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We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
(Romans 15:1-7).
This passage is our theme as we turn our efforts toward welcoming new students. As I write this 1700 freshmen from around the world are wrapping up several days of orientation and settling in for their first classes this week. We are excited to meet them and welcome them as Christ has received us!
Chesterton House Hosts Speaker from Open Doors
By Zachary Lee, Cornell ’20
Vaughn LeMoss, the vice president of Open Doors International, a non-profit organization that supports persecuted Christians in over 60 countries, was the featured speaker when the Chesterton House at Cornell hosted its Friday Conversation Series on April 19. The theme of the evening was “Solidarity with the Persecuted Church.” LeMoss exhorted the audience to use their college degrees and future influence to aid global missions. He weaved practical advice in between touching anecdotes from his testimony, all the while expanding the students’ vision of God’s kingdom.
LeMoss hit the ground running by demystifying the fallacy that missions work is set apart solely for those in vocational ministry or “super Christians.”
Open Doors International supports the persecuted church around the world.
“You can serve the Lord in whatever capacity you’re in,” he said. “So often we say to ourselves, ‘I need to become a pastor first’ or ‘I should go to seminary.’ There is nothing wrong with those paths, but do not discount the place where God has you now.”
Qwynn Gross
Christian Union Ministry Fellow
Princeton University
A decision to sacrifice food or pleasure in order to get God’s attention is a demonstration of faith and assurance in the God who sees, hears, and answers the cry of His people. I’m reminded of Cornelius in the book of Acts, chapter 10. He was a devout centurion of the Italian regiment who always prayed and gave generous alms to the poor; yet, after a time of fasting, God instructed Peter to share the Gospel with him, so that, in the end, Cornelius’ whole family and friends heard the Gospel, received the Holy Spirit, and were baptized! Theirs was an unlikely meeting that ushered change for and within both men.
Scott Jones, a pastor and former Christian Union faculty member at Princeton, returned to the university and gave this outstanding talk at a Christian Union leadership lecture series event last spring. In this talk he takes a look at what it means to be distinctly Christian in the midst of one's vocational pursuit.
Christian Journal Adopts New Name, Refines Mandate
By Lauren Curiotto, Contributing Writer
The staff at The Columbia Witness, a Christian thought journal formerly known as Crown and Cross.
The Columbia Witness, the university’s Christian thought journal formerly known as Crown and Cross, will debut its first issue under a new name in fall 2019. The upcoming edition will directly address the campus community and introduce its new identity with the apt title, Dear Columbia.
In Memoriam: John Aroutiounian
By Kayla Bartsch, Yale ’20
Credit: Big Think
John Aroutiounian was remembered as a Christian who made an impact on campus.
The first time I met John Aroutiounian was at an alumni reunion for the Federalist Party, my debating society within the Yale Political Union. He gallivanted into our makeshift debate hall wearing a black cloak, his signature horn-rimmed spectacles, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. On the debate floor, he commanded attention by his unmatched eloquence and exuberance. With a coy smile and the gargantuan lexicon of an accomplished polyglot, he ravaged the position of his opponents, nonchalantly weaving in historical anecdotes about the bygone Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia to accentuate his point. John, however, wreaked destruction in a manner so charismatic and so kind, that his opposition often found themselves conceding with a smile.
Dalrymple ’98 Is New President of Christianity Today
By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer
As he settles into his new role as president and chief executive officer, a Stanford University alumnus has expansive dreams for Christianity Today. In May, Timothy Dalrymple ’98 assumed the helm of the global media organization founded by the late evangelist Billy Graham. Among his aspirations for the magazine are commitments to rich storytelling and thought leadership.
Dalrymple envisions Christianity Today sharing the “most powerful stories of our age” while expanding its global reach and better reflecting the diversity of the American church. Dalrymple described the legacy of the publication as extraordinary, but the future as even more dynamic.
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
— John 16:33
Justin Woyak
Ministry Fellow
Christian Union Caritas
As a novice parent trying to figure out how to raise three young children (and making many more mistakes than I thought I would!), I often find myself saying inside my head, “What matters most in my relationship with my kids is that I love them, and that they know it.” Until recently, I found myself focusing on that first element: that I love my kids. After all, that’s the element in my control, right?
But as my children grow and parenting gets more complex, I find myself focusing more and more on that second element: that my kids know I love them.
Grace to the Humble
Sunday, September 1, 2019
The last 21 days have been rich times for me, and I trust they have been for you as well. Whenever I fast, I receive more fillings of the Spirit, more revelation from the Lord, and I experience more of His power in my life. As part of the 21-day fast, 12 of us in New York City took five days to really press in hard to the Lord. The group consisted of several Christian Union associates, as well as friends who are transitioning to new positions and therefore had time to take off a week, including a lawyer, an investment banker, a surgeon, and a few entrepreneurs. We spent Monday through Friday from 6 am to 8 pm (14 hours per day) praying, reading the Scriptures, worshipping God and discussing Biblical matters. It was an incredibly rich time, and a few of us plan to do the same for four weeks (excepting weekends) in November.
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