Ministries
The Spring semester is fully underway here at Columbia; and as our students prepare to endure midterm season, God continues to be faithful through our ministry to them. We’re thankful to God for the Spirit’s work in our Bible courses, Illumina meetings, and discipleship time with our students. The Spirit is indeed at work on Columbia’s campus. One of the ways we are seeing this is by a lifestyle of seeking God on display through daily prayer gatherings happening early morning. Morning prayer is an inter-fellowship gathering that is growing in number and fervency. Join us in asking God to bring significant change to Columbia through these students’ faithful pursuit of God.
About a month into this semester, Bible courses, Vita, and prayer groups are meeting regularly, and are continuing to be a source of encouragement for our students as they seek God. Our outreach team began a new activity this semester which we have called “Mocha Mondays,” in which we hand out free coffee and hot chocolate at one of the libraries on campus. Along with this, we are also offering free books and mugs. We also have plans to show a documentary on campus about the dangers of the hookup culture, which is so common among college students. The goal is to promote a conversation about sexuality and God’s design for us as men and women.
In a study of Judges that I’m involved in, there are a few lessons that jump out each week - lessons that have stood the test of time from before there were kings in Israel to 21st century New York. These insights make me regularly question my operating assumptions about faith and the world around me.
"…this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ - Acts 2:16-21
Depending on where you reside, it may start to look and even, smell, like... well, Spring!? If you live in the Northeast, it’s definitely does not look nor smell like anything but the dead of winter. But, I digress. The wonderful thing about the seasons is that whether you like it or not, they are inevitable. Seasons change. From the “deadness of winter” we will most inevitably move into a season of new life, or Spring.
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.
All is quiet here on Brown’s campus. Students are still away for winter break but will soon return to begin the spring semester. Given the absence of students on campus, we don’t have much in the way of stories or updates, but would love if you would join us in praying for the following:
I pray that you are having a blessed start to the new year. Much of the month of January was spent diligently planning for the rest of the year and identifying new student leaders for next year. Columbia students recently returned from vacation after Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, and we are gearing up for another semester of fruitful ministry. Here are ways that you can be praying for us:
Our students were gone for the past month over Christmas break, and classes have just reconvened. Some Bible courses started last week, but most are about to begin as we teach both the book of Acts and Seeking God to our students. As a staff we have begun meeting with students since they have come back from break and have been planning for our Bible courses this semester. Our large group meeting is going to begin next week. At the end of the first week of classes, we kicked off our semester with a dinner and game night. Many students came and showed a lot of enthusiasm for the events coming up within the next couple of months.
2019 brings a new year and a list of new resolutions. For CU New York it isn’t so much resolutions as our plans and initiatives for the year. We will, of course, continue our salons and forums that explore various aspects and implications of our faith in our vocations and the broader city. Additionally, there are other activities coming that will serve to build the kind of redemptive engagement we seek.
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