College Kids Living Under God's Roof Keep The Faith -- Christian Students Hold Each Other Accountable

Three bands played loud music while the 700 partygoers spilled onto the front lawn. The house on the University of Washington's Greek Row was hosting a luau, and neighbors called the police.

When the officers arrived, they got a surprise. "Is there any underage drinking here?" asked the officer.

"No, but you're welcome to come in and check. The three kegs are full of root beer," replied Scott McKeever, a resident.

Puzzled, the officer told them to quiet down and left.

The "17th Avenue House," as it is called, is home to 50 college students dedicated to the teachings of Jesus. Fifteen Christian women live in another house on 16th Avenue Northeast.

Some college students choose to live in sororities, fraternities, dormitories or off-campus apartments. Others live at home with their parents. These students choose to live in a house where no alcohol, drugs or stay-over guests of the opposite sex are allowed.

And they love it.

"College is the most crucial time for living out what you believe," Kristi McKinstry said. "We have to find joy in being a servant to others, and through them, to Christ."

McKinstry has lived in the "girl's house," as it is known, since 1997. A senior studying nursing, she originally was going to attend Seattle Pacific University. Her father put her on the house's waiting list. Soon, she was living with 14 women she didn't know.

This is typical. There is no formal application process, and students hear about the houses through friends.

These houses are part of Vision 16, an organization with three requirements: love God, love others, and love your community. The "16" comes from 16th Avenue Northeast - the street where the first house was located. The houses are unaffiliated with any church or denomination.

Backers of Vision 16 include John "Jack" McMillan, a retired Nordstrom co-chairman; attorney Chi-Dooh "Skip" Li and his wife, Cyd; Morrie Pigott and Tom Jonez, co-chairmen of the Business Computer Training Institute.

Some of the founders have relocated to be near the students. Last October, McMillan moved from Bellevue into a home near Greek Row.

"Some retired people think, `I'll go play golf,' " said McMillan, 67, who still is on Nordstrom's board. "But it is invigorating and inspiring to be around young people, especially with the faith component."

Wes and Nancy Anderson, both 55, have been active in religious leadership activities their entire lives. They met Skip and Cyd Li in college. They first moved into 17th Avenue House in 1997, leaving behind their home in University Place near Tacoma. They now own and live in a nearby house with nine freshmen and sophomore women.

"We don't want to be known as `Christian' houses," Wes Anderson said. "Our intent is to follow the greatest leader that ever lived, Jesus Christ, and model our lives and our community after him."

Those are only a few of several Christian houses in the area: another Vision 16 house exists for graduate students, University Presbyterian Church's University Ministries has two houses, and the University Christian Union is on 45th Street.

The house on 17th Avenue Northeast welcomes visitors of any religious background. When residents of nearby fraternity and sorority houses come to the monthly parties, they leave their beer cans and keg cups outside.

Wednesday nights during the school year are reserved for worship, an hour when about 100 men and women gather to sing songs to God and pray aloud. Once a week, groups of seven to 10 meet to talk about their lives, the Bible, and hold each other accountable for walking in their faith.

The group was rebuffed when it sought to buy its first house, where suspected drug dealers were living in the basement. But in 1996, Jonez called the owner in Arizona and struck a deal.

The pale-blue, seven bedroom house on 16th Avenue Northeast was soon full of young men. Later, the group bought the larger 17th Avenue House. The original house became the women's house.

These days, both Vision 16 houses are filled.

"To the naked eye, it would just be a group of guys," said Doug Burleigh, head of Washington Student Leadership, a ministry that works with the residents.

But the 17th Avenue House is a bit different from the typical 22-bedroom house full of college guys. The rooms are impeccably clean. A Bible sits on a night stand, Christian authors James Dobson and Joshua Harris grace the bookshelves, and CDs from Christian rock groups like Petra are intermingled among country and classical music.

Kiera Boynton, who plans to enter a seminary, says the women in the girl's house have helped her grow in her faith.

To fulfill their vision of community, residents of the houses do all-day cleanups every few months. For four hours, three men scrubbed the tiles of neighbors Tom and Marilyn Stacy's home, washed their windows and cleaned their patio.

Sonics coach Paul Westphal's son, Mike, also resides here. Coach Westphal donated some signs to the house that he brought with him from the Phoenix Suns locker room.

The most prominent is one that hangs over the kitchen sink. It quotes the books of Proverbs and Philippians and perhaps summarizes the vision of the housemates.

"A man's pride will bring him low . . . a humble spirit will obtain honor. Let each regard one another as more important than himself."