I am so excited to give you an update regarding Christian Union Vita! We are praising God for the incredible things He has been doing during the first few weeks of classes here on the campus of Cornell University!
Our Freshman Welcoming Campaign was a tremendous success, with hundreds of meetings between our faculty, current students, and incoming first-years. We enrolled 40 freshmen in our Bible courses–20 men and 20 women! Several of our new first-years are already stepping into leadership roles and contributing greatly to the work of making Jesus the most talked about name on campus. In addition to adding a healthy number of freshmen, we have also added many other students of all years throughout this period, leading us to a total Bible Course enrollment of over 100 students! Many of these transfers and upperclassmen also feel the Lord calling them to step up and take greater responsibility in the work of the Great Commission, giving us even more to celebrate. The Lord is so faithful!
During this time we have hosted numerous events at the Mott Center, including worship nights, social events, Bible Courses, and prayer meetings. Lea Ann, my wife and the Mott Center Manager, has been working diligently to make it a place students feel welcomed and comfortable. The best compliments have been when students tell them it feels (and even smells!) like home, partly due to the fact that there is always plenty of food, drinks, and snacks for students when they arrive.
In addition to her duties at Mott Center, Lea Ann is frequently connecting with the young women who are a part of our ministry, encouraging and mentoring them in their walk with Christ. Liz Thomforde, our Women’s Ministry Fellow, is also doing an exceptional job leading Bible Courses and ministering one-on-one with our young ladies, including a women’s athlete Bible Course with over 25 students that is continuing to grow each week! I am so thankful for the team God has assembled here at CU Vita!
As we continue to see God provide growth, one of our greatest needs is funding to meet the ministry's opportunities. With over 15,000 students on campus–most of whom do not have a relationship with Jesus– the financial needs are significant to provide adequate resources for supplies, staffing, and funding for events aimed at reaching them with the Gospel.
If you are already giving financially to support the work of CU Vita, I am so very grateful! If not, would you consider becoming a Cornerstone Partner with us? Any amount can make a tremendous difference. You can learn more about how to give at the following link:
http://www.christianunion.org/cornerstone/vita
Thank you again for your faithful support and encouragement of the work here at Cornell. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at marcus.buckley@christianunion.org.
Pressing On,
Marcus Buckley, DMin.
Ministry Director
Christian Union Vita
Please note: if you would like to receive regular updates on how to pray for Christian Union's work at Cornell, please email prayer@christianunion.org.
