Meet Our Team

"Chimes retreat has shown me the need for the local Church and ministries more than I could have ever imagined. I’ve developed and grown friendships that I never knew would be possible without Chimes! Not only has my personal walk with Christ grown but it’s so cool to watch so many incoming students passionately pursuing Christ! I’m so excited to get to be apart of what the Lord is doing through this organization this year!"

Because of The Chimes, I have been able to use my gifts of leadership and hospitality to help create spaces for freshmen to encounter God. I have developed close friendships with other staff members and got to watch how they are using their spiritual gifts as well!

Through Chimes, God has surrounded me with a community of believers that have helped and pushed me to grow in my faith. I never had a community like this in high school, so getting to be a part of this in college is something I have been so thankful for. As a junior now, I have truly seen God's hands in every relationship I have made through Chimes.

Chimes was a huge blessing for me! I am from Birmingham so coming to Alabama, I knew friends coming here but really needed a place to help me get started with looking for a church community! Chimes introduced me to this right away and made friends so quickly! God used chimes in my life to form new relationships and to continue to follow the Lord in my life! I highly recommend Chimes to anyone thinking about going because it is a wonderful way to make friends and learn about the churches in Tuscaloosa!

One of the greatest blessings I've seen from Chimes Retreat is how big of a connector it is. Some of my best friends are from the first year I was part of Chimes, and it has been one of the biggest game-changers in my college experience. It makes a huge college feel like a small family because I feel like I have friends everywhere I go. I treasure my friendships at Calvary but also love that I have deep friendships with people who go to other churches in Tuscaloosa. Whether it's walking around on campus, sitting at a coffee shop, or studying at the library, I almost always run into someone I know and it's most likely someone I met through Chimes. It brings a lot of joy throughout my day but also brings so much joy knowing I have friends I trust anywhere I turn. I think that is something I will remember for the rest of my life. It gives me a greater appreciation for the body of Christ as a whole, how we are united by the blood of Christ, and how one day we will all be bowing before our King, worshipping him in heaven for all of eternity. Now that is an even truer joy I absolutely cannot wait for and consider a privilege to have a little taste of here in Tuscaloosa.

​This past summer was my first year serving on Chimes, and I absolutely loved it! I was amazed by how many incoming freshmen have a heart for Christ and the church, and how committed they are to plugging in to biblical community! Several freshmen guys who attended Chimes are now in my lifegroup at The Well! Serving on Chimes this year was a blast! I highly recommend being a part of this amazing ministry!

Chimes gave me my first friends at college. I came to Tuscaloosa super introverted and was honestly insanely stressed out by the idea of making new friends. Chimes was the first thing to push me outside of my comfort zone, and it led me into countless Christian friendships that I still hold on to today!

I’ve loved seeing how Chimes has brought together believers from so many churches across Tuscaloosa! I’ve also seen how valuable the friendships formed at Chimes are in the lives of the freshmen and transfer students who attend. The unity and gospel-centered community that Chimes promotes is such an incredible thing to be a part of!

Chimes helped me make friends with other students from churches all across Tuscaloosa. It helps us all follow Jesus better and serve our city together.

Serving as support staff last summer, it was so fun and eye-opening to see many church bodies come together to form one body under Christ. I absolutely love how kind everyone was and that experience has continued to influence me even in the semesters after. I’m so thankful for all the new friendships and the opportunity to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus. Just as Esther used her seat of power to advocate for the Jews, so are we to advocate for Jesus on this campus! There is no greater time than such a time as this!! (Esther 4)

Chimes has been such an amazing experience in seeing freshmen come and find community before going on campus. It's so encouraging to see believers seeking out others in the Christian community and developing long-lasting relationships that are all for the glory of God! I can't wait to see what the Chimes Retreat has in store this summer!

Going into college, I did not have any friends or family who were living out their faith in college or looking for that type of experience. I was worried about starting school and not being able to have the foundation to grow my faith here at UA. The Chimes Retreat was an answered prayer that granted me not only a church home filled with love and community but also Christian friends at churches all around Tuscaloosa to help further the Kingdom on our campus!

I met people who would become my best friends and wound up on a crash course with salvation.

The first year of Chimes, I got to attend as an incoming freshman and absolutely loved it. Last year, I had the opportunity to serve as a counselor where I learned so much from each freshman and co-counselor. This year, I am super excited to serve as head of hospitality and I can’t wait to see how the Lord moves through The Chimes Retreat 2022.

I found a life-giving church and gospel-centered community. I have grown so much in my faith!