Ministries
As Christians in New York City, we cannot stand idly by as we watch the perils of our nation and of our American churches:
- Departure from the Word and presence of God
- Fatherlessness and broken families
- Celebration of distorted gender and sexual ideologies
- Rebellion against God and authority
- Division and hatred
- Widespread deception, corruption, and confusion
- Lack of repentance and holiness
- Idols of self and materials
R. C. Sproul commented: “In every generation, including our own, the same perils to the spiritual strength that Jesus rebuked in the seven churches of Revelation threaten us anew…There were rebukes and encouragements given to these churches by our Lord that every church in every age must take seriously, examining ourselves to make sure that we are not manifesting the same departures from biblical truths that these churches were. We must be vigilant and diligent if we are to maintain a godly witness in our day.”
In order to stay vigilant and to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), Christian Union developed a 24 Hour prayer chain as a practical means to join together as the body of Christ to pray for our nation and for our churches. As darkness increases, the Light must also increase!
Would you sign up for a 15 minute daily time to pray for our nation and our churches, so that there would be ceaseless prayer through the CU 24 Hour Prayer Chain?
As fall is around the corner, Christian Union New York remembers the biblical concept of the harvest season. In our modern American context, a literal season of harvest is of little significance to many of us. Yet all throughout Scripture, the Lord speaks to His people regarding the seasons of harvest, both literally and figuratively. Jesus frequently refers to the harvest of souls through His parables. In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus tells his disciples: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
In this wisdom, we come to you to ask for your prayers and support, to wrap around Christian Union New York as laborers of the harvest! On the cusp of fall, Christian Union New York is already seeing a plentiful harvest with abundant fruits from the ministry. In this past month, Christian Union NY has formed a CU Alumni Leadership team for the class of 2022 CU alumni who are planning gatherings and ministry opportunities for the 21 alumni of the CU class of 2022 in the city. Many of these alumni met for the first time at a meet and greet dinner in August and are excited for more opportunities to come.
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.” - Philippians 1:3
The familiar words above spoken by the Apostle Paul to the saints in Philippi ring true for my heart towards you as well. Your faithful support (financially and through prayers & encouragement) has made it possible to reach so many incoming freshmen this past month.
Since late August, CU Gloria upperclassmen and CU ministry faculty have been pouring themselves out to welcome first-years and their friends into the community. Picnics, a dorm drop, a scavenger hunt in Boston, and our weekly lecture series (pictured below)—not to mention countless caffeinated beverages consumed in one-on-one conversations in and around the Yard. Our collective efforts, thankfully, have led to a happy influx of people (and not just freshmen).
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.
Laboring hard at Yale has defined much of what has been happening since we last wrote to you.
We give thanks for our wonderful time at Pre-Retreat, which was held during the last weekend of August. From then on, our student leaders and freshmen gathering team have worked tirelessly to welcome the class of 2026!
We are so encouraged by what God is doing through our freshmen outreach efforts this fall and by the way that our leaders are seeking the Lord and helping shepherd the incoming class by teaching them the Word of God, praying with them, and welcoming them to Cornell in practical ways.
I recently sat down over coffee with a freshman who’s asking tough questions and questioning his faith. He wants to know if Christianity is different than any other world religion. Over another lunch this week, I had the opportunity to share the gospel with a different freshman. This student is struggling with LGBTQ issues and wants to know where he stands with God. Another new student is looking for a community to help him grow in Christ, yet another is seeking accountability and hopes to build his worldview around biblical principles.
Connect with Like-Minded Alumni from your School
CU Society is a collection of Christian alumni and spouses from Christian Union’s targeted universities and Cornerstone Partners of these ministries. CU Society connects these Christian leaders with a heart for Christian strengthening and societal impact through a mentoring program, alumni boards, university events during reunions and homecomings, and forthcoming CU Connect Groups.How to Get Involved
All Christian alumni and spouses from Christian Union’s targeted universities and Cornerstone Partners of those ministries are considered part of CU Society, having access to the benefits of the community.Alumni Boards and University Events
To learn more about CU Society’s alumni boards and university events (e.g., reunions and homecoming), contact Vickie.Coonan@ChristianUnion.org.Mentoring Program
Leaving the university context upon graduation can be a tumultuous time for Christians. In the university setting, many students involved with Christian Union saw the ministry, along with their local church, as a home away from home, and a family with whom they grew in faith and sought God together. Upon graduation, Christian Union graduates are in a precarious situation of needing to find a new faith family in the form of a local church. Secular workplaces and graduate school environments can also challenge graduates. During this transition, alumni lose their regular connection to a significant source of spiritual encouragement and leadership. For this reason, Christian Union believes it is vital to come alongside recent graduates and support them in this key transition season.This is where the CU Society mentoring program comes into play. The vision for the mentoring program is that every Christian Union graduate who wants to have an older alumnus or valued friend of the ministry come alongside them during this transition season can do so. Mentorship relationships focus on spiritual and professional capacities. Each pair is introduced around the time of graduation. Mentors take the lead and set up regular online or in-person connection times for at least the next ten months. The pair works together to help the mentee achieve specific goals that set them up well for a faithful future. These include attending church regularly, making local Christian friends, committing to stewardship, participating in times of fasting and seeking God, and setting and meeting spiritual and professional goals. Both mentees and mentors say that their lives are better and their faith is encouraged because of these relationships.
If you want to learn more about involvement with the mentoring program, you can contact Christine Foster.
Connect Groups
Launched in the fall of 2022, CU Society members can lead, form, and join online connecting groups with other members. These groups will include sponsored groups and interest groups.Groups sponsored by Christian Union will curate specialized content to develop and connect Christian leaders in areas of spiritual growth, intersection of faith and work, intellectual questions related to the faith, exploration of supernatural elements, and more. Christian Union sponsored groups will be led by CU leadership and well-known Christian experts in various fields and run for a specified time throughout the year.
Member-initiated interest groups can be formed with a general or limited audience, such as university-specific or location-centric. They can center around any topic that does not conflict with CU’s Statement of Faith and Ethics. Interest groups may range from devotional groups to film-making groups to Christian entrepreneurs groups to mothers of CU Universities students. The possibilities of interest groups are almost endless and can last for as long as the group leader(s) chooses. CU Connect Groups will be an incredible blessing to expand and deepen a network Christian leaders across the nation.
Join Our National Fast!
An Opportunity to Seek the Lord...Together
Date: August 1-14, 2025
Persevere in Prayer for Revival.
This fast will emphasize the need for American Christians and the greater American people to persevere in their prayers and yearning for revival and in advancing the kingdom of light over the kingdom of darkness.
Christian Union America will provide a guide to fasting, an email devotional each day of the fast, an online community for fast participants, and a national fast Bible reading plan.
Christian Union America hosts regular national fasts ranging from week-long to 40-day fasts with the intention of both deepening our own relationship with the Lord and interceding for our nation to return to Him. Fasting is an essential part of Christian life. It is modeled for us throughout the Scriptures and has a unique capacity to draw us closer to the Lord through humble dependence upon Him.
Each signed-up participant receives a daily Bible-based devotional by email during the fasting period.
Each participant decides how to abstain from food and/or drink during the fast. The Bible provides different examples of fasting, from eating only one meal per day to forgoing all foods for multiple days in a row. Only rarely and in very exceptional circumstances does someone abstain from both food and drink. Ask God how you should fast, and please consult your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about fasting. If you have never fasted for days in a row, then join for as long as you can. The most important part of fasting is the humbling of our hearts to seek after God.
More on Fasting:
The Life-Changing Power of Fasting
Christian Union Introduced Me to Fasting
Deny Yourself and Take Up Your Cross
