Greetings from the campus of Harvard Law School!
Famous for its fall foliage, the bright colors that once hung so magnificently in the New England autumn sky now drape the ground in subdued and faded shades of brown. Like life, fall foliage reminds us of the cycle of birth and death that marks our own journey through the present world to the heavenly Zion.
Dear friends,
Thank you for your continued prayers, support, and encouragement to all of us who labor for Jesus Christ on the campus of Princeton University. As you know, Christian Union’s ministry at Princeton has a goal of developing Christian leaders to transform culture; we seek to never lose sight of this goal, as we teach students the Bible, train and mentor young men and women, and do our best to equip them for lives of service, leadership, and influence in our world for the glory of Jesus Christ and the good of all people in Him. Below, I offer you a few brief updates on various aspects of our ministry at Princeton.
With the Thanksgiving season at hand, the idea of gratitude should be on everyone’s minds. Yet, despite the fact that we are celebrating a day of gratitude, we seem strangely out of touch with the meaning and importance of gratitude. For most of us, we have a vague understanding of the term, but perhaps not a firm grasp on how and why we should practice this staple virtue. In an article entitled ‘Why we Should Be Thankful for the Gift of Gratitude’, Joe Carter explores the essential nature of this attribute, as well as helpful suggestions for how to grow in it.
In an article entitled ”How My Millennial Students Found Their ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide’ to a Secular Age”, Dr. James K.A. Smith, Professor of Philosophy at Calvin College, touches on the insights and impact of of philosopher Charles Taylor. He examines Taylor’s riveting, but challenging, 900-page book entitled “A Secular Age,” which covers religious belief and skepticism in the 21st century. The biweekly eNewsletter from Christian Union
For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.
— Psalm 47:2
Dear Prayer Partners!
Thank you for your prayers and support of Christian Union at Yale. Shortly after I sent the last prayer email, one of you encouraged me to keep on spiritually “mothering,” and later that day a student confessed some sin to me, asked for my advice and help to get out of the situation and then said to me, “Thank you for being my mom that I can tell things to” (as opposed to her mom that she can’t tell things to).
Dear Friends and Partners of Penn,
My family is new to Philadelphia and Christian Union at the University of Pennsylvania, and at times it seems as though we’ve crammed 3 years into our 3 months here. But what a joy it has been. We have seen God working in the students of Penn, in the churches of Philly, and in the ministry team here of which I’m overjoyed to be a member. Thank you for your continued prayers for myself and my family, and the prayers for the other new Ministry Fellow, Kelly Schaaf, and her family, and Ministry Director Justin Mills and his family.
For Namans, Giving is a Family Endeavor
Christian Union supporters Dr. Vincent and Dian Naman have lovingly served side by side over the course of 31 years (and counting) of marriage. Together, they have raised four godly children and have made a significant impact on their community through their professional endeavors, service to their home church, and their commitment to furthering Christ's Kingdom.
Sadly, many Christians have a stunted understanding of economics, with some even insisting that the Bible doesn’t really concern itself with such topics. In reality however, the Bible bestows upon us a wholesome worldview to which we can apply and shape our different spheres of life, whether they be economics, politics, or culture.Christian Union's Engaging Lecture Series at Columbia
For more than two hundred years, Columbia University's motto has been: "In Thy light shall we see the light," based on Psalm 36:9. But according to Jim Black, Christian Union's director of undergraduate ministry at Columbia, each fall the university explains the motto and its true meaning incorrectly during freshmen orientation."Students are told that the meaning of the motto is 'by the light of you (incoming freshmen), we will all see the light.' That is a terrible misrepresentation of the biblical text," Black said.
At its weekly leadership lecture series, however, Black and Christian Union's ministry at Columbia are rightfully shining the light where it truly belongs—on Jesus Christ.
Ministry Welcome Events for Young Professionals
Christian Union's ministry for professionals in New York City hosted a series of events to welcome freshly minted graduates of leading universities to the commercial capital of the world.This summer and fall, Christian Union New York City held receptions aimed at providing young professionals with spiritual and practical support systems as many settle into new careers, especially in Manhattan's financial sector.
"We're intentionally helping people connect. Some people who come here are self-sufficient and some who come are overwhelmed," said Scott Crosby, director of Christian Union New York (CUNYC).
Part of the seeking God lifestyle involves incorporating frequent and fervent pray into our daily lives. There are no ‘quick fix’ prayers that can replace the important process of learning to pray to God from the sincerity of our hearts. However, as humans, we need initial guidance, since we are innately formed to learn through example. In an article entitled ‘Seven Simple Daily Prayers’, writer Marshall Segal lays out seven ideas to help enrich and enliven our personal prayer. He pulls his tips from the Psalms, citing verses and then detailing them with explanation and personal experience. Knaus '17 Has a Heart for Refugees
by Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer
A University of Pennsylvania upperclassman is using her international upbringing, fluency in Arabic, and passion for supporting the vulnerable to aid an influx of refugees arriving in Philadelphia."I want to make a difference by helping people, so they can see God's love through me, especially with their tangible, practical needs," said Aimee Knaus '17, who grew up with her American family in Jordan and the Togolese Republic.
"God definitely set me up for it. God has me at Penn for a reason."
The First Amendment is receiving a massive amount of pushback, not just from a specific group, but by the culture as a whole. Trevin Wax, in his article ‘4 Cultural Trends Leading to the Decline of Religious Liberty’, states: Hendricks '17 Works on Law Degree as Undergraduate
Rob Hendricks, a member of Christian Union's ministry at Cornell, has become the first undergraduate ever to be accepted to the Cornell Law School. He is simultaneously a senior at Cornell and a first-year law student.
Ministry Celebrates First Graduating Class
Three years ago, faculty with Christian Union's ministry at Harvard Law School, Coram Deo, began reaching out to students and sojourning with them as they integrated faith and law. In May, the ministry celebrated, by God's grace, steady growth since its inception and the graduation of some of its original members."Emotions of both joy and sadness well up in one's spirit as we both celebrate our graduates and mourn their departure from local campus life," said Jim Garretson, Christian Union's ministry director at Harvard Law School.
"...the key actor in history is not individual genius but rather the network and the new institutions that are created out of those networks."
− To Change the World, James Davison Hunter
One of Christian Union's core values is Networked and Engaged Leaders. These values describe the elements of activism and effectiveness necessary for leaders to accomplish spiritual objectives that are deeply transformative in scope and depth. There is awareness that individual efforts alone will not be sufficient, and that there is a paradigm both in history and in the Christian faith that recognizes the network as a key element of change.
Thank you for praying for students in our ministry in November—the time to focus on answers to prayer with thanksgiving!
Q & A with Dr. Mac Pier
Mac Pier is the founder and chief executive officer of the New York City Leadership Center. Christian Union: The Magazine recently interviewed Dr. Pier regarding his insights on the transformative power of movements and networks.
For the last five years, Dr. Pier and the New York City Leadership Center (NYCLC) have hosted Movement Day, an annual conference that has gathered ministry and marketplace leaders to inspire gospel movements and collaborative ministry in cities around the world. In October, representatives from 86 countries convened in Manhattan for Movement Day Global Cities. The three-day conference addressed the refugee crisis, human trafficking, poverty, fatherlessness, and under-performing education.
