The first few weeks of freshman year are a pivotal time. Students are open to new activities and forming social groups that often set them up for their collegiate years. At the start of each school year, Christian Union’s ministry faculty and upperclassmen involved in the ministry warmly welcome and energetically engage freshmen, with welcoming campaigns among students who study at Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Harvard Law, Princeton, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale. During the campaign, the ministry team and upperclassmen eagerly present the opportunity for new students to join them for in-depth study of Scripture, Christian leadership training, fellowship, and support. This year’s goal was to have 541 freshmen enroll in Christian Union’s weekly Bible courses. However, student interest was so high at six of the campuses, Christian Union had to end the campaigns early when every available slot in freshman Bible courses was filled. With this addition of new students, there are more than 1,500 students currently enrolled in Christian Union Bible courses this fall.
Christian Union creates its own Bible course curriculum. This semester, students are studying the Gospel of Mark. Past topics have covered other books of the Bible in great depth such as Romans, or themes such as “Seeking God,” and vocation and finances. Courses consist of 8-10 students of the same sex and class year. The in-depth courses are led by Christian Union ministry fellows. Participants attend the 1-1/2 hour Bible course each week and complete weekly homework. One student, Josiah, shared, “In our Bible course, I’m learning so much I never would have considered before.”
Many are reading God’s Word for the first time in their lives. Although some will encounter selections of Scripture in certain classes, more often than not the Bible will be treated as mythology. In Bible courses, on the other hand, Scripture in all its richness and complexity is unpacked and the personal implications explored in detail. Another student, Barrett, shared:
“Before Christian Union’s Bible courses, I had never encountered Scriptures in a rigorous, academic way. It was just an old book. Now every page is relevant and instructional. It made a huge impact and caused me to reevaluate and re-characterize myself.”
The ministry is praying that, by God’s grace and through the study of His Word, many students will come to a full understanding of the invitation of Jesus Christ: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.”
