Russell Moore: Young Adults See the Hypocrisy
We’ve seen the stats: young people are walking away from the church. From the Gen Z “nones” who indicate no religious affiliation to the ex-vangelical movement, the church seems to be hemorrhaging its people at a historically alarming rate.
CU Lux Reaches Out to First-Year Students
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Prior to the fall semester, Ben Pascut, Christian Union’s ministry director at Yale University, and Chitra Kovoor, a ministry fellow, challenged student leaders with CU Lux to put their faith into immediate action by living out specific biblical commands as they embarked on the Freshman Welcoming Campaign and another academic year.
The familiar words (above) spoken by the Apostle Paul to the saints in Philippi ring true for my heart towards you as well. Your faithful support (financially and through prayers and encouragement) have made it possible to reach so many incoming freshmen and new to in-person Columbia sophomores this past month.
While the weather is cooling down at Cornell, the academics are heating up, as our students have been taking prelim exams over recent weeks. Bible courses have been very well attended and weekly prayer meetings are getting underway. One of our sophomore leaders, an engineering major from Pennsylvania, decided to lead a new prayer meeting on Wednesday nights. We are encouraged that an increasing number of students are feeling led to seek the Lord for personal renewal and wider revival together with their friends.
Autumn in Hanover is spectacular and it’s a delight to have the entire student population back on campus. There are still some Covid protocols in place but overall, campus life feels like it has returned to normal. The bustle of students in town is a welcome sight even if it means getting stuck in traffic waiting at crosswalks.
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
With a wonderful play on words, Phillips Brooks captured both the glory of being made in God’s image and the humbling, life-altering pursuit of knowing God. This week in our Bible courses in the second chapter of Philippians, we will encounter the jaw-dropping ‘Christ Hymn.’ This brush with greatness not only describes the nature and character of the Messiah, but as the grizzled Apostle Paul contends in the remainder of his letter that Jesus’ example had become the standard for us: the cruciform life.
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
- Proverbs 19:21
His purpose fulfilled—that’s our heart’s cry!
Plans were made to ensure that newcomers and returning students were welcomed to Christian Union Nova for a strong spiritual and academic year despite the effects of a pandemic. Our Father has not only honored those plans, but He has heard all of our prayers and superseded every expectation. Glory to God!
Career "Calling" Takes on New Meaning for Some
In the past fifty years, the number of hours logged at work has declined for some demographics, remained the same for those in the middle class, but surprisingly, for wealthy men, the number of hours spent working has increased enormously. For some in this high-income group, work has become a “kind of religion, promising identity, transcendence, and community.” It’s called workism.
Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God Is at Hand”
By Dr. Ben Pascut
Editor’s note: The following article by Dr. Ben Pascut, Christian Union’s ministry director at Yale University, was part of a series of devotionals for Christian Union Day and Night’s recent two-week “Return to Me” national fast.
Greetings from Palo Alto!
Fall quarter is underway at Stanford, as are our Bible courses! In our study of Philippians, we recently meditated on God’s all-encompassing and lovingly wise command for our thoughts and actions:
Since the last update, we have closed out our Freshman Welcoming Campaign. Throughout the campaign, we were blessed to have had 100+ meaningful interactions with freshmen, and 35+ of whom were interested in our Bible courses. To close out our Freshman Welcoming Campaign, we were able to host a Fall Retreat where 34 students came to build closer relationships, grow deeper in their faith, and be challenged to live for Christ in greater boldness.
God is at Yale. The Bible calls them signs; our students call them God sightings—everyday moments that remind us of God’s character. We think of them as events that cause us to give praise to God. Some are “wow” moments, and others are small in nature.
At CU Lux, we practice sharing God sightings during weekly gatherings in small and large groups or in one-on-one meetings. There’s never an awkward silence. God is seen in action all the time. Students testify that He is the I AM, the one who is present with his people at Yale:
Christian Union NY praises God for those who heeded the call to pray each day of the month of September specifically for Christian and secular leaders in New York!
Here is a testimony from a friend of the ministry, Candy Rice, describing some specific ways the Holy Spirit was leading her to pray! Hallelujah to the Great Shepherd who still speaks through His Spirit to those whom He knows, and whose sheep hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27).
Harvard Alumna Thankful for Cornerstone Partners Bible Study
By Alexandra Tartaglia, Harvard ’17
It was January of 2021, and I had been living at my parents’ house in my hometown of Rye, New York. I was completing my final semester of law school virtually, as the Fordham University School of Law campus was closed because of the pandemic.
Repentance Was the Focus for Recent CU Day and Night Fast
By Dr. Chuck Hetzler
In the last two weeks of August, 3,884 believers from across the United States prayed, repented, and cried out to the Lord when they participated in CU Day and Night’s “Return to Me” fast.
Seeking God Lifestyle
Free Offer: Get the "Seeking God Lifestyle" Bible Course Manual. Download this 67-page, 5-lesson course in PDF format. Please email: Andy.Woodard@christianunion.org.
Hope for Restless Souls
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you. — Psalm 63:1
What does it mean to “earnestly” seek the Lord? According to Oxford Languages, the adverb earnestly means “with sincere and intense conviction; seriously.”
New Minsitry Fellow Excited About Fall Campaign
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Sheri Casali, a new Christian Union ministry fellow, is especially passionate about discipleship. As the fall semester begins for CU Libertas, she is filled with hope and excitement when she considers the potential impact of mentoring students at such a prominent university like Brown.
'Our Nation Needs Leaders Who Follow the Example of Christ'
By Hope Arbery
In the book of Mark, there is a story about a paralytic man. After hearing about the powerful works of Jesus, his friends literally carried him to Jesus because they wanted him to be healed. They overcame every obstacle so that they might bring their friend to the only one who could save him.
