The Heart of Christian Union's Ministry for Each and Every "One"

“May the Lord use these theologically informed, biblically equipped, spiritually growing graduates as significant leaders in the next great awakening." -William Tennett, founder of the Log College (later formed Princeton University) Kenneth Jasko, '78, in his essay "God at Work" writes, "Princeton University is a school which has an exciting Christian history. Founded as a result of the Great Awakening, it has educated many notable men of God amidst numerous campus revivals. Princeton students have had a great impact on American Christianity, for they have been responsible for starting the American Bible Society, American Tract Society, Intercollegiate YMCA, Student Volunteers Movement, and many other Christian works." Jasko continues, "Princeton University has its roots in the Log College, founded in 1726 by William Tennett. The log college was little more than a small log house…it was here that Tennett educated a small group of men for the ministry."   photo credit: williamtennett.org In 2024, almost three hundred years later, there is still a place at Princeton where believers are educated and equipped for the ministry: opened in June 2017, Christian Union Melrose Center is a house near campus where Princeton students are being developed as Christian leaders, devoted to making Jesus known to the entire university and to influencing the culture for Christ.

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• Princeton

Christian Union Washington, DC Hosts First Annual Reception 

On a warm October evening in Arlington, VA, close to two dozen people gathered to attend Christian Union's first annual Washington, DC reception. This reception included a meet and greet for attendees to connect with other Christian Union alumni and friends of the ministry. It also hosted Carrie Sheffield, a nationally renowned columnist and broadcaster, as the guest speaker to share an overview of her recently published memoir, Motorhome Prophecies. Sheffield, a Harvard alumna and member of Christian Union America, will be serving in an advisory role for the Christian Union Washington, DC Board of Advisors.   Carrie Sheffield sharing at Christian Union's Washington, DC Reception

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• New York Events
• Harvard Law

Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Deonarain, Harvard Class of 2023

"Something holy was there," said Sarah Deonarain about her first visit to Christian Union's Leadership Lecture Series at Harvard called Doxa. "Peaceful, genuine communities coming together to worship God in the middle of campus created a beautiful space… something I had not experienced before." Deonarain grew very attached to this space over her undergraduate career at Harvard.  Her journey to how she got to Christian Union testifies to the fact that God provides us with the people, places, and things we need to grow close to Him if we are willing to see and say "yes." Deonarain admits at first she didn't, saying "no" several times to an invitation to come and experience Christian community. Like many students, she admitted to being swept up in the busyness of the culture, but when change was needed, she said yes to a persistent and faith-filled friend who warmly invited her time and time again. 

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Devotional from Christian Union America's National Fast, August 2024

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’"  - Matthew 25:31-36Final judgment might not be a popular topic for sermons or devotions in our time, and many churches likely wouldn’t dare preach a fiery sermon similar to Jonathan Edwards’ famous “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” today. Yet, it is crucial for every believer to understand. In this passage, Jesus paints a clear picture of what will happen when He returns, clarifying what He previously taught the disciples through parables. 

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• Devotionals

But God's Remnant Stands Firm, Deeply Rooted in His Promises 

The heart of Harvard’s undergraduate campus is called Harvard Yard. Many of the academic lecture halls are situated here, as well as all the first-year student dorms. Here, the towering trees hide the ground from sunlight and old brick buildings reflect the campus's age. And, of course, the entire yard is enclosed by red brick walls. 

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• Harvard

Intellectual Freedom Under Attack at American Educational Institutions

“To impose any strait jacket upon the intellectual leaders in our colleges and universities would imperil the future of our Nation.” — Chief Justice Earl Warren On September 16th, 2024, Dartmouth College aligned its written policies of free speech with First Amendment principles. Consequently, Dartmouth officially reclaimed the overall “green light” speech code rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).  According to a recent article published by FIRE, Dartmouth is the only green light school in the Ivy League, one of four in New Hampshire, and one of 68 nationwide. FIRE awards green light ratings to institutions with no written policies that seriously imperil student free speech rights.  “Say something controversial at most elite colleges and you’re liable to get shouted down, canceled, reported, and disciplined,” said FIRE Director of Policy Reform Laura Beltz. “But Dartmouth has shown it aims to foster a better environment for free speech through adopting these policies and encouraging dialogue across difference.”

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• Intellectual Engagement
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• Faith and Work

One Student Ministry's Unstoppable Heart to See God Transform Lives

It's not easy or convenient to plan a weekend away. It is much easier to choose not to disrupt the pattern of life and to stay within the confines of routine. Disruption is not easy for anyone, but it is especially difficult for Ivy League students. Their rigorous academic schedules are full of the demands and pressures of achievement at the highest level, so stepping away from it all during the school year is nothing short of revolutionary. Stepping away to retreat with the Lord and with each other is a beautiful gateway into the freedom Christ came to give--freedom, in part, from the weight of the standards, values, and identity placed upon us by the world. The students of Christian Union are learning to live in this kind of freedom, and, as a result, they are sharing it with others. 

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• Harvard Law

Christian Union National Fast, August 2024, "America Returning to God"

"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way,and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." -Isaiah 55:6, 7, ESVPrayer is a marvelous gift that the Lord has given to us, allowing us the privilege of entering into His presence for the purpose of thanksgiving, praise, and petition. As followers of Christ we know we can pray anywhere, anytime, and be assured that the Father is aware of our cries. 

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• Devotionals

2024 Bible Course Engagement Explodes 

In 2021, Christian Union Gloria Law and other ministries at Harvard Law School (HLS) were featured on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). The report, seen on major television stations and online, highlighted a strong Christian presence and a unified desire to see God move mightily at HLS.

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• Harvard Law

Speaking and Living Boldly for the Lord in a Pluralistic Society

The Book of Acts shows a people living boldly.  In regard to the church in the Book of Acts, Author Jonathan Parnell in his article, "Why Boldness Matters Now" writes, "The bewildering reality at work in Peter’s and John’s testimony in Acts 4 is what they say about Jesus. These two fishermen had become messengers of God’s salvation, heralds for a new age in human history. They were now spokesmen of the risen and reigning Lord over all. So yes, they spoke with passion. But the point Luke drives home is not their style, but their substance. Not their homiletics, but their hermeneutics. It was all centered on Christ — how he is the One to whom the whole Old Testament points, how his work has changed the world forever. The heart of Peter’s and John’s boldness was how they spoke clearly about the identity and significance of Jesus. The picture Luke gives us of the early Christian mission is that the church was not without words when it came to the question of their King."

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• Intellectual Engagement
• Cultural Engagement
• Faith and Work

from Christian Union America's National Fast, August 2024

"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’" -Jeremiah 7:3-4  I grew up in a family with roots in the military. My father worked as an engineer on satellite systems for the Air Force during the Vietnam War, and his father spent his whole career in the service, flying B-52 bombers over the Aleutian Islands during World War II and then commanding a wing of C-130 cargo planes during Vietnam. When troops do their own thing, people die. We are, as a result, fundamentally rule-following people. But I have also raised my children in the 21st-century—a time when so much of the culture says that anything goes. The idea of authority and limits and rules seems foreign in so many places now. It is fundamentally countercultural to put aside what we want to do and do what God asks of us. So much of our world actively works against this notion, spewing “deceptive words” about who is King and how we can stay connected to Him.

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• Devotionals

Religious Engagement on the Rise at Yale

Christian Union's leadership development ministry serving students at Yale University was recently featured in a Yale Daily News article written by Ada Perlman.  In the article, Perman reported that, "according to a Yale Daily News’ survey distributed to the class of 2028, on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being “extremely religious,” 4 percent of the 535 respondents said 5, 12 percent responded 4 and 22 percent responded 3. Last year, University Chaplain Maytal Saltiel told the News that she has seen a considerable increase in interest in religious communities at Yale." 

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• Yale