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CU Rise Set to "Disrupt" Spiritual Climate of U.S. Colleges
By erin conner, writer and communications associate
In 2022, Christian Union first launched CU Rise, an evangelism campaign designed to share the gospel with students at nine of the nation’s most influential universities more boldly, strategically, and frequently than ever before. This month, Christian Union is at it again, as CU Rise takes form for the third spring in a row with its campaign entitled "Jesus Disrupts."
For eight weeks, starting March 17, the goal of CU Rise is to proclaim the gospel, disrupting the current spiritual climate at highly secular universities that produce a disproportionate amount of U.S. and global leaders. Matt Bennett, Founder and President of Christian Union, recently told the Christian Post that this theme was chosen “to introduce students to how radical Jesus is.”
The schools across the country that this campaign will focus on include Brown University of Rhode Island, Columbia University of New York, Cornell University of New York, Dartmouth College of New Hampshire, Harvard University of Massachusetts, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University of New Jersey, Yale University of Connecticut, and Stanford University of California.
“Students today at the nation’s most rigorous schools are largely unaware of the most important message in the history of humanity. Jesus Christ has brought more good into the world than any other person, and these students deserve to know, said Bennett. "Jesus is also the only one who can forgive sins and transfer us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. We need to do everything we can to give these students the opportunity to believe in Him.”
Read Christian Post's full article entitled "‘Jesus disrupts’: Christian Student Group to Launch 8-week Evangelism Tour" here.
Read FaithWire's related article entitled, "Christian Leader's Sobering Comparision Between Communist China and Ivey League Campuses" here.
View and share videos, testimonies, or articles from the CU Rise campaign that explain Christianity here.
Washington Times Op-Ed on Secularization of Educational Institutions
By Erin conner, writer and communications associate
Sunday, March 17, 2024-- The Washington Times published an opinion article today by Matt Bennett, Founder and President of Christian Union, entitled "America's Founding Universities Lost Their Religion. Are They Worth Saving?"
The article briefly discusses the histories of several educational institutions in America, such as Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, and Stanford. The article also presents a compelling claim that students at these institutions ought to know the fundamental truth upon which their schools were founded: Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and, through Him alone, humanity finds salvation and life.
Former Student President Claims Victory in Texas Primary
By Erin conner, writer and communications associate
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 (ChristianUnion.org/Cornerstone/Vox). It seems another name of influence may soon be added to this list: Brandon Gill.
Brandon Gill claimed victory in the GOP primary for the 26th district of Texas to replace U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, who is retiring after 21 years in Congress, according to the Dallas News. Gill received 58.4% of the vote and will now face Democrat Ernest Lineberger III in the 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."
"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God- the Gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord." - Romans 1:1-4
Grace and peace to you in our Lord Jesus Christ!
We are off to an exciting start to the spring semester here at Christian Union Vita at Cornell! The sun has been peeking through the normally gray skies more than it usually does during this time of year, and God has been pushing back against the kingdom of darkness as well! We’re celebrating what He is doing, and we want you to be able to celebrate with us as we share these with you.
First and foremost, we are praising the Lord for six students who have put their faith in Jesus this semester! This is an extraordinary blessing, and we are grateful for the movement of the Holy Spirit and allowing us to be a part of His work in bringing the lost to Himself. Your support allows us to carry out the ministry that makes this possible, so rejoice with us as part of the team of workers who were a part of this harvest. Pray that God continues to draw more and more students to a saving knowledge of Him!
The Lord hasn’t stopped working, and neither have we here at Christian Union Vox at Dartmouth! As always in ministry work, our urgency remains undiminished. Jesus tells us in John 9:4 that “We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned to us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.” If even Jesus, with all the resources of the Godhead at His disposal, felt urgency, how much more must we as we look out upon this lost and dying world! May we continue to have faith, rely on His grace, and work hard.
Greetings from Princeton! God is on the move here in Christian Union Nova and I’m excited to share with you some of the amazing things that are happening!Greetings from Princeton!
At Christian Union Caritas, we are so grateful for how God has been speaking to us through His Word and by His Spirit! This past month, our Bible courses finished our 10-week study of Colossians. During each course’s final sessions, students cited the supremacy of Christ in 1:15-20, Paul’s critique of the empty philosophies of this world in 2:8, and the hope of glory when Christ appears in 3:4 as some of the passages in Colossians that breathed life into them during this study.
We also recently hosted our second ever alumni panel after our most recent Friday night leadership lecture series (which we call Venture). It was so great to hear faithful testimonies and wisdom from five CU Caritas grads walking closely with the Lord!
Grace and Peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ. I’m happy to be writing to you again, and am grateful for your prayers! The Lord has been working in our midst.
Since I last wrote, we have taken 37 students on our winter retreat where we went through the book of Esther. The retreat was titled “Conspiracy & Sovereignty” and we looked at how God orchestrated His will and how Esther, as a leader, sought God and led others to do the same in response to God’s sovereignty that He would move on their behalf. Here is what some students said of the retreat:
We greet you with gratitude and joy as we reflect on the extraordinary journey we've embarked on over the last month. Our ministry has been a beacon of transformational leadership, deeply inspired by the principles shared in a recent article that beautifully outlines the impact of embodying such leadership in Christian Union Lux. This piece, featured on our website, delves into how authentic, Christ-centered leadership can profoundly affect both individuals and communities, advocating for a leadership style that is not only transformative but deeply rooted in Biblical truths and the example of Jesus Christ. Embodying Transformational Leadership | Christian Union
CU America's 2024 National Fast, "Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace for All Nations"
By Chitra L Kovoor, Ministry Fellow, CU Lux at Yale University
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." – Ephesians 6:12
Christian Union Universities Highlighted
By Erin conner, writer and communications associate
The Christ and Coffee podcast, led by Dr. Haig Kherlopian, pastor of Church for the Nations, recently hosted Matt Bennett, Founder and President of Christian Union, to discuss Christian Union (CU) Universities. CU Universities is comprised of ten Christian leadership development ministries at nine of the nation's most influential educational institutions: Dartmouth, Brown, Harvard, Harvard Law, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, and Stanford. During the informal podcast interview, the uniqueness of CU's ministry was discussed, among other topics related to how Christian Union is developing leaders with spiritual depth in strategic places for cultural renewal.
In the podcast episode entitled "Inside Ivy League Ministry," Bennett discussed how the majority of America’s most strategic universities were expressly founded as Christian colleges. But over the years, these schools gradually shed their religious affiliation and became secular institutions. Bennett referenced research done by James Tunstead Burtchaell, who has extensive experience in American higher education as both a teacher and an administrator. Burthchaell, in his book The Dying of the Light, "provides case studies of seventeen prominent colleges and universities with diverse ecclesial origins - Congregational, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, and Evangelical.
Christian Union Universities Proclaiming the Good News This Spring
By Tom Campisi, 2022, revised and edited by erin conner, 2024
“What shall you do then with Jesus which is called Christ?”
That was the question posed by preacher Dwight Lyman Moody at his Illinois Street Church in Chicago on October 8, 1871. In the sermon, he paraphrased the question asked by Pontius Pilate in the Gospel of Matthew (27:22). Moody challenged the congregation to think about it during the week and return to church the following Sunday with an answer—would they crown Christ as Lord or, like Pilate and the misguided mob of that time, deny his supremacy? However, as Moody finished his sermon, a warning bell began to ring. The Great Chicago Fire was raging. There was no next week at his church, which burned to the ground like many of the buildings in the city.
CU America's 2024 National Fast, "Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace for All Nations"
By Qwynn Gross, Ministry Fellow, CU Nova at Princeton University
"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved" – Matthew 24:12-13.
As a youngster, I can think of plenty of extracurricular activities that I began with curiosity and zeal or out of a parental charge to participate, and for one reason or another, I soon opted to stop–-from piano lessons to Girl Scouts to running track to being a debutante, and many other activities–-however, when my firstborn was placed in my arms there was a conscious decision to continue regardless. This unwavering commitment to the children I bore would only be eclipsed by my commitment to live for God simply because I found out that He is alive. Now, with adult children and a life in Christ that spans close to forty years, I can attest that my endurance has not been easy, nor has it been without opportunities to quit, but rather because value and worth were assigned.
Assigning importance and meaning or significance to something or someone is not strange. It’s done all the time;however for Christians, the commitment to cherish and esteem Jesus means to safeguard why we value Him even during the ecological, economic, and ecumenical tumult that Jesus warns will not only come, but cause the strongest of believers to defect because of pervasive lawlessness.
Highlight: CU America Member, Carrie Sheffield
By erin conner, writer and communications associate
Carrie Sheffield, a Harvard alumna and a member of Christian Union America, is releasing a memoir this March entitled Motorhome Prophesies and launching a subsequent book tour across the U.S.
Sheffield, a columnist and broadcaster in Washington, D.C., 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 for articles, appearances on television shows and podcasts, and at forums across the nation. Consequently, many Americans know the professional side of Carrie Sheffield's life.
In her memoir, we learn about a different side of her life. The book's overview states, "Carrie Sheffield grew up the fifth of eight children with a violent, mentally ill, street-musician father who believed he was a modern-day Mormon prophet…She and her seven siblings were often forced to live as vagabonds, remaining on the move across the country. They frequently subsisted in sheds, tents, and, most notably, motorhomes. They often lived a dysfunctional drifter existence, camping out in their motorhome in Walmart parking lots. Carrie attended 17 public schools and homeschool, all while performing classical music on the streets… at times while child custody workers loomed…Carrie struggled with her mental health during college and for most of her adult life."
Student Spotlight: Jackson Parrott, '27, Yale University
By Erin conner, writer and communications associate
As a first-year undergraduate student and prospective Global Affairs major at Yale, Jackson Parrott has an impressive resume of experience in the spheres of public policy and politics. He is a researcher for the Yale Foreign Policy Initiative, a Policy Analyst for the Space Policy Research Collaborative, and a member of the Yale Undergraduate Moot Court Team. He has previously served as the Head of Global Organizational Outreach for the Climate Science Olympiad and as an Economic Policy Fellow for the Greater Good Initiative; he served as a Field Director and staff intern for both a lieutenant gubernatorial candidate and for a US Senate campaign. In addition, Parrott is an Air Force ROTC Cadet and is a Harvard Undergraduate International Relations Scholar.
A Devotional from CU National Fast, January 2024
By sadie sasser, ministry fellow, christian union gloria at harvard
"Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good." – Ecclesiastes 9:18
Since the fall, humans have turned to violence and war to solve our problems. It could be argued that we have even created an industry out of it! Over the course of history, innumerable conflicts have stricken mankind. As such, there have been many military leaders of note; but even with the vast pool from which to choose there are leaders that rise to the top of the list. Names such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, and Ulysses S. Grant line the rankings when discussing the greatest military leaders of all time. There are various reasons these people are noteworthy, but one of the common traits allowing them single-digit status is tactical brilliance.
The Hebrew word used in Ecclesiastes 9:18 for “wisdom” includes connotations of skillfulness in war, administrative savvy, shrewdness, prudence, and even sometimes includes an ethical tone. Thus, when Solomon states that such wisdom is better than actual weapons, he is not speaking of the wisdom of books or knowledge that can only be found in an ivory tower. He is speaking of practical and tactical brilliance, the ability to have an overarching plan and execute it well. The actual weapons used in battle are of little consequence in comparison to good strategy.
Christian Union Provides Support for Alumni
By Erin conner, writer and communications associate
Tiffany Agyarko, a civil engineer and Princeton alumna, had many new aspects of life to manage when she graduated in May 2023. In the course of just a few weeks, Agyarko had packed up her life as a university student in New Jersey to move to Houston, Texas, to immediately begin her career.
The one area of her new life that she did not need to invest time and energy into researching was the area of spiritual mentorship. Christian Union had provided this small yet meaningful anchor for her when she relocated. Moving to an entirely new city, sometimes even to a new country, to build a professional life and find a supportive, like-minded community of faith can be daunting. With this in mind, Christian Union established its mentoring program to help ease the post graduation transition.
Public Declarations of Faith Start the New Year
By erin conner, writer and communications associate
"...Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).
A new year brings hope for new beginnings, and at Brown University, the start of the year brought forth a celebration of new life in Jesus Christ. Christian Union Libertas at Brown celebrated the baptisms of two students, Matteo Sredzinski and Layla Lynch, this January.
