In-Person Ministry Returns
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
A core group of emerging student leaders and alumni who have returned to the area have helped Christian Union Vox reach incoming freshmen and launch into the new academic year with vitality.
Noah Crane, Christian Union’s ministry director at Dartmouth, is thankful for this team of servant-leaders in the wake of last year’s COVID-19 restrictions. Despite some challenges related to the pandemic, CU Vox is once again together for Bible courses, The Vine (Leadership Lecture Series), and social events.
“It’s been a joy to see the normal rhythms and rituals of Dartmouth life return this academic year,” he said. “With a full student population, it's been a blessing to have alumni support and a strong core of student leaders. We have truly seen God provide for CU Vox in big and small ways.”
Crane credited the volunteer ministry work of CU Vox alumni India Perdue ’19, Levi Roseman ’21, Margo Brown ’17, and Brianna Nesselrodt ’21.
“We have a number of young alumni who have moved back to Hanover and the surrounding towns. They made an immediate connection,” Crane said. “They are heavily involved with Christian Union, speaking at our leadership lecture series, having coffee with students. Hanover is a pretty small town with not much to do, but people keep gravitating back. It’s a special place.”
Brown, Perdue, and Nesselrodt are helping to lead Bible courses, which is an answer to prayer for Crane. Roseman serves on the CU Vox Cornerstone Partner Board.
“With no female staff, having Margo, India, and Brianna teaching Bible courses has been an incredible provision,” he said. “These wise, servant-hearted, godly women are able to reach our female students in ways that I cannot. My biggest concern for this term and academic year was how to effectively minister to our female students and with their help that concern has been alleviated.”
Crane noted that with alumni leaders there is a trust factor that exists and building relationships happens more swiftly.
“They have instant credibility with the current students,” he said.
Crane has also been impressed by the “incredible student leaders” who have served during this term: “Countless hours were spent meeting new students, planning events, leading worship, providing rides to church, and planning for not only this term, but subsequent ones. What a blessing to have such capable and committed student leaders.”
Following CU Vox’s Freshman Welcoming Campaign, first-year students and upperclassmen were plugged into Bible courses, mentoring and discipleship sessions were underway, and the Leadership Lecture Series was started.
At the first LLS, Crane challenged the students. “College is a time where your faith can flourish or it can flounder,” he said.
And thanks to this all-hands-on-deck approach with committed alumni and student leaders, CU Vox is poised to flourish during the 2021-22 academic year.
RELATED: Want to go deeper in your faith? Sign up for our newsletter and receive a free download of Christian Union’s “CU’s Seeking God Lifestyle” Bible Course Manual (details at bottom of this page)
