July 2018

Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,

We are two-thirds of the way through the summer, Philadelphia has experienced a heatwave and the summer Bible course discussion on Tim Keller’s The Prodigal God has come to a fruitful close. Vacationing and visiting the sites of some early churches in Turkey were rejuvenating (a ten year wedding promise fulfilled by God’s provision). Professional development has been positively challenging (more below). Working remotely the last few weeks have increased the value of an assortment of Starbucks. I miss Tucker, Kelly and Mae, the Penn team.

I, Fuji, write this prayer letter into the tenth month of serving Christ at Penn. I am a little anxious and yet looking forward to participating/experiencing Freshmen Gathering (or Penn’s new student orientation). Thankful, in advance, for the Faculty-Staff Summer Conference at Sandy Cove Conference in a few weeks,
to be re-familiarized with CU community and our vision and mission.

Continue to pray with us for the Spirit to work Jesus’ gospel into the hearts and minds of students in the summer months. Summers can be filled with summer work along with hedonistic play. With different schedules, obligations, and community than the school year, pray that students will not check out but earnestly seek God through the Son. Pray that they would be growing in the gospel studied in Romans in the spring semester by experiencing “no condemnation” for those who are in Christ Jesus. No need for guilt-driven performance or self-justification (Romans 8).

Pray for preparation of student leaders for the Freshman Welcoming in August and September (through a productive Pre-Retreat). Pray that we avail gospel community to incoming students open to relationships in the small window in the beginning of their Penn career and that these relationships will further their discipleship into Christ as they join in Bible courses, personal discipleship and newfound friendships.

Pray for the Fall Bible courses, in Hebrews, that the Spirit will make us, through faith in Jesus’ priestly ministry, confident to draw near to the throne of grace so as to endure suffering. That the resurrection life that Jesus affords (the throne of grace!) will be the strength to endure and enjoy as a follower in this life.

Thankful for your support and provision through Christian Union for professional development which facilitated growth in two areas: cultural apologetics and the Holy Spirit in ministry. Much was gained about the shaping of our culture from Charles Taylor (or more accurately, James K. A. Smith’s digestion of Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age) and Tim Keller’s Making Sense of God. “Why was it virtually impossible not to believe in God in, say, 1500 in our Western society, while in 2000 many of us find this not only easy, but even inescapable?” (Taylor, p. 25) In challenging secularism, Keller asks, “If this life is all there is, why do we long so deeply for something that doesn’t exist and never did? Why are there so many experiences that point beyond the world picture of secularism, even by those who do not welcome such perceptions?” Growth in the Holy Spirit and gospel ministry was primarily through reading Gordon Fee’s Paul, the Spirit and the People of God. One of the challenging thoughts was “The secret to the success of the early believers in their culture lay first with their “good news” centered in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. …But their success also lay with their experienced life of the Spirit who made the work of Christ an effective reality in their lives, thus making them a radical alternative within their culture.” Pray for the fruit of professional development to take hold in head, heart and Penn ministry. Pray that we recognize our deep weakness leading to deeper surrender in order that the Spirit will demonstrate God’s presence in power so that we and students will respond in deeper trust in Jesus’ gospel. Pray for powerful ministry to the secular age at Penn, in the power of the Spirit.

Thankful for your partnership in prayer to the triune God who bears with the weak in order to demonstrate Jesus’ power in the gospel. Thankful for your continued support to make Him known at Penn.

Fuji Kim
Ministry Fellow 
Christian Union at Penn