Faith & Chai
This interfaith gathering guide helps South Asian students explore faith, culture, and identity through story, conversation, and shared experiences over chai.
Faith & Chai is an interfaith gathering for South Asian college students from any and all faith backgrounds to engage in conversation about faith, culture, and its influence in their lives. The goal of Faith & Chai is to listen, learn, have fun, and go deeper in relationship with other South Asian students on campus.
A typical Faith & Chai event includes: a warm welcome, community agreements, discussion questions, a time to debrief, and announcements.
These gatherings create a welcoming space for students to reflect on big questions while deepening friendships over a cup of chai (and usually snacks!). To maintain an atmosphere of openness and trust, this is explicitly not an “outreach” event. InterVarsity (alongside other partnering organizations) typically advertise their events during the announcements at the end.
Interfaith dialogue takes practice and requires love. Prepare your leaders beforehand to practice attentive listening, focus on personal sharing over theological debate, and have a goal of growing their understanding of others.
Resources:
Bonus Tip: Making chai and providing snacks is a way that South Asian churches and ministry partners have LOVED supporting InterVarsity. Connect with the local South Asian aunties and uncles in your community to contribute in this way. Follow up after the event to share pictures and highlights with them. It will bless them and build trust for partnership in the future!
Tag @intervarsity.sa on Instagram if you host Faith & Chai on your campus!
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About the authors
South Asian InterVarsity is a vibrant campus ministry that empowers South Asian college students to love and lead from the intersection of their ethnicities and faith in Jesus. Learn more
Arul serves as the national director for South Asian InterVarsity. Arul is a third-culture kid having grown up in Australia, South India and the U.S. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in molecular biology and instead of pursuing medical studies decided to join InterVarsity staff. Arul enjoys starting new things and shortly after coming on staff planted an SAIV movement at his alma mater. During his time there, he helped create the Faith and Chai event that has spread around the country and inspired a podcast. As InterVarsity increasingly serves South Asian students from various faith backgrounds Arul started the SAIV support network to aid them in their faith journeys. Arul is humbled to oversee the continued growth of the national SAIV movement and to see this generation of South Asian students passionately worshipping Jesus, embodying Him in their communities, and becoming a blessing to the world. Arul lives with his wife and sons in Orlando, FL.