This Sunday, May 31, 2020, is Pentecost Sunday — the day we remember the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples.
We need a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our churches today.
As amazing as Jesus’ earthly ministry was, the Church would not be alive today if it weren’t for the Holy Spirit’s coming. As irreplaceable as Jesus’ crucifixion was, we would not be in Christ today if it weren’t for the ministry of the Holy Spirit. As powerful as the resurrection of the Son of God was, most of the world would never know about God’s love if it weren’t for the advent of the Holy Spirit.
Christian Union Lux Helps Produce National Event
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Christian Union Lux was honored to host the Collegiate Day of Prayer at Yale University on the evening of February 27 in Dwight Chapel. The two-hour event assembled Yale ministries in united prayer, worship, and exhortation from Scripture, and also served as the national broadcast for over forty thousand online viewers.
Over two hundred years ago, Yale, along with Williams College, Brown University, and Middlebury College, established the Collegiate Day of Prayer as a regular event on their campuses. By 1823, almost every major denomination and university in America “embraced the practice of a concerted day of prayer for colleges,” according to the Collegiate Day of Prayer Web site. The event lasted for about a hundred years and helped fan the flame of various revivals and awakenings on campus.
Unlike most colleges we are still in session and finishing Week 8.
Please pray for our seniors as their last few weeks as Dartmouth students draw to a close. We are saddened that we won't be able to properly say goodbye. Pray for them as they leave "campus," that they would be bold and faithful witnesses for Christ in their new communities.
(Psalm 46:1-2)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The semester has just concluded for our students—and what a semester it has been! As others have said, we are very excited to get back to more normal times rather than “unprecedented” ones. Though it has been an unusual semester for us, God has remained the same and has continued to be “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” as the Psalmist declares. What a joy it is to know God is constant, even when everything else appears to be in disarray.
As most of us continue our stay-at-home daily rhythms, our students are wrapping up this very unusual Spring quarter with their final projects, papers, and examinations. Certainly, while no one could have anticipated what this year would be like, I think back to my prayers in the fall as we stepped into this academic year. I had prayed that our students, as well as our ministry team, would hear from God in new and fresh ways. It’s fair to say that prayer has been answered! There have for sure been some heartbreaks along the way, but as I interact through video conferencing with our Stanford students, generally I find hopeful faces looking back at me. I remain encouraged by how they have faced this challenge, and continue to see God actively speaking into their lives.
“Morale is low…mutiny is imminent.” Those are words that might have been penned during Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition, or by sailors circumnavigating the globe during a scurvy outbreak. Or they might be the words of families and individuals after having been quarantined for weeks during the Covid-19 pandemic.
I love the long New England spring and earliest glimpses of summer, complete with vivid green grass and blue skies. These annual transformations flood our senses and happen right on cue per God’s decree each May. This year, however, we missed seeing one of the most satisfying transformations of all—the procession of graduates flowing through Phelps Gate into old campus on Monday, May 18th. We know they celebrated uniquely in each of their homes, but the caps, gowns, and sweet smiles of victory and triumph are always a joy to see!
My thinking seems increasingly flat (clearly), but in the midst of this I nonetheless find Ephesians 3:20 to be an encouragement - because it pulls my imagination beyond my immediate circumstances toward what might be, or will be.
A CU New York Virtual Forum featuring CEO & Founder Matt Bennett
June 13, 2020
Thanks for joining Christian Union Caritas (Stanford) at 4:00 PM PST for the virtual reunion. Christian Union Caritas invited participants from all classes, all denominations, and all Christian ministries to this annual event. We had a great time connecting with other Christian alumni, visiting with current students, and meeting the Christian Union ministry faculty and staff.It was a time of connecting and encouragment during this unique time in our nation's history.
Learn More
For questions about the Christian Union Caritas, contact Christian Union's VP of Alumni Engagement Christine Foster: christine.foster@christianunion.org.
May 23, 2020
Thanks for joining Christian Union Libertas (Brown University) at 4:00 PM EST for the virtual reunion. Christian Union Libertas invited participants from all classes, all denominations, and all Christian ministries to this annual event. We loved connecting with Christian alumni and current students. Thanks for joining us!
Learn More
For questions about the Christian Union Libertas contact Christian Union's VP of Alumni Engagement Christine Foster: christine.foster@christianunion.org.
June 13, 2020
Thanks for joining Christian Union Vox (Dartmouth) at 4:00 PM EST for a virtual reunion. Christian Union Vox invited participants from all classes, all denominations, and all Christian ministries to this annual event. We enjoyed connecting with other Christian alumni, visiting with current students, and meeting the Christian Union ministry faculty and staff.
It was a great time to connect and encourage one another during this unique time in our nation's history.
Learn More
For questions about the Christian Union Vox, contact Christian Union's VP of Alumni Engagement Christine Foster: christine.foster@christianunion.org.
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."
— Titus 2:11-14
June 6, 2020
Thanks for joining Christian Union Lumine (Columbia University) at 4:00 PM EST for a virtual reunion. Christian Union Lumine invited participants from all classes, all denominations, and all Christian ministries to this annual event.
Learn More
For questions about the Christian Union Lumine on campus or alumni opportunities, contact Christian Union's VP of Alumni Engagement Christine Foster: christine.foster@christianunion.org.
May 30, 2020 and May 31, 2020
Christian Union Lux, Christian Union's ministry at Yale, hosted a virtual reunion for the Class of 2014 and the Class of 2015 on May 30, 2020 from 4:00 - 5:00pm EST.
Christian Union Lux hosted a virtual reunion for all alumni on Sunday, May 31, 2020 from 4:00 - 5:00pm. Christian Union Lux invited participants from all classes, all denominations, and all Christian ministries to this annual event. Thanks for joining us!
Learn More
For questions about how to get involved with alumni groups or Christian Union Lux on campus, contact Christian Union's VP of Alumni Engagement Christine Foster: christine.foster@christianunion.org.
Students Play Key Role in Production of Veritas Forum
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Students from Christian Union Libertas were part of a team that organized a thought-provoking Veritas Forum on climate change at Brown University in the spring semester.
On March 6, approximately a hundred students and staff from the campus community gathered at MacMillan Hall for an event entitled “Have We Sold Our Future? Climate Change, Commodification, and Our Responsibility.”
May 16, 2020
Christian Union Martus, Christian Union's ministry at Penn hosted a virtual reunion on May 16, 2020 at 4:00 PM EST.Christian Union Martus invited participants from all classes, all denominations, and all Christian ministries to this annual event. Participants had the opportunity to connect with other Christian alumni, visit with current students, and meet the Christian Union ministry faculty and staff.
Thanks for joining us for a time to connect and encourage one another during this unique time in our nation's history.
Learn More
For questions about the Christian Union Martus reunion hosted by Christian Union, contact Christian Union's VP of Alumni Engagement Christine Foster: christine.foster@christianunion.org.
Great Friend of Christian Union Goes Home to Be with the Lord
Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
Kendrick “Ken” B. Melrose once said, “The purpose of life is to serve God by serving others.” But Melrose did not only believe these words, he put them into action and lived a life of integrity as a servant leader.
Melrose passed away on May 3, 2020, at his home in Wayzata, Minnesota. The former chairman and CEO of The Toro Company, founder of Leading by Serving, LLC, and lead donor for Robert L. Melrose Center for Christian Leadership, will be remembered for his deep love for Christ, his passion for leadership, and his profound generosity.
