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Please pray for Christian Union's ministry at Penn.
Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,

The flurry of the Winter Retreat (on gospel and mental health) and restarting Bible course groups has settled down into the substance of Acts, Seeking God Lifestyle, and Vocational courses. God’s Word is the gospel-truth needed for disciples living in God’s presence, being missional with God’s gospel, and doing God’s work. With the medley of Bible courses, keeping track of the preparation has been a daily scramble.

Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,

Praise God! Our students have returned safely to campus after Winter Break and our Bible Courses have had an excellent start. We currently have 13 Bible Courses meeting, with the possibility of adding an additional course for those who are serving in Penn’s Gospel choir. We are thankful that God’s Spirit is moving among the students, bringing a sense of unity and hunger for God’s Word. Please pray that our students would have an increasing affection for Jesus and would translate that passion for Christ’s glory to tangible action on Penn’s campus.

Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,

Merry Christmas! Classes have ended and finals have commenced at the University of Pennsylvania. Our students are dealing with the stress of finals, but also the anticipation of an extended break.

Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,

This semester has been brilliant! Our freshman class is committed and enthusiastic about community and growing in the Lord together. I am continually amazed at the diligent efforts of our ABCL’s (Assistant Bible Course Leaders), who are serving and leading the Class of 2022 in gentleness and humility. We as a leadership team, have been meeting every Friday with our students who are currently teaching freshman Bible courses. Every week we are amazed, as they ALL gather to learn and acquire the tools needed to be better equipped to administer God’s word to their students. It has also been encouraging to see ABCL’s show up consistently who are not teaching and just want to be a support and be encouraged themselves. We are watching our leadership grow and mature and as a result, we are experiencing the same with our underclassmen; God is at work!

Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,

I was looking back at an old prayer letter from June 2018. In that letter I asked that you would “…pray for fresh vision for this coming fall. Even now as we plan, we are trusting in God’s power to bring divine appointments, to scatter the seed of the Gospel and to see much fruit born.”

Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,

The weather is starting to cool down and a new season is imminent in Philadelphia. For all of us that means finishing our Freshmen Campaign and starting our Bible Courses. This semester we are studying Hebrews, one of the more mysterious books in the Bible.  But for all of its seemingly weird Old Testament references and complex logic, Hebrews is ultimately about a very simple theme: what it means to be human in the world that God created and is now redeeming from the curse of sin and death through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,

Praise God! Our students have returned safely to campus after Summer Break and our Freshman Campaign is off to an excellent start. We kicked the school year off with our Pre-retreat, for our returning leaders. I have to say it was one of our best retreats to date. The students reunited and had a wonderful time of teaching and training. We are thankful that God’s Spirit is moving among the students, bringing a sense of unity and hunger for God’s Word. Please pray that our students would have an increasing affection for Jesus and would translate that passion for Christ’s glory to tangible action on Penn’s campus.

Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,

We are two-thirds of the way through the summer, Philadelphia has experienced a heatwave and the summer Bible course discussion on Tim Keller’s The Prodigal God has come to a fruitful close. Vacationing and visiting the sites of some early churches in Turkey were rejuvenating (a ten year wedding promise fulfilled by God’s provision). Professional development has been positively challenging (more below). Working remotely the last few weeks have increased the value of an assortment of Starbucks. I miss Tucker, Kelly and Mae, the Penn team.

Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Another academic year at the University of Pennsylvania is complete, and our ministry was blessed to see our 2nd graduating class of CU at Penn. To celebrate, we enjoyed a pre-graduation ceremony retreat to the Jersey Shore with 10 of our grads in May. It is bittersweet to see them go: some to New York City, some to graduate school and one to the mission field. We will miss them.

Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,

Spring break has come and gone. I have seen snow blowing upwards and snowing-raining at the same moment. Bible courses for the semester are under way: some groups are on schedule (Romans 6) while others are camping out on Romans 3. Thankfully, our sense of righteousness is not in our ability to lead the courses but by faith in Christ’s death and resurrection.