Ministries
Friends,
Students are currently scattered around the globe enjoying some rest and relaxation during Brown University’s spring break. Once they return to campus, we’ll have four more weeks with them before they move into reading/exam period. Hard to believe the end of the semester is so close at hand!
Christian Union at Columbia continues to see God’s goodness to our ministry. As you may already know, Christian Union was working tirelessly to acquire a ministry center for Columbia. As of February 13, that purchase was completed, and we will be using the center next semester. We could not be more thankful to each of you for your prayers and sacrificial giving. Our desire is to use this space as a hub for gospel engagement with Columbia University. Please pray that many students would be encouraged in their faith and come to know Jesus through the work that will be done there.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice”, Philippians 4:4.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is full of joy and thanksgiving – he used his own thankful heart to teach and encourage the church to live joyfully in light of the gospel. Even, and perhaps especially, in challenging times. This season of Lent is a time of reflection and repentance that leads directly and unequivocally to an unencumbered joy in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have an abundant new life in Christ, and the hope of all things being made new.
We have much to give thanks to God for this month.
Just last week we hosted apologist Alycia Woods from Ravi Zacharias International Ministry. Alycia is a winsome speaker who has addressed mixed believing and unbelieving audiences at MIT, Harvard, Brown, Boston University and, now, Cornell. She addressed the question, "Is Christianity Intolerant?" to a room of about 75 students, and made a clear statement of the Christian principle of expressing the truths of Christianity with love and respect even to those we have deep and fundamental disagreements with. She gave clear expression of the beauty of the Gospel. Her 40-minute talk was closed with 15-minutes of Q&A. Friendly, but serious, questions were raised by the audience, like: "How do Christians explain their checkered and, at times, intolerant past?" "What are some practical, effective ways we can 'break the ice' to speak with our atheist and agnostic friends about the truths of Christianity?" About a dozen people stayed after the event to dialogue further with Alycia. Please pray that the unbelievers who came would continue to grapple with the truths of the gospel in community with us. Cornell is a fiercely secular place which means your prayers are especially needful to break through these hard spots and skeptical hearts.
I am writing you as we begin a new semester at Princeton to thank you for your ongoing prayers, encouragement, and financial support for our ministry. We depend on your prayerful support for the ministry we do here, so thank you. We want you to know that God is at work in the lives of our students!
We are grateful for your support and want to give you an update through February of this spring semester to inform your continued prayers.
—C. S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces
This short, but loaded statement from Lewis’ reimagining of the Cupid and Psyche myth contains a good measure of hope, but also a fair amount of challenge. We are creatures in process, striving toward Christlikeness, often stumbling along the way. As our students endure the midpoint of the winter quarter (and the school year!), they have a keen sense that their lives are yet not in a true and final form. God has begun a good work in many lives on this campus, and He will carry it to completion through His Son.
Hello from Dartmouth,
It’s hard to believe we’re already in week 4 of the winter term! It’s been a full one so far. Thank you for your prayers for our Winter Conference. It truly was a blessed weekend of fellowship, growth, and fun!
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