Don't-Miss 2024 Events
CU Fire Retreat
October 4-5, 2024
A CU Fire Retreat is a 1.5-day nationwide simulcast retreat. Experience spiritual rejuvenation and encouragement with your friends—or any other Christian community you are a part of—from the comfort of your home! Local volunteers lead all groups. In fact, you are invited to consider becoming a host yourself and to bring a CU Fire Retreat to your community. Hosting a CU Fire Retreat is easy‚ and we'll provide everything you need to make it happen.
Learn more at CUFire.org or reach out to GraceAnn.Arvey@ChristianUnion.org if you have questions.
Christian Union New York Speakers Series
Dates TBA
Young Alumni Society Events
Spontaneous events are planned and run by young alumni living in NYC. This group communicates and invites each other to events via GroupMe. Reach out to Andy.Woodard@ChristianUnion.org to be added to the GroupMe and to connect with other Christian young professionals in the City.
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” - Matthew 9:35-38 (ESV)
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” - Isaiah 43:19
Happy Fall, dear friends! Our students have finally regathered after a long time of scattering over the summer. Pre-retreat with the student leaders was a strong and powerful way to kick-off the semester as the students reconnected with God, one another and made many plans to welcome the class of 2027. There were 28 student leaders at pre-retreat, and we were joined by CU Vox at Dartmouth as well, which was mutually encouraging! The week at retreat together was filled with worship, prayer, teaching and a lot of fun.
Summer was full of exciting stories and opportunities for our students both at home and abroad. Meanwhile, Christian Union faculty have been preparing for the coming year. At the start of August, we gathered together for a week-long retreat of training and spiritual revitalization aptly titled Momentum. Now Fall has come, bringing blessings and challenges.
We’re excitedly preparing for our PreRetreat where we will join our student leaders for a time of refreshing in the Lord, deepening the bonds of community, and training for our Freshmen Welcoming Campaign! Our students will be challenged to reach out with the message of the gospel and to pursue friendships with as many incoming Freshmen as possible. Many Christian Freshmen simply don’t know that they need Christian community and don’t think to seek it out. This is why we must go to them! Our prayer is that no Christian student falls away and misses out on spiritual growth during their Princeton years - and that every student has an invitation to Christian community. We aim to be like the Good Shepherd, leaving the ninety-nine to seek out and find the one!
Announcing the October 13-14 CU Fire National Simulcast Retreat
By grace ann arvey
CU Fire Retreats—quarterly simulcast retreats for believers across America—help participants experience spiritual rejuvenation and encouragement with their friends, their church, or any other Christian community to which they belong, from the comfort of their own homes. The next CU Fire Retreat will take place October 13-14, 2023.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”. How then can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! - Romans 10:13-15
Greetings from CU Libertas!
God is at Work Through CU's Freshman Welcoming Campaign
By erin conner
The great commission of Jesus Christ, to his followers, is to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
At universities across America, students entering college can discover a culture that seems to silence discourse about existential purpose and meaning; about faith and God. This is especially true at the ten academic institutions where Christian Union serves. To follow the great commission in these contexts requires courage to resist the pattern of this world.
A Devotional
By dr. Marcus buckley
Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” – 1 Peter 1:23-25
“The grass is always greener on the other side.” It has been said that cliches which linger in our vocabulary do so because they have a strong element of truth, and the endurance of this statement is good evidence. How many times have we been enticed to wander off to pastures a deeper shade of emerald, only to find that they are filled with problems not readily visible from a distance?
Christian Union Universities' Fall Campaigns Begin
By Erin Conner
Christian Union has established undergraduate ministries at nine of America's most highly influential undergraduate institutions (and also at Harvard Law). The ministry plans and executes intensive freshman welcoming campaigns at the start of each academic year. Research indicates that the first few weeks of students’ lives, as they transition from high school to college, can be critical for establishing foundations for future success.
Christian Union's National Fast Concludes
By chuck Hetlzer
Christian Union America’s most recent national fast came to an end Monday, August 14, 2023. 5,175 Christians across the nation signed up to seek God in prayer, fasting, and repentance, along with a special emphasis on taking in massive amounts of Scripture.
An Update
By erin conner
Fasting and prayer are two spiritual disciplines recorded in Scripture that help to align people’s hearts with the Lord’s. Which is why, in part, Christian Union America leads two nationwide fasts each year toward its mission to develop and connect transformative Christian leaders for national revival and reformation. As Chuck Hetzler, Vice President of Biblical theology for Christian Union, states, “the Scriptures are clear: God is moved by the humility that fasting demonstrates when it is combined with proper attitudes and actions surrendered to God’s ways.”
Currently, one of CU America’s bi-annual fasts is underway. It began on Tuesday, August 1 with 5,175 participants from across the country and will continue through Monday, August 14, 2023. Approximately a quarter of the participants involved in this fast are alumni from our nation’s top 30 colleges and universities.
I hope that these summer months are treating you well! Things are currently quiet around the campus at Cornell, but in a few short weeks, thousands of students will pour into Ithaca and the surrounding communities as a new school year begins. That means there will be thousands of individuals who need to hear about and experience the Good News of Christ. We at Christian Union Vita are excited about the opportunities God has in store for the coming year. Our student-led outreach team has already contacted over 100 incoming students, and the work has barely begun.
Praise God that the gospel is going forth at Dartmouth! Throughout this summer, students continue regularly using our amazing Ministry Center, despite the beautiful weather outside. The 24-hour prayer room, well-stocked fridge, and cupboards are particular highlights. Especially as we’ve hit midterm exam season, the students have been staying later and later to finish their studies.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” Joshua 1:9
Summer has been incredible as we work through the book of Joshua. The summer Bible study drew students together via Zoom and in person at the ministry office to eat dinner and study God’s word together. You can watch the Bible study on Joshua 14 here.
We are excited to share what’s been happening among our students at Stanford and ask that you join us in prayer for more of God’s power among us to accomplish his purposes!
Near the end of the spring quarter, eight of our students traveled to Camp of the Woods in New York to attend Spiritus, a two-week conference for current and upcoming student leaders in Christian Union’s ministries to take their faith and lifestyle of seeking God to the next level.
Greetings from Penn! I pray this finds you well.
CU Martus has two exciting updates to share as we look ahead: preparation for Freshman Welcoming Campaign growing our team!
As we prepare for the start of another academic year, we are already reaching out to incoming freshmen and preparing for their arrival on campus. One significant effort of our outreach to incoming freshmen is connecting with them on Instagram and building that relationship with them before they step foot on campus. This allows us to engage with freshmen wondering what type of Christian community there is on campus and to welcome them with open arms.
Greetings from CU Lux at Yale! I pray this finds you well.
We are excited to share some great news this summer as we look ahead: preparation for Freshman Welcoming Campaign, and we are growing our team.
As we prepare for the start of another academic year, we are already reaching out to incoming freshmen and preparing for their arrival on campus. One significant effort of our outreach to incoming freshmen is connecting with them on Instagram and building that relationship with them before they step foot on campus. We currently have more in our community this year, at this time, than we did last year heading into the freshman campaign. This effort allows us to engage with freshmen wondering what type of Christian community is on campus and welcome them with open arms.
James encourages and reminds us of the power of prayer: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” - James 5:16. Your prayers for Christian Union New York are needed, and they are working! Fruits of the ministry in NY are abundant, but the need for intercession is even greater. Please continue to pray! Join Christian Union New York in prayer over these three exciting ministry opportunities and events happening this August.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have towards the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. - Philemon 1:3-6
Greetings from Providence!
