Santa Barbra is where the Garden of Eden must have been. If you have not been, I highly suggest you go. I spent three days in April working with our Chi Alpha leaders at UCSB and the entire time I was there I kept asking God, “Tell me again why you don’t want West Coast Chi Alpha headquartered here?”
It is not an exaggeration to say that the size, power and academic influence of the ten University of California schools represent the most powerful educational institution on the planet. We are currently on 7 of the 10 and UCSB is our oldest Chi Alpha chapter in the group. There are some amazing faithful leaders there and I believe we are about to see our best days ever on this campus. Pray for our UCSB ministry and for us to get on the last three UC campuses.
From Santa Barbara I headed into LA to spend 40 activity filled hours on site at Cal Poly Pomona. Lindsay Fudenna our amazing planter is one of my true campus ministry heros. In the last three years she has done the impossible. On a major commuter campus, in a major urban area, with little funding and lots of obstacles she has forged a healthy Chi Alpha group from scratch. Amazing. She is a Commuter Campus Whisperer.
One of her partners in the Chi Alpha-gineeering is the young adult/worship leader at Covina First, Jarrett LeMaster. Jarrett is a creative funnel cloud of music, ministry and fun. He is a part time voice over artist, song writer, producer and comedian and a full time worship pastor, young adult clairvoyant, father and husband. Oh and Jarrett does the best impression of Christopher Walkin reciting the Beatitudes of any human alive. His equally talented spouse Christina and very cute son (6 mo. old) Liam are also two of my favorite humans.