Nexus 2018

The Christian Union Conference on Faith and Action

Nexus 2018 gathered nearly 300 students from nine of the United States' most influential universities for a challenging and inspiring weekend. Undergraduate attendees represented Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale. 

For one weekend, students worshiped and prayed together, heard from high-caliber speakers, experienced engaging breakout sessions, connected with one another in small groups, and built cross-campus ties around shared challenges and opportunities.



The Nexus 2018 theme of "Turn the World Upside Down" comes from Acts 17, when Christians were accused of turning the world upside down with the message of Jesus Christ. What does it mean to turn the world upside down with the Good News? In God’s "upside down" economy, Christ died so that we might live, the weak are strong, the poor are rich. How can we be a part of what God is doing today? These questions were at the heart of Nexus.

Links for the audio and video, along with more details about the conference, are below.

Audio Recordings

Click here to listen to audio recordings from the speakers at Nexus 2018. 

Video Recordings

Click here to watch the SpokenWord videos and click here to watch plenary speakers from Nexus 2018. 

Challenging Plenary Sessions

Students participated in vibrant worship and prayer, and learned from knowledgeable speakers in the four plenary sessions that anchored the conference.

Christian Union Founder and CEO Matt Bennett opened the conference. On Saturday, CEO of CareNet Roland Warren addressed students after accepting Christian Union's Christian Leader of the Year award. The Founder of PROCLAIM HOPE, David Bryant, addressed students that evening. Nancy Ortberg, CEO of Transforming the Bay with Christ, closed the conference out with a stirring address to students.

In-Depth Breakouts

Students expanded their knowledge with the guidance of Christian leaders, who encouraged students to consider issues in light of God’s Word.

Breakout sessions allowed students to ask their toughest questions and dig deeper in these interactive sessions.

Topics included: Evangelism and The Gifts of The Spirit, by David Taylor; Transforming Culture by Scott Crosby; Apologetics for Everyday Life with Geoff Sackett and Yolanda Solomon; Essential Discipleship by Liz Green; Powerful Prayer with Qwynn Gross; and Responding to the Transgender Moment by Ryan Anderson.

During a panel on "Bold Christians in the Workplace," students heard panelists explain how their faith has guided their experience working in areas as diverse as government, business, nonprofits and entertainment. 

Frequent, Fervent Prayer

As we draw near to God, He promises to draw near to us. Prayer is the means by which we receive from God, and are empowered to intercede on behalf of others. At Nexus 2018, students participated in powerful times of prayer, not only in plenary sessions, but also in the 24-hour prayer room.

Students prayed with peers from other colleges, seeking the Lord's face and His will.

Connecting in Small Groups 

At Nexus 2018, students had the opportunity to meet and spend time with peers from other leading universities to discuss and compare the challenges and opportunities of each campus.

Through small groups students forged new friendships that will, with God’s help, last beyond the conference and remain for years to come.

God's Word on Display: SpokenWord

God’s word is living and active. Students performed for one another SpokenWord pieces taken directly from Scripture. A time of joy and celebration, SpokenWord is one of the unique highlights of the Nexus Conference. See the most recent and past performances here.