Where does the time go? It’s hard to believe that the Freshmen Campaign is complete and now the fall term nearly is as well. It’s been a joy to see the normal rhythms and rituals of Dartmouth life return this academic year. Being together again for Bible course, The Vine, and our social events have been such a blessing. To contradict the popular saying, we did know what we were missing by not gathering together. Would you please join us in praying for these few requests:
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Greenleaf’s Testimony of the Evangelists is one of a thousand such apologetic works from lawyers, literary scholars, philosophers, and theologians who have argued for through the ages the veracity of the teachings of Jesus and eyewitness testimonies of his earliest followers. Last month I mentioned the stunning ‘Christ hymn’ in Philippians, chapter 2 (see also John 1:1-18; Colossians 1:15-20). As I say to students all of the time, the descriptions of the nature and person of Jesus in the New Testament are crazy talk unless we can support and defend them. The onus is on us to do our homework and to keep an open mind.
Christian Union Nova remains strong as students study the book of Philippians and near the end of a semester with zeal and genuine camaraderie.
First-year students are engaged in Bible courses and readily share how much they appreciate their fellowship with those of the same precious faith! In addition, many upperclassmen have returned to their Bible courses with greater levels of commitment, and student-to-student discipleship pairs continue to be a place for nurtured friendships. At the same time, large group meetings are charged with sincere worship and messages that convict us all to seek God, love one another, and trust in the reliability of Scripture.
As we enter November and a season of Thanksgiving, we want to express some of the ways we are grateful, specifically to the Lord, for his kindnesses in Christ to CU New York and to all of us, His people, in NY!
Foulke ’20 Was Founding Member of CU Caritas
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
Arthur Brooks argues that finding happiness in a job comes from two factors: a sense of accomplishment and professional efficacy as well as believing that your work is serving others and making a difference in the world. Recent Stanford grad and CU Caritas alumni Ryan Foulke has found both in his work for BibleProject, a non-profit organization that creates free Bible resources to “help make the biblical story accessible to everyone, everywhere.”
Nothing Less Will Change Our nation and Its People
Planned Parenthood recently distributed information to eleven-year-olds advocating for them to have sex with anyone they liked who was under the age of thirteen. The pro-abortion organization also communicated to these children that their parents can't control if they take birth control or get tested for sexually transmitted diseases, and that, ultimately, their sex life was up to their discretion. How our culture understands sexuality has been changing for a couple of generations, but in the past decade, the sexual norms have changed drastically.
We continue to be encouraged by the ways that our students are growing and maturing in Christ, and the ways that they are reaching out with the gospel of Christ at Cornell. Bible courses and prayer meetings have been well-attended, students are enjoying fellowship at the Mott Center and events like hockey games, pumpkin carving, and hikes. Through it all God is at work to build the community, advance His kingdom, and open doors for the gospel.
Dr. Anna Hampton Offers Insight, Clarification
Three weeks ago, a gang in Haiti kidnapped 17 North American missionaries as they were leaving an orphanage; the group who is taking responsibility is demanding a $17 million dollar ransom. Though Haiti has struggled to become a stable nation, the past several years have been particularly challenging and produced increasingly dangerous and unpredictable situations in the country. Because of this, the missionaries have received both praise and criticism for their willingness to remain in such dangerous circumstances rather than returning home to a safer place.
‘I Am Deeply Grateful for How God Uses Christian Union to Engage Students’
By Daniel Norton, Harvard ’14
I grew up attending Catholic mass most weekends with my family. When I enrolled at Harvard in 2010, my faith could best be described as moralistic deism–I felt compelled to attend mass, do my best to behave biblically, and label myself as a good Christian. Yet my faith was built on a weak foundation, rooted in a flawed belief system that I could somehow win God’s favor through church attendance or by occasionally behaving more biblically than my college peers.
Social Critic Speaks at Christian Union NY Forum
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
“America, who has bewitched you?” That was the question posed by English author and social critic Os Guinness when he spoke at a Christian Union New York virtual forum on September 21. The title of his lecture was “1776 versus 1789 — A tale of two revolutions and America’s present crisis.”
Christian Union Event Inspires Young Leaders
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Students with Christian Union ministries at some of the nation’s most influential universities gathered virtually last spring for a Seeking God Lifestyle Seminar. For eight evenings, attendees heard inspiring teaching on topics ranging from repentance to revival, gathered in cohorts, and sought to draw closer to the Lord.
CU Libertas Helps Students Plug in During Welcoming Campaign
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
One-on-one meetings over coffee, family-style dinners, and a weekly prayer breakfast—they are all on the menu as CU Libertas at Brown University continues to connect with students in the fall semester.
Yale Professor: Theory of Evolution Is “Religion” to Most Scholars
By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer
A renowned Yale University professor is openly questioning academia’s unwavering allegiance to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
David Gelernter recently sparked controversy when the Yale alumnus of 1976 published a candid, favorable review of several books dismantling core aspects of Darwin’s theory. The professor of computer science highlighted gaps in the theory of evolution by natural selection, despite its status within academic circles as the bedrock of science’s modern worldview.
Do Believers Need to Meet in Person?
Though most churches have resumed some form of in-person worship, a year and a half of zoom church forced many churchgoers to ask the question, "If we can do church online, do we need to do church in person?" The question has less to do with what we are capable of in our current technological era and more to do with what we believe about the nature and reality of the church. And for many Christians, they can’t tell you why zoom church isn’t the same as the real thing.
Transformation and Cultural Ideology
Every day we are being formed into certain kinds of people. The shows we watch, the music we listen to, the friends we spend time with, and the places we spend our money not only reveal the things we value, but also help us understand the ways we have been formed by our culture and the world around us.
In this episode of Live No Lies, a podcast by John Mark Comer, Pastor Jon Tyson explores how the world has deformed us in ways that do not align with the gospel or life of Christ. He argues that the work of following Jesus is to be reformed and transformed into His image as we cast off the thinking, habits, and beliefs that are not from God.
A New Season and A Great Commision for CU Gloria Law
By Kelly Parks, Staff Writer
As members of the student executive team of CU Gloria Law prayed about the vision for the current academic year, each sensed the Lord calling them to focus on evangelism and discipleship. CU Gloria Law is Christian Union’s leadership development ministry at Harvard Law School.
Discovering the Beauty of Hesuchía
By Avery Johnston, Penn ’23
Editor’s note: The following article was reprinted with permission from The Penn Epistle, “a Christian journal at the University of Pennsylvania dedicated to sharing the words of Christ’s followers.” The author, Avery Johnston, is a student leader with CU Martus, Christian Union’s leadership development ministry at the University of Pennsylvania.
Online Study Is Fruitful for CU Gloria Students
By Kelly Parks, Staff Writer
A group of students with CU Gloria at Harvard University systematically studied the book of Exodus during the summer.
Newlyweds Thankful for CU Community at Harvard
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
When it comes to marriage, our modern culture tends to focus on the couple. But for Joshua Walton ’21 and Jessica Edwards ’21 (now Walton), it is the power of living in Christian community that has brought them together, encouraged them, and forged a supportive foundation for their new marriage.
The last few weeks have been such a blessing for the team here at Brown! The weather continues to cool down, the leaves are beginning to change to familiar autumn hues, and, for the first time in two years, we’ve been able to welcome freshmen to campus. Your faithful support has made it possible for us to greet many of these students face-to-face, hosting them for meals at the Judson Center and grabbing coffee on Thayer Street. Additionally, we’ve been able to connect with a number of sophomores who weren’t in-person last fall. These students desire to be a part of Christian community; they’re eager to pray together, desperate to see the Lord move on campus, and, perhaps more than at any point in recent memory, motivated for the work of evangelism and outreach.
