Columbia

Christian Union Celebrates 20th Anniversary

By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer

“They say Aslan is on the move—perhaps he has already landed.” 

CU Lumine Prepares Students for Service

By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer

Stan Thomas assumed the ministry director position at Christian Union Lumine on Columbia’s campus in January of 2020. Little did he know, in the coming months the students he was just beginning to connect with would be soon scattered across the globe due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years later, however, Thomas is faithfully leading and equipping students at Columbia with the gospel and preparing them for a life of discipleship and service. 

Fondly Remembering An Evangelistic Blitz from 1985

By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor

Christian Union is currently in the midst of an ambitious evangelistic initiative called CU Rise, which includes social media campaigns and outreaches at the nine universities where it hosts leadership development ministries. CU Rise will run for eight weeks.

Campaign Features Answers to Tough Questions

By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor

This spring, Christian Union is mobilizing students on its ten campuses to share the gospel more boldly, strategically, and frequently than ever.

Christian Union Unveils Historic Evangelistic Outreach

By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer

You have one business on earth - to save souls. - John Wesley

Students Challenged to Be Salt and Light at 2019 Nexus Conference

By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor

Editor's note: This article, which features coverage of Christian Union's Nexus Conference, originally appeared in the Spring 2019 edition of  Christian Union: The Magazine and is reprinted in conjuction with the publication's "Throwback Thursday" series.  

CU Lumine Provides Treats, Answers Questions about Christianity

By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor

“Does belief in Christianity work with belief in evolution?”

“Will God ever forgive me?”

“How can you say there’s only one true faith?”

These are a sampling of the questions submitted by Columbia students when Christian Union Lumine hosted its Message Me for Macarons outreach in December. After publicizing the event, students with CU Lumine delivered the macarons and answered questions via text messaging, all while earnestly praying.

Alumna Recalls the Discipleship, Community, and Leadership Development she Experienced at Columbia 

By Taylor Willis, Columbia ’18

As soon as I set foot on campus as a first-year at Columbia, I felt out of place. I yearned for Christian community minutes after my parents left me to fly back to Texas. Thankfully, by God’s grace, Christian Union Lumine existed. 

From New Releases to Classics

Everyone needs a good book on hand. To help you decide where to start in the new year, Christian Union ministry faculty and staff have put together a recommended booklist for 2022. Ranging from new releases to old classics, there is sure to be something that will bless and challenge you this year. Take a look! 

Author of Irreversible DamageDelivers Poignant Message at Princeton

In our increasingly polarized society, university campuses have become a hotbed of cancel culture and diminished free speech. Though organizations like Academic Freedom Alliance have emerged from leading institutions with the sole purpose of defending professors' and students' constitutional right to freedom of speech, majority views tend to dominate public thinking and discourage dissent, even when dissent is grounded in research. 

Columbia and Penn Alumni Discuss Films

By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer

Alumni from Columbia and Penn gathered in person and virtually to discuss religious themes in film. Spearheaded by Columbia alumnus Stephen Cone ’20, who was a Film and Media Studies major, the alumni recently gathered at the CU Lumine Ministry Center on the day of the Columbia vs. Penn football game for the discussion entitled, “Where Is God in the Movies?”

CU Lumine Introduces Student Leaders Via Social Media

By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor

Prior to hosting its Freshman Welcoming Campaign this fall, CU Lumine embarked on a social media campaign that introduced first-year students to the ministry and gave them practical wisdom and biblical insight before they even arrived on campus.

Christian Union Event Inspires Young Leaders

By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor

Students with Christian Union ministries at some of the nation’s most influential universities gathered virtually last spring for a Seeking God Lifestyle Seminar. For eight evenings, attendees heard inspiring teaching on topics ranging from repentance to revival, gathered in cohorts, and sought to draw closer to the Lord.
 

Tanaka ’23 Launches Online Apologetics Forum

By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer

At most of the nation’s leading universities, Christian scholarship is not taken seriously. Whether it is courses that teach the Bible from a strictly literary perspective and neglect available scholarship, or students passively believing that Christianity has no response to deep philosophical questions, the Gospel is often ignored completely or viewed with disdain as ignorant and unthoughtful. Jonathan Tanaka wants to change that.

CU Lumine Prepares for Fall Semester

By Kelly Parks, Staff Writer

Despite the challenges posed by conducting Bible courses and other events online or with strict social distancing guidelines this past academic year, CU Lumine, Christian Union’s ministry at Columbia, was full of prayer pods, evangelism workshops, and Bible courses - all of which took place online. While the ministry center was open for occasional one-on-one meetings and small groups of under nine participants, Zoom meetings were the primary way students connected with each other.

“Whose Voice Are We Hearing?”

 By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor

At first glance, the career path of Amilee Watkins may seem somewhat random. A trained classical musician, her resume includes employment as a manager of a Starbucks in New York City, assistant director for the Center for Faith and Work at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and COO of a startup that centers on spiritual formation.

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.

CU Event Was Held Saturday June 5, 2021

Sternklar ’22 Has a Passion For Prayer, International Justice  

By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor

Athena Sternklar wants to change the world through a career focused on international policy and humanitarian aid.

The political science major, who transferred to Columbia University in the fall, took a hiatus from college a few years back to travel abroad and volunteer in refugee camps in Greece, Serbia, and Jordan. She came to Columbia via Montgomery Community College in her hometown of Rockville, Maryland.

Columbia Student Is a Leader with Christian Union, John Jay Society

By Luke Brown

In his Summa Theologica, Thomas Aquinas said, “There is no greater act of charity than to lead a neighbor to truth.” At Columbia University, Jonathan Tanaka ’23 is passionately seeking this greatest act of charity in a bold and wholehearted way.

“I believe that since God is the perfect, supreme arbiter of truth—He is truth. It is not only a good thing to pursue Him by pursuing truth, but it is my duty to do so,” said Tanaka, who serves on the executive team for Christian Union’s Lumine ministry at Columbia.