Adora America Event at Madison Square Garden Created Altar of Unity

On July 5, 2024, powerful worship and prayer filled the atmosphere of Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan, as thousands of believers gathered to unite to give glory and honor to God. Matt Bennett, founder and president of Christian Union, a ministry that works to develop Christian leaders at strategic universities and cities across the U.S., was honored and humbled to pray for the corporate Body of Christ as part of this event held by Adora America.  Adora America "looks to collaborate with God in connecting the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in a region, so that we might preach the gospel and flood the earth with the message of the Kingdom of God. As part of a previous move of God amongst the Hispanic community in this region, in 1998, the church declared New York as the city of God." 

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• Alumni
• New York

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

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. 

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• Alumni
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• New York
• Seeking God
• Cultural Engagement

Grieving with the God of All Comfort 

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." —Matthew 5:4 Did you know that mourning over sin is an important aspect of prayer for revival?  As Christians with a healthy heart and mind, grieving over the destruction that sin causes in our own lives, in the lives of others, and in the land we live is a natural response. Consider this idea from the Bible: Jesus’ second beatitude promises blessing and comfort to those who mourn. In a narrow and natural sense, this beatitude applies to those who go through the heartache of trial and loss. But most commentators believe that there is a larger, spiritual application in Jesus’ words that centers on mourning over sin. Most often, this verse is applied to mourning over one's own individual sin. Yes, we should sincerely repent over our own sin; however, we need not stop at the personal level. There is also a corporate dimension to repentance, prayer, and blessing. If, together, we allow ourselves to feel what God feels- to allow God to give us a heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone- and mourn over the sins of our families, our churches, our communities, and/or our nation, Scripture illustrates that God’s blessing of comfort and healing can flow into these areas as well.

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• Seeking God
• Devotionals

A Reflection on the Healing Power of God in the Church Age

“…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  – 2 Chronicles 7: 13, 14 One small hand slipped into mine. A second stealthy hand claimed my other hand. The young girls tugged me along the dirt path through the village, between small homes. Prayers and songs drifted from doorways. Cell phones served as our flashlights, guiding my steps only; the girls were sure-footed as they pulled and nudged me along. From the sky, heavy with darkness, stars erupted. They dangled so seemingly low amid the lengthwise haze of the Milky Way I wondered if I might disentangle a hand, reach up, and snatch one, just one, drop it my pocket, to remember a sacred night in Vunibao, Fiji.  

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• Seeking God
• Cultural Engagement

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

"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.  

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• Alumni
• Columbia

CU National Fast 2018 Prayer for Revival

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 18:7-10 Our God is the King of the nations (Revelation 15:3).The prophet Jeremiah reveals that the Lord has plans for people groups, not just for individuals. When a nation turns from evil and listens to the Lord, He will direct His mercy and grace to that land and to its people. Even under the Old Covenant, God had plans for nations other than Israel. The King of the nations has special purposes for each and every nation - including the United States - that exists throughout history.The people of God must stand in the place of intercession for its nation (Ezekiel 22:29-30). We must act with faithfulness and ask God to bring repentance and faith to our nation at this critical time in history. 

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• Seeking God
• Devotionals

Exploring an Impactful Revival

The Azusa Street Revival is not commonly considered one of America’s great revivals like the First (1730-1755) and Second (1790-1840) Great Awakenings because it did not affect the nation on a broad scale. However, Azusa Street may have had the largest worldwide impact of any revival that began in the United States. 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.”

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• Alumni
• Intellectual Engagement
• Seeking God

The Businessmen's Revival of 1857-58

It was the “Great Century,” according to eminent church historian, Kenneth Scott Latourette, because of the unprecedented global growth of Christianity from 1800-1899. The gospel spread forcefully across the earth, and America was probably the greatest recipient and participant in God’s Kingdom advancement during that time. The “Great Century” began with the new country’s Second Great Awakening that lasted until approximately 1840. In the second half of the 1800s, the US was blessed with another nationwide move of God’s Spirit, the Businessmen's Revival of 1857-58.

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• Alumni
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• New York
• Seeking God
• Cultural Engagement
• Faith and Work

Christian Union Devotional from CU National Fast, January 2024

"And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains."  - Mark 13:7-8 Christ Jesus warns us of many things, as recorded throughout the New Testament. Here, in the book of Mark, He warns us not to become alarmed or afraid when we hear of wars. Why is this? Wars are frightening. This command of Christ makes me recall C.S. Lewis's famous claim that Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. I imagine those who are outside of Christ may think it sounds a bit peculiar to tell someone not to be afraid of war in light of all the devastation and death it causes.

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• Devotionals

Ministry Leaders Testify How God is Moving at Four Top Colleges  

Christian Union ministry leaders who serve students at Brown, Cornell, Princeton, and Yale recently shared how they see God working on their respective campuses. Across America, many believe that these types of schools are too secular to see a move of God, while others believe that these schools sit at the heart of a future national spiritual revival.  From the following testimonies, it is clear that, despite the increasingly destructive ideologies pervasive at these schools, God is on the move to demonstrate truth, love, and a way out of a culture inarguably producing disorder and despair. 

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• Brown
• Cornell
• Princeton
• Yale

Dartmouth Students Experience God's Power at Recent CU Classic

Each spring, Christian Union plans CU Classic events across all the schools where they minister; CU Classics are large, campus-wide events that serve as part of a comprehensive evangelistic effort to reach as many students as possible with the truth, love, and transformative power of God. Christian Union Vox at Dartmouth recently held their spring CU Classic event, hosting David Taylor at the Hanover Inn, a historic New England hotel on Dartmouth's campus.

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• Dartmouth

Christian Leadership Ministry at Harvard Law

When Harvard was first founded in 1636, one of its central bylaws was written as follows: "...let every student be earnestly pressed to consider well that the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life--and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning..." In 1993, when evangelist Billy Graham asked Harvard’s President, Derek Bok, about the greatest struggle his students faced at the college, Bok quickly responded, “Living with emptiness.” Much has changed at Harvard since its founding days, but much has remained the same. And the unique urgency of the body of Christ to be more present in the greater student community is at a crescendo, as we are challenged to show love amid hate, peace in a time of turmoil, and to speak truth in love. 

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• Harvard Law

Christian Organizations Host Historic Campus Event with Francis Chan 

"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. 

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• Alumni
• Stanford

Faith and Conviction from Christian Union's National Fast in 2020

The following devotional is a transcript of a video devotional that was originally recorded as part of Christian Union's National Fast in 2020 by Dimas Salaberrios. Salaberrios is the author of Street God: The Explosive True Story of a Former Drug Boss and his film “Chicago: America’s Hidden War” was recently nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. He is also the founder and former pastor of Infinity Bible Church in New York City, and the President Emeritus of Concerts of Prayer Greater New York. Salaberrios has been on the frontlines of the earthquakes in Haiti and of Hurricane Harvey in Houston. After the shootings in Saint Paul, Dallas, Charleston, and Paris, Salaberrios organized believers to infiltrate the protests and pray with hurting people. He has also organized prayer during the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis and in New York City. His directorial debut is titled, “Chicago: America’s Hidden War, and he co-produced the documentary film “Emanuel.” Salaberrios will be a featured speaker at the next Christian Union Fire Retreat being held October 4-5, 2024 entitled, "America Returning to God." 

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• Seeking God
• Devotionals

A Glimpse into the Power of a Christian Union Bible Course 

On the first day of one of Christian Union Gloria's Bible courses this spring, one young man began to believe that this "God thing" might be for him. He asked CU Gloria's ministry fellow, Jim Galvin, "Could there be more to my faith than what I have seen so far?"  In that moment, Galvin set out on a journey of one-on-one discipleship with this young man. This student and this ministry fellow began to intentionally seek God wholeheartedly for the remainder of this spring semester together. Through one-on-one mentoring, in part, this student began to grow in the Lord. He intentionally walked away from many college campus temptations to be "of the world," while a deep longing to share his faith with others grew within him.  

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• Harvard

Christian Union Nova at Princeton Holds Powerful Leadership Lecture Series

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. 

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• Alumni
• Intellectual Engagement
• Princeton

Student Spotlight: Brianna Garcia, '27, Christian Union Martus at Penn

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." - Romans 12:1 Entering University of Pennsylvania this past fall was an answered prayer for Brianna Garcia. As a first generation student, she will be exploring business related majors in the Wharton School as an undergraduate with a personal mission statement driving her: "My whole life I've wanted to build things for others around the concepts of service and community; I want to build a life

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• Penn

Bold University Ministry in America Featured on Canadian Show

The Perspective with Mike Sherbino is a ministry with a mission 1) to use television, social media, and radio as a primary way to communicate Christian values, insights and the hope of the gospel to Canada and beyond, 2) to talk about issues related to people's understanding of how faith in Jesus Christ can transform the way we live our lives, and 3) to use their platforms to push back against the secular agenda of our day and provide broadcast platforms for other like-minded ministries doing the same. The Perspective has enjoyed a substantial audience across Canada, as this show provides solutions for navigating life’s journey by unpacking scripture through the lens of culture, crisis, and current events.

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• Penn
• Cultural Engagement
• Faith and Work

April's Weekend Fire Retreat Greatly Impacts Participants 

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." 

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• Alumni
• Events
• Seeking God

Devotional from CU National Fast 2024: Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace of all Nations

As I stood tall before a judge in a civil case, I waited for the judgment to be announced. I was prepared. I was confident the truth of my statements was sufficient. I knew I stood for what was right, but I was unwilling to look to my left at the individual I perceived as my enemy. Memories as a United States Marine during uniform inspections flashed through my mind. I had spent years standing tall while being inspected from head to toe. I prepared for these inspections to the point I’d be surprised if the inspecting Marine found anything incorrect, yet whispers of doubt had me wondering if I overlooked anything while I waited for the final judgment. But this wasn’t the Marine Corps. This wasn’t about my preparation. This involved a person acting as an enemy toward me. While everyone waited for a judgment to be spoken, I thought, "how could this person get away with false claims?” “How could this person be so deceiving?” “Did their lies convince the judge? “Does the truth matter?” “Would my enemy receive a just penalty?”  

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• Cultural Engagement
• Devotionals