Downplaying Sexual Sin Won’t Win the Next Generation
By Anne Kerhoulas
Sexuality and sexual ethics have been at the forefront of our culture for the past few decades. Since the sexual revolution in the 60s, the way our nation thinks about what sex is for, how we use our bodies, and what it means to be male or female has rapidly changed.
CU Lumine Alumna Experiences Inner Healing and Transformation
By Feven Negussie, CU Lumine '22
But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Corinthians 15:57
I found Christian Union when I was in a desperate position as a sophomore in college. I spent (or rather wasted) my freshman year of college in the most ungodly lifestyle—I will not even venture to describe it here. That year, I also experienced the biggest onslaught on my mental health. I experienced frequent panic attacks and severe insomnia. I lost weight dramatically and I found myself not being able to eat or sleep properly. Even when faced with these attacks on my mind and body, I continued on in my wayward ways.
As we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, may the body of Christ in NYC and across all humanity, cast one giant net of gospel proclamation. The Lord has graciously raised us from death to life and it is our high privilege and responsibility to be fishers of men.
New Ministry Faculty Excited to Grow the Kingdom At Dartmouth
By Anne Kerhoulas
The season is turning in Hanover. Winter is slowly thawing, students are returning for the spring term, and CU Vox is beginning afresh with new ministry faculty. Ministry Director Tim Pillsbury is thrilled to join the Christian Union family and continue to grow God’s kingdom at Dartmouth.
Christian Union Embarks On Second Massive Evangelism Initiative
By Anne Kerhoulas
Last spring, Christian Union launched CU Rise, an evangelism campaign designed to share the gospel with students at ten of the nation’s most influential universities more boldly, strategically, and frequently than ever before. This week, Christian Union is at it again as CU Rise takes form for its second iteration.
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14
Whispers of revival are spreading across pockets in the US and across NYC! Will we be revived?
As the Church has eyes on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Asbury University and Seminary, intrigue and hunger are growing. Many are asking, what must we do to experience the Holy Spirit ourselves in these ways? Lord, search our hearts.
It is exciting to report that several pastors in NYC have been seeking God fervently as He requires for many months now. Together they, their families, and their congregations have been fasting several days a week and for longer stints, praying, repenting, and wholeheartedly seeking the Lord’s face together. Following the outpouring at Asbury, a small handful of these pastors are beginning to see and experience outpourings of the Holy Spirit in NYC like never before! Did they cultivate a soil that could receive the rain?
CU Mentoring Program Proves Edifying For Mentors and Mentees
By Terrance Moore and Paul Akere
Every spring, Christian Union offers every CUU graduate the opportunity to be paired with a mentor for a year-long mentorship program. The following is a Q and A with mentor Terrance Moore and mentee Paul Akere.
Terrance Moore, Harvard ’14, was a member of Harvard College Faith and Action, now called CU Gloria, and now works for Adobe on the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Team. Paul Akere, Columbia ’22, participated in CU Lumine and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education at UVA.
A Trio of Christian Union Bible Studies Explore the Psalter
By Anne Kerhoulas
Christian Union seeks a spiritually vibrant nation marked by Christian values permeating every corner of society. This vision is being advanced through the launch of Christian Union Bible Studies that are available to anyone who seeks to know the Lord and His word better.
CU Lux Student Starts Mental Health Support Group
By Anne Kerhoulas
The stats are in and the outlook is bleak: universities are failing to provide adequate mental health services for their students. While the pandemic has certainly worsened the situation, the crisis was in full swing before lockdowns and remote learning. And at top-tier universities where the pressure to perform is the daily sustenance for most students, the mental health of students is even more grim.
Staying True To Your Word Matters
By Matt Bennett, Founder and CEO of Christian Union
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. – James 5:12
Christian unity cannot be achieved without trust, and trust only endures if persons are faithful to their commitments. In this passage, James echoes the words uttered by Jesus in Matthew 5:33-37 where He also seeks integrity among believers. In the Matthew passage, some were trying to get out of their commitments by swearing by less valuable things, but this is not acceptable.
Healings, Miracles, and Tens of Thousands of Baptisms
By Anne Kerhoulas
Something is happening in a small town in North Georgia. Todd Smith, the pastor of Christ Fellowship Church, says his church has been in revival for five years. Smith’s church had plateaued and wasn’t seeing significant growth in their body. The lead pastor was weary and hungered to see a move of God in his church, one that looked like the kinds of things that happened in the book of Acts.
What Scripture Says About Division
By Chuck Hetzler, Ph.D.
As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. – Titus 3:10-11
The letter to Titus is another one of Paul’s pastoral epistles, along with 1 and 2 Timothy, containing some of the most necessary instructions for how to shepherd the flock of God. In today’s passage, Titus 3:10-11, the Spirit of God makes plain how grave the sin of divisiveness is and how it must be handled.
CU America Events Focus on Christian Leadership, Fasting, Repentance
By Chuck Hetzler, Ph.D.
January 2023 was a busy month of ministry for CU America. The CU National Fast and the CU Fire Retreat led the way for many Christians to start the new year by seeking God earnestly.
CU National Fast
January 2, 2023, began the 21-day fast for Courageous Christian Leadership. By God’s grace, 4,046 Christians from around the country and across denominational lines joined together until January 22, 2023, for a time of seeking God’s face through prayer and fasting.
Submitting To God’s Word Aligns Us With Reality
By Anne Kerhoulas
Authority is a difficult word for modern ears to process. It often makes us want to push against it, rebel, and assert our own authority. But when it comes to the authority of Scripture, John Mark Comer argues that it is a different kind of authority altogether.
Jesus Revolution Brings The Jesus Movement To Life
By Anne Kerhoulas
Jesus Revolution, a new film released at the end of February, depicts the Southern California Jesus Movement in a thoughtful and engaging way. Featuring Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in The Chosen, and Kelsey Grammar from Frasier, the film dives into the personal lives of some of the Jesus Movements' central characters: Chuck Smith and Lonnie Frisbee.
Universities Experience Spiritual Awakening
By Anne Kerhoulas
Editors Note: In light of the recent moves of the Spirit at Asbury University, Lee University, and Samford University, this article from the spring of 2022 is more relevant than ever.
“They say Aslan is on the move—perhaps he has already landed.”
And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different....At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer. - C.S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
Cultivating the Heart
By Anne Kerhoulas
“How do we cultivate a heart in which God delights to dwell?”
This is the question Jon Tyson answers in this sermon series for the Church of the City. Tyson explores the principles behind revival and awakening throughout history and dives into how we can join the Lord in His work, pursuing His will and living in alignment with His desires.
“Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told” (Habakkuk 1:5).
Greetings in the Name of the Lord!
The word “revival” is in the air thanks to God’s faithful movement on the campuses of Asbury University and Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. On February 8th, a chapel service—usually lasting an hour—continued beyond its regularly scheduled time. It kept on going past the hour, throughout the day, into the evening, into the next day, and the next. Remarkably, this worship service has continued ever since. I write this in its tenth day and the 2023 Asbury revival has spread to over 22 other college campuses. People are showing up from as far away as Singapore and New Zealand to fill Hughes Auditorium and overflow rooms. Videos from the revival are going viral on social media, and the story of what God is doing at Asbury is receiving coverage everywhere from Christianity Today to NBC and Fox News.
Repenting of the Sin of Partiality
By Chitra Kovoor, Ministry Fellow, CU Lux
Social psychologists say it takes a few seconds for people to determine whether they like a person or not. Rapid judgments are made on the basis of first impressions. Assumptions about personality and how successful one is can be based on a quick scan of what someone is wearing, their general appearance, accompanying accessories, and other clues indicating a person’s wealth, power, and social standing.
CU Nova Worship Team Goes Deep
By Cynthia Makachi
The end of the fall semester concluded an exciting season of learning and growth for CU Nova’s worship team. From joining the team as a freshman when activities were completely virtual in 2020 to becoming a co-team leader as Princeton’s campus transitioned back to normal, it has been an encouragement to see the team grow and thrive in new ways as it serves the CU Nova community. And I’m not alone—my co-leaders and members of the team agree: the worship team has been an invaluable part of their college experience.
