Christian Union Universities
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you… Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it…. pray for us.
Dear CU Lux Cornerstone Partners and other friends of the ministry,
CU Lux deeply values your love, prayers, and support through the many changing seasons this year has brought. One thing we do know is that God who calls us is faithful through it all!
This continues to be a most unusual start to the semester! Out of an abundance of caution, Brown decided to return students to campus in waves. Just recently, the second group of students moved back, while many more have chosen to study remotely this semester. In a normal year, you would be hearing updates about our Leaders’ Retreat on the Cape, welcoming freshmen to dinners at the Judson Center, and CU Libertas students giving away coffee on the Main Green. Nonetheless, the ministry is thankful for those students who were able to return this semester and grateful for the technologies that enable us to move forward with online meetings!
Though the year started off quite differently with Columbia University switching to completely remote learning, the students are settling into a “new normal” this semester. The ministry did not have the traditional freshmen welcoming, as students weren’t on campus, but CU Lumine got to connect with quite a few incoming freshmen and transfer students. Students are in their fourth week of classes and ministry is in full swing.
Christian Union Vita has begun to study the Gospel of Mark and it has been such an encouragement to see the steadfast love of God and our sure hope in “the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). While it is true that economic, social, and political uncertainties abound in our country, our students and ministry faculty have an unshakable foundation and enduring peace through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has accomplished everything for our salvation.
Hello from Hanover and Christian Union Vox. September is always a month of transitions and changes, but this year our changes are more significant. The leaves are still turning red and gold and the Dartmouth Green is still green, but the pandemic has altered the ministry here at Dartmouth. Only half of the student body is on campus and there is a reduced staff presence. Despite being unable to do our large in-person outreach activities or attend sporting events, all those associated with CU Vox are deeply encouraged to be a part of God's work here in Hanover. The students and I are thankful that we are not fully remote and have reconnected with many of our returning students as well as many of the first-year students.
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and other friends of the ministry,
Thank you for all the love, prayers, and support as the fall semester is now beginning to be in full swing. Bible courses have settled in their new rhythms, mostly on weeknights, studying the gospel of Mark, completely over Zoom. The earliest and shortest gospel has so much to teach us about Jesus, and our team is excited to be mining the riches therein and to be guiding our students in its ancient paths.
Dear CU Nova Cornerstone Partners and other friends of the ministry,
Our freshman campaign is nearing its end, and it has been a campaign like none other before it. There have been obstacles to overcome, new events to develop, all the while doing ministry in an environment never experienced before. It has been a challenge to adjust to, and our faculty and students are still finding a way forward. But that does not mean that God is not at work.
Stanford students are nearing the end of their third week of online classes this fall, and I’m sure they are experiencing about as wide a range of emotions as you can imagine. I’m so glad you’re receiving this letter so that we can, for a moment, join our voices together in prayer for these students!
The semester has begun at the University of Pennsylvania. There have been so many days where I’ve been encouraged through conversations with our students. I am so thankful to be able to minister here!
In these challenging times, I hope that you have been able to guard and keep your joy in the Lord. The joy of the Lord is a wonderful source of strength, and I have been noticing recently how easy it can be for a past problem or future uncertainty to steal the fullness of joy that God has for us in the present moment. Remember Jesus’s desire that His joy may be in us and our joy may be full (John 15:11)!