to honest conversations with our Chi Alpha mentors about our spiritual life. We expect that spiritual leaders in our community will be active, regular participants in our corporate worship. we also expect you to attend a local (Green Bay), bible-believing, Pentecostal affirming church. This will help you continue your growth in a multi-generational setting that will benefit you in the short term and also help you to learn valuable lessons for post-college life.
I Will Only Date In A God-Honoring Way: As spiritual leaders, it is important we embrace Biblically-informed romantic relationships. This means we take dating seriously, as an exploration of a relationship that could result in God’s vision of marriage between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:23-24) who share the same faith in Jesus (1 Corinthians 7:39, 2 Corinthians 6:14). Therefore, we expect spiritual leaders will not pursue or date anyone whom God forbids them to marry.
I Will Be Sexually Pure: As believers, we are called to honor God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20). Everyone deals with a variety of sexual temptations. God’s Word is clear that temptation and desire are not sin (James 1:13-15, Hebrews 4:15) and, therefore, do not disqualify us from leadership among His people. We are, however, to avoid sexually immoral actions (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7). Sexual immorality covers any consensual sexual behavior running counter to the Biblical expectation that sex is celebrated in the context of marriage between a man and a woman (Gen 2:23-24, Matthew 19:5-6) and forbidden in all other contexts (Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). This includes (but is not limited to) pornography, premarital sex, adultery, sexually stimulating touch, foreplay, casual sexual encounters, sharing or posting sexually explicit or suggestive media, and writing or consuming erotica.
I Will Not Be Mastered By Alcohol: As believers we see that Scripture limits our consumption of alcohol. It forbids excessive drinking and drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18, Romans 13:13), it commands that drinking age laws should be obeyed (Romans 13:1-2), and it demonstrates that we should view the effects of our consumption on others as more important than our freedom (Romans 14). Even beyond these restrictions, we promote abstinence from alcohol for our spiritual leaders.
I Will Refrain From Mind-Altering and Addictive Substances: As believers, we heed God’s call to be a people of sober-mindedness and clear judgment (Luke 21:32-36, 1 Peter 4:1-7, Ephesians 5:17-18), to have our minds transformed by God instead of by a substance (Ephesians 5:18, Romans 12:2), and to be a holy people in the perceptions and judgments of others (1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1). Considering these principles, Chi Alpha maintains it is not proper Christian conduct to use mind-altering, addictive or illegal drugs. This includes marijuana even where it is legal. We require those in leadership to abstain from using any such drugs except as prescribed by a doctor.
I Will Honor the Body of Christ and My Place in It: As believers, we rejoice whenever Christ is proclaimed (Philippians 1:15-18), and so we commit to cooperate with rather than compete with other Gospel-driven, Bible-believing ministries on campus. We will speak well of them and will not seek to recruit students away from other ministries into our own. However, as leaders, we also understand that choosing to accept a leadership role entails commitment to those we are leading, and thus, we will give our energy to ministering in the role we have accepted in our Chi Alpha community rather than seeking to be involved in multiple campus ministries.
I Will Build My Community: As believers, we choose to love each other and encourage one another to good works. We value meeting together for corporate worship and ongoing discipleship. (Hebrews 10:24-25) We refrain from gossip and divisive behavior (Titus 3:2, Colossians 3:8, Romans 1:29-32, Romans 16:17, 1 Corinthians 1:10). As leaders, we address conflict following the Biblical model (Matthew 18:15-17) and take the initiative in restoring a broken relationship regardless of fault (Matthew 5:23-24).
I Will Honor God With My Studies: We pursue our studies as a way of honoring God (Colossians 3:23-24). Therefore, we prioritize classes, assignments, and exams with the attitude that it is the Lord Jesus who receives glory when we fulfill our calling as students. We will remain in good academic standing with the university. (Minimum 2.5 GPA)
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