Student Leadership Ministry Equips Students to Share Christ
By erin conner, writer and communications associate
As Christians around the world prepare their hearts this Lenten season to acknowledge Christ's death and resurrection, Christian Union is preparing student leaders to boldly proclaim the gospel.
Every spring, Christian Union holds an eight-week evangelism campaign across their ten ministries at some of our nation's most secular and influential schools, equipping students to share the gospel in multiple, meaningful ways. From social media ads to initiating conversations with strangers in the street to hosting highly visible, large group events on campus, student leaders are devoted to sharing the life-giving message of Jesus Christ to all who have ears to hear.
Different types of evangelism can be found in the pages of Scripture. Sometimes, new converts gathered friends and family members to hear the good news. On other occasions, Jesus or the disciples preach openly to crowds of people, some of whom are friendly and some hostile. On other occasions, evangelism is accompanied with miraculous signs to give glory to God. Christian Union recognizes that it can be tempting to identify one particular methodology of gospel proclamation as the most important but maintains that the Biblical model of evangelism is a comprehensive approach.
This month, Christian Union Nova at Princeton University is kicking off this comprehensive outreach campaign by hosting a one-week student conference entitled CU Proclaim for students at Princeton, Columbia, Yale, Dartmouth, Harvard, and Harvard Law.This conference is a powerful gathering designed to ignite students' faith, deepen their spiritual walk, and equip them to boldly and comprehensively proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ on their campuses and beyond.
At these conferences, students step into an atmosphere of unity, passion, and purpose, where they connect with other faith-driven students from influential universities across the nation to pray together, grow together, and sharpen one another in preparation to make Jesus known to their generation.
This year, Christian Union is honored to host Pastor Carter Conlon, General Overseer of Times Square Church and author of Fear Not and It’s Time to Pray. His dynamic, Spirit-led teaching is set to equip and empower students to walk in boldness, deepen their faith, and step into their calling.
At last year's conference, held at Cornell University, one student shared with Marcus Buckley, the Ministry Director of Christian Union Vita, that he wondered how he was ever going to be bold enough to share Jesus with complete strangers by just walking up to them. By the end of the week, this same student could not be stopped, asking for more opportunities to go out and share with strangers. Students, by the grace and power of God, are taking the demonstrative love of Christ into their spheres of influence.
In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, Matt Bennett, Founder and President of Christian Union, shared that students at some of America's most influential educational institutions constitute an "unreached people group" with such a low percentage of the student body and faculty identifying as Christians. CBN's article about the interview stated, "Bennett made a sobering statement that underscores the dire state of spiritual affairs and intense lostness at many of these colleges, when he said, 'What's shocking is that, in this audience, you have fewer practicing Christians than you do, say...in mainland China or a lot of other places that we consider unreached.'"
Bennett also shared in this interview that, in his experience over the last twenty-plus years of providing ministry in some of the most spiritually dark places in our country, personal connection, not a campaign, is ultimately what inspires an individual to accept the gospel. However, it seems people need to encounter several touchpoints with the gospel before going to a trustworthy Christian in their life with their questions. Consequently, each and every Christian's role is to have the courage to be known as a Christian in their sphere of influence, so that when someone is seeking Truth, they know to whom to turn for direction to find and follow Him.
Christian Union's boldness reminds all Christians that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the hope of all the world and that followers of God are privileged and duty-bound to proclaim it far and wide in the power of the Holy Spirit. No other message on earth is more important to communicate than the opportunity of reconciliation with God by grace through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Christianity’s mission to the world is one of love. Nothing is more loving than letting people know how eager God is to wipe away all their sins and to replace death with life, ashes with beauty, and captivity with freedom through faith in Christ.
Watch a related 12-minute CBNNews interview here.
Devotional from January 2025 Christian Union National Fast
By Justin Yim, Ministry Director of Christian Union Gloria Law at Harvard Law School
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 3:13-14 ESV
I’ve participated in the Boston Marathon for a few years now—not as a runner, but as a volunteer, to be clear! Every year that I watch the elite runners run past the last water station towards the finish line—sweat pouring down their face, muscles burning, and exhaustion weighing heavily—I ask how they can run over 26 miles in less than 3 hours. I imagine their eyes are fixed on the tape ahead, not on the pain or the miles they’ve already covered. With every ounce of strength, that final push brings them to victory. This image echoes the message of Philippians 3:13-14: the Christian life is not a sprint but a marathon. It’s a journey of perseverance, focus, and pressing forward toward the prize.
Seeking a Spiritual Awakening in America
By christian union, first published in 2021; revised 2025
The following article by David Bryant is adapted from his essay in the 2004 updated edition of Jonathan Edwards’ influential book on prayer marked by a thirty-six word title that began with three famous words: An Humble Attempt. The modern version’s title is “A Call to United, Extraordinary Prayer…An Humble Attempt.”
Brown and Columbia Student Leaders Reflect on Worship
By Erin conner, writer and communication associate
Christian Union Universities, a Christian leadership development ministry at ten highly secular and influential educational institutions in America, aims to provide training and growth opportunities for students to lead others in devotion to God in their spheres of influence.
One area of leadership that students develop during their time with Christian Union is worship. The following thoughts from Christian Union ministry team leaders at Brown and Columbia University reveal the power of worship on their campuses and in believers' lives.
When God Woke Up Wales
By erin conner, writer and communications associate
In an article published by Desiring God, Pastor Jeremy Walker writes a brief summary and analysis of the revival that took place in Wales, England in the 1700's. Walker notably writes that “the Lord was pleased to stir the listless and lethargic to liveliness and labor during the 18th Century in various parts of the world by various human instruments. In England, God raised up George Whitefield. In America… Jonathan Edwards, and in Wales… Daniel Rowland.”
Devotional from January 2025 Christian Union National Fast
By Tim Pillsbury, Ministry Director of Christian Union Vox at Dartmouth
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."–James 1:2-4 ESV
God and the devil both recognize the incredible value and opportunity of suffering. In fact, we humans might be the only ones who do not! So many times, in the midst of suffering, our goal is simple: stop suffering. And we turn all our energy and attention to that task, desperate to be done with our trial.
But James 1:2-4 paints a different picture. “Count it all joy,” he writes, “when you meet trials of various kinds.” James does not call us to enjoy suffering—that would be masochism—but instead to count our suffering as joy. We are to view it not as something senseless, but as a trial of faith, a necessary testing ground which produces good fruit.
“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, LORD; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” -Psalm 119:9-16 (NIV)
Greetings from CU Libertas!
Dear CU Lumine Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Greetings from New York City!
The students are back on campus after a much-needed vacation to decompress from all the stress from the fall semester. We are back to ministering to their needs as they finish shopping for classes and settle in for the spring semester.
Dear CU Vita Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Greetings from Ithaca!
Classes are back in full swing at Cornell University, and that means that Christian Union Vita is back to work for the Lord here on campus!
Club Fest, the massive gathering of all the clubs at Cornell, took place on Sunday, February 2, and was another great opportunity to expose students to the vibrant ministry of Christian Union. We handed out 50 copies of The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, as well as dozens of flyers attached to Kit Kat candy bars to students. Several of those who stopped by our table have already engaged with us on our CU Vita Group Me, so pray that we continue to expand our reach into the Cornell student community. Our student leaders also engaged with the other groups around us, demonstrating their own personal leadership skills by interacting with others in warm, meaningful (and fun) ways.
"The Lord is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?"
-Psalm 113:4-6
True Faith: Trusting and Aligning Our Desires with God's
By erin conner, writer & communications associate
Ijeamaka Achebe, a senior at Yale University, recalls parts of her journey through her academic career, wondering, "What is my purpose?" While she has a clear goal of becoming a doctor, she realized that goals and existential purpose are not necessarily one and the same.
Through Christian Union Lux's ministry at Yale, in part, Achebe began to realize that, above all, she wanted her career aspirations to be in alignment with God's will. After two years of participating in Christian Union Bible courses, she shared that her outlook on career is different than it once was. "Our secondary calling is career," she shared, recognizing that while a career is important, it is subordinate to her primary calling as a Christian.
We are so grateful for your continued prayers and support for CU Gloria Law. As we step into this new semester, we wanted to share a special update from a milestone moment for our ministry—our very first Winter Retreat at the end of January!
This retreat was a much-needed time for our community to step away from the intensity of law school and refocus our hearts on Christ and His calling for us. Our theme, “Refocus,” guided us through a weekend of renewing our commitment to Jesus, recalling the purpose He has given us, and refreshing our passion to share the Gospel with those around us. From the moment we arrived, there was an undeniable sense that God had something special in store. We were blessed by sweet times of worship, honest and moving student testimonies, deep times of prayer, and messages from the Word of God that challenged and encouraged us.
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” -2 Timothy 1:6-7
The spring semester at Harvard has officially begun! We are solidly into the second week of the semester and the energy has returned as students flooded our Ministry Center in the heart of Harvard Square. It is such a privilege to minister to these students and walk with them as they walk with Jesus.
Devotional from January 2025 Christian Union National Fast
By Sadie Sasser, Ministry Fellow at Christian Union Gloria at Harvard
“But the one who endures to the end will be saved." -Matthew 24:13 ESV
The context of these words from Jesus is somewhat stark. He has just told his disciples about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, simultaneously an event that was literally fulfilled in Jerusalem in 70 AD but also a figurative event in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As he continues explaining what accompanies these events, the tone becomes alarming: Christians will be led astray, wars will occur, and famines and earthquakes will ail the earth. False prophets will come and lead many astray, with results that would make any one of us worried: “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold” (v. 12).
However, in contrast to verse 12, verse 13 shows us that those who remain in the faith and persevere will be saved. Jesus then offers another promise in verse 13: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” What beautiful promises in the midst of somber truth about the future!
But persevering in faith is not an easy endeavor, especially when surrounded by such cultural adversaries. How do we define faith, and how do we keep it? The best definition of faith that can be offered is from scripture itself. Hebrews 11:1 tells us “now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Especially given the context of Jesus’s statement in Matthew 24:13, persevering in faith means being confident and assured that Jesus is the Messiah and that he will in fact exercise authority over all the earth. Even when the world around us seems to be falling apart or spiraling downward - the loss of morality, increased natural disasters, religious syncretism (especially in Christianity) - we persevere in the faith that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do in fact have authority and we are part of their Kingdom.
We can define this faith even more specifically given the direct contrasts from Matthew 24:3-14. “Many will fall away” (v. 10) due to the evils that are explicated in this passage: false teachers and prophets claiming to know the way to Christ, continued wars and global conflicts as well as natural disasters, and the persecution of Christians for their faith in Jesus and commitment to the way of life he models. Faith in the midst of such dire circumstances means “see that no one leads you astray” (v. 4). As well as hope and confidence in the present and future reign of God, faith also comes with it a kind of mental acuteness, a clarity of truth, and a guard against the deception that is so pervasive in our world. Persevering in faith means that because we believe that God reigns, we do not fall prey to cultural temptations or lies. We clothe ourselves with the belt of truth and stand strong against those forces that would cause us to fall away from true faith in Christ.
There are many grievous instances in our world of a person of God compromising faithful belief for the acceptance of the world. It is now more important than ever to dig into the scriptures and be confident in what God has spoken clearly. We should not and will not allow false teachers to influence what we know to be biblical truth, even when there are negative cultural consequences; mockery and persecution of all kinds have always been an affirmation that we are following the way of the crucified and risen Christ (Matthew 5:11-12).
Today, we pray together for the people of God to persevere in faith. May we be strong warriors for the truth and expectant watchmen for the Kingdom of God to come in its fullness! Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Ways to reflect and pray:
1. What are some of the ways you feel tempted to compromise biblical truth because of cultural pressure? Make a list of any that apply. Go to the Lord in prayer to confess these things and ask for strength to be strong. Consider speaking to a pastor or leader in the faith for both encouragement and resources on different relevant topics.
2. Who are some people of God who have compromised on some aspect of their faith? Pray for them by name, that God would convict their hearts and they would walk forward in repentance.
3. Pray for the Christian leaders in your life, that their faith would remain strong and they would not bow down to cultural pressures and thus lead those they shepherd astray.
4. Take some time to worship, declaring that God is truly on the throne! Through the songs of the saints, fill your heart with joy and awe.
Christian Union Hosts Ken Fish at Recent Biannual Conference in NYC
By christian union
God is not simply a concept or theory. So often in the Western Church, Christians read the stories of the Bible and assume that signs and wonders were events that occurred in biblical times and simply don’t happen today. Ken Fish is one Christian leader in America who is here to explain otherwise. His 2023 book, On the Road with The Holy Spirit: A Modern Day Diary of Signs and Wonders, is based on a diary he kept over the course of five years while he was traveling extensively around the world. Fish spent time almost daily writing down the healings and miracles that the Lord was doing through hundreds of journal entries.
Oscar-Nominated Film Discussion Set to Unite Students and Alumni
By erin conner, writer and communications associate
In 2021, Christian Union alumni from Columbia and Penn gathered to discuss religious themes in film. This event was spearheaded by Columbia alumnus and Film and Media Studies major Stephen Cone ’20. Participants of the event gathered, in part, at Christian Union's Ministry Center at Columbia for a discussion entitled, “Where Is God in the Movies?”
Attendees enjoyed a presentation from Cone that examined the role of religion in Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven (1978). The discussion that followed focused on how Christian artists can represent and convey their faith through their chosen medium. Megan Foo, '19 alumna of Penn who currently works in Hong Kong, was in attendance that day. She enjoyed the event so much that she decided to help Cone plan a similar event on Jane Campion's 'The Power of the Dog' in 2022.
Devotional from January 2025 Christian Union National Fast
By Qwynn gross, ministry fellow at christian union nova at Princeton
“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”- 2 Chronicles 15:7 (ESV)
The world around us is not changing apart from God’s intervention. As Americans, we are living in the degradation of society, where everyone seems to do what is right in their own eyes. Righteousness and moral corruption are indistinguishable for far too many, as culture challenges the authority of God and embraces ethical decay. Meanwhile, believers who are called to pray for the world around them often appear paralyzed. Charles Finney aptly said, "If the presence of God is in the church, the church will draw the world in. If the presence of God is not in the church, the world will draw the church out." His sentiments resonate deeply as we observe the growing distance between godly standards and the prevailing norms of society.
Amid this decline, however, there is a remnant that rises! A small but committed group of true believers who willingly stand in the gap, interceding for the presence and power of God to transform individual souls, reverse the trajectory of culture, and see cities, states, and the nation itself turn and/or return to God. By the conviction of the Holy Spirit, this remnant understands the urgency and accepts the responsibility to seek God for a national revival—a sweeping move of God that realigns personal, cultural, and territorial constructs back to His righteous design.
Thus, may we fast and pray as true intercessors, approaching the throne of grace with expectation, tenacity, and resolve. We remember God’s love for people and keep His commandments to demonstrate our love for Him. We grieve for the current state of our nation and repent on behalf of those whose hearts are hardened and who dwell in ignorance. With confidence in His covenant of peace towards the humble, we make petitions to the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. Then, with hearts anchored in His promise, we act on Scripture, compelling men to be saved, crying aloud and sparing not, making disciples of all nations, and living as Christ’s ambassadors. Without apology, we discern the time and serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
On our knees, we cry out to the God who saves, rescues, and delivers. We cry out for all the earth—nations, tribes, and tongues—to hear the glorious message that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day” (1 Corinthians 15). We pray for people everywhere to “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Our intercession is for the Kingdom of God to increase and for His glory to manifest, that young and old alike would taste and see His goodness, walk in the light as He is the Light, and resist the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who works in the sons of disobedience. And we believe that through fervent prayer and unwavering faith, national revival is possible! 2 Chronicles 15:7 says, “But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
The challenge may be great, but His power is greater, and His promises are sure!
Father, send laborers to our families, cities, this nation, and the world with the good news of Jesus Christ! Let a godly sorrow arrest the hearts of all people, so there is true repentance and revival of the Spirit that brings times of refreshing to us all, in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Ministry Leader at Harvard Law School Shares Vision and Hope
By justin yim, ministry director of christian union gloria law
Greetings from Harvard Law School!
As we begin 2025, I want to take a moment to reflect on all that God accomplished in 2024. In my six-plus years with Christian Union Gloria Law, I can confidently say that this past year has been the most fruitful and exciting season of ministry yet.
Inspiring Imagination and Adventure in Young Adults
By erin conner, writer & communications associate
"God has been in this quite literally since the very beginning," said Cassandra James, Princeton '23, as she reflected on her professional writing career.
"As a child, I was an absolute bookworm, and I would max out my library card. I aged out of kids' literature and wanted to read more stories but couldn't find the kind of stories I desired to read, so my mother dared me, 'If you can't find it, write it.'"
So, she did.
Dear CU Lumine Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Greetings and Happy New Year from New York City! We are excited about kicking off the spring semester. We just completed a several-day retreat with the Christian Union faculty at Camp of the Woods in NY. We had an opportunity to seek God, pray, participate in individual and group scripture reading, and come together in praise and worship to prepare for the upcoming spring semester.
