Alumni

Christian Union is Hosting a National Fast for America to Return to God

by Erin conner, writer and communications associate

Pew and Barna research showcases the multi-decade decline of Christian belief and practice in America among both strongly committed and marginally committed Christians. Projections indicate that 50 million people will be "lost" without reconciliation to God through Christ by 2050. America has suffered mass secularization in the last few decades resulting in an increase in disorder in America, from the highest levels of depression and anxiety on record since the Great Depression to a significant and measurable decrease in personal and societal health and stability. 

In response to this reality, Christian Union America will be holding a 14-day national fast from August 1 to August 14, 2024, that will emphasize the need for American Christians and the American people to turn to God. This initiative will urge Christians to fast and pray for our nation, for our nation's leaders to return to God, and for all Americans to heed the Lord's loving call to reconciliation, repentance, and obedience. 

Christian Union will provide all participants with a guide to fasting, an email devotional each day of the fast, an online community for participants, and a Bible reading plan. Participants will also be added to Christian Union's app, which is hosting a private group for this purpose. This online group will allow participants to connect with other like-minded Christians from the east to the west coast, share testimonies, and access additional resources such as videos and articles during the fast. 

Christian Union Lumine's Ministry Shines Light in the Midst of Chaos

by Erin Conner, writer and communications associate  

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" -John 14:6

At times, Columbia University looked more like a military training zone than a university this past spring. On April 30, NYPD police wearing riot gear entered Hamilton Hall through a window to arrest students who barricaded themselves inside the building, prompting many people across the country to ask "what is going on at Columbia?" 

Christian Union Lumine, a student leadership development ministry at Columbia, has been working to share truth and life with others during a turbulent semester.  

Exploring an Impactful Revival

by Christian union america

The catalyst to the Azusa Street Revival was a determined desire to receive “the baptism of the Holy Spirit,” as understood by some. The idea of “the baptism of the Holy Spirit” comes from Acts 1:5 (cf. Luke 3:16) when Jesus told the apostles, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Jesus’ words about being baptized with the Spirit were fulfilled in Acts 2:1-4 when “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” There are a variety of interpretations among Christians as to “the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”

The Businessmen's Revival of 1857-58

by Christian union america

Christian Organizations Host Historic Campus Event with Francis Chan 

by erin conner, writer and communications associate

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." - Ephesians 4:4-6 (ESV)

Monday evening, May 6, 2024, was a chilly evening in Palo Alto, yet the glow of the lights and the warmth of the love lit up Meyer Green in the heart of Stanford's campus as approximately 200 Christians gathered to exalt the Lord in unity through worship and prayer. 

This historic event, entitled "ONE," was the result of prayer by Christian alumni, students, and leaders for the light of Jesus Christ to be publicly expressed as a beacon of hope in the midst of this highly secular campus. The event was a collaborative effort of six Christian ministries on Stanford's campus: the Catholic Undergraduate Student Association, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Action, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, Parakaleo Christian Ministries, Moment Christian Fellowship, and Christian Union Caritas. 

Christian Union Nova at Princeton Holds Powerful Leadership Lecture Series

by erin conner, writer and communications associate

To address the mental health crisis on our nation's college campuses, Christian organizations such as Christian Union and the Veritas Forum are using their ministries to create opportunities and discussions, as well as provide forums and workshops, to equip students to explore deeper meaning, freedom, and life through their faith in God. 

Recently, Christian Union Nova at Princeton invited Dr. Matthew Suh to speak at a Friday night Leadership Lecture Series on “The Religion of Science, Integration of Faith, and the Art of Healing-a Christian Surgeon’s Journey into Supernatural Faith.” It was a powerful message and testimony, incorporating his career as a surgeon, his faith in Christ, and how the Lord miraculously healed him. 

April's Weekend Fire Retreat Greatly Impacts Participants 

By Erin conner, writer and communications associate

Christian Union America equips and supports Christian Union Universities' alumni, as well as other Christian leaders across the country, with programs such as its alumni mentorship program, CU Fire Retreats, Bible studies, Daniel Spirituality coaching, and in-person conferences and forums. Christian Union's aim through these programs is to equip and strengthen Christian leaders to wholeheartedly seek God to transform their hearts and minds more unto the image of Christ and to transform their families, communities, and the nation as a result. 

The most recent CU Fire Retreat, held in April, equipped Christians across the country to better understand the fear of God and the fear of man, exploring how the former leads to wisdom and life, and the latter leads to more fear and deeper despair. Testimonies of lives that have been touched by God through April's weekend CU Fire Retreat are rolling in:

"The CU Fire retreat helped my faith to increase in that my need to fear God is so much stronger and so much more powerful than the fear of man." 

A Ministry that Equips Tranformative Christian Leaders for Life

By Erin conner, writer and communications associate

Christian Union has been in the national spotlight for several weeks now. From magazine and newspaper articles, television interviews, a podcast appearance, a Worldwide Prayer Meeting at Yale with the Summit International School of Ministry that was live-streamed across multiple countries, and social media ads running from the west to the east coast of the U.S., many people in faith-based circles are asking, "What is Christian Union?" 

Christian Union is a leadership development ministry that works at ten of the nation's most influential educational institutions and beyond to develop and connect Christians to transform culture for God's glory. 

Christian Union (CU) is a unique ministry in that it meets a comprehensive set of needs in our nation's young adults:

Christian Union Lux' Second Annual Worship and Prayer Event 

By erin conner, writer and communication associate 

Christian Union Lux is a spiritual force of light at Yale University by God's grace and power. A leader of this force is Reverend Jeffrey Walsh. Walsh is a retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant with over 23 years of experience as a Military Police Soldier, Educator, and National Director of Police. He is also an ordained Christian minister with a lifetime of experience in pastoral ministry. 

Walsh has served in various assignments and attachments worldwide with the U.S. Army National Guard Bureau, the 5th Special Forces Group, and the 169th Regional Training Institute. Jeffrey spent the last ten years in senior leadership positions. He has trained military leaders across North America in his former roles and Walsh's combat experience has earned him numerous service awards, including the Bronze Star Medal with Valor and four presidential unit awards. And for the last two years, Walsh has been training and ministering to students as the ministry director of Christian Union Lux at Yale. His passion for serving others stems from a personal journey of healing and transformation through the Spirit of God.

Understanding the Christian View of Fear

updated By Erin conner, writer and communications associate

This April 19-20th, Christians around the country are joining Christian Union America from the comfort of their own home for a weekend retreatto better understand the Christian view of fear: the fear of man and the fear of God.

In light of this upcoming event, Christian Union desires to encourage all Christians to seek the Lord wholeheartedly to find freedom from the destructive forces of the fear of man and to find their security in God alone. The following excerpt, originally published as part of a 2014 CU Fast, examines Jesus' words to his disciples about fearing man, as recorded in the Book of Matthew.

Christian Union's April 2024 Retreat on the Christian View of Fear

By erin conner, writer and communication associate 

This month, Christian Union America will be hosting another powerful CU Fire Retreat to help equip Christians around the country to draw close to the Lord with friends and family through a weekend retreat. It is not too late to join, as registration is still open. 

One participant recently shared, "The CU Fire Retreat was a great time! It’s not often you get the opportunity to do a group fast with so many amazing people. I’ve also met one of my current best friends through the alumni group. She went to a different school, so I probably would have never met her without the group!"  
 

Who: You and your small group, friends, or family 

What: A 1.5 day simulcast retreat featuring Scripture-based teaching, worship, prayer, and fasting 

When: April 19-20, 2024

Where: easily host in your own home or church

Why:  grow strong in the Lord and grow closer to each other 

April 2024 Theme: The Christian View of Fear: Understanding the Fear of Man and the Fear of God 

Sharing Christ with an "Unreached People Group" at Cornell and Beyond

By Erin conner, writer and communications associate

While students and faculty were protesting in Ithaca's public spaces and headlines were raging with anger and allegations about attacks on freedom in The Cornell's Daily Sun, Christian Union (CU) Vita students were fixing their eyes on the Author and Finisher of their faith. These students recently surrendered their week of spring break to serve the Lord. They are not looking to the right or to the left; instead, they are gazing upon the beauty of the Lord, knowing He is the One who sustains them and keeps them from sinking into the surrounding culture of despair, as they share the Hope that they have in Jesus Christ with anyone who will listen.  

CU America's 2024 National Fast, "Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace for All Nations"

By Marcus buckley, ministry director of christian union vita at cornell

"The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 'Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.' So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me: 'O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it'". – Jeremiah 18:1-10

It is difficult to find anyone who is not pleased when God shows to them grace and mercy according to His sovereign will. We rejoice that God would see fit to make forgiveness available to us, knowing that our sin and rebellion merits only His righteous judgment. We celebrate when God reaches across time and space and touches a friend or loved one, breaking the chains of sin and setting them free into glorious, eternal life.

But what happens when God saves someone outside our circle of influence? Or, even worse, outside our circle of preference? How many times have we as faithful followers of Christ been shocked – or even offended – when someone who was formerly an outspoken enemy of God comes to saving faith in Christ Jesus? It is easy to hurl accusations that their conversion is not a true one, that somehow the greatness of their previous sin outweighs the redemptive, salvific power of the cross. 

CU Rise Set to "Disrupt" Spiritual Climate of U.S. Colleges

By erin conner, writer and communications associate 

In 2022, Christian Union first launched CU Rise, an evangelism campaign designed to share the gospel with students at nine of the nation’s most influential universities more boldly, strategically, and frequently than ever before. This month, Christian Union is at it again, as CU Rise takes form for the third spring in a row with its campaign entitled "Jesus Disrupts."

For eight weeks, starting March 17, the goal of CU Rise is to proclaim the gospel, disrupting the current spiritual climate at highly secular universities that produce a disproportionate amount of U.S. and global leaders. Matt Bennett, Founder and President of Christian Union, recently told the Christian Post that this theme was chosen “to introduce students to how radical Jesus is.”  

The schools across the country that this campaign will focus on include Brown University of Rhode Island, Columbia University of New York, Cornell University of New York, Dartmouth College of New Hampshire, Harvard University of Massachusetts, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University of New Jersey, Yale University of Connecticut, and Stanford University of California.

“Students today at the nation’s most rigorous schools are largely unaware of the most important message in the history of humanity. Jesus Christ has brought more good into the world than any other person, and these students deserve to know, said Bennett. "Jesus is also the only one who can forgive sins and transfer us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. We need to do everything we can to give these students the opportunity to believe in Him.”  

Read Christian Post's full article entitled "‘Jesus disrupts’: Christian Student Group to Launch 8-week Evangelism Tour" here. 

Read FaithWire's related article entitled, "Christian Leader's Sobering Comparision Between Communist China and Ivey League Campuses" here. 

 
View and share videos, testimonies, or articles from the CU Risecampaign that explain Christianity here. 

Washington Times Op-Ed on Secularization of Educational Institutions

By Erin conner, writer and communications associate

Sunday, March 17, 2024-- The Washington Times published an opinion article today by Matt Bennett, Founder and President of Christian Union, entitled "America's Founding Universities Lost Their Religion. Are They Worth Saving?" 

The article briefly discusses the histories of several educational institutions in America, such as Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, and Stanford. The article also presents a compelling claim that students at these institutions ought to know the fundamental truth upon which their schools were founded: Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and, through Him alone, humanity finds salvation and life.

Former Student President Claims Victory in Texas Primary 

By Erin conner, writer and communications associate 

Leaders developed at Dartmouth shape the future of our country by determining what media gets disseminated, what laws get passed, and how major decisions get made. Dartmouth has produced influential figures, including author Dr. Seuss, beloved T.V. personality Fred Rogers, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and former central banker and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (ChristianUnion.org/Cornerstone/Vox). It seems another name of influence may soon be added to this list: Brandon Gill. 

Brandon Gill claimed victory in the GOP primary for the 26th district of Texas to replace U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, who is retiring after 21 years in Congress, according to the Dallas News. Gill received 58.4% of the vote and will now face Democrat Ernest Lineberger III in the November election.

Gill's Congressional webpage states, "I attended Dartmouth College and graduated cum laude with degrees in both Economics and History. I was President of the conservative paper, The Dartmouth Review. I was also President of Christian Union and grew it to be one of the largest student groups on campus, despite being on a campus hostile to the Christian faith. In college, I fought the left nonstop - on their own turf - and I left Dartmouth even more conservative than when I arrived."

CU America's 2024 National Fast, "Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace for All Nations"

By Chitra L Kovoor, Ministry Fellow, CU Lux at Yale University

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." – Ephesians 6:12

Christian Union Universities Highlighted  

By Erin conner, writer and communications associate

The Christ and Coffee podcast, led by Dr. Haig Kherlopian, pastor of Church for the Nations, recently hosted Matt Bennett, Founder and President of Christian Union, to discuss Christian Union (CU) Universities. CU Universities is comprised of ten Christian leadership development ministries at nine of the nation's most influential educational institutions: Dartmouth, Brown, Harvard, Harvard Law, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, and Stanford.  During the informal podcast interview, the uniqueness of CU's ministry was discussed, among other topics related to how Christian Union is developing leaders with spiritual depth in strategic places for cultural renewal. 

In the podcast episode entitled "Inside Ivy League Ministry," Bennett discussed how the majority of America’s most strategic universities were expressly founded as Christian colleges. But over the years, these schools gradually shed their religious affiliation and became secular institutions. Bennett referenced research done by James Tunstead Burtchaell, who has extensive experience in American higher education as both a teacher and an administrator.  Burthchaell, in his book The Dying of the Light, "provides case studies of seventeen prominent colleges and universities with diverse ecclesial origins - Congregational, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, and Evangelical. 

Christian Union Universities Proclaiming the Good News This Spring

By Tom Campisi, 2022, revised and edited by erin conner, 2024 

“What shall you do then with Jesus which is called Christ?”

That was the question posed by preacher Dwight Lyman Moody at his Illinois Street Church in Chicago on October 8, 1871. In the sermon, he paraphrased the question asked by Pontius Pilate in the Gospel of Matthew (27:22). Moody challenged the congregation to think about it during the week and return to church the following Sunday with an answer—would they crown Christ as Lord or, like Pilate and the misguided mob of that time, deny his supremacy? However, as Moody finished his sermon, a warning bell began to ring. The Great Chicago Fire was raging. There was no next week at his church, which burned to the ground like many of the buildings in the city.

CU America's 2024 National Fast, "Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace for All Nations"

By Qwynn Gross, Ministry Fellow, CU Nova at Princeton University

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved" – Matthew 24:12-13.

As a youngster, I can think of plenty of extracurricular activities that I began with curiosity and zeal or out of a parental charge to participate, and for one reason or another, I soon opted to stop–-from piano lessons to Girl Scouts to running track to being a debutante, and many other activities–-however, when my firstborn was placed in my arms there was a conscious decision to continue regardless.  This unwavering commitment to the children I bore would only be eclipsed by my commitment to live for God simply because I found out that He is alive.  Now, with adult children and a life in Christ that spans close to forty years, I can attest that my endurance has not been easy, nor has it been without opportunities to quit, but rather because value and worth were assigned.

Assigning importance and meaning or significance to something or someone is not strange.  It’s done all the time;however for Christians, the commitment to cherish and esteem Jesus means to safeguard why we value Him even during the ecological, economic, and ecumenical tumult that Jesus warns will not only come, but cause the strongest of believers to defect because of pervasive lawlessness.