December 2017

Grace and Peace to you from God Our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Here we are a week out from Christmas! Our students have been writing Advent Devotions on Facebook for the last few weeks with various challenges to seek God, practice thankfulness, and otherwise prepare ourselves for the King. I hope that you have been (or will be) able to prepare as well, but the amazing fact still remains that Jesus Christ has come to us, even when we weren't ready. His grace meets us right where we are—dead in our sins—and through his death and resurrection, we are “made alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5). These are truly tidings of comfort and joy!

As I’ve been completing semester reports, I’ve again been reminded how God has been good and faithful this semester. We have had 67 students in Bible course this fall, 30 of which are “first-years”. Our students met in prayer pods various times and places throughout the week this semester, totaling over 400 student hours of prayer. Several students continued to join Bible Courses even later in the semester, and still several others are decidedly closer to trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord.
I’ll ask for your continued prayers in the following ways:

• Thanksgiving that Jane & Greg Hendrickson have welcomed their new daughter Hannah (and in God’s providential timing, on Greg’s birthday at that)! We have missed having Jane on campus with us the last few weeks. Please pray for her as she regains strength and returns to us in January, amidst balancing an all-new family/work routine.
• Pray for our students to “rest in the Lord” over Christmas break. We are proud of their accomplishments this semester, and pray that God will keep, guard, and protect them as they scatter all over the country and globe until mid-January. Pray that they’ll take both the physical and spiritual rest they need. Ask God to give them a renewed vision for Himself and His purposes over their lives!
• Pray for our Christian Union Staff Conference in Philadelphia, January 2-5th. This is a strategic time of reconnecting with God, one another, and the Christian Union mission, and we are very much looking forward to it. But, being wise to the Enemies’ schemes, pray for God’s protection over this gathering from start to finish.

Thank you, friends — Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. The Lord bless you all.

Clay Cromer
Ministry Director
Christian Union at Yale

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