Welcoming students as Jesus welcomes
This autumn term, God has abundantly answered your prayers for Christian Union welcome weeks across the country.
While many CUs started this academic year with small numbers of CU members due to graduating students, they have been encouraged to witness God answer prayers, through His provision of new enthusiastic Christian students to get involved in the CU. Across Britain’s universities, God has not only provided keen freshers and new believers to CUs, but also brought seeking students to events.
The shared goal of Christian Unions’ outreach during welcome weeks was to welcome students to campus as Christ has welcomed us and give each student on campus the opportunity to hear the gospel.
What did this look like?
Community that stands out
Southampton CU welcomed freshers by assisting with luggage at Halls, handing out welcome pacts, and inviting freshers to meals at CU members’ homes. Meanwhile through their welcome week evangelistic events, new students were drawn into the CU community. At Glasgow University, Matthew Morrison (Staff Worker at Glasgow University Christian Union), ‘met one student who was blown away by the love he had received and said he was thinking about becoming a Christian.’
Aston CU received many new students from a range of different religious and cultural backgrounds at their outreach events. One student, Ralph (name changed), first found the CU at their annual freshers’ inflatables and then attended a quiz night. He turned to a CU member and asked, ‘I’m an atheist, does that mean I can’t join?’ to which the answer was, ‘of course, the CU is for people exactly like you.’ Another student who comes from a Hindu background has been attending the weekly CU meeting and said, ‘This is such a welcoming place, it’s very peaceful. I’ll definitely be back next week.’ Both students noticed something different, something of Christ in the CU community and were intrigued, wanting to return and find out more.
Provision of freshers and new CU members
CUs have seen the growth of their mission teams as new students threw themselves into CU life and began to serve at their weekly meetings. Freshers at the University of Edinburgh CU have already shown their passion for evangelism as they look for opportunities to hold conversations and invite flatmates to the CU’s evangelistic events.
Teesside CU started the year with five to 10 CU members, so they were taken aback when 77 students signed up at their freshers’ fair stall to join the CU WhatsApp group chat and registered their interest in hearing about future events. Over the week, they also gave out over 100 New Testaments to students. Some freshers had such enthusiasm it was infectious: one Nigerian student saw the CU stall from across the hall and exclaimed, ‘Christian Union!’ before rushing over to chat and sign up.
Students who have only recently come to faith have already shown enthusiasm in the mission of CU: sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Bradford University CU, one committee member, who became a Christian through the CU last year is now inviting several Chinese students to the CU because it had such a transformational impact on him last year.
The Sovereign God at work
God has been working in the hearts of students during the Christian Unions’ welcome weeks as students across the country have shown an interest in Christianity. Durham CU hosted a ceilidh with a talk titled ‘Is Christianity Relevant to My life?’. The question was enough to prompt one seeking student to spend the evening discussing faith with a CU member. Their conversation went on long after the event had ended; until the doors were locked!
The Sovereign God continues to work
Queen Mary CU were amazed when25 students turned up to the first week of their seeker course, an opportunity for students to explore faith together and hear from the Bible.
Welcome weeks may have ended, but CUs continue to build relationships and follow up with new students. God is still working in the hearts of unbelieving students through the CUs. Join the CUs in praying:
Praise God for His sovereign power during CU welcome weeks across the county. Praise God that CU welcomed many new students and displayed the love Christ has for them. Please pray that new students in CUs will have servant hearts and get involved in CU mission. Pray to for seeking students who have attended welcome week events, that they will come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.