As the former co-presidents of Harvard College Faith and Action, the ministry resourced by Christian Union on Harvard’s campus, we write first to thank you for all of your prayers over the years and especially in this most recent season of tension on Harvard’s campus. Throughout the past year, we have been amazed by God’s faithfulness, touched by the extraordinary students who take part in our ministry, and challenged to seek out what faithful, Gospel-centered ministry looks like at a pluralistic university.
When you first meet Alanna Staffin, you will likely notice 3 things about her. First, she appears really happy. Yet as you carefully observe and listen to her, you wonder whether the word happiness can adequately define her cheerful, refreshing energy. Alanna is also enthusiastic about dairy. One question from you and you have launched her into a passionate and stimulating explanation of the subject, prompting you to nod your head, inspired. Your final, most resounding takeaway from conversing with Alanna is Jesus. Alanna loves Jesus.
The following was recorded at the CU Cities Conference held from June 22 - 23, 2018 in New York City. (33:19)
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.
— Psalm 145:13
A question that is probably as timely now than it has ever been is this: “What is love?”
Bob Marley asked that question back in the 70s. The band Foreigner was at least honest enough to admit “I want to know what love is! I want you to show me!” (although the “you” is never really identified). I find it interesting that much of our popular music in the last 70 years (going back to the days of Frank Sinatra) asks that question, or laments its lack, or celebrates its being requited. But the question still stands, even if it is a question implied by a couple of bobble-headed club-goers played by Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan on SNL circa 1994 with their pervasive sound-track of “What is love? Baby don’t hurt me!”
So, what is love? Is it sex? Romance? Warm feelings? Maybe.
Human Nature post-Auschwitz, post-Hiroshima, and pre-Singularity
On June 22, 2018 in New York, Dr. Os Guinness, the Founder of the Trinity Forum and a renowned speaker, writer, and social critic, gave this plenary session address at our CU Cities Conference. (48:55)How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”.
— Romans 10:14-15
The central thrust of Stephen Prothero’s provocative book, God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World, is that the major religions of the world are manifestly not all saying the same thing in different ways.
The summertime is in full swing here at Columbia and our ministry staff is already hard at work preparing for the fall semester. Please join us in prayer for the following:
We are planning for our annual pre-retreat in August. The pre-retreat is a great opportunity for students to spiritually recalibrate after a long summer and build greater community with each other right before the hustle of the semester begins. Please pray that we can recruit many of our students to attend.
Friends,
It’s June and nearly all our students have left Brown’s campus, including our first-ever graduating class. As I’ve said in past prayer emails, this senior class that has just graduated was the first class of Brown students that Matt Woodard, Ministry Director, and I gathered together in the fall of 2014. In those first few months of their freshman year, these students trusted God with a vision of a community that was yet to be formed. They risked their time, energy and resources to gather friends for Bible Courses, retreats, campus outreach events and so much more. And you know what? God rewarded their faith. Over the course of their four years at Brown, God used these students to form a Christ-centered community on campus to help encourage Christian students while also witnessing to the hope of the gospel to the wider Brown community. If it weren’t for these students, these recently graduated seniors, and their love for Jesus and others, we definitely wouldn’t be the ministry we are today. Praise be to God for these young men and women that He so faithfully raised up for such a time as this!
Where has the time gone?
The school year has ended, our seniors have graduated, and summer is here. God’s grace to his beloved, thankfully, remains the same. Our Lord Jesus Christ reigns now as much as he reigned throughout the school year, whether that’s here in Ithaca, in San Francisco, in Johannesburg, or in Uganda.
Greetings from Dartmouth,
Yesterday was a beautiful day to watch our seniors (‘18s) walk across the stage and graduate from Dartmouth. The ‘18s were freshmen when I first started with Christian Union (CU), so it has been an especially nostalgic couple of weeks as we all prepared for them to flee the CU nest into the “real world.”
Thank you for your faithfulness and continued support. We are grateful for you all and want to give you a June update to inform your prayers.
Beloved prayer partners,
Thank you so much for your prayers and your various offerings of love this year. The summer is upon us and everyone is more buoyant, even if pollen and other allergens sometimes trigger more sneezing than usual. Please pray for us as we seek to find rest at various points throughout the summer.
As I am writing you this letter, Princeton’s reunions and graduation ceremonies have just taken place. It has been an eventful few days as we have connected with alumni and friends of our ministry and watched our seniors graduate. Both reunions and graduation prompted me—and others, I’m sure—to reflect on what this ministry means and has meant to so many. As always, thank you for your prayers and financial support which makes our ministry possible!
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.
