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)
Happy September, and may God bless you! One thing about college life that doesn’t change is this: the harvest is always plentiful. Each year at Dartmouth over 1100 new students walk onto campus, bringing their tears, dreams, fears and potential. And every single one is priceless, made in the image of God. May God grant us His compassion for these students, truly “harassed and helpless,” giving us strength to call them to repentance, faith, joy, and a future more meaningful than they could ever imagine.
Your role in this is as simple as it is invaluable: to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers.”
Our upper-class students have spent the summer dispersed in location but united in purpose to welcome the class of 2027 to campus. They’ve been reaching out on social media to begin these relationships, and each has already established a list of first-years to meet with when they arrive on-campus. We have been working very hard to motivate, train, and unite them to be an effective force for the Kingdom of God and provide a compelling, authentic community for the ‘27s. Knowing the astonishingly high caliber of students in our ministry, it is no surprise this is going well.
Pray for grace for us as we press with all our might this September to gather in as many as we can before the cares and routine of the school year set in. These first weeks are absolutely critical, unlike any other time in the college experience. May God have mercy on us and maximize our impact during these weeks!
We can do nothing without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Thank you all, and may God be with you as you do His work.
In Christ,
Timothy Pillsbury
Ministry Director
Christian Union Vox
Please note: if you would like to receive regular updates on how to pray for Christian Union's work at Dartmouth, please email prayer@christianunion.org.
