It is with great joy and gratitude that I write to you with this report on the past month of ministry here on the campus of Princeton University. By God’s grace, we have seen our healthiest and most vibrant month so far this year; I’ll share some highlights in the space below.
It’s not too late to join in the 40-day-fast now underway, from February 13 to March 24. The concept of fasting has been somewhat lost on our modern culture, especially here in America, where we experience so much bounty. However, it is a practice which warrants being re-introduced into our lives and the lives of those around us.
The biweekly eNewsletter from Christian Union
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
— Lamentations 3:25-26
Greetings from New York!
Dr. William Hurlbut, professor at Stanford Medical School, spoke at a recent CU New York forum on “The Challenge and Opportunity of Gene Editing: Scientific and Ethical Considerations”. Prof. Hurlbut addressed the ethical issues associated with advancing biomedical technology, especially when applied to direct interventions in human life. The evening stands as an example of thoughtful Christians exploring both a deeper understanding of a key scientific advance, and the range of implications it contains. CU New York’s mission is to equip and encourage Christians in New York in engaging culture in redemptive and transformative ways. You can watch the video of the talk here.
Friends,
Spring semester is well underway here at Brown University, and we are keeping plenty busy with Bible Courses, our weekly lecture series, The Anchor, community and outreach events and much more.
Greetings,
We continue to see God’s grace in our ministry as we disciple students. One example of this is our winter conference which took place Jan. 20-22 at Spruce Lake. We were privileged to see students make strides in their walk with God. During one of our small group prayer times at the retreat, one young lady, who suffers from social anxiety and had never prayed before was taught by another student to pray. After she prayed for the first time, she was overwhelmed with joy and expressed interest to continue meeting with students to practice seeking God together.
Dear Partners in Prayer,
We covet your prayers as our student leadership has undertaken an enormous outreach effort--to reach every senior before he or she leaves Yale. At midnight on February 16, the email below was sent to the 1,322 members of the senior class. By 10am it had been opened by more than 1000 people.
Released in January, Martin Scorsese’s latest movie, Silence, is set in the year 1639, during the Japanese persecution of Christians. The film is a moving mediation on suffering in the Christian tradition, particularly what it means that Jesus Christ, a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” is “God with us” when we are weak, doubting and wracked with pain ourselves.
We live in a society that behaves as though truth and love are incompatible. Those who would err on the side of love may even prefer to manipulate the truth to avoid offending others. We may even excuse such actions as evidence of neighborly love. Why? The biweekly eNewsletter from Christian Union
For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
— Luke 11:10
Dear HCFA friends and family,
There has been a welcome stillness in Cambridge this past week as we have been covered by two snowstorms. My mind always runs to Isaiah, when God promises, “’Come now, let us settle the matter. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” What a provoking image of our good Father clothing us in the righteousness of his Son.
A student who’s been an engaged member of our freshman guys Bible course, and whom I’ve been privileged to meet and pray with regularly, recently said to me, “God is powerfully at work in my life, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.” This is from a student who experienced real challenges, both academic and personal, the second half of the fall quarter, but who by God’s grace has come back to Stanford this winter quarter with a renewed zeal for God’s word, prayer, and meaningful community with other Christians. Praise God for his work! Also, praise God for all He is doing in the lives of each student we have the opportunity to serve.
A Student's Perspective
Aimee Knaus, Class of 2017, is involved with Christian Union's ministry at the University of Pennsylvania. The international studies and business management major feels she has two hometowns: Lynchburg, Virginia, and Amman, Jordan. Her campus activities include: Christian Union at Penn; the Penn Arab Student Society; and the Undergraduate Assembly.
"I grew up in an American family in Jordan and the Togolese Republic. I've found God is using my international upbringing to aid refugees in very tangible ways.
Dear Prayer Partners,
It’s hard to believe we’re already in week 7 of the term, with only 3 more weeks to go. The time has flown by quickly, but much has happened to make this term a very memorable one. There have been some ups and downs within the ministry as well as at Dartmouth. Please join us in praying for these requests:
Students Deliver Sandwiches, and Christian Insights, to Peers
By Jessica Tong, Dartmouth '17In November, Dartmouth students from various campus ministries partnered with the Dartmouth Apologia: A Journal of Christian Thought to host "Text-4-Toasties."
During the day, they e-mailed students across campus inviting them to text in a question about Christianity and its intersection with any aspect of life, whether it was philosophy, science, pop culture, or anything else. In return, the students delivered toasted sandwiches (of either Nutella or grilled cheese) and discussed their questions with them.
Participating ministries included Christian Union, Agape, and Aquinas House.
Christian Union NYC Impacts, Networks Young Professionals
by Catherine Elvy, Staff WriterYoung professional believers are eager to integrate their faith into their careers.
To help them assimilate into the workforce and thrive there, the director of Christian Union's ministry for professionals in New York City is expanding the organization's slate of community groups, which focus upon biblical study and leadership training.
"There's definitely a strong desire to link what they're studying to their daily lives," said Scott Crosby, director of Christian Union New York City (NYCU). "Now that they are spending 12 to 14 hours a day at work, their questions are less theoretical and, more and more, 'where does this apply and how does this work out?'"
Qin '19 Inspired by Christian Union at Brown
by Eileen Scott, Senior WriterAs a writer for The Brown Daily Herald, Suvy Qin is a tenacious reporter who recently gave a voice to the voiceless. As a member of Christian Union's ministry at Brown, the sophomore continues to grow in faith and live as a Christian on campus.
Qin admits that Christianity and Brown's culture do not easily mesh. Coming to the university has challenged her to confront issues of social justice, including racial and economic inequality, and caused her to see how a biblical worldview can be contrary to modern culture's narratives. This has been particularly true when dealing with academic theory that presents Christianity as historically oppressive and contributing to societal ills like racism.
"That's not what our God stands for," said Qin.
