Fall 2017
Christian Union: The Magazine
Click on the issue below to read the full magazine or scroll down to read a selection of the feature articles in the magazine.November 22, 2017
Christian Union Course Gives Tejeda '18 Comfort, Perspective
BY TOM CAMPISI, MANAGING EDITOR
It was an incredibly hard summer for Julissa Tejeda, a civil engineering major at Columbia University.
Her father passed away in June, and she spent most of her time helping to plan his funeral and taking care of the family’s financial affairs.
November 22, 2017
Christian Union at Brown Hosts Block Party
BY TOM CAMPISI, MANAGING EDITOR
Strategic planning, prayer, and a huge order of Chipotle helped Christian Union at Brown pull off one of its most successful outreaches to date.
On Friday, September 7, the leadership development ministry hosted approximately 80 freshmen for a block party at the Judson Center. At the beginning of the semester, student leaders and Christian Union ministry fellows coordinated a wide range of freshmen welcoming events to let new students know about a vibrant Christian community on campus and its Bible courses, lecture series, and conferences.
November 22, 2017
Meese, Yale '53, Remains Passionate About Religious Freedom
BY CATHERINE ELVY, STAFF WRITER
Ed Meese, the U.S. Attorney General during the Reagan administration and a Yale alumnus of 1953, paused to reflect on the godly legacy of the United States – and warn of its ever-expanding secular drift – during an appearance at Christian Union’s Staff and Faculty Conference this summer.
“We are in a time of great peril, both governmentally and culturally,” said Meese. “It’s very important that we recognize where the country is today.”
November 22, 2017
Peter and Linda Cline are partners, advocates, and great friends of Christian Union. Most recently, the Clines have helped to facilitate a generous $700,000 matching gift through the BridgeHead Foundation, where Peter serves as a trustee. This gift is supporting the ministry’s campaign to acquire a permanent ministry center at Columbia University in the heart of New York City. The BridgeHead Foundation exists “to assist Christian organizations in fulfilling the redemptive mission of the Gospel in bringing restoration of life to people and their communities through the thoughtful and strategic application of Christian values.”
November 22, 2017
Christian Union New York Hosts Welcoming Events
BY CATHERINE ELVY, STAFF WRITER
Christian Union New York extended a heartfelt welcome to recent graduates as they began new vocations and ventures in the city.
In late September, some alumni of Christian Union’s ministries at top universities and other young professionals boarded a yacht for a two-hour excursion in New York Harbor against the stunning backdrop of Manhattan’s illuminated skyline.
In addition to building connections with fellow believers, the young adults heard about Christian Union New York’s slate of leadership development opportunities and other resources to assist with adjustment to life in the world’s financial and cultural hub.
November 22, 2017
CU Ministry Mentors Basketball, Football Players
BY CATHERINE ELVY, STAFF WRITER
As a former basketball coach, Christian Union’s interim ministry director at Princeton University knows the extraordinary influence and reach of athletes upon their teammates and classmates.
As such, James Fields was pleased to see 10 players from the men’s basketball team at the ministry’s open house at the Campus Club early in the fall semester. The appearance was especially welcome as Princeton dominated the Ivy League during 2016-17 by going undefeated in conference play and captured the inaugural conference tournament. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers lost a heartbreaker to Notre Dame, 60-58.
“These guys have a lot of social capital. They just came off a phenomenal year. They are the ones who are on the front lines and leading our athletic community,” said Fields. “In the midst of their success, they are still looking for Jesus. That’s really exciting.
November 22, 2017
Student's Faith Invigorated by Christian Union Holy Land Tour
BY FRANCINE BARCHETT, CORNELL '20
Next to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and writing a book, visiting Israel was at the top of my bucket list. Because my grandparents had an unforgettable experience, they would often tell me, “Francine, if you ever get a chance to go to Israel, by golly go!” Like King Arthur questing for the Holy Grail, like an intrepid explorer journeying to his ancestors’ homeland, this would be my once-in-a-lifetime, spiritually awakening, Christian pilgrimage. Little did I know this trip, which I imagined occurring decades in the future, would happen this past summer, following my freshman year at Cornell!
In June, I joined 83 students and four Christian Union ministry fellows for the Passages: Experience Israel trip. We drew on the nation’s biblical foundation and modern development. We traveled far and wide, from Christ’s ministry headquarters in Capernaum to the Dead Sea, sampling rich Middle Eastern foods, wandering traditional marketplaces, and hearing guest speakers from around the country. While what I learned those 10 days could easily fill a novel, I thought of five main takeaways:
November 22, 2017
Christian Union Welcomes Class of 2021
BY CATHERINE ELVY, STAFF WRITER
Students involved with Christian Union’s ministry at Harvard College eagerly welcomed members of the class of 2021 as they descended upon Cambridge.
During late August and early September, ministry fellows and returning students hosted a series of events to greet freshmen, including a pizza party, waterfront picnic, and ice cream social.
“The upperclassmen and ministry fellows are hungry for a harvest,” said Tyler Parker, a Christian Union intern and Harvard alumnus of 2017. “We are motivated in our mission.”
November 22, 2017
Christian Union Hosts Forum with Ravi Zacharias, Abdu Murray at Yale
by Kayla Bartsch, Yale ’20
Why does the truth matter?
This was the question posed by renowned apologists, authors, and scholars Abdu Murray and Ravi Zacharias to skeptics and believers alike at Yale University on the evening of October 10th. In the woody, warm sanctuary of Battell Chapel, a full house of 650 Yale students, local community members, and travelers from across the region congregated to hear Murray and Zacharias discuss “The Quest for Meaning in a Post-Truth Culture.” The Yale University Open Forum was made possible through the sponsorship of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries and Christian Union at Yale.
