It is hard to believe that we are over halfway through the semester here at Cornell! Time seems to go by faster with each passing day, even more so when we are busy—and things have certainly been bustling at CU Vita!
There has been a steady stream of new faces coming to the Mott Center for our prayer meetings and social events. The students who are already engaged in ministry and fellowship with other believers at CU Vita have been so faithful to invite their friends, some of whom have little to no exposure to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Continue to pray that the Holy Spirit equips us all for the work and empowers us for the opportunities!
Many students are also beginning to face the inevitable struggles that come with attending a university such as Cornell. As I meet with our student men each week in Bible Courses and one-on-one, they consistently share their struggles: weighty course loads, difficult exams, and massive projects are a major burden for most, not to mention the inevitable personal issues that can push a student to the breaking point. I had the responsibility and privilege to bring words of encouragement at a memorial for a student whose life ended far too soon, and the Gospel brought reassurance and hope as the young person’s faith was discussed. Pray that the Lord would also use trials and adversity to open hearts and minds to Him.
As we talk of adversity, it is impossible to ignore how the conflict between Israel and Palestine directly influences students on our campus. In the last several days a call for the murders of Jewish students here at Cornell caused a tidal wave of fear throughout the Jewish community. CU Vita has been able to reach out to Hillel and other Jewish organizations at Cornell and throughout Ithaca to share our prayers with them. CU Vita students are continually working to find ways to be salt and light to those who are hurting, and I am so proud of their heart for others.
If you missed the recent article in Christianity Today, highlighting Christian Union and other ministries’ campus response to the Israel-Hamas war, feel free to read it here.
Liz, our women’s ministry fellow and Lea Ann, women’s ministry fellow and Mott Center manager, continue to pour their time and energy into developing Christian young women into powerful and effective leaders. Our ladies are making tremendous impacts in our community, including ministries in Ithaca and around the globe. Whether it is through rigorous Bible Courses, meaningful prayer times, fun social events, or serving the greater community, they consistently and mightily live out the tenets of Scripture.
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:
https://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.
