We are blessed by the opportunity to update you on our ministry at Yale. God has been blessing and continues to bless our faith community through a new initiative started a few weeks ago. While diving deep into our summer Bible study of John’s Gospel, we encountered the glorious signs that Jesus performed to manifest God’s glory before and in the lives of his contemporaries. We were in awe of Jesus, amazed at how he embodied the truth and grace of God and inspired us to “do the works” that he did (John 14:12).
With Jesus as a foundation and guide, each member of our community committed to prayerfully memorize one passage of Scripture per week, internalize it every evening, use the morning devotional time to find practical ways to externalize it, and be a living testimony of that passage in every human interaction throughout the day.
Does Jesus still perform signs, wonders, healings, miracles, and deliverance today as He did when He walked the Earth?
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” — John 14:12
If these words of Jesus were not recorded in the authoritative and inerrant Scriptures, preceded by a “truly, truly” from Jesus, we might otherwise call this idea of mere mortals doing even greater works than Jesus absolutely heretical. Stated as such, without crediting the power of the Holy Spirit, it would be heretical. Jesus promised just two verses later to give us another Helper, the Spirit of the Living God! So, in the grand scheme of things, it is the Helper, the Spirit of God Himself, doing these mighty works through his servants like you and me. Unfathomable!
CU Day and Night Hosts Nationwide Event
By Dr. Chuck Hetzler
“I really do not remember how I came to find Christian Union, ‘It just happened.’”
Even though Kimberly Brown cannot recall how she discovered Christian Union, she is very clear about the life-changing impact CU Day and Night has had on her.
"It's Not the Way of Christ"
Hurry is a mainstay in most people’s lives. We hurry to the grocery store and to pick up the kids from school. We hurry out the door for work and hurry to get ready for another Zoom call. American’s are hurriers—it’s part of our model for productivity and efficiency. We fall into the belief that if we hurry, we can do more, be more, and certainly get more. But is hurrying truly serving us? Is all our hustle producing gains or is it actually slowly diminishing our humanness?
Rachel Gilson Talks About Sexuality and Gender Identity
In a culture that continues to become increasingly focused on sexuality and gender identity, Christians of all ages must be willing to engage with our culture in thoughtful, godly, and theologically sound ways.
CU Nova Hosts Alumni Panel
By Kelly Parks, Staff Writer
The mission of Christian Union is to connect and develop Christian leaders to create a spiritually vibrant nation marked by Christian values permeating every corner of society. One of the main methods through which Christian Union strives to accomplish this goal is by ministering to Christian students at some of the nation's most influential universities to boldly live out their faith in whichever career path they pursue post-graduation.
He Is Doing His Work One Student at a Time
By JUSTIN YIM
Henri Nouwen, who authored such books as The Wounded Healer, The Way of the Heart, and The Return of the Prodigal Son, resigned from Harvard’s Divinity School in 1985 citing that God was dead at Harvard—that it was a spiritual desert.
“CU Martus Made a Profound Impact”
By Emily Solomon, Penn ’21
Someone recently asked me the best way to find community when arriving on campus for the first time. I thought about this question a lot before I first came to Penn as well. Would I be able to find a Christian community at an Ivy League university? Would I be able to grow in my faith, or would secular thought extinguish it?
Matt Bennett Featured on Podcast
The Biblical Courage podcast invited Christian Union Founder and CEO Matt Bennett to share the story of how Christian Union was formed almost 20 years ago. Bennett, who mentions that he had become a Christian in the first grade, grew up in the faith, and after college opted to forgo the family business in the hotel industry to pursue ministry.
Court Rules in Favor of Campus Ministry
When the University of Iowa deregistered a number of campus ministries, citing discrimination for requiring their members to be Christian, the ministries fought back. This past week, a federal appeals court upheld a previous ruling in 2019 stating that the university cannot selectively deregister student organizations. The lawsuit, originally filed by InterVarsity, is an important victory for religious freedom in the university setting.
CU Lux Hosts Event with Popular Show’s Director
By kelly parks, Staff Writer
Over the past year, the internet has become an increasingly popular companion as COVID-19 restrictions kept people from socializing. According to one article by BBC, since lockdowns started in March of 2020, adults have spent nearly six and a half hours a day watching TV and online videos. This averages to watching about 45 hours of online content a week. Streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime have made this number all the more feasible as they came out with new shows and movies to keep the public entertained.
His Story Becomes Our Story
By Nick Nowalk
Christians who are serious and well-intentioned about their faith often experience angst-filled perplexity when they ponder the significance of the Gospel for what many of us inevitably spend most of our waking adult lives doing: working.
CU Libertas Preparing to Meet Freshmen and Sophomores
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Matt Woodard, Christian Union’s ministry director at Brown University, is twice as excited for the upcoming Freshman Gathering Campaign at Brown University this fall.
Helping Students Face Anxiety, Depression, and Loneliness
As students prepare for their first fall semester on campus after over a year and a half of virtual learning it almost feels like life is returning to normal. But as dorm rooms, cafeterias, and classrooms fill up again, many students are still feeling empty as they battle the anxiety, depression, and loneliness churned up from the trauma and isolation of the pandemic.
One Strike and You’re Out?
By Dr. Craig Keener
If a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it. (NRSV) - Deut. 18:22
The Impact of Christian Union Lux
Editor’s Note: The following article contains first-person accounts from alumni who were actively involved in CU Lux, Christian Union’s ministry at Yale University.
Learning to Engage for the Sake of Mission
Christian leaders falling from grace has become a routine headline over the past few years. Our leaders have been caught in abuse, scandals, addiction, or lavish spending of church funds, leaving a trail of wreckage in the congregations they led, but also a bad impression on a watching world. It appears that Christians, who declare love and grace and humility with their lips, are often living a life that is out of sync with their declared good news. The word for this is hypocrisy, and it’s hurting the church more than ever.
Initiative Invigorates, Encourages Stanford Students
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
When the word broke that Stanford would continue virtually for the entirety of the 2020-21 academic year, ministry fellow Abigail Carreon knew something had to change. In one-on-one meetings with CU Caritas students, she heard repeatedly about feelings of isolation and loneliness, apathy towards coursework, and what she suspected were the beginnings of depression for many of them.
CU Libertas Celebrates Seniors
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
In an exciting and encouraging end to their time in college, seniors of CU Libertas gathered in person to be celebrated and recognized by underclassmen and to get off campus for a seniors-only day retreat. Though these kinds of events are typical for the graduation season, Ministry Fellow Laurel Copp says that these were the only two in-person events the ministry formally hosted all year due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Carter Conlon: "We Have Abandoned the Ways of God"
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Carter Conlon, chairman of the board and general overseer of Times Square Church in New York City, recently compared the United States to a shipwrecked vessel—with more storms on the near horizon. The coming darkness and desperation, however, could usher in a great opportunity for the Church to be a voice of hope and salvation, he said.
