CU New York Hosts Dr. Ryan T. Anderson   Christian Union New York invited Christian Union Alumni, CU New York participants, and friends of Christian Union to gather on November 29, 2022, for a virtual forum with Dr. Ryan T. Anderson. Drawing on the best insights from biology, psychology, and philosophy, Dr. Anderson offered a nuanced view of human embodiment, a balanced approach to public policy on gender identity, and a sober assessment of the human costs of getting human nature wrong. 

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• New York
• Cultural Engagement

Penn Sophomore Became A Christian Through CU Martus  By Anne Kerhoulas What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. -1 Corinthians 3:5-7 For every Christian, the Lord appoints servants whom he uses to bring about our faith. Whether you grew up in a Christian home or an atheist home, God, in his perfect plan and kindness, placed individuals in your life who would speak the gospel to you, embody the love of Christ, help solidify theology, and love you into the kingdom of God.  For Stanley Liu, who grew up in Los Angeles in a secular household, the Lord appointed the Boy Scouts and a Catholic girlfriend to plant and Christian Union Martus to water. 

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• Intellectual Engagement
• Penn

Ignoring Religion Fails To Prepare Students Anne Kerhoulas While it may not be surprising to hear that Christianity is declining in America, religion as a whole is actually growing throughout the world. China is on track to have more Christians than America in the next decade in spite of being an openly atheistic country. In the Middle East, the Islamic revival is producing more pilgrimages to Mecca than ever before. In Latin America, a once predominately Roman Catholic region, pentecostalism is booming. Even in America, though Christianity is waning, new-age spirituality is increasingly popular, and more and more people are religiously unaffiliated but interested and open to spirituality. 

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• Intellectual Engagement
• Cultural Engagement

Can A Christian Nurse Participate In Gender Reassignment? By Anne Kerhoulas It’s becoming a question more and more believers in healthcare will have to face: can a Christian doctor or nurse assist in gender reassignment surgery?  In this article for Desiring God, John Piper addresses the question from a biblical perspective to help believers understand the gravity of their actions as well as their responsibility to God and his creation. 

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• Cultural Engagement

Start Your Year Off With A Great Book By Anne Kerhoulas  Our 2023 book recommendation list includes an array of Christian books. From classic theology to leadership development to biography, there is sure to be something that will encourage your spirit this new year.God in the Dock is a collection of essays and speeches from C.S. Lewis. Its title implies "God on Trial" and the title is based on an analogy made by Lewis suggesting that modern human beings, rather than seeing themselves as standing before God in judgment, prefer to place God on trial while acting as his judge.Recommended by Chris Coppernoll, Ministry Director, CU Nova 

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• Intellectual Engagement
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Orthodoxy’s Commitment To Truth and Love By Anne Kerhoulas Truth and love often seem at odds in our culture today. Everyone has their own truth and wants the freedom to believe what they want. So to hold fast to the truth and conviction of orthodox Christian faith is challenging. All too often believers settle for bland acceptance of everyone’s truth as being valid in the name of loving them. But as Trevin Wax argues in this article for The Gospel Coalition, this radically opposes the pursuit of sound theology and doctrine as presented in the gospels and New Testament. 

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• Cultural Engagement

Why the Practices Are Both Challenging and Invaluable By Anne Kerhoulas Silence and solitude are unpopular disciplines. In our fast-paced, technologically connected, over-worked world, who could possibly have the time and energy to prioritize being alone in silence? And if we had the time, who would choose it? 

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• Seeking God

A Jazz Musician Found His Way In CU Lumine By Isabella Campolatarro There’s a Christian aphorism, often attributed to St. Teresa of Avila, that “God draws straight with crooked lines.” Christian Union Lumine student Michael Manasseh ’23 has experienced this truth first-hand.

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• Columbia

A Network Helping Alumni Connect and Flourish By Anne Kerhoulas Christian Union has served undergraduate and graduate students at some of the most influential universities in the country for decades. But what happens to these students after they graduate? The transition from college to the working world is not only challenging on a personal level, but it is also one of the times individuals are more likely to walk away from their faith. 

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• Alumni
• New York

Author and Scholar Joseph Laconte Discusses C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien Projects This article was originally published in the Tristate Voice. Blake Whitmer ’23 is a Dartmouth student.   Joseph Loconte, PhD., is an author, Senior Fellow in Christianity and Culture at The King’s College, and the Director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies at the Heritage Foundation. In 2015, he wrote the New York Times bestseller A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War. In 2016, he wrote the award-winning op-ed “How J.R.R. Tolkien Found Mordor on the Western Front.” His most recent project is a documentary on Lewis and Tolkien, with an emphasis on the way that war shaped their friendship and writings. Tri-State Voice writer Blake Whitmer recently sat down to interview him about his work.

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• Dartmouth
• Intellectual Engagement

Our Speech Is Part Of Our Witness   By Mike Vincent, Ministry Fellow at CU Nova Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.  – James 5:9 The world loves to complain about the Church. There's an abundance of negative words from non-Christians aimed at our beliefs, our moral values, how we talk, and how we live. Such negative speech and attacks can be discouraging. How much more so when they come from within the Church! We who are supposed to be united in Christ are sometimes just as guilty of complaining against His Bride. Nothing destroys unity more quickly than complaining against those with whom we are supposed to be united.

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• Seeking God

A Princeton Junior Shares First-hand Experience By Cynthia Makachi It’s been a little over two years since I started my freshman year at Princeton in fall of 2020, and, though it was anything but normal, I smile back at what the Lord has done.  My first year took place between the four walls of my childhood bedroom. If I wanted to get to know my classmates or become involved in extracurricular groups, I had to intentionally join a zoom meeting, unmute myself from time to time, and not run away from the awkwardness of silence as others decided if they felt brave enough to speak too. 

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• Princeton

CU Ministry Director Delivers Opening Prayer By Anne Kerhoulas Christian Union Martus Ministry Director Cory Lotspeich had the honor of delivering the invocation at the University of Pennsylvania’s Veteran’s Day commemoration service. Lotspeich, who is a US Marine Corps veteran, was asked by the University to pray for the gathering and was delighted to be able to serve and represent Christian Union at the event.

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Faculty Who Disagree With Doctrinal Statement on LGBTQ Relationships Permitted To Teach By Anne Kerhoulas While it’s no surprise that universities nationwide reflect current sexual norms within our culture, many have been closely watching the hundreds of Christian colleges and universities as they draw a line in the sand. Will they accept our culture's sexual and gender revolution or will they adhere to biblical sexuality? Will our culture get the final word or will Scripture? 

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• Cultural Engagement

Practicing Intellectual Charity Leads To Productive Conversation By Anne Kerhoulas As the holidays approach, many find themselves growing tense at the thought of long meals across from people with whom they are permanently associated but could not disagree more politically, morally, or religiously. As our political climate continues to heat, perhaps we need to think more logically and practically about how to engage with those we disagree with; how we can listen, hear opposing viewpoints, and seek a greater understanding of a person rather than a personal victory in a private debate.  

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Tim Keller’s New Book Explores The Power and Challenge of Forgiveness By Anne Kerhoulas Forgiveness is hard. And for most people, it’s something we don’t do very well or often enough. Tim Keller wants to change that. Focusing on the power of Christ’s forgiveness for us that empowers us to forgive others, Keller invites us to walk faithfully in all that forgiveness is.

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How Speaking Well Of Others Changes Us   By Liz Thomforde Let no corrupt talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.  – Ephesians 4:29  Growing up you may have heard or even used the phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” However, we know that this is not true. Words do hurt. In fact, I am sure it would not be hard for you to remember words that hurt or wounded you in a profound way. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”  

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• Seeking God

How Discovering Your Purpose Is Different Than Creating It By Anne Kerhoulas Discover your calling. Find your passion. Do what you love. Work has become increasingly tuned to self-fulfillment—you will be whole when you land the job for which you were made. But for most people, the high stakes bring anxiety, confusion, and dissatisfaction in their work. 

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• Faith and Work

October CU Fire Retreat Elicits Powerful Responses As Holy Spirit Moves in Power   By Chuck Hetzler “This was my first CU Fire Retreat. It's hard to put into words what I experienced this weekend.  I have been challenged to examine my walk with the Lord, to address areas where I am not walking in obedience. With regard to revival, I have a better understanding as to what is required of us collectively and myself individually.  This is a new beginning for me. I don't think I will ever be the same again. The teachings were the most memorable part for me but our small group discussions and prayer times were also wonderful.”

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• Alumni
• Events
• New York
• Seeking God

Author Sam Kim Offers Hope In the Midst of Loneliness Epidemic  By Rev. Dr. Sam Kim  Rev. Dr. Sam D. Kim is a Harvard-Trained Ethicist and the Co-founder of 180 Church, near Union Square in downtown Manhattan. He was appointed as a research fellow in Global Health and Social Medicine at the Center for Bioethics at Harvard Medical School and part of Harvard catalyst, where he explored the inequities surrounding health, immigration, and social policies. He lives in New York City with his wife Lydia and his two sons, Nathan and Josh. His first book, A Holy Haunting is set for release on April ’23 and is now available for pre-order wherever books are sold.  Woody Allen once joked that “New York is just like everywhere else, except more so.” New York does have more people, more restaurants, more diversity, and even more pigeons compared to most of the rest of the world. I grew up in uptown Manhattan right on be-slimmer.net, and take it from me, more doesn’t always mean better. New York apartments are so tiny you feel like a sardine living in a can. This is good preparation for the daily commute, when you’re squished into a metal cart twice a day. All New Yorkers know that proximity doesn’t necessarily curate intimacy. 

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• Cultural Engagement