The biweekly eNewsletter from Christian Union
For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.
— Psalm 47:2
Dear Prayer Partners!
Thank you for your prayers and support of Christian Union at Yale. Shortly after I sent the last prayer email, one of you encouraged me to keep on spiritually “mothering,” and later that day a student confessed some sin to me, asked for my advice and help to get out of the situation and then said to me, “Thank you for being my mom that I can tell things to” (as opposed to her mom that she can’t tell things to).
Dear Friends and Partners of Penn,
My family is new to Philadelphia and Christian Union at the University of Pennsylvania, and at times it seems as though we’ve crammed 3 years into our 3 months here. But what a joy it has been. We have seen God working in the students of Penn, in the churches of Philly, and in the ministry team here of which I’m overjoyed to be a member. Thank you for your continued prayers for myself and my family, and the prayers for the other new Ministry Fellow, Kelly Schaaf, and her family, and Ministry Director Justin Mills and his family.
For Namans, Giving is a Family Endeavor
Christian Union supporters Dr. Vincent and Dian Naman have lovingly served side by side over the course of 31 years (and counting) of marriage. Together, they have raised four godly children and have made a significant impact on their community through their professional endeavors, service to their home church, and their commitment to furthering Christ's Kingdom.
Sadly, many Christians have a stunted understanding of economics, with some even insisting that the Bible doesn’t really concern itself with such topics. In reality however, the Bible bestows upon us a wholesome worldview to which we can apply and shape our different spheres of life, whether they be economics, politics, or culture.Christian Union's Engaging Lecture Series at Columbia
For more than two hundred years, Columbia University's motto has been: "In Thy light shall we see the light," based on Psalm 36:9. But according to Jim Black, Christian Union's director of undergraduate ministry at Columbia, each fall the university explains the motto and its true meaning incorrectly during freshmen orientation."Students are told that the meaning of the motto is 'by the light of you (incoming freshmen), we will all see the light.' That is a terrible misrepresentation of the biblical text," Black said.
At its weekly leadership lecture series, however, Black and Christian Union's ministry at Columbia are rightfully shining the light where it truly belongs—on Jesus Christ.
Ministry Welcome Events for Young Professionals
Christian Union's ministry for professionals in New York City hosted a series of events to welcome freshly minted graduates of leading universities to the commercial capital of the world.This summer and fall, Christian Union New York City held receptions aimed at providing young professionals with spiritual and practical support systems as many settle into new careers, especially in Manhattan's financial sector.
"We're intentionally helping people connect. Some people who come here are self-sufficient and some who come are overwhelmed," said Scott Crosby, director of Christian Union New York (CUNYC).
Part of the seeking God lifestyle involves incorporating frequent and fervent pray into our daily lives. There are no ‘quick fix’ prayers that can replace the important process of learning to pray to God from the sincerity of our hearts. However, as humans, we need initial guidance, since we are innately formed to learn through example. In an article entitled ‘Seven Simple Daily Prayers’, writer Marshall Segal lays out seven ideas to help enrich and enliven our personal prayer. He pulls his tips from the Psalms, citing verses and then detailing them with explanation and personal experience. Knaus '17 Has a Heart for Refugees
by Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer
A University of Pennsylvania upperclassman is using her international upbringing, fluency in Arabic, and passion for supporting the vulnerable to aid an influx of refugees arriving in Philadelphia."I want to make a difference by helping people, so they can see God's love through me, especially with their tangible, practical needs," said Aimee Knaus '17, who grew up with her American family in Jordan and the Togolese Republic.
"God definitely set me up for it. God has me at Penn for a reason."
The First Amendment is receiving a massive amount of pushback, not just from a specific group, but by the culture as a whole. Trevin Wax, in his article ‘4 Cultural Trends Leading to the Decline of Religious Liberty’, states: Hendricks '17 Works on Law Degree as Undergraduate
Rob Hendricks, a member of Christian Union's ministry at Cornell, has become the first undergraduate ever to be accepted to the Cornell Law School. He is simultaneously a senior at Cornell and a first-year law student.
Ministry Celebrates First Graduating Class
Three years ago, faculty with Christian Union's ministry at Harvard Law School, Coram Deo, began reaching out to students and sojourning with them as they integrated faith and law. In May, the ministry celebrated, by God's grace, steady growth since its inception and the graduation of some of its original members."Emotions of both joy and sadness well up in one's spirit as we both celebrate our graduates and mourn their departure from local campus life," said Jim Garretson, Christian Union's ministry director at Harvard Law School.
"...the key actor in history is not individual genius but rather the network and the new institutions that are created out of those networks."
− To Change the World, James Davison Hunter
One of Christian Union's core values is Networked and Engaged Leaders. These values describe the elements of activism and effectiveness necessary for leaders to accomplish spiritual objectives that are deeply transformative in scope and depth. There is awareness that individual efforts alone will not be sufficient, and that there is a paradigm both in history and in the Christian faith that recognizes the network as a key element of change.
Thank you for praying for students in our ministry in November—the time to focus on answers to prayer with thanksgiving!
Q & A with Dr. Mac Pier
Mac Pier is the founder and chief executive officer of the New York City Leadership Center. Christian Union: The Magazine recently interviewed Dr. Pier regarding his insights on the transformative power of movements and networks.
For the last five years, Dr. Pier and the New York City Leadership Center (NYCLC) have hosted Movement Day, an annual conference that has gathered ministry and marketplace leaders to inspire gospel movements and collaborative ministry in cities around the world. In October, representatives from 86 countries convened in Manhattan for Movement Day Global Cities. The three-day conference addressed the refugee crisis, human trafficking, poverty, fatherlessness, and under-performing education.
The biweekly eNewsletter from Christian Union
The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.
— Proverbs 21:1
The first few weeks of freshman year are a pivotal time. Students are open to new activities and forming social groups that often set them up for their collegiate years. At the start of each school year, Christian Union’s ministry faculty and upperclassmen involved in the ministry warmly welcome and energetically engage freshmen, with welcoming campaigns among students who study at Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Harvard Law, Princeton, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale. During the campaign, the ministry team and upperclassmen eagerly present the opportunity for new students to join them for in-depth study of Scripture, Christian leadership training, fellowship, and support. Dear Prayer Partners,
Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support! The semester is officially at its midway point, and that means many tests, papers, problem sets (“p sets”)…and lots and lots of stress.
Hello Prayer Partners,
This has been a pretty big month for the Christian Union faculty here in Hanover. The Albanese family welcomed a new beautiful baby girl named Hazel Rebecca Albanese. She arrived on September 25th at 3:22am and is doing very well. In addition to this, Ministry Fellow, Kristen Ottaviano, was engaged to be married to Dominic Sylvester on September 30th! Also, Chase and I are happy to announce that we are expecting our own little bundle of joy in April! Exciting times for our team here and we would cherish your prayers for all the wonderful gifts and changes to life that are happening.
