Santavicca ’73 Serves with Other Alumni on CU Vita Board
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
The year of 1969 might call to mind images of anti-war protests, Woodstock, or landing on the moon, but for Ed Santavicca it was the year he experienced a revival on Cornell’s campus. Arriving as a freshman in Ithaca, New York, Santavicca’s world was saturated with the cultural upheaval of the Vietnam war, rigorous academics, and a very limited understanding of God.
UPenn Class of 2021
Throughout Noah's freshman and sophmore year at UPenn, he pursued his dream of becoming a fighter pilot. However, in the spring of his senior year he received devastating news that he was medically disqualified to fly due to a minor health issue. The first person he called was a fellow Christian Union Bible Course member followed by his Bible Course leader.
Christian Union Alumnus Founds NYC Design Studio
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
Strategy is the name of the game for Cody Min, the founder of Astronaut Monastery, a creative studio operating out of New York City.
With the tagline of “Making work that thinks and thinking that works,” Min, the company’s head of new business and strategy, has created a sleek and successful firm serving clients like Hyundai, the popstar Kesha, Cole Haan, Rowing Blazers, Disney-ABC, Samsung, and Uniqlo. Min’s creative work today is deeply rooted in his faith, which was cultivated through the ministry of CU Martus (formerly called Penn Faith and Action or PennFA).
Andy Crouch: "We Are Not Going Back"
The past year has shaken every corner of our world. But Andy Crouch saw a lot of what is happening today coming back in March of 2020. Crouch, the partner of theology and culture at Praxis, made a few prescient statements about the length of the looming pandemic, the cultural shifts that were coming for us, and, most importantly, saying, “We are not going back.”
CU Lumine Hosts Evangelism Workshops
Kelly Parks, Staff Writer
At its core, evangelism is the act of sharing the good news of Christ with others so that they might come to have new life and have it to the fullest. As society has become increasingly secular, however, evangelism has become a less comfortable topic for many Christians. Although evangelism is sometimes synonymous with preaching on a street corner, we should certainly not overlook the equally powerful act of sharing Christ through personal witness.
Grow Deeper in Your Faith
Many in New York wish they were stronger in their walks with God and want to be empowered to step out in faith to make a difference in their world. Christian Union New York exists to help. The ministry serves professionals in the city, Christian Union alumni, Christian Union Cornerstone Partners, and their peers.
The foundation for ministry is one's personal relationship with God, a relationship that requires an investment of time and constant cultivation. Christian Union has found that short, focused times of drawing near to God have an incredibly positive impact, providing Christian strength and renewed vision. As a result, it has developed a series of simulcast events designed to provide this sort of opportunity for believers (and their friends) nationwide.
Introducing Christian Union Fire Retreats
Above: A small group that met in Manhattan as part of a recent national CU Fire Retreat.
A Christian Union Fire Retreat is a unique one-and-a-half-day simulcast gathering for the rejuvenation and inspiration of Christians. Typically, these retreats are offered several times per year.
Rather than convening in one large group in one location, CU Fire Retreats allow believers to invite friends over to enjoy the simulcast content — and small group interactions — in the comfort of their own homes or churches. During a CU Fire Retreat, these small groups will enjoy access to great teaching that will spur them to seek God, dig into (and discuss) God's word in an in-depth way, worship, and pray together for the duration of the 1.5 days.
A CU Fire Retreat is an investment in learning what God is like; spiritual rejuvenation, and receiving a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. Attendees experience an incredible spiritual strengthening to stand faithfully in Him and be used by Him to see their families, communities, and nation impacted for Christ. Relationships among attendees are profoundly deepened as they seek the Lord together for His purposes in their lives.
What Participants Are Saying
“I’ve been enriched beyond words. I am now looking to God to do the extraordinary in the lives of those around me through earnest prayer. The weekend raised my spiritual temperature and sharpened my senses. I am ready for battle.” - Olga S.
“The event was enormously impactful. I was deeply convicted of my sin and the need to live wholeheartedly for God.” - Reid W.
“ I was very inspired by the prophetic words and the prayers I have received during the event. I believe they have a life changing impact on me.” - Maria W.
“All I want to do is tell all of my Christian friends about this weekend so that they can go deeper as well.” - Julia S.
Specifics
- CU Fire Retreats are held in a home, church, or other comfortable location. Participants sleep in their own homes and travel to the location each morning.
- The group fasts together for increased closeness to God and spiritual power. The discipline of fasting has aided Christians in their walks with God since the beginning of the church. As a matter of fact, the common practice of Christians for the first five hundred years of the church was to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. If a particular CU Fire Retreat involves a meal, the small group will share the meal together.
- Because the group size is limited, the ministry asks that each participant commit to being present for the entire retreat from Friday evening through Saturday evening.
- There’s a minimal registration fee. Other expenses are paid by Christian Union and the host.
Learn More!
To learn more or to get involved, please visit CUFire.org or contact Grace Ann Arvey at Graceann.Arvey@christianunion.org.
Grow Deeper in Your Faith
What is the CU Fire Retreat?
CU Fire Retreat is a simulcast spiritual retreat where small groups of Christians across America meet for 1.5 days to seek the Lord together for spiritual rejuvenation. All groups follow the same schedule and watch simulcast messages 4 times during the retreat. Some groups meet in person, usually at someone’s home, and other groups meet virtually via Zoom.
How do I participate?
Hosts invite their friends to join their CU Fire Retreat group, either in their home, at their church, or even via Zoom. A host guides his/her group to follow the CU Fire Retreat schedule and watch the simulcast portions of the retreat. Anyone can apply to host a CU Fire Retreat group. If hosts recruit at least four participants to their group, the hosts' registration fee is refunded.
How many people are in the small group?
Ideally 4-12 people, but larger groups can still take part.
How can I host a CU Fire Retreat?
Anyone can become a CU Fire Retreat Host. Christian Union provides you with everything you need to host, including a schedule, the retreat curriculum and a host manual to guide you through each portion of the retreat. You can register as a host through the registration page.
If you have questions about hosting, please contact Grace Ann, at (646) 350-4123. She will support you throughout the entire retreat.
Can I attend without hosting?
Yes, you can attend a retreat as a participant! If you have not been invited by a host, you can register to join a virtual open CU Fire Retreat group, where CU staff will place you in a virtual group led by a trained host in your time zone. Past participants have loved getting to connect with fellow like-minded believers in this way!
What is the schedule for CU Fire Retreats?
Typical Schedule
Friday
Welcome and orientationTestimonies
Teaching and Q&A (streamed)
Group Prayer
Saturday
Arrival and Welcome
Worship (streamed or on-site) and Group Prayer
Teaching and Q&A (streamed)
Two Hours of Reading the Bible
Discussion on the Reading
Group Prayer
Prayer for One Another
Teaching and Q&A (streamed)
Private Prayer
Listening to God
Meal: cooking, cleaning, and fellowship
Worship (streamed or on-site)
Teaching and Q&A (streamed)
Wrap-Up
Group Prayer
Can I come to CU Fire Retreat part of the time instead of the whole time?
What makes CU Fire Retreats so impactful is the amount of time spent seeking the Lord. If you are unable to attend the entire time, we encourage you to sign up for a future CU Fire Retreat when you can for the duration of the event.
What does CU Fire Retreat believe? Are they part of a denomination?
CU Fire Retreats are a ministry of Christian Union. CU is a non-denominational Christian ministry which works with Christians from all traditions who have repented of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. CU’s mission is to support local churches, pastors, and Christians to seek the Lord for revival and reformation in our country. You can read our statement of faith and ethics here.
Who Teaches the Content at the CU Fire Retreats?
The speaker lineup not always the same, but the upcoming retreat's speaker lineup will be posted here.
Why is there a registration fee for CU Fire Retreats?
The registration fee helps cover the cost of the event. Even though the event can be joined online, there are still various costs associated with each CU Fire Retreat. These costs include external expenses such as website/platform/app fees, speakers’ honorarium, and marketing the retreat. The cost also includes internal expenses such as CU associates who organize CUFR and support hosts to make each group a success!
Where does the registration money go?
All registration fees go directly to the budget needed to produce each CUFR. If there are any funds raised that exceed covering the costs, direct and indirect, they will only go to furthering the ministry of CU and CU Fire Retreats, not to individual staff, ministers or groups.
. . .
Register for our upcoming CU Fire Retreat here.
Christian Union Manual Satisfies Hungry Souls
By Dr. Chuck Hetzler
Marc Minella, of Kingston, Massachusetts, was searching for a discipleship course that could feed his hunger for the Lord. When Marc downloaded the Seeking God Lifestyle manual from Christian Union Day and Night’s website, God met him in remarkable ways.
Carving Out Space to Hear God's Voice
Loneliness may be more prevalent than ever after a year of isolating and deliberately distancing ourselves from others. It was already on the rise in younger generations in ways never seen before due to social media and a trend toward relationships existing virtually more than face-to-face. But in the midst of our loneliness, we must be willing to carve out a space for the spiritual practice, discipline even, of solitude; regular and intentional aloneness, writes Ben Self in his article at Mockingbird.
Greetings from Christian Union Libertas at Brown University! We are so very grateful for your many prayers and financial support that make this ministry possible. As is the case every spring, time flies by quickly. Just this past weekend, we had the privilege of celebrating our graduating seniors as Brown hosted commencement ceremonies. We’re very thankful to have shared life with these wonderful young women and men over the last four years. They’ve worked so hard during their time here on campus and have resiliently faced the challenges and difficulties presented by Covid. I’m sure none of them even imagined their senior year would look like this, but despite it all, they’ve remained encouraging and loving toward their peers, and a pleasure for us to serve as ministry faculty.
Dear CU Lumine Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Greetings from Christian Union Lumine at Columbia! We praise God for partners like you in supporting the work He is doing through this ministry.
The Spring 2021 semester is officially over along with final exams. The last week of April was graduation and it was a beautiful sight to see seniors in the graduation gowns walking all around campus and Morningside Heights. Of course, graduation was not held normally this year, but I was encouraged to see our students make the most of this important moment.
We are incredibly encouraged by what God is doing at Cornell and we thank you for your ongoing prayers and support. There is an unprecedented amount of fellowship and activity at the Mott Center. Students are praying together, studying together, sharing meals together, and spending time in God’s Word. There is a heart to seek the Lord that we are witnessing both within our group and across the campus.
We are at the halfway point of the spring term and like it always does, time is moving fast. It’s hard to think that graduation is next month and that the special senior class we have will be departing. Campus life and ministry are full and busy and there is much to praise God for. The new student executive team is in place, the students are engaged in several prayer and Bible reading initiatives, new people are joining Bible courses, and there is a real sense of joy and community on display this term. God has provided abundantly during this unique and challenging academic year. Would you please thank God for His provision and kindness to CU Vox and also pray for these specific requests:
“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” - Jude 3
Those words from Jude 3 are now a part of the commission given to the outgoing seniors in the Harvard class of 2021. Our hope and prayer for them is that they would “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” as they head into their various fields of work upon graduation. Please continue praying for the class of 2021 as they transition into a new season and step into what the Lord has next for them.
The 2020-21 school year is nearing its end and your prayers have made a difference on the Princeton University campus!
Christian Union Nova is thriving because student leaders are working to fulfill the vision. Within each student executive, assistant Bible course leader (ABCL), and student leader, there has been sincere compassion towards one another and a commitment to ensure that the CU Nova community is present and viable. Through large group meetings (i.e., Encounter and TruThursday), Bible courses, weekly prayer meetings, and discipleship for incoming freshmen, active ministry took place during a very challenging time.
Warm greetings from Christian Union Caritas!
“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever” – Psalm 106.1
As the semester comes to a close, there are so many reasons to be thankful. Christian Union Martus has completed a seamless leadership transition and our new exec and ministry team leaders have started their tenure with energy and focus. From Scripture memorization, campus outreach, social activities, daily prayer, and a strong finish to Bible courses, the students have been incredibly resilient. God has shown Himself to be faithful again and again. We are taking tentative steps to have in-person meetings at Panera and various spots around campus. And our students are beginning to think about the fall term and how we can strategically reach incoming freshmen. As we approach graduation and the summer break, would you pray for:
Signs surround us—whether it’s emojis in digital communication, traffic signs that help us navigate the roads, or business logos that mark brand identity. A sign is a visible representation of an idea, something standing for something other than itself. Anything can be a sign as long as someone interprets it as signifying something. In John’s gospel, Jesus performs seven signs as visible symbols of God’s presence on earth. Each of the seven solicits a response: Do you believe that Jesus is the embodiment of God’s presence?
Do you ever feel discouraged and hopeless looking at our nation and our culture’s hard turn toward secularism? It often feels like the voice of Christianity in this country is being muzzled and is soon to be silenced. Especially on our nation’s university campuses and in our major cities, we are seeing this trend becoming entrenched and starting other trends in the rest of the country. Whether we want to see it or not, it is becoming more apparent through “cancel culture” and governmental mandating of church closures, how quickly we could lose ground on freedoms to openly live as the Scriptures require us to live.
Revival Fire Past and Present
By Dr. Michael L. Brown
In a certain sense, God’s presence fills the universe. Yet there are times in history when He manifests His presence in a particular place or in a particular way that is unique and distinct and powerful and transformative. We call those times “revival.”
