So, if you’re sitting there reading this and thinking, “Like what the heck is she thinking? What does chripster even mean…?,” then don’t worry, you’re in good company--and also the right place. I, too, was naïve to this term until I set foot onto the campus of Texas A&M University last fall. However, after a few months I soon realized this campus was crawling with chripsters, that is, Christian + Hipsters (aka chripsters).

A hipster is someone who thinks everyone else is too conventional. Typically they have an alternative taste in music, wear band t-shirts and tight skinny jeans, rock some shaggy hair and sport some wayfarer glasses. However, if you were to call someone a hipster they would probably deny it and remind you, “Hipsters can't be defined because then they'd fit in a category, and thus be too mainstream.”

However, at Texas A&M, the campus is not filled with hipsters, but rather chripsters. The culture at this university demands the need for the word-combo. Typically, being a hipster is associated with having completely counter-cultural beliefs. However, here at A&M aka. The Bible Belt, USA, we are pretty much just a bunch of conservative Christians that dress hipster-ish. I say hipster-ish because the “hipster” in “chripster” is more just a camper/hippie/hipster combo.

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So, you want to be a chripster? Here’s how:

1. Invest in some Chacos

2. And Birkenstocks

3. ... And Tevas

4. Is your Nalgene strapped to your backpack?

5. Speaking of backpacks, yours better be Patagonia.

6. You didn't forget your Bible today now, did you?

7. Got your journal?

8. And you better have your pens handy.

9. Chripsters never leave the house without their vintage flannel.

10. Like don't ever forget your Eno (but if you're even more on the hipster side maybe you'll like this bad boy better...)

11. Chripsters love their mopeds

12. Did you have your "intentional" morning coffee date?

13. ... you didn't forget to take an artsy pic of it, now did you?

14. Take a hike to Sugarloaf Mountain and Insta that ish.

15. The best Chripsters go to Chick-fil-A at least six times a week.

16. If you can't doodle artsy Bible verses, then you better learn quick.

17. You gotta really like donuts

18. Finally, make sure you infiltrate your earbuds with music like Judah and The Lion, Ben Rector, Jillian Edwards, Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, and Needtobreathe. These tunes are the soundtrack to your life.

Now that you know the essentials to living the chripster life, you better make sure you meet all the criteria. Don’t forget to sport all your gear to events like Breakaway, Younglife, and Wednesday night church groups. Also extra chripster cred points if you’re in organizations like FLiC, Younglife Training, Breakaway Staff, Cru, Ags for Orphans, BCA, BYX, Phi Lamb, or you've been to Africa more than 4 times. #totalchripstermove