Christian Leader in Media Shares Life-Giving Message in a Culture of Despair

Carrie Sheffield, a renowned columnist and broadcaster in Washington DC, released a memoir this past spring entitled Motorhome Prophesies that proclaims liberty is possible for the captives of trauma. Sheffield is a Harvard alumna, a member of Christian Union America, and serves in an advisory role for the Christian Union Washington DC board of advisors. Sheffield shares insights with millions of Americans on networks like CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and more. From ABC’s Good Morning America to HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, PBS, and C-SPAN, she brings a voice of virtue to the American communications and media industry through boundless interviews, articles, appearances on television shows and podcasts, and at forums across the nation. 

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• Alumni
• Intellectual Engagement
• Seeking God
• Cultural Engagement
• Faith and Work

Christian Union Provides Support and Resources for Spiritual Strengthening

Your spiritual vitality is a matter of national importance. Perhaps that sounds dramatic, but consider it–our culture is shaped by the daily decisions of industry leaders who either embrace secular values or who embrace biblical values, many of whom may not know how to integrate their faith and their profession. How well are American believers equipped to bring Christian faith and values into their spheres of influence? And what are the implications if they don't? 

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• Intellectual Engagement
• Seeking God
• Cultural Engagement
• Faith and Work

Former Christian Union Student President Claims Victory in Recent Election

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. Another name of influence has been recently added to this list: Brandon Gill. Brandon Gill claimed victory in the congressional race for the 26th district of Texas over Democrat Ernest Lineberger III in the recent 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."

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• Alumni
• Dartmouth
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• Faith and Work

Devotional from 2018 Christian Union National Fast

"So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation." - 1 Peter 2:1-2 (ESV) King’s College was founded in 1754, suspended instruction during the Revolutionary war, reopened as Columbia College in 1784, and later changed its name to Columbia University. Its purpose was to provide “future colonial leaders an education that would enlarge the mind, improve the understanding, polish the whole man, and qualify them to support the brightest characters in all the elevated stations in life.”  The college president taught the first classes in a building adjoining Trinity Church in downtown Manhattan, and the campus later moved north to 116th street on the West side of Manhattan.

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• Columbia
• Devotionals

City Celebration to Acknowledge His Great Name 

In May of 2025, the “Jesus is Lord Parade” will unite churches, ministries, pastors, and Christians across New York City and across the nation to lift up and glorify the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. For His glory and by His power, the parade is anticipated to be the largest Christian parade in the history of the US.

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• Events
• New York
• Cultural Engagement

Servant Leadership at Christian Union Martus

At one of our recent Philia meetings, the weekly Christian leadership lecture series we hold for Penn students, we discussed the significance of leadership and servitude from John 13:3-5 (ESV), “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him (emphasis added).” The phrase “all things” is also used in Ephesians 1:22, “God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.” Paul is almost mirroring John’s writing in the gospel. The main point discussed was what Jesus did once everything was given to Him–He served. He used His authority, His influence, His power to serve. 

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• Penn

A Call to Unite to Fervently Pray for Our Nation 

The spiritual condition of our day demands a serious, wholehearted, unified response from the Church; the nation and the people of God in America need a fresh work of the Spirit of God. Unity in any human organization is powerful, but Christian Unity comes with supernatural power. At Christian Union, we say, “Unity of the Spirit precedes a filling of the Spirit.”

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• Seeking God

Rekindle the Gift of God to Overcome

  Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord. I give thanks to God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, having been reminded of your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, receiving remembrance of the sincere faith that is in you—which was first in your grandmother, Lois, and in your mother, Eunice, and which I am convinced is also in you.

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• Seeking God
• Devotionals

The Heart of Christian Union's Ministry for Each and Every "One"

“May the Lord use these theologically informed, biblically equipped, spiritually growing graduates as significant leaders in the next great awakening." -William Tennett, founder of the Log College (later formed Princeton University) Kenneth Jasko, '78, in his essay "God at Work" writes, "Princeton University is a school which has an exciting Christian history. Founded as a result of the Great Awakening, it has educated many notable men of God amidst numerous campus revivals. Princeton students have had a great impact on American Christianity, for they have been responsible for starting the American Bible Society, American Tract Society, Intercollegiate YMCA, Student Volunteers Movement, and many other Christian works." Jasko continues, "Princeton University has its roots in the Log College, founded in 1726 by William Tennett. The log college was little more than a small log house…it was here that Tennett educated a small group of men for the ministry."   photo credit: williamtennett.org In 2024, almost three hundred years later, there is still a place at Princeton where believers are educated and equipped for the ministry: opened in June 2017, Christian Union Melrose Center is a house near campus where Princeton students are being developed as Christian leaders, devoted to making Jesus known to the entire university and to influencing the culture for Christ.

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• Princeton

Christian Union Washington, DC Hosts First Annual Reception 

On a warm October evening in Arlington, VA, close to two dozen people gathered to attend Christian Union's first annual Washington, DC reception. This reception included a meet and greet for attendees to connect with other Christian Union alumni and friends of the ministry. It also hosted Carrie Sheffield, a nationally renowned columnist and broadcaster, as the guest speaker to share an overview of her recently published memoir, Motorhome Prophecies. Sheffield, a Harvard alumna and member of Christian Union America, will be serving in an advisory role for the Christian Union Washington, DC Board of Advisors.   Carrie Sheffield sharing at Christian Union's Washington, DC Reception

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• New York Events
• Harvard Law

Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Deonarain, Harvard Class of 2023

"Something holy was there," said Sarah Deonarain about her first visit to Christian Union's Leadership Lecture Series at Harvard called Doxa. "Peaceful, genuine communities coming together to worship God in the middle of campus created a beautiful space… something I had not experienced before." Deonarain grew very attached to this space over her undergraduate career at Harvard.  Her journey to how she got to Christian Union testifies to the fact that God provides us with the people, places, and things we need to grow close to Him if we are willing to see and say "yes." Deonarain admits at first she didn't, saying "no" several times to an invitation to come and experience Christian community. Like many students, she admitted to being swept up in the busyness of the culture, but when change was needed, she said yes to a persistent and faith-filled friend who warmly invited her time and time again. 

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• Alumni
• Harvard

Devotional from Christian Union America's National Fast, August 2024

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’"  - Matthew 25:31-36Final judgment might not be a popular topic for sermons or devotions in our time, and many churches likely wouldn’t dare preach a fiery sermon similar to Jonathan Edwards’ famous “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” today. Yet, it is crucial for every believer to understand. In this passage, Jesus paints a clear picture of what will happen when He returns, clarifying what He previously taught the disciples through parables. 

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• Devotionals

But God's Remnant Stands Firm, Deeply Rooted in His Promises 

The heart of Harvard’s undergraduate campus is called Harvard Yard. Many of the academic lecture halls are situated here, as well as all the first-year student dorms. Here, the towering trees hide the ground from sunlight and old brick buildings reflect the campus's age. And, of course, the entire yard is enclosed by red brick walls. 

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• Harvard

Intellectual Freedom Under Attack at American Educational Institutions

“To impose any strait jacket upon the intellectual leaders in our colleges and universities would imperil the future of our Nation.” — Chief Justice Earl Warren On September 16th, 2024, Dartmouth College aligned its written policies of free speech with First Amendment principles. Consequently, Dartmouth officially reclaimed the overall “green light” speech code rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).  According to a recent article published by FIRE, Dartmouth is the only green light school in the Ivy League, one of four in New Hampshire, and one of 68 nationwide. FIRE awards green light ratings to institutions with no written policies that seriously imperil student free speech rights.  “Say something controversial at most elite colleges and you’re liable to get shouted down, canceled, reported, and disciplined,” said FIRE Director of Policy Reform Laura Beltz. “But Dartmouth has shown it aims to foster a better environment for free speech through adopting these policies and encouraging dialogue across difference.”

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• Intellectual Engagement
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• Faith and Work

Christian Union National Fast, August 2024, "America Returning to God"

"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way,and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." -Isaiah 55:6, 7, ESVPrayer is a marvelous gift that the Lord has given to us, allowing us the privilege of entering into His presence for the purpose of thanksgiving, praise, and petition. As followers of Christ we know we can pray anywhere, anytime, and be assured that the Father is aware of our cries. 

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• Devotionals

2024 Bible Course Engagement Explodes 

In 2021, Christian Union Gloria Law and other ministries at Harvard Law School (HLS) were featured on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). The report, seen on major television stations and online, highlighted a strong Christian presence and a unified desire to see God move mightily at HLS.

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• Harvard Law

Speaking and Living Boldly for the Lord in a Pluralistic Society

The Book of Acts shows a people living boldly.  In regard to the church in the Book of Acts, Author Jonathan Parnell in his article, "Why Boldness Matters Now" writes, "The bewildering reality at work in Peter’s and John’s testimony in Acts 4 is what they say about Jesus. These two fishermen had become messengers of God’s salvation, heralds for a new age in human history. They were now spokesmen of the risen and reigning Lord over all. So yes, they spoke with passion. But the point Luke drives home is not their style, but their substance. Not their homiletics, but their hermeneutics. It was all centered on Christ — how he is the One to whom the whole Old Testament points, how his work has changed the world forever. The heart of Peter’s and John’s boldness was how they spoke clearly about the identity and significance of Jesus. The picture Luke gives us of the early Christian mission is that the church was not without words when it came to the question of their King."

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• Intellectual Engagement
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from Christian Union America's National Fast, August 2024

"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’" -Jeremiah 7:3-4  I grew up in a family with roots in the military. My father worked as an engineer on satellite systems for the Air Force during the Vietnam War, and his father spent his whole career in the service, flying B-52 bombers over the Aleutian Islands during World War II and then commanding a wing of C-130 cargo planes during Vietnam. When troops do their own thing, people die. We are, as a result, fundamentally rule-following people. But I have also raised my children in the 21st-century—a time when so much of the culture says that anything goes. The idea of authority and limits and rules seems foreign in so many places now. It is fundamentally countercultural to put aside what we want to do and do what God asks of us. So much of our world actively works against this notion, spewing “deceptive words” about who is King and how we can stay connected to Him.

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• Devotionals

Religious Engagement on the Rise at Yale

Christian Union's leadership development ministry serving students at Yale University was recently featured in a Yale Daily News article written by Ada Perlman.  In the article, Perman reported that, "according to a Yale Daily News’ survey distributed to the class of 2028, on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being “extremely religious,” 4 percent of the 535 respondents said 5, 12 percent responded 4 and 22 percent responded 3. Last year, University Chaplain Maytal Saltiel told the News that she has seen a considerable increase in interest in religious communities at Yale." 

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• Yale

How Does Jesus Teach Us to Compute? 

In a recent article entitled "To Gain the World and Lose Your Soul," published by Desiring God, writer Greg Morse powerfully illustrates the problem of ignoring the soul as a result of the distractions and deceptions of our modern world. Morse writes, "One great feature of modernity, from Satan’s standpoint, is the sheer rejection of the soul. We live in a world stupefied by the material. Ask ten people on the street about their souls — if they don’t wonder aloud, 'What does this babbler wish to say?' (Acts 17:18), they will tell you that if they do have a soul, they have not thought much about it. Even ancient pagan philosophers wrote dense treatises on the soul, but the mass of men today live as though they are soulless. And yet these same people investigate the silliest things under the sun. If anything is worth thought, is it not your soul? 'Claiming to be wise, they became fools'” (Romans 1:22).

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• Intellectual Engagement
• Seeking God
• Cultural Engagement
• Faith and Work