Greetings from Christian Union Lumine at Columbia! We praise God for partners like you in supporting the work He is doing through this ministry.
We have about four weeks of the spring semester remaining before we enter finals time. Pray for the students as they come to the end of their semester and start mapping out their internships and summer plans.
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Greetings from Cambridge!
The pace has quickened as we have crossed the marker into April and lean into the final lap. What an unusual and challenging race! When we gathered in the fall, only the senior class had logged more than one (normal) semester on campus. Student leaders, recognizing the need to gather and build a community, majored in hospitality and friendship. They prayed to reclaim what was lost. They believed God for growth – depth and breadth. They were determined to make the most of the time (Eph. 5:15-17).
I have great news: Christian Union Caritas was officially recognized as a student group by Stanford at the end of March! Many students over the years have worked toward and eagerly anticipated this milestone. We thank God for their labors and prayers, and for His gracious provision! We are also grateful to the leadership in Stanford’s Office of Student Engagement and Office of Religious and Spiritual Life for partnering with Christian Union in this way. Recognition will afford Christian Union students many privileges and responsibilities that we have not had to this point, such as the ability to table at activities fairs, advertise Christian Union in official Stanford communications, access a wider array of meeting spaces, and more. As Christian Union students reach out to incoming freshmen during the beginning of the year, they are hoping that recognition will provide a significant boost to their efforts. Please thank God along with us!
Life is a dialogue beyond ourselves, not a monologue in which we create our own story (Psalm 135:15-18). We are co-creators with an eternal Creator, and our well-being depends upon the participation of fellow human beings. To make a contribution and lead the conversation, we first analyze what has been said and how our voices, flowing from the ever-evolving dialogue with God and others, will be heard in the grand scheme of things. We listen and learn with humility and faith before we make our voices heard. That’s how we reach beyond ourselves toward a larger purpose. That’s how we know to live well and make human flourishing possible.
About forty New York Christians just gathered in host homes across the city (125 participants across the country) to simultaneously participate in the April 1-2 CU Fire retreat. In these retreats, Christians dig deep, fast and pray together, seek the Lord and His voice, read a book of the Bible for two hours straight, worship, hear challenging messages, pray for one another for long periods of time, fellowship deeply, and so much more. Christian Union New York asks you to pray that God will continue to complete the good work that He has begun!
We’re now in full swing of our gospel outreach at Penn and we can feel your prayers!
One of our ways to engage students is to set up a table on Locust Walk during times when mass amounts of students are getting out of class and ask them an engaging question. This outreach, pictured below, is a gateway to having conversations about the gospel. Within a span of about three hours, we were able to engage with 67 students in meaningful conversation over donuts and coffee and were given the opportunity to share the gospel with them.
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness. Psalm 145:5-7Dear CU Nova Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Spring has launched and we’ve been on a rollercoaster of God’s goodness!
Christian Union's Multi-Site Events Continue to Grow
By Dr. Chuck Hetzler
The total immersion in each portion of scripture reading, prayer, and fellowship made the experience incredible. It was amazing. The way I was able to meet with God and connect to others has broken some chains off of my heart!! The experience was invaluable. - CU Fire attendee, NYC
CU Caritas Refreshed from Leadership Retreat
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Firefall is a natural phenomenon that occurs in a brief window of time each winter at Yosemite National Park in Northern California. From mid to late February, the water cascading down Horseshoe Falls takes on the appearance of orange fire for about ten minutes during sunset.
Holsey ’22, a Student of the Word, Starts New Chapter of Life
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
Christian Union ministry fellows pour time, love, and energy into the students in their ministries with the hope that when they graduate and move into the next stage of life they will be equipped, spiritually mature, and grounded in Christ. Savannah Holsey, Cornell ’22, is a representation of just that.
A Compelling Vision, Practical Goals, Competant Teams, and More
By Dr. Joseph Mattera
The following are eight of the most important leadership principles I have learned as a senior leader over the past three decades. I have found that these principles are vital to the success of any organization, whether it is faith-based or not.
Converting the Church: Everything for Show
When Facebook introduced the “like” button in 2009, everything changed, according to Pastor Jon Tyson. What had been a platform to connect with friends and family became a place where individuals began to post so that they could receive approval—likes.
College Professor Shares His Journey of Enlightenment
Do you know anyone who doesn’t have a smartphone? Probably not. For the past fifteen years, smartphones have dominated the technological world, giving us everything we could possibly need in one handheld device. It’s also given us an addiction.
CU New York Forum with Dr. Michael Brown
Christian Union New York invited Christian Union Alumni, CU New York participants, and friends of Christian Union to join us on March 17, 2022 at 7:30pm for a virtual forum with Dr. Michael Brown.
Mwabe ’19 Exhorts Graduates to Go beyond Comfort Zone
Editor's note: This article originally appeared in the Summer 2019 edition of Christian Union: The Magazine and is reprinted as a "Throwback Thursday" feature in conjuction with the year-long celebration of Christian Union's 20th Anniversary in 2022.
As part of commencement exercises, Harvard College selected a co-president of Christian Union’s ministry for one of its top honors.
CU Nova Offers Two Weekly Leadership Lecture Series
By Leah M. Smith, Princeton ’22
In the fall semester, Christian Union Nova’s TruThursday leadership lecture series focused on various aspects of love. TruThursday, which meets on Thursdays evenings, “exists to exemplify the gospel while celebrating African, African-American and Caribbean culture.” The fall topics—Loving the World, Loving Your Friends, Loving Yourself, and Loving Your Family—featured virtual and live speakers.
Christian Union Unveils Historic Evangelistic Outreach
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
You have one business on earth - to save souls. - John Wesley
Seeking God Is Not a Priority for Most Christians
Annie Dillard famously said, “How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives.” For most, our days are filled with common things like work and relationships; the elements of life that are necessary. But we also fill our days with shows and movies, social media, and endless hours staring at a screen.
We thank God every time we think of you, because of your partnership in the gospel with us! We are so grateful to God for the ways you support us in our endeavor, by God’s grace, to make disciples of Jesus at Stanford.
Love never fails and never ends. Unlike the physical and temporal things, love has no expiration date. Even spiritual gifts will pass away because they are temporary provisions of God’s grace. But love never, ever loses its relevance. It remains no matter what. Love is and will always be an attribute of God’s eternal character. It won’t go away, but it can lose its power over us.
