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Christian Union

University of Pennsylvania

Dear CU Martus Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,

Greetings from Penn! Hope this finds you well.

I’m excited to say that we have 13 Bible courses running. Students are finding community, digging into the scriptures, and growing in their faith. I’ve also talked with several freshmen that are enjoying and being encouraged and challenged in their Bible courses. Many of them are also enjoying the relational bonds within their Bible course.

Dear CU Martus Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,

Greetings!

We are nearing the end of the Freshman Welcoming Campaign. I’m pleased to say that the Lord has been faithful in blessing the work of our hands as we reach out to students arriving on campus. We held events like a midnight pancakes gathering, a zoo trip, a late-night activities fair, a Phillies game, and a “Donuts for Dudes and Danishes for Dames” event to welcome new students to Penn’s campus and into CU Martus.

Dear CU Martus Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,

Greetings from Penn!

I am still pushing toward our summer goals of building the support base for CU Martus and CU Fire Retreats. Thankfully, the Lord is blessing those efforts and showing his faithfulness. The summer has also been a great time to seek the Lord, make new connections for the ministry, and write a “game plan” for the upcoming semester.

Dear CU Martus Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,

Greetings from Penn!

I’m thankful to say that I just returned from vacation where I was able to spend 10 days hiking 100 miles on the Appalachian Trail while seeking the Lord through the Psalms of Ascents. I found this time particularly refreshing, inspiring, and faith-building. The Lord graciously strengthened my “inner man” (Eph 3:16), and I am spurred on by what God has in store for the upcoming academic year as we diligently seek His face.

Dear CU Martus Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,

Greetings from Penn! Our seniors have officially graduated, while others are off to summer internships, jobs, or study abroad programs. It is tough to send off the seniors, knowing that may be the last time I see them in person for the foreseeable future; however, I rejoice knowing how well they have been equipped in their faith to transform the world around them, and I look forward to seeing the fruit of their lives.

Dear CU Martus Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,

We’re wrapping up the year here at Penn. Seniors are preparing for graduation and transitioning to the workforce or ministry fellowships, while other students are preparing for summer jobs or internships. To close out the year, we connected seniors with alumni resources, concluded our gospel campaign, and conducted our spring formal.

Dear CU Martus Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,

We’re now in full swing of our gospel outreach at Penn and we can feel your prayers!

One of our ways to engage students is to set up a table on Locust Walk during times when mass amounts of students are getting out of class and ask them an engaging question. This outreach, pictured below, is a gateway to having conversations about the gospel. Within a span of about three hours, we were able to engage with 67 students in meaningful conversation over donuts and coffee and were given the opportunity to share the gospel with them.

Dear CU Martus Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:1

Currently, our team is preparing for a campus-wide campaign to expose students to the gospel in a meaningful way. I, along with the newly appointed student leaders, are praying and strategizing on how to best facilitate this multi-tiered campaign. We know that God’s desire to have the gospel spread across Penn’s campus is greater than our own, and we are simply praying to partner with God in His work. We trust that as we proclaim the gospel it will be met with God’s power and promise (Isaiah 55:8-11).

Dear CU Martus Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,

We’re back into the swing of things at Penn and the main focus is leadership. 1 Timothy 3:1-2 states, “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach…”

This semester is a significant time for our students as we are seeing the fulfillment of 1 Timothy 3:1-2 happen before our eyes as we prepare for a “change of the guard” with our student ministry team leaders (MTL’s) and assistant Bible course leaders (ABCLs). We have big shoes to fill as many of our current leaders are graduating seniors this year. However, this provides a great opportunity for aspiring leaders to rise to the occasion to lead next.

Dear CU Martus Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’" (Luke 2:8‭-‬10 ESV)