Student Membership
Student membership - which we call Core Team - is our vision of personal discipleship in the context of student life. The most important thing a student can do is to intentionally pursue God, from whom comes personal revival, wisdom, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Individual spiritual growth, brought to maturity, can spark spiritual awakening and cultural transformation.
Core Team exists in large part to nurture the work of the Holy Spirit in students’ life. No ministry can make anyone more godly; only the Holy Spirit is able to transform us. However, ministries can intentionally foster attributes which make people more moldable by God - namely, in our view, humility, sincerity, diligence, and willingness to sacrifice. By his grace, our membership program shapes the “soil” of the soul, into which the Lord breathes life, transformation, and freedom.
Our primary goal, therefore, is not to teach a Christian worldview to our members. Nor is it our focus to train our members to serve with us, minister on their own, or recruit other people to join our church. Rather, our aim is to relate to God the way that he desires to relate to us and to trust him with our lives.
Core Team focuses on producing students more yielded to the Spirit of God - both in momentous undertakings and in the ebb and flow of daily life. We believe this is the only viable strategy to reaching university campuses - no argument, teaching, or program will overcome the skepticism, pride, or self-righteousness prevalent on campuses today, but God himself alive and at work inside his people will surely spread his gospel and the expand his kingdom through those willing to be used by him for such purposes.
As a ministry predominantly focused on students, our immediate target is university campuses - because that is where students live and do life. But the things learned with Core Team will shape our members, and through Core Team they will learn to better yield to God’s purposes and be used by him in any environment.
INTRODUCTION
Every student is welcome to apply, provided that:
The student is enrolled in a degree-earning program at a target university (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, NYU, Princeton, U Penn, or Yale) or, on a case-by-case basis, other universities in New York City and Boston;
The student has determined to live under the lordship of Jesus Christ and affirms our Statement of Faith;
The student believes the Bible as God’s authoritative word and submits to its teachings;
The student has been baptized by full submersion or will be baptized upon matriculation; and
The student is not more than 23 years old (undergrad) or 28 years old (graduate), anyone beyond these age targets is welcome to apply for Community membership.
There are no “spiritual maturity” requirements. That is, we don’t expect applicants to have any experience in ministry, any church-going record, any specific knowledge of the Bible, etc. Furthermore, a student should not consider themselves unqualified because of habitual sin or spiritual youthfulness.
We do, however, ask that each student be sober and deliberate about their decision to join our church. As a church, we unashamedly resolve to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”. To that end, the Holy Spirit stirs up a conviction in our members to leave behind the things that hinder them. Just as a mountain climber may shed excess baggage before scaling a cliff, our members often find that things which they treasure become impediments in their pursuit of the knowledge of God. However, making the necessary adjustments can be uncomfortable.
Therefore, we believe the Lord invites us to “count the cost”. Resolve to stick with it for a few years even if it is emotionally and practically difficult. Prepare to muster up open-mindedness and humility. It takes devotion and time to make a difference in the lives of our members, but one thing we can promise by God’s grace is that people do not remain unchanged walking with us.
So as to avoid surprises, we want to acknowledge upfront that Core Team requires a significant investment of time, energy, and emotion. For example:
Members will be required to pray and fast with us, sometimes for extended periods. While this typically does not compromise schoolwork or employment, other lifestyle adjustments may be needed.
On church retreat weekends - which can include every other weekend during the school year and even sometimes during vacations - students may miss Friday classes and not have the weekend to work.
At events we host, members will have logistical duties before, during, and after. From time to time, our members serve from early in the morning until late into the night, sometimes without breaks.
Members are asked to do everything asked of them joyfully, diligently, and without desiring recognition.
Students members are required to make certain donations (typically 10% on income and support, with a minimum amount) which may require them to work on campus or budget differently.
Any and all of these items can cause challenges emotionally, spiritually, and relationally with others. And, undoubtedly, you will be asked to make other commitments or serve in other ways from time to time as such opportunities come along. We hope that one day you will testify with Paul that such “light momentarily afflictions” are not worth comparing to the glory of following the Lord.
WHO IT’S FOR
The best way to understand Core Team is to speak with our alumni. They were all once in the same shoes, weighing the decision of whether to apply, and can testify to both the challenges of Core Team and the impact of Core Team then and thereafter. We are delighted to make introductions to any alumni from the last five years, especially those from your campus; simply ask us for contacts.
We provide below some general expectations of your duty as a student member. You will likely notice that there is no section on how we serve you - i.e. what you get out of it. This is because the things of exceeding value you’ll receive - spiritual growth, maturity, wisdom, and righteousness, for instance - come from the Holy Spirit through your relationship with the church. Any “membership benefits” we could offer are worth little in comparison to the spiritual work done by God inside you. Of course, we cherish, mentor, provide for, support, pray for, and otherwise build up our members - but it’s not worth listing the ways and the means by which this is accomplished.
I. Responsibilities of Participation
We hold retreats for church members, specifically including Core Team members, on weekends during the school year as well as during school breaks. Sometimes we meet once every other week and other times less frequently. Membership also regularly engage in fasting and prayer, including, at times, daily prayer and extended fasting which may range from weeks to months. Participation is required, though there is a typically a “learning curve”. Success is not required but trying is.
Because we can’t foster personal relationships or alignment without participation, our members cannot be frequently absent. For retreats, typically one “no questions asked” absence is permitted per semester; further absences must be pre-approved. Occasionally there are mandatory gatherings where absences are not allowed (and must be attended in-person).
For the typical weekend retreat, members must arrive by 7 PM on Friday and may depart after church service on Sunday. This may mean attendance at certain Friday classes will not be possible on those weekends. Retreats may be held in New York City, Boston, or any location in between. While students are typically responsible for their own transportation, where costs become an insurmountable challenge, we will coordinate travel for student members.
II. Responsibilities of Ministry
Student members serve in our ministries. Student members may host retreats, lead campus ministries, and support our church programs which target the general public, missionaries, the poor, and other communities.
Student members may be asked to spend 5-10 hours on operational duties per week, though it is usually significantly less than that and dependent in part on each student’s academic schedule. When we host events, members typically arrive early and depart late - sometimes a day or more before and after.
III. Responsibilities of Finances
All our programs are free, but travel is at each member’s own expense. When members have genuine financial need, we will happily take an offering but also expect that each member will work to earn funds for their own expenses. We have consistently seen God provide for those who trust him in faith but also expect that our student members value their membership enough to work as needed. Lodging and food are usually provided gratis.
Consistent with Jesus’s teaching that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”, we require all members to make contributions to the church. Typically, this is 10% of your income and available support, excluding financial aid or scholarships paid directly to your school. There is also a minimum threshold, so sometimes students work on campus to earn funds to pay contributions.
IV. Responsibilities of Personal Faith
No program or meeting will replace the need for personal devotion to Jesus, and there’s no way to show devotion without spending time. Without being overly rigid, we require student members spend personal devotion time in addition to time spent in group prayer with church members.
WHAT IT IS LIKE
If you have questions about any of the foregoing or about our church or membership in general, please contact Ayi Agboglo (ayi@alab.org). Ayi is a recent graduate of Columbia currently pursuing a PhD through a joint program of Harvard and MIT. Ayi will be happy to answer your questions or connect you further with other resources.
To apply for Core Team, please submit a Student Membership Affirmation to our Membership Coordinator, Jenn Chuang (jenn@alab.org).
Please also consider these few final items.
First, Core Team is designed to be your primary spiritual commitment. We are delighted that you may have other spiritual community - for instance, a fellowship, volunteer group, etc. - but you may not be able to serve in leadership if the position would reasonably interfere with your commitment to Core Team. Leadership opportunities should be evaluated on the basis of their required engagement. Likewise, extracurriculars that require your time on weekends (such as sports teams) are often incompatible.
Second, we maintain a required reading list, which should be started prior to matriculation and finished within 4 months of matriculation. These books help introduce some fundamental ideas. The reading list is, roughly in order of brevity:
The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
The Final Quest - Rick Joyner
Why Revival Tarries - Leonard Ravenhill
Possessing the Gates of the Enemy - Cindy Jacobs
Lastly, we prayerfully consider every student’s interest in Core Team and sometimes feel led to decline if we believe you are better suited for a different community. Students in their last semester of study are usually not accepted unless they have plans to locate to New York or Boston after graduation.
Thank you for your interest.