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I have great news: Christian Union Caritas was officially recognized as a student group by Stanford at the end of March! Many students over the years have worked toward and eagerly anticipated this milestone. We thank God for their labors and prayers, and for His gracious provision! We are also grateful to the leadership in Stanford’s Office of Student Engagement and Office of Religious and Spiritual Life for partnering with Christian Union in this way. Recognition will afford Christian Union students many privileges and responsibilities that we have not had to this point, such as the ability to table at activities fairs, advertise Christian Union in official Stanford communications, access a wider array of meeting spaces, and more. As Christian Union students reach out to incoming freshmen during the beginning of the year, they are hoping that recognition will provide a significant boost to their efforts. Please thank God along with us!
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.
Life is a dialogue beyond ourselves, not a monologue in which we create our own story (Psalm 135:15-18). We are co-creators with an eternal Creator, and our well-being depends upon the participation of fellow human beings. To make a contribution and lead the conversation, we first analyze what has been said and how our voices, flowing from the ever-evolving dialogue with God and others, will be heard in the grand scheme of things. We listen and learn with humility and faith before we make our voices heard. That’s how we reach beyond ourselves toward a larger purpose. That’s how we know to live well and make human flourishing possible.
About forty New York Christians just gathered in host homes across the city (125 participants across the country) to simultaneously participate in the April 1-2 CU Fire retreat. In these retreats, Christians dig deep, fast and pray together, seek the Lord and His voice, read a book of the Bible for two hours straight, worship, hear challenging messages, pray for one another for long periods of time, fellowship deeply, and so much more. Christian Union New York asks you to pray that God will continue to complete the good work that He has begun!
Christian Union's Multi-Site Events Continue to Grow
By Dr. Chuck Hetzler
The total immersion in each portion of scripture reading, prayer, and fellowship made the experience incredible. It was amazing. The way I was able to meet with God and connect to others has broken some chains off of my heart!! The experience was invaluable. - CU Fire attendee, NYC
CU Caritas Refreshed from Leadership Retreat
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Firefall is a natural phenomenon that occurs in a brief window of time each winter at Yosemite National Park in Northern California. From mid to late February, the water cascading down Horseshoe Falls takes on the appearance of orange fire for about ten minutes during sunset.
Holsey ’22, a Student of the Word, Starts New Chapter of Life
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
Christian Union ministry fellows pour time, love, and energy into the students in their ministries with the hope that when they graduate and move into the next stage of life they will be equipped, spiritually mature, and grounded in Christ. Savannah Holsey, Cornell ’22, is a representation of just that.
A Compelling Vision, Practical Goals, Competant Teams, and More
By Dr. Joseph Mattera
The following are eight of the most important leadership principles I have learned as a senior leader over the past three decades. I have found that these principles are vital to the success of any organization, whether it is faith-based or not.
Converting the Church: Everything for Show
When Facebook introduced the “like” button in 2009, everything changed, according to Pastor Jon Tyson. What had been a platform to connect with friends and family became a place where individuals began to post so that they could receive approval—likes.
College Professor Shares His Journey of Enlightenment
Do you know anyone who doesn’t have a smartphone? Probably not. For the past fifteen years, smartphones have dominated the technological world, giving us everything we could possibly need in one handheld device. It’s also given us an addiction.
