Esther Xiang, Harvard '23

"I thought Harvard would give me everything I ever needed," said Esther Xiang, as she reflected on her undergraduate career, "but only Jesus can do that." Xiang graduated from Harvard in 2023 as a psychology major. She walked out of Cambridge, rejecting the voice of the world, and followed the voice of God into full-time missionary work to be Jesus's hands and feet to the nations. The Lord opened up a door for her to take a year off and do global mission work in the Himalayas, France, and New Zealand. 

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• Alumni
• Harvard
• Faith and Work

A Mission to Live Like Jesus Did  

“We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” –1 John 2:3-6 NIV After a student joins Christian Union Vox, the real work begins. We are not here just to put names on a list, but instead to disciple Christians to live like Jesus lived and do what Jesus did. John is clear: if we want to call ourselves Christians, we need to both know how Jesus lived and then live that way ourselves.  There is no shortcut past obedience.  

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• Dartmouth

2018 Christian Union National Fast Devotional 

“And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. … He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.” -1 Kings 4:29-30, 33-34Public education in the United States has become a mostly godless enterprise. Unfortunately, the more “elite” an academic institution is, the more pride it takes in a secular approach to learning. Modern educators falsely presume that the best path to knowledge is one that is without bias of religion. However, in their pursuit for untainted learning, they keep themselves from the beginning of wisdom – the fear of the Lord.

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• Devotionals

One Student Ministry's Unstoppable Heart to See God Transform Lives

It's not easy or convenient to plan a weekend away. It is much easier to choose not to disrupt the pattern of life and to stay within the confines of routine. Disruption is not easy for anyone, but it is especially difficult for Ivy League students. Their rigorous academic schedules are full of the demands and pressures of achievement at the highest level, so stepping away from it all during the school year is nothing short of revolutionary. Stepping away to retreat with the Lord and with each other is a beautiful gateway into the freedom Christ came to give--freedom, in part, from the weight of the standards, values, and identity placed upon us by the world. The students of Christian Union are learning to live in this kind of freedom, and, as a result, they are sharing it with others. 

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2018 Christian Union National Fast Devotional 

"And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and their clothing, his cupbearers, and their clothing, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her. And she said to the king, "The report was true that I heard. ... Blessed be the Lord your God." -2 Chronicles 9:3-5, 8 (ESV)The queen of Sheba had heard of the fame and wisdom of Solomon and she thought, “I have to see it for myself.” The Bible records her visit in this wonderful passage, giving us insight into the nature of excellence and wisdom.

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• Devotionals

How to Join a Movement to Transform Culture for Christ in America

Christian Union Universities (CUU) is developing leaders with spiritual depth at strategic places for cultural engagement to change the world. CUU serves students at Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Harvard Law, Penn, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale. You can join this movement to equip our nation's students at these highly influential and secular schools with the power and love of Jesus in the following ways: 

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• Alumni
• Faith and Work

A Film Recently Released about Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer

After 12 years in the making, Bonhoeffer opened in 2,000 theaters across the country starting on November 22. Faith-based films like this one raise thought-provoking questions that lead viewers to explore their own faith and actions in their spheres of influence, as well as the implications of their actions in shaping the contours of culture and history.Preview the trailer of this film here: https://youtu.be/eK2sPrMlsQs

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• Intellectual Engagement
• Cultural Engagement
• Faith and Work

A Cornerstone Partner Visits Christian Union Libertas at Brown   By Don Stahl; written in February of 2023    Ever wonder, “what is that ministry really like?”    As a Cornerstone Partner, I certainly knew something of what Christian Union seeks to do, and saw lots of evidence that it was genuinely touching the lives of the next generation of leaders. But in my experience working with over 100 non-profits and ministries throughout my career, I have found there is nothing like “showing up!” So, by prior arrangement, I did. I am so glad I went!

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• Brown
• Cultural Engagement

Christian Leader in Media Shares Life-Giving Message in a Culture of Despair

Carrie Sheffield, a renowned columnist and broadcaster in Washington DC, released a memoir this past spring entitled Motorhome Prophesies that proclaims liberty is possible for the captives of trauma. Sheffield is a Harvard alumna, a member of Christian Union America, and serves in an advisory role for the Christian Union Washington DC board of advisors. Sheffield shares insights with millions of Americans on networks like CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and more. From ABC’s Good Morning America to HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, PBS, and C-SPAN, she brings a voice of virtue to the American communications and media industry through boundless interviews, articles, appearances on television shows and podcasts, and at forums across the nation. 

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• Alumni
• Intellectual Engagement
• Seeking God
• Cultural Engagement
• Faith and Work

Christian Union Provides Support and Resources for Spiritual Strengthening

Your spiritual vitality is a matter of national importance. Perhaps that sounds dramatic, but consider it–our culture is shaped by the daily decisions of industry leaders who either embrace secular values or who embrace biblical values, many of whom may not know how to integrate their faith and their profession. How well are American believers equipped to bring Christian faith and values into their spheres of influence? And what are the implications if they don't? 

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• Intellectual Engagement
• Seeking God
• Cultural Engagement
• Faith and Work

Former Christian Union Student President Claims Victory in Recent Election

Leaders developed at Dartmouth shape the future of our country by determining what media gets disseminated, what laws get passed, and how major decisions get made. Dartmouth has produced influential figures, including author Dr. Seuss, beloved T.V. personality Fred Rogers, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and former central banker and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Another name of influence has been recently added to this list: Brandon Gill. Brandon Gill claimed victory in the congressional race for the 26th district of Texas over Democrat Ernest Lineberger III in the recent November election.Gill's Congressional webpage states, "I attended Dartmouth College and graduated cum laude with degrees in both Economics and History. I was President of the conservative paper, The Dartmouth Review. I was also President of Christian Union and grew it to be one of the largest student groups on campus, despite being on a campus hostile to the Christian faith. In college, I fought the left nonstop - on their own turf - and I left Dartmouth even more conservative than when I arrived."

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• Alumni
• Dartmouth
• Cultural Engagement
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Devotional from 2018 Christian Union National Fast

"So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation." - 1 Peter 2:1-2 (ESV) King’s College was founded in 1754, suspended instruction during the Revolutionary war, reopened as Columbia College in 1784, and later changed its name to Columbia University. Its purpose was to provide “future colonial leaders an education that would enlarge the mind, improve the understanding, polish the whole man, and qualify them to support the brightest characters in all the elevated stations in life.”  The college president taught the first classes in a building adjoining Trinity Church in downtown Manhattan, and the campus later moved north to 116th street on the West side of Manhattan.

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