Reaching Freshmen at Our Nation's Most Secular Schools with the Love of Christ
by Erin conner, writer & communications associate
Student leaders at Christian Union such as Foster Cardinale and Teddy Taylor, seniors at Cornell University, are generously and joyfully giving their time and effort to warmly welcome the incoming class of students on their campus. Cardinale and Taylor were both involved in Christian Union Bible Courses last year and will be leading freshman Bible Courses this upcoming academic year. Both had the idea to take pizzas to the freshman quad during the first week of classes, as Cornell's dining staff members were on strike and students were only being served bagged meals. Both are selflessly serving others as higher than themselves.
Teddy Taylor and Foster Cardinale, Christian Union Vita student leaders at Cornell
In fact, more than a hundred student leaders across all nine schools where Christian Union ministers have sacrificially given up their time to serve freshmen by attending pre-retreats to prepare their hearts and minds to plan and execute powerful freshman welcoming campaigns across their respective campuses. At the start of every academic year, Christian Union ministry directors and fellows host these preparatory retreats for their student leaders, equipping them to plan and implement effective outreach efforts during the first month of the academic year. As a result, each year Christian Union invites thousands of freshmen to experience the love of Christ through numerous types of leadership, social, and outreach events during a critical time of transition in many college students' lives.
From boldly standing at welcoming tables in the courtyards of their schools to filling goodie bags to be distributed to every dorm at Princeton to hanging event invitations on doorknobs at Brown to hosting a block party with s'mores at Yale to an outdoor picnic at Harvard to holding a midnight ice cream party at Columbia, students are finding fun and creative ways to lovingly invite their peers to see what Christian Union has to offer–practical ways to seek, know, love, and follow God. Ultimately, these students are inviting others to come and see what Christ has to offer all of us: Truth and Life–the Way to overcome the emptiness of the world.
Christian Union Libertas student leaders welcome freshmen at Brown University.
Like Christ’s apostles who responded to the great commission and hastened a movement almost 2,000 years ago that transformed the world, these precious students are participating in the great commission by loving others the way God loves us– by counting others as more significant than ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4).
Another example of love is evident at Christian Union Nova at Princeton, as student leaders spent much time last week praying together for the entire class of 2028 by name. Each and every name matters deeply to God, so each and every name matters deeply to the faculty and staff of Christian Union Nova. For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son for every single person to be reconciled to Him, to be transformed through Him, and to find life in Him. Christian Union Nova student leaders are giving their time to pray according to the heart of God when they could easily be focusing their time on getting themselves personally prepared for the new academic year.
May these acts of love inspire us all to give of ourselves for the benefit of others in our spheres of influence. May God richly bless and multiply the continued efforts of Christian Union’s leaders and students for their desire to align their hearts with the Lord’s, to use their time at the start of this academic year for eternal things, and to share with others the only One who holds the power to give abundant Life: Christ Jesus.
Please join us in fervently praying for college students at some of our nation's most secular and influential schools using this 30-day prayer guide.
Join the movement to transform culture for God's glory by making Christ known at our nation's most secular and influential schools.
