One Student Ministry's Unstoppable Heart to See God Transform Lives
by Erin conner, writer & communications associate
It's not easy or convenient to plan a weekend away. It is much easier to choose not to disrupt the pattern of life and to stay within the confines of routine. Disruption is not easy for anyone, but it is especially difficult for Ivy League students. Their rigorous academic schedules are full of the demands and pressures of achievement at the highest level, so stepping away from it all during the school year is nothing short of revolutionary.
Stepping away to retreat with the Lord and with each other is a beautiful gateway into the freedom Christ came to give--freedom, in part, from the weight of the standards, values, and identity placed upon us by the world. The students of Christian Union are learning to live in this kind of freedom, and, as a result, they are sharing it with others.
Each year, hundreds of students, who are a part of Christian Union's leadership development ministry at ten of our nation's most secular and influential educational institutions, step away from it all to attend fall, winter, and/or spring retreats. They do this to be in the presence of God and to recenter their lives on Christ and His values. Insodoing, they are declaring that their identity is not found in their achievement or status (or anything else of this world,) but is found in Christ alone. 
fall retreat 2024, Christian Union (CU) Lux at Yale University
Yoska Guta, a '26 student at Yale University and a member of CU Lux 's ministry, has attended many Christian Union student retreats.
Most recently, she and 75 other Yale students attended a fall retreat at Douglas Camp Meeting in Massachusetts, a retreat center established in 1875 to worship God in the splendor of His holiness. David Blaney, the president of Douglas Camp Meeting shared, "We were more than blessed to host Christian Union. Christian Union's hunger and thirst for more of Jesus was inspiring! There is hope for the next generation as we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness."
Douglas Camp Meeting has hosted many significant Christian leaders over the last 149 years, including Second Great Awakening revivalist, Charles Finney. 
historic Christian leaders at Douglas Camp Meeting
Jeff Walsh, ministry director of Christian Union Lux, said, "It is amazing to know that just before Finney went on to be with the Lord that he preached from this very stage. And yet today God has continued to keep a remnant of believers worshiping his name, crying out yet again for God to do a work in New England among this generation from the very same place."
Another notable retreat held by Christian Union in 2024 entitled "CU Proclaim" was held at Cornell during spring break in March and hosted students from Cornell, Yale, Dartmouth, and Columbia. At this retreat, students held an evangelical worship event at Sage Chapel, during which many attendees accepted salvation in Christ, found freedom from afflictions, and came forward to confess their need for God's help and healing in their lives.
Regardless of the specifics of the retreat, students always leave them carrying the demonstrative love of Christ back to their communities. To illustrate, last semester, Christian Union students shared the gospel 46,654 times and held 601 evangelistic conversations with their peers across the campuses where CU serves.
This past April, CU Lux at Yale partnered with other Christian organizations to host an outdoor Worldwide Prayer Meeting entitled "Rekindle" held in the heart of their New Haven, Connecticut, campus. This event hosted 500 people in person and invited more than 100,000 people around the globe to submit prayer requests and join the live stream to proclaim and exalt the name of Jesus Christ.
In addition, this past spring, Christian Union students at Stanford partnered with other Christian organizations to lead an outdoor worship event entitled "One" with Francis Chan in the heart of their Palo Alto, California, campus.
From the New England region to the west coast of the US, Christian Union retreats are transforming students' lives and the communities in which they live.
When reflecting on the opportunity to be a part of such a strong Christian community, Guta shared, "I’m tremendously grateful for and blessed by the way God has brought this group of people together–each member belonging to all the others for the benefit of each other and for the glory of God."
Retreats are truly revolutionary, holding the power to transform and equip believers to impact eternity with the gospel of Christ.
Watch this powerful four-minute video of Christian Union Lux at Yale's recent fall retreat.
