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James Madison Program Hosts Conversation on Censorship Concerns
An openness to differing viewpoints is increasingly becoming a missing component of higher education. Though university is meant to be a time of challenging assumptions, learning how to consider different perspectives and why they are valid, and ultimately becoming a more well-rounded individual who respects worldviews that are different from their own, these basic functions of education are eroding away.
Cornell Alumnus Is Thankful for Christian Union’s Impact
By Zachary Lee, Cornell ’20
Being involved with Christian Union for four years at Cornell taught me all about translation. No, I did not translate the Bible from ancient Greek or Hebrew (although that could be a Bible Course idea!), but rather through Christian Union, I learned what it meant to take the restorative and life-giving truths that had nurtured me in my Christian walk and contextualize them to people from other backgrounds without compromising the integrity of the message.
Donaldson ’23 Relies on Christ to Overcome Adversity
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
2020 didn’t go as planned for anyone. But for the class of ’23, it was uniquely disappointing. The pandemic cut into the long-anticipated college experience of making new friends and living in the dorms as first-year students, and for Gabby Donaldson, it meant missing a whole season of playing on the Harvard women’s basketball team.
Christian Union Associate Produces Timely Documentary
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Once a month, Christian Union New York convenes local pastors for an intense, fourteen-hour time of prayer, fasting, Bible reading, and seeking the Lord. Christian Union Founder and CEO Matt Bennett leads the meetings, along with Dimas Salaberrios, a Christian Union ministry associate and a bold Christian leader in New York City.
Santavicca ’73 Serves with Other Alumni on CU Vita Board
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
The year of 1969 might call to mind images of anti-war protests, Woodstock, or landing on the moon, but for Ed Santavicca it was the year he experienced a revival on Cornell’s campus. Arriving as a freshman in Ithaca, New York, Santavicca’s world was saturated with the cultural upheaval of the Vietnam war, rigorous academics, and a very limited understanding of God.
UPenn Class of 2021
Throughout Noah's freshman and sophmore year at UPenn, he pursued his dream of becoming a fighter pilot. However, in the spring of his senior year he received devastating news that he was medically disqualified to fly due to a minor health issue. The first person he called was a fellow Christian Union Bible Course member followed by his Bible Course leader.
Christian Union Alumnus Founds NYC Design Studio
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
Strategy is the name of the game for Cody Min, the founder of Astronaut Monastery, a creative studio operating out of New York City.
With the tagline of “Making work that thinks and thinking that works,” Min, the company’s head of new business and strategy, has created a sleek and successful firm serving clients like Hyundai, the popstar Kesha, Cole Haan, Rowing Blazers, Disney-ABC, Samsung, and Uniqlo. Min’s creative work today is deeply rooted in his faith, which was cultivated through the ministry of CU Martus (formerly called Penn Faith and Action or PennFA).
Andy Crouch: "We Are Not Going Back"
The past year has shaken every corner of our world. But Andy Crouch saw a lot of what is happening today coming back in March of 2020. Crouch, the partner of theology and culture at Praxis, made a few prescient statements about the length of the looming pandemic, the cultural shifts that were coming for us, and, most importantly, saying, “We are not going back.”
CU Lumine Hosts Evangelism Workshops
Kelly Parks, Staff Writer
At its core, evangelism is the act of sharing the good news of Christ with others so that they might come to have new life and have it to the fullest. As society has become increasingly secular, however, evangelism has become a less comfortable topic for many Christians. Although evangelism is sometimes synonymous with preaching on a street corner, we should certainly not overlook the equally powerful act of sharing Christ through personal witness.
Grow Deeper in Your Faith
Many in New York wish they were stronger in their walks with God and want to be empowered to step out in faith to make a difference in their world. Christian Union New York exists to help. The ministry serves professionals in the city, Christian Union alumni, Christian Union Cornerstone Partners, and their peers.
The foundation for ministry is one's personal relationship with God, a relationship that requires an investment of time and constant cultivation. Christian Union has found that short, focused times of drawing near to God have an incredibly positive impact, providing Christian strength and renewed vision. As a result, it has developed a series of simulcast events designed to provide this sort of opportunity for believers (and their friends) nationwide.
Introducing Christian Union Fire Retreats
Above: A small group that met in Manhattan as part of a recent national CU Fire Retreat.
A Christian Union Fire Retreat is a unique one-and-a-half-day simulcast gathering for the rejuvenation and inspiration of Christians. Typically, these retreats are offered several times per year.
Rather than convening in one large group in one location, CU Fire Retreats allow believers to invite friends over to enjoy the simulcast content — and small group interactions — in the comfort of their own homes or churches. During a CU Fire Retreat, these small groups will enjoy access to great teaching that will spur them to seek God, dig into (and discuss) God's word in an in-depth way, worship, and pray together for the duration of the 1.5 days.
A CU Fire Retreat is an investment in learning what God is like; spiritual rejuvenation, and receiving a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. Attendees experience an incredible spiritual strengthening to stand faithfully in Him and be used by Him to see their families, communities, and nation impacted for Christ. Relationships among attendees are profoundly deepened as they seek the Lord together for His purposes in their lives.
What Participants Are Saying
“I’ve been enriched beyond words. I am now looking to God to do the extraordinary in the lives of those around me through earnest prayer. The weekend raised my spiritual temperature and sharpened my senses. I am ready for battle.” - Olga S.
“The event was enormously impactful. I was deeply convicted of my sin and the need to live wholeheartedly for God.” - Reid W.
“ I was very inspired by the prophetic words and the prayers I have received during the event. I believe they have a life changing impact on me.” - Maria W.
“All I want to do is tell all of my Christian friends about this weekend so that they can go deeper as well.” - Julia S.
Specifics
- CU Fire Retreats are held in a home, church, or other comfortable location. Participants sleep in their own homes and travel to the location each morning.
- The group fasts together for increased closeness to God and spiritual power. The discipline of fasting has aided Christians in their walks with God since the beginning of the church. As a matter of fact, the common practice of Christians for the first five hundred years of the church was to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. If a particular CU Fire Retreat involves a meal, the small group will share the meal together.
- Because the group size is limited, the ministry asks that each participant commit to being present for the entire retreat from Friday evening through Saturday evening.
- There’s a minimal registration fee. Other expenses are paid by Christian Union and the host.
Learn More!
To learn more or to get involved, please visit CUFire.org or contact Grace Ann Arvey at Graceann.Arvey@christianunion.org.
