Thank you for your prayers for CU Caritas at Stanford! We are seeing much fruit from our freshman welcoming campaign! In addition to supporting our student leaders in distributing over 500 welcome bags to freshmen, Susan, our women’s ministry fellow, and I have been holding many one-on-one meetings with students to get to know them, to pray for them, and to invite them to join Bible Courses and ministry events.
Greetings from CU Martus! I pray this finds you well.
We are well into the fall semester, and there are two main updates: 1) we now have a Women’s Ministry Fellow, and 2) current update on the Freshman Welcoming Campaign.
I am very pleased to welcome Maima Badio to our team at CU Martus. Maima was born in Liberia, West Africa. Her experience living as a refugee in Ghana, before immigrating to the United States, fuels her passion for working with students and families. She earned her BA in Economics and International Affairs at The George Washington University. She later earned her MA in School Psychology from the University of Delaware.
I trust this email finds you well and filled with the joy of the Lord. As we step into the vibrant colors of October, thank you for your unwavering support, which continues to fuel the transformative work of our ministry. Your intercession and collaborative spirit remain the bedrock of our life-changing work, and it is with great excitement that we share some recent milestones along with specific prayer requests for the upcoming month.
By chuck hetzler
The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. – Acts 17:10-11
The Bible says that the Bereans were “more noble” than the Thessalonians because they were eager to hear what Paul and Silas had to say. They did not quickly take offense to the concept of a suffering Savior, crucified as a criminal, and raised from death to life as the victorious Son of God. They did not consider it inconceivable that God could fulfill thousands of years of prophecies in this God-Man, Jesus of Nazareth. Some people today can be quickly triggered when hearing unfamiliar messages, but such a reaction is ignoble and immature. We should be able to hear different views and then patiently weigh and test them through the Scriptures, just as the Bereans did.
Christian Union America's Mentoring Program Launches Alumni Well
By christine foster
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
For many Christians, the most challenging phase of life begins the moment they graduate from college. Robust discipleship, through which many students grew strong in college, suddenly disappears. The members of their Bible Course group scatter across the country and around the world. Young graduates suddenly find themselves in a new city, with a demanding job, and no home church. Christian Union’s Alumni Mentoring Program aims to smooth this time, by equipping these graduates with some support. The intention is to see these new alumni continue to network with other faithful people and grow into the full Christian leaders God intends for them to be.
A Devotional
By qwynn gross
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. - John 15:7, NKJV
The Word of God is the bedrock, basis, and fabric of Christianity; spoken in the beginning and framing the world in which creation lives, the Word is the manna from heaven that became flesh and dwelled amongst man, written on tablets of stone and transferred to man’s heart so that all would be warned and find great reward, the Word was given to one, Adam, and defied by two, Adam and Eve; a covenant to be kept by a nation astray in heart but upheld by the Savior who would be faithful and true. Established as the one thing that will never pass away, neither return to God void, the Word of God is the Truth that endures forever, and that must abide in every believer, as imitators of Christ, that prayers may be answered, faith can be seen, and fruit is produced.
FCA v San Jose Unified School District
By erin conner
In an article on the FIRE (The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression) website, Robert Shibley reports that in 2019, at a high school in California, Fellowship of Christian Athletes' (FCA) recognition as a student group was revoked for requiring that student leaders comply with their statements of belief. These statements align with the basic tenets of Christian theology.
On September 13, 2023, belief-based student groups won an important victory in the lawsuit that followed, Fellowship of Christian Athletes v. San Jose Unified School District, which restored the ability of many such groups to meet on public campuses and schools in the many western states covered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Christian Union New York
By erin conner
Many people know Christian Union as a student leadership ministry serving at some of our nation’s most influential educational institutions. However, Christian Union also serves Christian professionals in one of our nation’s most influential cities: New York.
CU New York is working to bring revival to America, by developing, connecting, healing, empowering, and equipping bold Christian leaders in the city.
Christian Union Bible Courses Challenge Students
By erin conner
Intellectual engagement, one of the six core values of Christian Union, embraces God’s command for us to love God with all our mind. (Mark 12:30) As a result of the desire to intellectually engage university students to build faithful leaders, Christian Union offers rigorous Bible Courses.
Students involved in Christian Union ministries in the fall semester of 2023 have an opportunity to join a 10-lesson study on the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians, which is often referred to as a “prison letter,” as Paul wrote it while “in chains.” (Colossians 4:3, 10, 18.)
Ministry Snapshot: Christian Union Vita at Cornell University
By erin conner
“Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.” - 1 John 3:10
In February of 2023, Marcus Buckley and his wife, Lea Ann, packed up their life in Florida as church leaders to move to Ithaca, New York to answer God’s call to serve Cornell students.
This call did not come without sacrifice.
Three Lessons in Revival
By erin conner
In this article published by Desiring God, Pastor Jeremy Walker writes a brief summary and analysis of the revival that took place in Wales, England in the 1700's.
Walker notably writes that “the Lord was pleased to stir the listless and lethargic to liveliness and labor during the 18th Century in various parts of the world by various human instruments. In England, God raised up George Whitefield. In America… Jonathan Edwards, and in Wales… Daniel Rowland.”
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” - Matthew 9:35-38 (ESV)
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” - Isaiah 43:19
Happy Fall, dear friends! Our students have finally regathered after a long time of scattering over the summer. Pre-retreat with the student leaders was a strong and powerful way to kick-off the semester as the students reconnected with God, one another and made many plans to welcome the class of 2027. There were 28 student leaders at pre-retreat, and we were joined by CU Vox at Dartmouth as well, which was mutually encouraging! The week at retreat together was filled with worship, prayer, teaching and a lot of fun.
Summer was full of exciting stories and opportunities for our students both at home and abroad. Meanwhile, Christian Union faculty have been preparing for the coming year. At the start of August, we gathered together for a week-long retreat of training and spiritual revitalization aptly titled Momentum. Now Fall has come, bringing blessings and challenges.
We’re excitedly preparing for our PreRetreat where we will join our student leaders for a time of refreshing in the Lord, deepening the bonds of community, and training for our Freshmen Welcoming Campaign! Our students will be challenged to reach out with the message of the gospel and to pursue friendships with as many incoming Freshmen as possible. Many Christian Freshmen simply don’t know that they need Christian community and don’t think to seek it out. This is why we must go to them! Our prayer is that no Christian student falls away and misses out on spiritual growth during their Princeton years - and that every student has an invitation to Christian community. We aim to be like the Good Shepherd, leaving the ninety-nine to seek out and find the one!
Announcing the October 13-14 CU Fire National Simulcast Retreat
By grace ann arvey
CU Fire Retreats—quarterly simulcast retreats for believers across America—help participants experience spiritual rejuvenation and encouragement with their friends, their church, or any other Christian community to which they belong, from the comfort of their own homes. The next CU Fire Retreat will take place October 13-14, 2023.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”. How then can 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 10:13-15
Greetings from CU Libertas!
God is at Work Through CU's Freshman Welcoming Campaign
By erin conner
The great commission of Jesus Christ, to his followers, is to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
At universities across America, students entering college can discover a culture that seems to silence discourse about existential purpose and meaning; about faith and God. This is especially true at the ten academic institutions where Christian Union serves. To follow the great commission in these contexts requires courage to resist the pattern of this world.
Two Don't-Miss 2023 Events
CU Fire Retreat
October 13-14, 2023
A CU Fire Retreat is a 1.5-day nationwide simulcast retreat. Experience spiritual rejuvenation and encouragement with your friends—or any other Christian community you are a part of—from the comfort of your own home! All groups are led by local volunteers. In fact, you are invited to consider becoming a host yourself, and to bring a CU Fire Retreat to your community. Hosting a CU Fire Retreat is easy‚ and we''ll provide everything you need to make it happen.
Learn more at CUFire.org or reach out to GraceAnn.Arvey@ChristianUnion.org if you have questions.
Christian Union New York Speakers Series
Dates TBA
Young Alumni Society Events
Spontaneous events are planned and run by young alumni living in NYC. This group communicates and invites each other to events via GroupMe. Reach out to Karen.Hetzler@ChristianUnion.org to be added to the GroupMe and to connect with other Christian young professionals in the City.