January 2018

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As I sit down to write this letter, Princeton students are busy preparing for their final exams and making the final push on their final papers. Since our last letter, students have mostly been away on their winter break, so most of this update will be forecasting the exciting spring semester ahead. We are grateful for your faithful support in the form of prayers, encouragement and financial gifts that make all of this possible. Here are just a few of the exciting things happening this semester:

Ski Safari (Jan 28 - Feb 2)
As soon as exams wrap up, Princeton students enjoy a time called "intersession," which is a week off before the spring semester begins. During this time, we take students to a retreat center for our annual winter conference called Ski Safari. We are taking students to upstate New York to a beautiful Christian retreat center called Camp of the Woods. This year's speaker is Reid Monaghan. He'll be teaching through 1 Peter with a focus on being 'in the world but not of the world.' He will highlight how the gospel helps us to understand community, mission, and suffering. We would love prayer for a few things. First, for recruiting more students. Right now, our numbers are a little less than half of what we normally have. Pray that more students would sign up! Second, pray for an impactful time of ministry. There will be no distractions and we hope that non-Christian students will come to know Jesus and that Christians will be refreshed for mission. Third, pray for safe travels and protection from illness and injury on the ski slopes!

MLK 50 (Feb 16)
2018 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination. During Black History Month, we are hosting an event called MLK 50 to commemorate Dr. King's legacy. We will host three respected African-American scholars - Jemar Tisby, Lisa Fields, and David Hooker - for a great evening of learning about the life and Christian faith of MLK.

Bible Courses
During the fall semester, every one of our students studied the book of Philippians. In the spring, however, different class years study different things. Freshmen will spend 5 weeks focused on the Seeking God Lifestyle and then 5 weeks focused on Sex and Spirituality. Our sophomores and juniors will spend 10 weeks studying through Paul's magisterial letter of Romans. Last, but not least, our seniors will be focused on Vocational Preparation to help equip them to transition well from college into the workplace. Bible Course is such a formative time for our students, please pray that the Lord would use each of these different courses to deepen their faith and expand their desire to live for Him.

META
Conversations on Christianity and culture. As part of the META initiative started at Princeton, we are hosting a semester-long series on Christianity & the Arts. The aim is to help students effectively engage with, speak into, and ultimately transform culture. One session will include a student-led seminar on sacred music, where a senior will guide students through the music and theology of selections from Bach, Pärt, and Messiaen. Other events include a museum visit and film viewing/discussion. We are, perhaps, most excited about hosting Makoto Fujimura, a world-renowned painter and Christian speaker, for a seminar at the Melrose Center. The arts (music, film, etc.) exercise such a powerful influence over our culture. Please pray that these events will inspire and equip our students to be salt and light.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support. We could not do this important work without you. We are grateful for each of you and your partnership with us in the gospel.

Grace and peace,

Kevin Antlitz
Christian Union Ministry Fellow
Princeton Faith and Action

Please note: if you would like to receive regular updates on how to pray for Christian Union's work at Princeton, please email prayer@christianunion.org.