Pray for Penn
Select the Most Recent Update, Below
Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,
With classes complete at the University of Pennsylvania, our students are either preparing for graduation festivities or heading to homes and internships around the world. It has been a great year for CU@Penn, as we've seen students continue to grow in faith and leadership on campus and in the community. Our staff is also transitioning, from Bible course preparation and discipleship meetings to professional development and planning for next fall. Would you please join us in praying for the following?
Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,
Our students are in count-down mode: 7 days remaining of classes, 14 days until final exams, and 28 days until graduation. As the semester comes to a close, we are so thankful for the wonderful year we have had with our students. We’ve seen God’s sovereign grace bring new spiritual life, we’ve had the joy of baptizing new believers, and we’ve seen God’s grace poured out in countless ways. Thank you for your prayers for these students and our amazing staff. Would you continue to pray for:
Dear Friends and Partners of Christian Union at Penn,
Spring is dangerously close in the deep South of the Ivy League. Philadelphia enjoyed 2 days near 70 degrees this past week, and with that warmth came a reminder that the Gospel brings new life (as compared to the existentialist eternal Winter). Praise God for his gracious gift of hope!
The flurry of the Winter Retreat (on gospel and mental health) and restarting Bible course groups has settled down into the substance of Acts, Seeking God Lifestyle, and Vocational courses. God’s Word is the gospel-truth needed for disciples living in God’s presence, being missional with God’s gospel, and doing God’s work. With the medley of Bible courses, keeping track of the preparation has been a daily scramble.
Praise God! Our students have returned safely to campus after Winter Break and our Bible Courses have had an excellent start. We currently have 13 Bible Courses meeting, with the possibility of adding an additional course for those who are serving in Penn’s Gospel choir. We are thankful that God’s Spirit is moving among the students, bringing a sense of unity and hunger for God’s Word. Please pray that our students would have an increasing affection for Jesus and would translate that passion for Christ’s glory to tangible action on Penn’s campus.
Merry Christmas! Classes have ended and finals have commenced at the University of Pennsylvania. Our students are dealing with the stress of finals, but also the anticipation of an extended break.
This semester has been brilliant! Our freshman class is committed and enthusiastic about community and growing in the Lord together. I am continually amazed at the diligent efforts of our ABCL’s (Assistant Bible Course Leaders), who are serving and leading the Class of 2022 in gentleness and humility. We as a leadership team, have been meeting every Friday with our students who are currently teaching freshman Bible courses. Every week we are amazed, as they ALL gather to learn and acquire the tools needed to be better equipped to administer God’s word to their students. It has also been encouraging to see ABCL’s show up consistently who are not teaching and just want to be a support and be encouraged themselves. We are watching our leadership grow and mature and as a result, we are experiencing the same with our underclassmen; God is at work!
I was looking back at an old prayer letter from June 2018. In that letter I asked that you would “…pray for fresh vision for this coming fall. Even now as we plan, we are trusting in God’s power to bring divine appointments, to scatter the seed of the Gospel and to see much fruit born.”
The weather is starting to cool down and a new season is imminent in Philadelphia. For all of us that means finishing our Freshmen Campaign and starting our Bible Courses. This semester we are studying Hebrews, one of the more mysterious books in the Bible. But for all of its seemingly weird Old Testament references and complex logic, Hebrews is ultimately about a very simple theme: what it means to be human in the world that God created and is now redeeming from the curse of sin and death through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Praise God! Our students have returned safely to campus after Summer Break and our Freshman Campaign is off to an excellent start. We kicked the school year off with our Pre-retreat, for our returning leaders. I have to say it was one of our best retreats to date. The students reunited and had a wonderful time of teaching and training. We are thankful that God’s Spirit is moving among the students, bringing a sense of unity and hunger for God’s Word. Please pray that our students would have an increasing affection for Jesus and would translate that passion for Christ’s glory to tangible action on Penn’s campus.
