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Previous News Stories:
Pornographer Tristan Taormino spoke to Princeton students as part of a “lecture” hosted by the campus organization Let’s Talk Sex. Some psychologists compare the addictiveness of Internet pornography to crack cocaine. That was one of the top messages from Mary Anne Layden, a clinical psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, when she spoke to students on April 23 at Princeton University. Far from being a harmless practice, pornography leads to addiction, misogyny, pedophilia, marital stress, and even sexual dysfunction, Layden said. The Anscombe Society (blogs.princeton.edu/anscombe) hosted Layden, in part, to offer counter perspectives to a scheduled appearance of feminist pornographer Tristan Taormino on April 30 at Princeton. Despite being rejected in its bid to establish a chastity center at Princeton in the fall, the Anscombe Society continues to warn students about the dangers of immoral lifestyles. During her lecture entitled, “My Life as a Feminist Pornographer,” Taormino showed clips from her adult films. The campus group Let’s Talk Sex hosted Taormino as well as a counter appearance by Pamela Paul, Brown ’93. The journalist and author spoke on “Why Porn Is Anti-Sex” on April 8. Inexplicably, it was the second appearance at Princeton for Taormino this academic year. Click Here for Full Story
George Gallup Jr. ’53, Peter Ochs ’65, and Christine Hsu Rohde ’95 were panelists for “How I Am Living Out My Christian Faith Today,’ a discussion held during Reunions Weekend in Princeton. Christine Hsu Rohde, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, believes in the power of prayer. “I pray for my patients,” she said. “Most of them don’t know that – they’re going through things that they don’t understand.” Rohde, Princeton ’95, was among the participants of an alumni panel discussion in McCosh Hall on May 29. The discussion, entitled “How I Am Living out my Christian Faith Today,” was one of several events sponsored by Princeton Faith and Action to coincide with Princeton’s Reunions 2010. Princeton Faith and Action is a leadership development ministry resourced and served by Christian Union. The alumni panelists shared touching details of personal, family and professional struggles before a packed audience that included Charles Gibson ’65. The veteran broadcast journalist and outgoing member of the university’s Board of Trustees was on campus in preparation to deliver the keynote address at Princeton’s Class Day on May 31. Click Here for Full Story
There’s never been a more difficult era for believers — especially youthful ones — to be in the world but not of it. That was one of the key messages from renowned author and scholar Os Guinness when he spoke at Princeton Faith and Action’s 802 Lecture Series on April 23. Princeton Faith and Action (www.pfanda.com) is Christian Union’s leadership development ministry on campus. During the academic year, 802 featured such renowned speakers as Darrell Bock, a New Testament scholar and research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary; Drayton Nabers (Princeton ’62), former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court; and author David Bryant, also known as “the father of the modern prayer movement.” “Make sure you have the needed tools to grapple with the modern world,” Guinness told students who packed an auditorium in Frist Campus Center. “You’ve always got to assess the world, engage the world, and change the world. Our world is moving faster.” Despite the frenetic pace of academic deadlines and instant communications, young Christians need to be grounded in Scriptures. Such study should produce the type of biblical convictions necessary to survive and even thrive in a culture that is riddled with lethal distortions of the Christian faith, Guinness said. Click Here for Full Story
When Ben Farkas first started to pray in the fall semester, he felt like he was leaving messages on an answering machine—messages that might never be heard. It’s the kind of rationale that might be expected from an atheist who was exploring Christianity for the first time. Farkas, who recently graduated with a degree in philosophy and a certificate in East Asian studies, arrived on campus four years ago believing that God did not exist. “No one ever pushed me to consider seriously the existence of God until I arrived at Princeton,” he said. “So I never did.” Farkas followed his own belief system, which revolved around the inherent potential for goodness in humans. This provided him with strong motivations for being moral. “That seemed consistent with everything I saw in the world, so I had no reason to believe in God,” he said. At Princeton, Farkas enjoyed discussing and debating religious and philosophical issues with his Christian friends. So at their prodding, he joined Princeton’s Religious Life Council, which explores issues relating to religion and spirituality on campus. Farkas joined the Religious Life Council to learn what other people believed. “By this time, I had some other Christian friends, and I had become interested in understanding religious belief systems, including Christianity,” he said. Click Here for Full Story
A former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and Princeton alumnus recently expressed deep admiration for the spiritual fervor of students involved in Princeton Faith and Action, Christian Union’s leadership development ministry on campus. On March 5, Drayton Nabers, Princeton ’62, met ministry leaders during a dinner at the Princeton Campus Club, and spoke at Princeton Faith and Action’s weekly lecture series in Frist Campus Center. “What is going on at Princeton is extraordinary,” said Nabers, who also graduated from Yale School of Law in 1965. “I was sort of blown away with what I saw.” Nabers, who also serves as an adjunct instructor at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School, said he truly was impressed by Princeton Faith and Action (www.pfanda.com). “I doubt there’s a more Bible-based, Christ-centered, spiritual approach to campus ministry anywhere else in the world,” Nabers said. During his appearance, the attorney and former life insurance executive emphasized to Princeton Faith and Action students the importance of character in their personal and professional spheres. “Faith-based character is the single most important building block in a person’s success or happiness,” Nabers said. “We need the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit needs character. If the Holy Spirit is the wind, the wind needs a sail in order to move the boat.” Click Here for Full Story
“God showed up.” Such was the consensus of Shannon Walker, Princeton ’11, and other students and staff, following Princeton Faith and Action’s annual ski trip to Vermont during winter break. On January 24-29, Princeton Faith and Action, Christian Union’s leadership development ministry on campus, brought 63 students to Ottauquechee Farm in Bridgewater Corners, located about ten miles from the pristine slopes of Killington. Not surprisingly, this year’s retreat lived up to its much-touted reputation, providing spiritual and emotional revitalization for students weary from end-of-the semester exams. After morning devotions and skiing during the day, the evenings were filled with precious times of worship, prayer, teaching, and basking in the presence of the Lord. At one point, a mighty wind—perhaps reminiscent of the Holy Spirit’s manifestation in the Book of Acts—swept down the chimney and upon the hungry and reverent crowd. The trip was remembered for students weeping before the Lord, confessing sin, and committing to serve Him more fervently at Princeton. One student, known to be quite conservative, received a special visitation from the Lord. When it happened, he proclaimed that he sensed the love of God like never before. Click Here for Full Story
In 33 years of outreach to international students, John and Aruna Desai have witnessed an explosion of campus ministries and evangelical churches around Princeton University. While international students now have a wide selection of ministries as well as ethnic organizations on campus—plus dramatically improved technologies to stay connected to loved ones—most simply want to form friendships with Americans. As such, “we are friends first, and then we share the message of Christ,” said John Desai, who founded the International Students, Inc. chapter in Princeton (www.isiwebnet.net/sites/jdesai) in February 1976. “Our focus is to build relationships.” The local chapter targets international students at institutions including Princeton, Westminster Choir College, Princeton Theological Seminary, Institute for Advanced Study, College of New Jersey, and Rider University. This year, International Students, Inc. (I.S.I.) is putting greater emphasis on prayer among participants and volunteers. “Our focus is to strengthen the faith of Christian internationals when they arrive here and to encourage non-Christian internationals to consider Christ,” John said. Click Here for Full Story
Nassau Hall Princeton University recently rejected, for the second year, a student proposal to establish a Center for Abstinence and Chastity. The University has supported the establishment of centers for other people groups, such as the Women’s Center and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (“LGBT”) Center, that provide encouragement and support for people taking different views on sex and relationships. For the past five years, a group of students have advocated abstinence and chastity at Princeton through a student group – the Anscombe Society – in large part because certain university programs and centers were biased in favor of sexually libertine ideas. Click Here for Full Story
Heidi Baker, missionary to Mozambique, prays for Princeton students at the University Chapel. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Dozens of students joined hundreds of community members at the Princeton University Chapel on April 27 to hear international missionary Heidi Baker highlight the need for “radical love” among believers. Baker’s compelling message stirred much of the audience to pack the sanctuary of the historic chapel as she delivered an altar call for individuals to see and respond to the needs around them and abroad. “What I walked away with was an overwhelming feeling of a network of love on Princeton University’s campus and a life-applicable plan for furthering my Christian walk promoting the gospel on campus,” said Margaret Harris '11.
Singer-D'Souza debate was the "can't-miss event of the week" at Princeton PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - A capacity audience of 800 students, faculty, alumni, and community members came out to hear Princeton ethics professor Peter Singer debate noted Christian author and commentator Dinesh D'Souza on December 3 in Princeton's Richardson Auditorium. The topic of the debate was "Can there be morality without God?" and both speakers clearly presented their views on the source of morality and the case for and against the existence of God. They also responded to questions submitted by the audience. The debate was co-sponsored by Christian Union and the Fixed Point Foundation.
Princeton students praising God at the Gospel Ensemble's spring concert PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - The Princeton University Gospel Ensemble celebrated a successful year with an energized, upbeat concert on May 4. The student-directed group performed for nearly three hours before a packed audience at Nassau Christian Center in Princeton. At the conclusion of the event, at least two individuals responded to an altar call and accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. “We couldn’t ask for anything more than that,” said Adrienne Simpson ’08, musical director. “The music means nothing if we’re not ministering to people.” The Princeton University Gospel Ensemble features close to forty undergraduate members and performs on and off-campus throughout the year.
Princeton students and friends run to benefit victims of war PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Manna Christian Fellowship recently raised more than $6,300 when it held a 5-kilometer run to benefit World Vision’s Children of War Center in Northern Uganda. Some 177 runners participated in The Justice Run, which was held on April 19 at Princeton University. The Children of War Center helps to rehabilitate children hurt by extreme violence by offering medical and psychological attention, education and training. Co-sponsors of the race included Athletes in Action, Princeton Faith and Action, and Impact Christian Fellowship. Princeton Theological Seminary’s Seminarians for Peace and Justice also sponsored the event to raise money for World Vision’s Good News India.
Princeton students enjoy week of skiing and Christian fellowship in Vermont PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - During intersession break the end of January, nearly 100 members and guests of Manna Christian Fellowship and Princeton Evangelical Fellowship ventured to Spofford, N.H., for five days of skiing, other winter activities and fellowship. Fifty-five students trekked with Princeton Faith and Action (PFA) for a getaway to the pristine ski slopes of Vermont. PFA President Justin Woyak ‘09 said he and the other students “left the lodge with closer friendships, with spiritual and physical refreshment, and with commitments for fasting and prayer to seek new life from God for our fellow Princetonians and for ourselves. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Princeton students braving the cold to take a stand for life PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Thirty Princeton Pro-Life (PPL) students and three alumni participated in the annual March For Life in Washington, D.C. in January. The students traveled roundtrip by bus in one day to participate in the event. Partial funding for the trip was provided by a Christian Union grant. In addition to providing students with the opportunity to “exercise their civic duty to protest injustice against the most vulnerable in society,” PPL also viewed the experience as an opportunity to foster a culture of life at Princeton and for students to be witnesses for life.
Conference speaker roster included Fr. John Neuhaus and Nancy Pearcey PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - More than 250 students from Ivy League and peer campuses came away with new perspectives on some of the issues surrounding their Christian beliefs and approach to scholarship after participating in a sold-out, inaugural conference in November. The Christian Worldview and the Academy conference, held at Princeton University, was sponsored by the Witherspoon Institute and supported by more than a dozen co-sponsors, including the Christian Union. During the weekend, more than a dozen top Christian scholars and theologians addressed topics such as scriptural history and authenticity; secularism; science and Christianity; bioethics; and sexuality and morality.
Ivy League Player of the Year, Princeton's Jeff Terrell PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - How does a lackluster freshman quarterback become a standout starter who receives the prestigious Bushnell Cup and leads his team to an extraordinary winning season? By giving up his concern about his self-image and focusing on his image before God. “The Ivy League is a place where academia and sports are made into gods,” Jeff Terrell said. “It’s so neat to see the joy and peace we can have when we give it up, when we give up the aspiration.” Terrell recently signed a rookie free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. “It would be an honor to have that kind of platform,” Terrell said. “If I could get accepted into the NFL and share my faith, I would just love to talk about freedom and identity.”
Bennett Graham '07 and Evan Baehr '05 share stories at the Princeton Alumni Brunch PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Over one hundred alumni, current students, and their family members gathered on June 2 to reminisce, reconnect, and celebrate Christian life at Princeton. Reunion attendees were also treated to brunch and a showing of a new documentary featuring interviews with current Princeton students about how their lives have been changed by God through their involvement with Princeton Faith and Action (PFA). The event was held at Wilson House, PFA's ministry center and the headquarters office for Christian Union. PFA and Christian Union staff were on hand to answer questions about ministry at Princeton and the other Ivy League campuses. Besides socializing at the brunch, Princeton alumni also met earlier that day and on the days leading up to the event to corporately pray for Princeton.
Princeton professor and New York Times journalist Christopher Hedges sets a personal agenda in his seminar “The Christian Right and Open Society.” (Photo courtesy of Newsart.com) PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Anschutz Distinguished Fellow Christopher Hedges opened a new seminar in the American Studies program last spring at Princeton University, entitled “The Christian Right and the Open Society,” in which Hedges introduces the ideologies and influence of the Christian Right through a journalistic perspective. Through the course, Hedges intends the students to examine the “philosophical and linguistic underpinnings of totalitarian movements,” he told Princeton Alumni Weekly in an interview. “I want them to grasp how these movements operate and why they do or do not succeed. Writers such as Karl Popper and Hannah Arendt have done masterful jobs of exposing the core of these despotic movements, and they eloquently defend the virtues of the open society.” According to the course guide, students are “expected to attend meetings of radical groups.” And as examples of such radical groups, Hedges cites “Operation Rescue, church services, and prayer groups.” Hedges walks a fine line between provocative exploration of ideas in the scholarly tradition and agenda-based teaching. As a prolific author and 15-year journalist with The New York Times, Hedges’ most recent project is a book exploring the culture of the Christian Right and its opposition to “an open, pluralistic, and tolerant America.” The readings Hedges selects for his seminar are some of those which have influenced him most in defining his cause, such as Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism. He characterizes today’s Christian Right using Rousas John Rushdoony’s The Institutes of Biblical Law, a work that advocates Christian theonomy in America. It is unlikely that any “fair discussion of conservative Christian teachings will take place,” according to a letter from Marschall Smith ’66 to Princeton Alumni Weekly (April 5, 2006). “The classes will meet to condemn the ‘radicals’ and walk smugly away. It is a sad commentary on what Princeton and American higher education generally have become.” Surprisingly, Hedges’ personal academic focus has been on providing a voice of moderation from the Christian perspective—to “rescue” Christianity from its downward spiraling connotation in popular society and to reaffirm Christian focus on the joys of personal salvation rather than “hell and apocalypse and violence.” He says that this new religious revival is different from past revivals throughout American history, in that rather than calling on Christians to separate themselves from secular corruptions and to lead godly lives, it calls on Christians to seize society aggressively. “I think that, you know, there are elite institutions in [New York] that use the word Christian as a pejorative,” said Hedges. “That always worried me. It worried me because, [to them], somehow religious people were dumb.” Indeed, some of Hedges’ past works have included Losing Moses on the Freeway: The 10 Commandments in America, in which Hedges shows how all Americans, whether or not they are Judeo-Christian, need the 10 Commandments in their lives. “They lead us to love, the essence of life,” he writes, examining, for instance, how observing the Sabbath preserves family unity in the hustle and bustle of the American lifestyle. Nevertheless, “The Christian Right and the Open Society”—perhaps unintentionally—seems to foster little scholarly discussion. Though commendable in its analysis of political science, it also neglects to present a balanced view of conservative Christianity. Moreover, in attempting to champion moderation, Hedges oversteps his intention to teach a view—his personal one—rather than truly allow students to explore ideas and decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong.
Princeton students Chris Lumry '09 and David Colquitt '09 participate in a Faith and Action Bible Course Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. —2 Timothy 2:15 PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Correctly handling the word of truth is what Princeton Faith and Action Bible Courses are all about. More than simple studies, these comprehensive Bible Courses encompass the rigors and caliber of content one would expect of an Ivy League education. However, the university does not sponsor the Bible Courses, and students receive no credit hours for completing them. So why would already academically taxed students voluntarily take on an additional one and a half hour class per week that requires the same amount of time in homework? To gain a deeper level of insight, they say, and, for some, to satisfy their curiosity. According to course developer Matt Bennett, president of Christian Union, the courses were founded to fulfill students’ need and desire for more in-depth study. “Some Christian material can be superficial,” Bennett said. Therefore, he wanted to establish a program that offered depth of study with life-impacting results. Designed in the Ivy League tradition of excellence, the Princeton Faith and Action Bible Courses not only are a means for students to come to Christ but also to equip them for their continued spiritual journeys and growth. As a result, according to Bennett, the courses are heavily Scripture based in order to answer any skepticism students may have and to back up the instruction. Despite the rigorous academic aspect of the courses, they are also designed to inspire lasting relationships that are integral to Christian maturity and fellowship. “We strive to nurture and foster deep, personal, and lasting relationships among the students,” said Dan Knapke, a course leader and director of the undergraduate student ministry at Princeton. “Our prayer is that out of these groups will come lifelong friends.” The small size of the classes, only eight to ten students, lends itself to the intimacy necessary for that type of bonding. So does the fact that the classes include students of the same gender and academic year. “We encourage the students to talk about real and personal issues,” Knapke said. “The class environment is designed to allow students to go into depth on these issues. A non-co-ed environment gives these young men and women the freedom to discuss a variety of issues openly.” “We want them to discover the truth for themselves,” said course leader Charles Kim. “We don’t give them the answers.” The most recent course delved into II Timothy. The upcoming semester’s course will be on financial stewardship, which, according to Kim, will “transform the students’ attitudes toward money and possessions in light of eternity.” Laurie Knapke, Dan’s wife, is also a class leader. She has roughly forty women whom she sees each week. For her, this is an all-consuming volunteer position. Aside from summer seminary studies, this is what Laurie dedicates her time to. It has become her vocation. “When I see the students starting to get it, and I see spiritual growth, it’s amazing,” she said. “I’ve been surprised by the number of nonbelievers who attend the classes. They’ve never been to a Bible Study before, and they want to experience it for themselves.” Furthermore, Laurie explained, non-Christians “really appreciate the unconditional acceptance they receive at the class.” But the class’s content is not watered down or changed to be seeker friendly. It maintains its intensity. And that’s just fine with all the students, whether Christian or not, Laurie said. “We get unbelievable feedback from the students,” said Dan Knapke, who noted that one student wrote on a survey, “This is the kind of Bible Study I’ve been looking for my whole life.” Another wrote, “This is the best experience I’ve had in my Christian life.” The courses are free and run for ten to twelve weeks. In the first three weeks, students explore the course. After that point, they are asked to make a formal commitment to attend all sessions and to complete the weekly homework assignments. Over the past three and a half years, enrollment has increased significantly, to about a hundred students, with more anticipated next semester. Although the courses are currently open only to Princeton University undergraduates, there is hope to one day offer them to staff, faculty, and graduate students as well, and eventually to anyone on the other Ivy League campuses who desires to study the Word of God.
Princeton’s Dean of Religious Life Thomas Breidenthal addresses students and alumni in the West Room of Murray-Dodge Hall. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Princeton University remembered its Christian roots Thursday, November 2, as the 250th Anniversary Lecture Series concluded with “Revivalist Roots from a 21st Century Religious Perspective,” given by Dean of Religious Life Thomas Breidenthal. Though most students took their fall break leave of the “Orange Bubble,” Breidenthal reminded remaining alumni and students of the Princeton’s Christian revivalist past and of the profound religious influence that still lingers in Princeton’s atmosphere. “What does it mean for an institution to have its roots in such a background?” said Breidenthal. One needs only to attend Opening Exercises or Baccalaureate to experience the union of faith and academia that Breidenthal traces to Princeton’s origins. The spirit of Revivalism, according to Breidenthal, was the impetus that drove the founding of Princeton, then shaped its religious life and the political philosophy of American scholars. It gave rise to Princeton’s unofficial motto, “Princeton in the nation’s service, and in the service of all nations,” which is only one of many enduring marks of Princeton’s roots. The lecture traced Revivalism through three eras—the two Great Awakenings and the present. Princeton was founded as the College of New Jersey when Harvard and Yale rejected the fruits of the First Great Awakening in the 1720s and 1730s. Like its predecessors, Princeton was founded to train ministers, but, influenced by the Calvinist theology of its Revivalist founders, the university became a center for the natural sciences as well. Its third president, Jonathan Edwards of fire-and-brimstone fame, believed that scholars ought to use their intellectual gifts to explore the natural world, whose steadfast laws reflect the work of God. Other attitudes of this period are reflected in today’s Princetonian culture. Calvinist thought during the First Great Awakening influenced the political individuality and activism of Princetonians, as being among the Elect implied that those individuals had personal worth and had a voice. Declaration of Independence signer John Witherspoon once claimed that none had authority over him but the king in Heaven. “Religion and political freedom went together,” said Breidenthal. Princeton’s sense of timeless community, demonstrated each year at Reunions, emerged from the Puritan idea of collegiality in the eighteenth century: common life, common prayer, and common community. Unlike other universities of the time, Princeton was always nonsectarian because political equality and academic freedom meant being open to ideas. During the Second Great Awakening, which began almost exactly a century after the first, a paradigm shift occurred in which focus turned from election to sanctification. The idea that Christians had an obligation to bettering society led to the founding of the Philadelphian Society in a student’s room in Nassau Hall, Christmas Eve 1824. This ecumenical group focused on community service and made an indelible mark on Princeton and the nation during its century of productivity. Most notably, the society commissioned the construction of Murray-Dodge Hall, the current home of a multitude of student religious groups and prayer meetings. The Philadelphians also founded the national YMCA movement, Princeton-Blairstown Center—which serves children in urban New Jersey communities—and the organization that would become today’s Student Volunteers Council. For a number of reasons, the university deactivated the Philadelphian Society after World War I and divided it into the Office of Religious Life and the Student Volunteers Council. The standard story, according to Breidenthal, was that “the Philadelphian Society became too religious.” Breidenthal believes that “secularism finally caught up with the Philadelphian Society.” In either case, the division of religion from service is still very apparent today. The Student Volunteers Council is still housed in Murray-Dodge Hall yet maintains a tense relationship with the Office of Religious Life. According to Breidenthal, its leaders over the years perhaps feared driving away student interest in volunteer work if volunteerism were too closely related to religion. But Breidenthal does believe that we are in the midst of a new era of Revivalism. Student interest in religion has not been so fervent in years, and there is much greater interfaith communication, according to Breidenthal. Three years ago, Princeton hosted a convention in Murray-Dodge Hall that brought together student religious group leaders from across the nation to discuss their initiatives and progress in establishing fellowships on campuses. The movement gathered momentum, and the third annual convention will be held in February 2007 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. “It’s a new Revivalist movement,” said Breidenthal. “It’s only fitting that it began here at Princeton.”
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Friends, food and a refuge from the rain proved to be a winning combination for Princeton Christian Union's Reunions weekend celebration. The warm, friendly faces that appeared at the Saturday Brunch and Sunday Senior Dessert imparted a feeling of old friendships and a bright future. Not only were alumni of Princeton Faith and Action (Christian Union's direct ministry on campus) welcomed to the event, but all Christian alumni from all the class years. The brunch was held at the Wilson House, Christian Union’s ministry center at Princeton, on Saturday, June 3. Though perhaps lured by the free food, what attendees also found in bountiful supply were other believers gathered to meet and encourage one another. Many of the 100-plus diners were PFA members joined by their visiting family and friends. Many others were simply Christians returned to campus, reuniting with old friends and fellow believers with whom they worshiped and served years before during their time on campus. PFA was overjoyed to allow this kind of communion during the hubbub of Reunions Weekend. PFA also encouraged families and friends to attend a Sunday morning church service held at Nassau Christian Center (NCC) over the special weekend. At an 8:00 a.m. service, class of 1951 (and Prayer for Princeton warrior see page 10) graduate Bill Grady gave some words of spiritual nourishment to church-goers. And again at 11:00 a.m., NCC turned over its pulpit to Class of 1981 alumni Marty Lotito, Christine Caffrey Johnson and Kimberly Ho Schoelen, who inspired attendees with stories of their own personal journeys of faith.
PFA is not the only ministry that offers these kinds of events over the celebratory weekend. Several other groups, including Manna Christian Fellowship, Princeton Evangelical Fellowship, and the Aquinas Institute, offer banquets and gatherings at which alumni who participated in their ministry during undergrad could return to open arms.
Dr. Darrell Brock, author of a bestselling DaVinci-buster, actively engaged with students, tackling questions about history, the Code, and the New Testament. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - The Da Vinci Code. The Gospel of Judas. What are we to make of these recent stories that suggest the New Testament Gospels may have gotten it wrong? Such were the questions addressed by Dr. Darrell Bock, a leading New Testament scholar and best-selling author from Dallas Theological Seminary, who was the featured speaker at the Princeton Evangelical Fellowship (PEF, www.princeton.edu/~pef) Bible Conference, April 7-8, 2006.
Students receive training after a PFA weekly meeting on the strategy of “Campus Kindness.” PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? Romans 2:4 Midterm Week at Princeton is typically accompanied by late nights, stress, and work focused isolation. This year it also included a simple act of kindness motivated by love. Armed with Twix, Snickers, and Pria bars, seven students with Princeton Faith and Action visited the rooms of Walker Hall to demonstrate God’s love for students in a practical way. Over the course of the evening, two additional residence halls experienced the kindness of God and the response ranged from incredulity, “Okay, what’s the catch?” to heartfelt appreciation, “You are so nice!” Campus Kindness is a ministry which desires to demonstrate God’s kindness for kindness sake. God values the intrinsic worth of kindness, and much of Jesus’ ministry is described as God’s kindness revealed in his Son. Accordingly, the event was an opportunity to experience the sheer joy of giving for giving’s sake, without expectation of return. Everyone involved commented on the liberating experience of demonstrating kindness merely to bless others. Over the course of the evening, over 200 students experienced a touch of God’s kindness and another campus kindness is being planned for Easter week.
These girls from the freshman bible course are regulars at the weekly meeting. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - The beginning of the spring semester brought many new opportunities for students at Princeton University, including the chance to attend a new weekly dinner sponsored by Christian Union (CU) and Princeton Faith and Action (PFA). After a tremendous amount of feedback from students during the fall semester consistently indicated that they wanted to get together as a group on a more regular basis, and after even greater amounts of prayer, the CU/PFA decided to go ahead with a different idea: a homemade dinner off campus in an intimate and cozy home atmosphere, followed by a video series on relationships (a highly requested topic) and a time of engaging group discussion. The goal for these meetings during the spring semester, besides learning some great information about godly relationships, is to build and foster a sense of community and family among those attending. While it is difficult to define and analyze success for an event of this nature, the C.U. ministry fellows have been greatly encouraged by the number of students attending these weekly dinners, as well as by the verbal feedback they have received from attendees. "Wednesday nights are my favorite night of the week!" exclaimed one student. "You are definitely succeeding at your goal to help us get to know each other," shared another. And if the amount of food that is consumed each week is any indication, that too seems to be a resounding success!
The original seal, dark and almost indistinguishable because of its age, was designed in 1748 and used as the corporate signature from that time until the College became Princeton University in 1896. Then the Seal was redesigned, more closely resembling the seal used by the University today. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - “I always liked to pray,” says Bill Grady, Princeton ’51, visionary and founder of the group Prayer for Princeton, with a chuckle. In the irony lurking behind this understatement are two decades of focused, committed prayer for his Alma Mater. What Grady jokes about is, in reality, his “heartbeat, calling and destiny,” and, he believes, God’s reason for his arrival in New Jersey in the late 1940s. The foundation of Prayer for Princeton (PFP) is built upon it: continual intercession for the Princeton University community, entreating the Lord to bring the life of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, back into the University. Prayer for Princeton does have two stanchions by which it finds itself both supported and bound: an Old Testament and a New Testament key verse. PFP’s Old Testament mandate comes from Psalm 33:11-12, and says, “Blessed is the nation (university) whose God is the Lord, the people he Has chosen for His own inheritance.” PFP reads this as a reference to the seven founders of the College of New Jersey’s original intent [see above diagram]. Their New Testament verse, 2 Timothy 1:10, is lifted straight from the original seal of the College of New Jersey, which states that Jesus Christ, “has destroyed the power of death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” The development of PFP follows Grady’s own journey of faith. Though not a believer in college, he had a “born of the Spirit experience” at a Billy Graham Crusade meeting in 1957, and soon felt the Lord directing his attentions, affections and prayer focus back to Old Nassau. In 1984, Ken Jasko, Princeton’78, then a campus chaplain, provided Grady with a copy of his paper, “God at Work: Religion and Revival at Princeton University 1746 - 1979,” which chronicled the Christian foundations of the University and the subsequent waves of revival that swept through its campus in the centuries to follow. Grady says he felt a strong conviction, shared by many, that the Lord wanted to reclaim the Universities He once inspired and blessed. In 1989 during a time of intercession for Princeton, Grady says God spoke to him in an inner voice saying, “I want my school back.” From that time on, God’s call on Grady’s life was confirmed and he went out to cast the vision to others. One man who shared this particular conviction was Jasko himself. At Grady’s request, Jasko initiated the prayer efforts at Reunions in 1991. He invited alumni to a small, informal prayer meeting in Murray Dodge, the first PFP gathering. The following year, PFP scheduled its meeting with the Alumni Council and held its first “official” campus gathering in the faculty room of Nassau Hall. The meetings lasted from 7:00 p.m. to midnight with pray-ers coming and going, musicians offering a song sporadically, and even a few visitors just touring the faculty room. With lyrical enthusiasm, Grady talks of the spiritual impact that those meetings had, and the powerful “season God had us [in Nassau Hall].” From that year until this one, PFP has gathered to pray. During the 90s, however, the Princeton Reunion meetings were not the only PFP gatherings. From 1992 to 1999, several interested alumni would gather monthly at a central location in Southern California to pray for their campus. A subscriber to the Daily Princetonian, Grady would scour the paper all month, looking for prayer needs and sketching out a prayer agenda for their meetings. They prayed from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of every month, and then broke for a pre-packed lunch. Having purchased University tablecloths and wares, they arranged a beautiful Princeton-themed spread, and enjoyed their meal together, reliving the old days. Grady says those times were spent “bonding together as devoted friends and co-laborers in intercessory ministry on behalf of their Alma Mater.” He cites several specific events and occurrences at Princeton that, he believes, resulted from the prayer offered at those monthly meetings (including the cessation of the highly publicized Nude Olympics in 1999). In the early 2000s, a shift in University leadership caused PFP to be ejected from their annual spot in the faculty room. Because they were not a bona fide, campus-affiliated group, they were told they could not be in the Reunion Schedule program and could no longer meet on campus. In recent years, they have received help from Manna Christian Fellowship and Princeton Faith and Action, but this year held their meetings in the Nassau Christian Center, an Assemblies of God church located just across Nassau Street from the University. He also believes in people praying for universities besides Princeton. Like Christian Union, he looks forward to the days when God works in other universities, blessing and honoring the work done by the saints praying and laboring for their own campuses. And what would a group of Princeton alumni be without a little tradition and a bit of intrigue? Without an ounce of secrecy, Grady openly reveals PFP’s code word: LINAH. Here’s a hint; it’s an acronym, and a beautiful one at that. It stands for “Life in Nassau Hall”, a rebirth that PFP has been entreating for years, and will continue to do so for years to come.
PFA in Woodstock, VT PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Spiritual growth sometimes occurs in leaps and bounds. In Leviticus 23, God sets aside sacred assemblies and annual times of celebration that last from one to eight days. These festivals served to rededicate the lives of the Israelites to God and to remind the Israelites of God’s past and continuing faithfulness to His people. They served to bind the community together and refresh the hearts of people with love for their God. Indeed, every 50th year was a Year of Jubilee where all debts were forgiven and the people were commanded not to work for the entire year. Slaves were set free, property was returned to its original tribe or clan, and if observed faithfully, the Year of Jubilee would have eliminated chronic poverty from the land. Just as the Israelites needed these times of refreshing in addition to their regular weekly Sabbath, Christians need extended times to abstain from work, worship, and be revived in their dedication to God. In observance of this truth, Princeton Faith and Action sponsored its inaugural Ski Retreat from January 29th to February 3rd. For one week students and staff enjoyed worship, fellowship, teaching and recreation at Woodstock, VT. The content of the week’s nightly messages were from the Book of Genesis and underscored the intrinsic coherency of God’s creation versus the post modern agenda to deconstruct universal purpose and meaning from human experience. The clash of these two worldviews forms the battleground on all the campuses of the Ivy League. By week’s end, all agreed on the spiritual benefit from the week. Often times, weekend and week long retreats are the most spiritually transforming event in students’ lives, and even those who were lukewarm or uncertain of their faith expressed with thanks the vivifying spiritual influence of the week. For many, this is the first time they have experienced the power of authentic spiritual community. The effect of this experience is powerful. As the week closed, one student lamented, “I can’t believe the week is already over. I don’t want to go back.”
Scott and Jan Luley have been serving university facutly and staff for more than 20 years. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - To some people, being in charge of the faculty ministry at Princeton University may sound like the hardest job in the world. After all, American universities—especially those in the Ivy League—have a reputation for being very hostile to religion. Scott Luley, Eastern Regional Director of Campus Leadership Ministries (CLM) and head of faculty ministry at Princeton, is up for the challenge. “Some faculty members say they can be known to turn as many people as possible away from God,” admitted Luley in an interview at Princeton’s campus center. “But there are a good number of believers on campus.” Luley, who started working for Campus Crusade for Christ in 1973, co-founded Campus Leadership Ministries in 1980. Their campus model was Southern Methodist University, where they attempted to reach out to the faculty and staff. Luley operates from the position that “The philosophy of the classroom in this generation will be the philosophy of society in the next.” Indeed, according to Luley, Campus Crusade founder Bill Bright publicly said on many occasions that he wished he had started his ministry with faculty as he founded Campus Crusade’s international ministry to students. “The faculty is the key to the university,” said Luley. “They are around for a long time.” By 1990, CLM had grown to over one hundred universities, and Luley decided to start a ministry at Princeton. His first steps were to identify the Christian faculty members at Princeton and to organize luncheons and outreach programs. Luley emphasized that he does not aim to have intellectual combat with the faculty members to whom he ministers. “We aim at the heart,” he explained. “Faculty members often talk about these things. You would be surprised how much they want to dialogue…We’re not avoiding intellectual issues, but we want to move beyond that. We want to spend some time talking about a personal relationship with God.” Luley’s wife Jan leads a Bible study for faculty and staff, and CLM sponsors other weekly meetings. According to Luley, two to four small groups meet every week. For Luley, one of the hardest parts of his job is finding a time when Princeton’s busy—and award-winning—faculty members have time to meet. CLM also provides many services for Princeton community members who wish to engage their minds as well as their hearts in their spiritual lives. CLM sponsors late-afternoon seminars for faculty and graduate students. CLM also organizes events where students invite their favorite faculty members to talk about the existence of God. “We operate on the premise that, when you seek truth, you’ll find Jesus Christ,” said Luley. With that belief in mind, in 1999, CLM started the Veritas Forum, a twice or three times yearly campus event that addresses deep questions about faith and spirituality. Each Veritas Forum features university or college professors who lectures about issues that have important spiritual implications. Past Veritas Forums have addressed such issues as “Can We Be Good without God?”, “Intelligent Design: Implications for Science and Belief in God”, and “Finding God at Princeton.” In early November, the University of Pennsylvania hosted a Veritas Forum, where the topic was “When Life is Full and Meaning is on Empty.” The forum featured lectures about C.S. Lewis, sexual morality, and Academy Award-nominated films. At the end of each Forum, Luley asks for feedback on comment cards, and the responses from Christians and non-Christians alike have been positive and encouraging. “I still do not believe in God, but I wish there was one,” a Princeton undergraduate wrote after Dr. William Lane Craig’s lecture about “Finding God at Princeton.” “I was very encouraged by Dr. Craig’s teaching, and it will definitely help me a lot in my personal relationship with God,” wrote a visiting professor after the same lecture. CLM’s ministry stretches internationally beyond Princeton. Luley has led teams of faculty to Russia to present lectures that integrate an explanation of their academic discipline with a discussion of their spiritual life. Overall, CLM’s goal is to encourage university faculty members to view their positions of influence as an opportunity to spread the Gospel. “We want believers to be salt and light, to blossom where God has put them,” said Luley.
Students stand with one of the families whose home they helped repair. MOBILE, ALABAMA - I had the joy of being able to go on one such trip. In the aftermath of the hurricanes that ravaged the gulf coast, I spent the week on a relief trip organized through the Student Volunteer’s Council (SVC). My friend Robert Spackey ’08 and I led a group of eight fellow students to Alabama where we worked through Volunteer Mobile. The SVC sponsored our group of ten and another trip to Louisiana of nine. Once we were in Alabama our expectations had to be reconciled with the reality of the situation in Mobile. From some reason most of us had forgotten that two months had passed since the devastating hurricanes hit so there was much less visible destruction than we had expected. What a shock it was that the flood waters had gone down and the roads were navigable. Rather than sleeping on the hard floor of a church gym as we had been told, we were given the keys to a large house owned by the church; hardly the uncomfortable accommodations we had been bracing ourselves for. Our work began on Sunday after a local church served us a hearty breakfast, part of their homeless ministry adjusted to accommodate volunteers. That first day was spent patching roofs by hammering down tarps—a relatively easy job for agile college students but significantly more difficult for the elderly homeowners who needed our help. Monday morning we began work on tearing out walls that had been water-damaged during the flood. Our task was to tear out the dry wall everywhere in the houses from four feet down and to rip out the floor of the kitchen. We received a tutorial that lasted about fifteen minutes which our contact from Volunteer Mobile seemed to be learning along with us. After that we were let loose on the house. We were soon covered in dust and old boards hacking away at those walls with all our might. Sheila, the homeowner, and her sister Diane provided us with entertaining conversation and lots of candy. As the walls came down, we saw how much mold and mildew had built up in between the walls. I am sure the situation was unhealthy for Sheila and Diane, who had already made several trips to the hospital.
Even though we made a huge difference in the lives of those we helped, there is still so much to be done. God can use those who are willing to rebuild out of the destruction. What we need is more who are willing. Through this experience I was able to see just how much God was able to work through local churches and volunteers. I have great hope that the area will recover and that the faith of those affected will be strengthened.
Princeton Evangelical Fellowship recently held its annual missions conference, focusing on becoming "tentmakers." Aime Scott, Princeton ’01, is a staff member for the Princeton Evangelical Fellowship (PEF) at Princeton University. PEF recently held its annual missions conference and Scott, having recently returned from two years’ service in Southeast Asia, was one of several presenters over the course of the weekend. The Christian Observer asked her to report on the conference. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - We are thankful to the Lord for His provision and blessing on our annual missions conference, which was held Thursday, November 17 through Saturday, November 19. This year’s conference theme was “Tentmaking,” a word used to describe mission work involving a secular job in addition to traditional ministry work. This term ultimately refers to Paul’s labors as a tent-maker, the means by which he supported himself while preaching the Gospel. Today, some missionaries are “tentmakers” because they want to financially support themselves while on the mission field. Other missionaries, specifically those serving in countries which are closed to the Gospel and don’t issue missionary visas, work as tentmakers simply to obtain a visa into the country in which they are serving. Tentmaking missions is an exciting possibility for Princeton students who will be graduating with highly marketable skills that can be used to bless others in secular fields. Students who are eager to continue on in their fields of study, but are also interested in serving the Lord in full-time ministry, can combine their loves by serving God as a tentmaking missionary; and, in fact, a few students are now considering this kind of mission work for the future as a result of the conference. Praise the Lord! The conference began with a dinner and presentation by myself, Aime Scott ’01. Though I am working with PEF this year, I was serving the Lord as a “tentmaker” in a closed country in Southeast Asia for the previous two years. The presentation included two foci. The first was a realistic description of what life is like as a missionary in a closed country, including a realistic portrayal of the stresses of living in a persecuted area, the pressures of being under constant surveillance, and some of the more exciting stories of run-ins with the police and the like. The second was a thorough description of how the Gospel is shared in a closed country where open evangelism is illegal. I used this section to bridge into talking about how the students can begin sharing their faith on campus at Princeton University. The question and answer time revolved around evangelism on Princeton’s campus, and that was a great encouragement to me! On Friday evening, we had a dinner for all of the students and the missionaries in attendance at the conference to allow them to meet and interact. Then, during our regular weekly worship meeting, Ted and Dana Witmer (both Princeton ’76), who are serving God in Kenya, shared about the biblical basis for missions. Ted emphasized the recurrence of God’s promise to use the nation of Israel to bless all nations and also highlighted some additional passages that reveal God’s eye for the nations in the midst of His focus on Israel. Ted reminded the students that though God could use any means to spread His Gospel, He has chosen to use men to speak and make His Gospel known. Then, Dana shared exuberantly about how much fun missions is and what a joy missions has been in her life. She shared a few personal stories and testimonies of Masai leaders coming to faith in Christ, and she strongly exhorted the students to consider committing to serving the Lord in full-time mission work. Steve and Pat Copple, who have been serving the Lord as tentmakers in Southeast Asia for the past 22 years, spoke to the students on Saturday morning specifically about tentmaking. Steve presented a very thorough description of tentmaking, including who should consider tentmaking as an option, the process of becoming a tentmaker, and how tentmaking is used by God to accomplish His purposes. Both Steve and Pat shared their own story of how they had expected to lead average mainstream American lives, and never dreamed that God would give them a passion for some small ethnic groups in the mountains of Southeast Asia. Steve was moved with emotion as he shared about what God has done in their hearts as they’ve followed him. Pat spoke about listening to the voice of the Lord and following Him wherever He leads. She contrasted that with busying ourselves with tasks which are also good, but ultimately don’t lead anywhere because they are not the tasks that God is asking us to do. She also shared about how the boy with the few fishes and loaves of bread was able to experience the multiplication of what he had simply because he was willing to offer it to Jesus. She encouraged the students to offer to the Lord what they have no matter how small they think their offering might be. In the evening, Steve and Pat joined the students for a dinner and shared about specific opportunities to serve in the country where they live and work. They also addressed some of the questions about whether tentmaking is ethical, since tentmaking missionaries in closed countries have an unspoken goal of sharing the Gospel even though sharing the Gospel in those countries is illegal. And finally, they shared about what “prayer walking” is and some of their experiences with prayer walking overseas. In the wake of our conference, we are hoping to gather students to participate in various summer missions opportunities and to help interested students explore the possibility of going to the mission field after graduation. Princeton has a long legacy of mission work. She has sent out many missionaries from among her alumni, and Urbana (one of the largest missions conferences targeted towards young adults) can trace its roots back to Princeton. What a precious legacy we have! It is our prayer that this legacy will continue and that many of our current students will go out as missionaries to the ends of the earth to the praise of His glorious grace.
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Recently, Wilson House held its second Friday night event of the year with a performance by local artist, Neah Lee. Neah, who is a student at Princeton Theological Seminary, is a gifted singer-songwriter and the news of her performance attracted a large crowd. Over sixty people, many of whom were students, attended the event which was festively decorated for the holidays with a myriad of candles. In addition, free coffee, biscotti, and cookies were offered as part of the night’s entertainment. Neah’s musical style fit the evening perfectly, captivating the crowd through the end of her two hour performance.
Sex on a Saturday Night is the Residential Education Program's solution to campus assault and sexual awareness. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - During orientation week, Princeton gathers its freshman class at the University Chapel to hear remarks from the President, at Dillon Gymnasium to sample student organizations, at advisors’ offices to schedule four years of classes, and at Alexander Hall to talk about…sex? The required orientation program, “Sex on a Saturday Night,” is an hour-long series of dramatic vignettes involving eight performers, 1,223 Princeton freshmen, and a wide range of sexual orientation, experience, and desire. The purpose of the event, as expressed in the evening’s program, is to “confront the causes and effects of date/acquaintance rape on campus.” Some feel that the actors communicate more to new students than just assault prevention. “I thought that it went into Princeton’s huge emphasis on diversity and acceptance of other people’s values and beliefs,” says Laura Adams (’09). “They want you to appreciate people’s choices and differences and make your decision based on what seems best for you.” A decade ago, the Theater Department teamed up with SHARE (the Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising Resources and Education Program of University Health Services) to bring a series of improvisational skits about assault awareness to students. Thus “Sex on a Saturday Night” was born. “Over the past ten years,” reads the hand-out, “a succession of undergraduate directors and actors have creatively shaped a fast-paced, humorous and provocative production.” Showered with sexual innuendo, bedroom humor, and campus-specific insider joking, the production aims to curb the unfortunate statistics [Between one and ten rapes a year have been reported at Princeton the past five years.] by warning and equipping freshmen with some of the harsh “realities” of campus life. “The programs strive to present multiple perspectives on a range of student issues [and] possible resolutions,” the hand-out says. The show’s timeline stretches across a Saturday night [as the title suggests], opening with a gay male coming out to his roommate on a Saturday afternoon and closing with a date rape victim crawling to the University clinic on a Sunday morning. Audience members watch everything from binge drinking, homosexual flirtation, and date rape at an Eating Club party to attempted acquaintance rape in a dorm room. They even catch a glimpse of abstinence from a semi-monogamous couple. Early in the production four girls sit around on the couches of their dorm room. “Tonight is our fourth date, girls!” one actress gushes. “You know what that means!” And they do. All the girls understand that the fourth date is when a couple crosses the sexual threshold. The naïve freshman character seems bewildered. “I didn’t realize things moved so fast in college,” she reflects. “Isn’t [sex] supposed to take a long time?” Later that evening at a campus party, this character receives multiple hits from a bartender who looks the other way as he hands the freshman her mixed drinks. After a prolonged make-out session in the middle of the club, which receives chuckles of knowing laughter from the audience, she passes out in the coat room and is raped (offstage) by her timid, unsure, fairly intoxicated date. The Eating Club party (and all that transpires there) represents the nucleus of campus activity, since the entire cast [but two] attends, drinks, and seems very comfortable with the assumed knowledge that sex is a fact of college social life. Only one character expresses a desire to abstain from sex, not only that night, but as a life choice. The two cast members not present at the party are on the highly anticipated fourth date. While the female student is sexually eager, her date pushes her away, expressing his intention to save himself for marriage. The remaining cast members find a date and a drink or three at the Eating Club party. Talk the next morning of “hooking up,” accompanied by suggestive smirks and pats-on-the-back, suggests the frequent, non-committal nature of the characters’ sexual interactions. These characters and their attitudes are presumably intended to represent those of Princeton college students at large. The production was followed by discussion sessions, in which students split according to their residential colleges to digest the evening’s themes. One student found this to be the most distasteful part of the whole event. “I actually thought the play was well done. The discussion afterward was unbelievable, though,” says David Colquitt (’09). “The male-bashing session was only topped off by warnings against heterosexism, which I had never even heard of before.” SHARE and the Residential Education Program handed out programs filled margin-to-margin with information about campus rapes, sexual health advisors, and contact information. “Sex on a Saturday Night” is designed to promote the “important community values” of “safety, responsibility, respect, and civility,” claims the program. After ten years on Orientation Week billing, this production and its “important community values” don’t show signs of going anywhere soon.
Dan and Laurie's Home PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Despite a week of torrential downpours, on Thursday night, October 13 nearly 45 Princeton students made their way off campus to the Knapke home to gather for a time of laughter and fellowship over a home-cooked meal. This was the second Bible Course dinner of the semester, bringing together members from all seven of the Bible Courses currently being offered at Princeton. The primary goal for this dinner was the same as the first event’s goal: to provide an opportunity for students from the different Bible Courses to interact with and get to know each other, so that they can further develop personal friendships of Christian support back on campus. “We strongly believe in the importance of giving the students involved in our courses a chance to develop healthy, meaningful relationships with Christian brothers and sisters during their time here at Princeton,” shared volunteer staff member, Laurie Knapke. “I am especially encouraged by the ways that the upperclassmen have been reaching out to the freshmen. This type of fellowship and support is a key aspect of being a part of the Body of Christ here. And besides, getting together is a whole lot of fun too!” Students at the dinner seemed to share her sentiments as many continued to fellowship well into the night. Plans for the next joint Bible Course dinner are in the works but have not been finalized at this time.
Dan Knapke and Mark Lewis enjoying some pizza. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - The Class of 2009 officially arrived on campus this past weekend, accompanied by parents, staff and residential college advisors. The weekend was punctuated by numerous receptions, academic open houses, and community events. Running concurrently to these events was the outreach of such groups as Agape Christian Fellowship, Athletes in Action, Princeton Evangelical Fellowship and Crossroads. This year, a new student group, Princeton Faith and Action, began its freshmen outreach by holding its first pre-term planning retreat from September 9-10th at the New Jersey Shore. Planning was concentrated on a freshmen campaign designed to maximally leverage the relational capacity of both students and staff. The retreat emphasized the spiritual openness of freshmen and the need to reach out before the window of social plasticity begins to close by the end of the third week of school. Studies have shown that a person only feels part of a group after creating seven to ten strong friendships within that group, underscoring the need to have multiple contacts with the same freshmen in different settings and social contexts. Consequently, an emphasis was made on networking freshmen with upperclassmen and staff through personal invitations to Freshmen bible studies, Freshmen dinners, Christian Union Bible Courses, as well as many informal and spontaneous social events. Outreach will continue through the first six weeks of school. In addition, a new 9:45am Sunday church service will be inaugurated by Nassau Christian Center (26 Nassau Street) in cooperation with Christian Union to facilitate the integration of freshmen into vibrant communities of faith. By God’s grace and power we hope to see Christian involvement exponentially increase among all the different fellowships on campus.
Christian Sahner '07(member at-large), Nene Kalu '07(treasurer), Cassy DeBenedetto '07 PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - This past February, Princeton University students came together to form a student group so unique that it attracted the attention of a New York Times article, and was even poked fun at by Jay Leno on The Tonight Show. You may have heard about it: The Anscombe Society, an organization that provides witness to the beauty and joy of chastity, and is dedicated to intellectually engaging our society’s “orthodoxy” with respect to issues of sexual ethics and family life. Additionally, Anscombe strives to support students making “traditional” sexual choices on campus. In an environment where random hook-ups, “friends with benefits”, and premarital sex are not only prevalent but accepted as the norm, the Anscombe Society states that its goal is to “promote and encourage an atmosphere where sex is dignified, respectful, and beautiful; where human relationships are affirming and supportive; where motherhood is not put at odds with feminism; and where no one is objectified, instrumentalized, or demeaned.” The Anscombe Society is not anti-sex as some may believe, but rather chooses to identify itself as pro-sex, believing so strongly in the inherent worth and dignity of sex and marriage that it cares enough to take a stand in order to defend these values. Despite its relatively short existence, the Anscombe Society has established a solid presence on campus. Led by ten officers and boasting an email list that reaches over 100 interested students, the organization has held open houses and hosted three public lectures. In March, University of Virginia Professor Steven Rhoads ’61, author of Taking Sex Differences Seriously, gave a lecture titled: “Androgynous Feminism’s War Against Women.” In April, Mr. Patrick Fagan, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, gave a lecture titled: “The Case for Chastity: Where are those chastity belts now?” Finally, in May, Ms. Maggie Gallagher, syndicated columnist, president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, and author of The Case for Marriage: Why Married People are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially, gave a lecture entitled: “The Case for Marriage.” Each lecture attracted an audience of 50-70 students a diverse crowd that included supporters and critics, all of whom responded to the lectures with keen interest and engaged curiosity. Following all three lectures, the question and answer period endured for an equal if not longer amount of time than the actual lecture, with students staying after the closing remarks to speak one-on-one with the guests. The apparent novelty of the information, research, and conclusions presented in these lectures attests to the need for a group like the Anscombe Society on more college campuses. The group’s website (http://www.princeton.edu/~anscombe) offers an online library of readings to help develop a coherent worldview in regards to sex and marriage. It includes many links to scholarly works on chastity, sexual and marital ethics, marriage, feminism, gender, and homosexuality. These articles cover a range of academic disciplines such as philosophy, ethics, biology, medicine, psychiatry, psychology, theology, and sociology. The aim of the lectures and website is to enrich campus discussion by providing serious and respectful responses and counter-arguments to the contemporary views on open sexuality that are prevalent on most college campuses. The Anscombe Society seeks to propose a more attractive and compelling vision of sex and marriage, in hopes that the truth of its message will begin a transformation in the hearts and minds of students. So far, the Anscombe Society has been successful in fulfilling this goal, as its presence on campus certainly has people talking. In addition to increasing the amount of productive and open conversation on family, marriage, and sex on Princeton’s campus, the Anscombe Society has also reached many people across the country. Following its appearance in the New York Times, Anscombe received dozens of emails of congratulations and support, including some from students wondering how to start a similar organization at their own schools. While all of this activity has certainly been exciting, the officers see much room for growth. In addition to hosting speakers, they intend to produce a journal, organize discussion groups, offer social activities, and reach beyond Princeton’s campus to serve the larger community. To make these goals become realities, the officers are currently organizing a fundraiser and are happily accepting donations. For the fall semester, Anscombe is already looking forward to hosting Ms. Gallagher again, this time to speak on same-sex marriage, as many students expressed a specific interest in this topic at her last lecture. In addition to Ms. Gallagher, the Anscombe Society is scheduled to host Professor Bradford Wilcox of the University of Virginia, and hopes to sponsor a talk on courtship by Professor Amy Kass of the University of Chicago. The Anscombe Society is forging ahead with confidence, intelligence, and hope: hope that they can serve their fellow students by complementing and completing the discussion on sex and marriage; hope to increase the respect, dignity, and significance attributed to sexuality and relationships on campus; and hope that they can provide students with the needed witness of the beauty, joy, and meaning of chastity and marriage.
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - After a year of dormancy, Princeton Pro-Life (PPL) has come back to make its presence felt on campus. With the Presidential election last fall and all of the recent buzz about embryonic stem cell research this spring, it is clear that a strong pro-life voice is more important now than ever. Last October, PPL published an editorial opinion in the Daily Princetonian encouraging readers to “cast their votes in line with science and justice.” After pointing out that there is a universal consensus among embryologists and developmental biologists that life begins at conception, the authors of the article explained that justice requires legal protection for all human beings. Instead of endorsing either candidate, the editorial strongly encouraged students to realize the importance of each candidate’s position on abortion, because millions of unborn lives hang in the balance every year. Quite unexpectedly, the vast majority of responses to the editorial were extremely positive. This was encouraging and led pro-life supporters to conclude that there are more like-minded thinkers on Princeton’s campus than many realize at first glance. As PPL continues to grow, the organization’s leaders hope that this silent presence will feel more comfortable and will hopefully be able to spread their pro-life views. After the editorial was published, PPL’s leadership team contacted the heads of the college pro-life organizations at fourteen other universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and Berkeley, in order to publish a modified version of the opinion editorial originally published in the Princetonian as an advertisement in all fourteen campus newspapers. This coordinated effort received national media attention. In fact, after the ad was published, a handful of other schools approached PPL and asked if they could run the same ad in their campus papers the following week. (Both the opinion editorial and the embryo ad are on the PPL website: www.princeton.edu/~prolife.) In November, Professor Robert George hosted an evening reception for pro-life students and community members. Over a hundred pro-life students attended the event, which concluded with comments by faculty members and campus ministers, including Christian Union President Matt Bennett. This meeting enabled PPL to meet with local organizations and leaders that have provided much help and aid, such as Christian Union. In January, with the aid of Christian Union, PPL traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the March for Life. Several pro-life officers also attended the American Collegians for Life Conference the weekend before the March. This year, conference speakers included United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Deputy Director Richard Doerflinger as well as Feminists for Life President Serrin Foster, who is now scheduled to speak at Princeton in the fall. At the conference, attendees met Bobby Schindler, the brother of Terri Schiavo, who spoke to PPL about his sister’s struggles. The organization invited Mr. Schindler to come to Princeton to speak, and on March 2, 2005, he became PPL’s first campus-wide speaker. Visiting Professor Chris Tollefsen preceded his talk by speaking about the philosophical arguments against euthanasia, and to accentuate his lecture, Mr. Schindler used a slide show to acquaint the audience with his sister’s condition and then presented his views on her situation. PPL’s vice president, Maggie Zagroba, wrote a review of his talk which was posted on many websites and even found its way into the course syllabus for a public policy and ethics course at Princeton. About a month later in late April, New Jersey Acting Governor Richard J. Codey announced a proposal to create an embryonic stem cell institute in New Jersey, which brought the stem cell debate into the spotlight. PPL invited Dr. David Prentice, an expert on adult stem cells, to speak on the difference between adult and embryonic stem cells. He lectured on the scientific background behind the stem cell debate, and repeatedly pointed out that adult stem cells have proven to be far more effective in fighting disease than embryonic stem cells. In fact, while adult stem cells are currently being used in over 58 clinical therapies, embryonic stem cell treatments are currently not even in early trial testing for human beings. The author followed up Dr. Prentice’s presentation with a letter to the editor published in the Daily Princetonian. A few weeks after Dr. Prentice’s talk, as the details of Governor Codey’s proposal began to unfold, the author and Ms. Zagroba represented Princeton Pro-Life at a New Jersey Right to Life rally at the Statehouse, where the author was one of several speakers to address the crowd. In the spring, Princeton Pro-Choice held its inaugural meeting, surrounded by the backdrop of heightened public awareness of Princeton Pro-Life. So far, the rival organization’s presence on campus has been minimal. In fact, the only event that seemed to get the group moving was PPL’s “Life=Life” campaign. (By way of background, at one point during the year, an unrelated student organization put up posters of homosexual couples kissing with the caption “Love=Love.” In response, PPL decided to put up posters that had pictures of human beings in the embryonic, fetal, and post-natal stages of development with the caption “Life=Life” and the quote, “A person’s a person, no matter how small,” by Dr. Seuss.) Several days later, Princeton Pro-Choice posted some fliers of their own alongside “Life” posters, pointing out that Dr. Seuss’s wife was pro-choice. While this competitiveness may have overshadowed the original intent of the campaign, the passion and vigor displayed by both sides left PPL planning a constructive debate with PPC for next fall. Throughout the spring semester on alternate Fridays, Princeton Pro-Life has set up a booth in the Frist Campus Center during the lunch hours. So far, responses have been positive, and the organization will continue with this particular strategy when classes resume this fall. PPL will also continue to write opinion editorials, host pro-life speakers, publicly endorse our seemingly unpopular positions, and remain a firm witness to the truth. The Fall 2005 confirmed presentations include: September 26th: Feminists for Life president Serrin Foster will present “The Feminist Case against Abortion.” October 2nd: Respect Life Sunday celebration. October 19th: NARAL founder Dr. Bernard Nathanson, Professor Robert George, and Ramesh Ponnuru will discuss the beginning of legalized abortion in America.
Food and old friends proved to be a winning combination during Princeton's Reunions Weekend: (Pictured from left) Emily Brown '05, Mary A. Roensch '03, Jaquan Levons '03, Renee Gardner '05, Carolyn Pichert '05. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Friends, food and air conditioning proved to be a winning combination at Wilson House for the second annual Christian Union Reunion Brunch held on Saturday, May 28th during Reunions Weekend at Princeton University. The Christian Union staff at Princeton welcomed nearly 100 guests through the doors of Wilson House, which was festively adorned in orange and black and filled with an abundance of food in honor of the returning Tigers. Guests included Princeton alumni from classes spanning over half a century, along with family and friends in town for Reunions Weekend. The brunch served as an opportunity for Christian alumni from all classes and fellowships to gather together in celebration of the weekend. Shouts of joyful greetings and laughter filled the ministry center as the alumni arrived, many greeting friends whom they had not seen in years. Recent marriage engagements were announced, stories of God’s work were exchanged, and new introductions and connections were made between members of all alumni classes. Young alumni from the five most recently graduated Princeton classes formed the most widely represented group at the event. The alumni in attendance found the brunch to be a wonderful opportunity for connecting with friends from older and younger classes, who may otherwise have been difficult to catch up with during the weekend given the busy schedule of events. “The most valuable part of the event was seeing friends whom I might otherwise have missed at reunions. It was a great central place to meet, and the food was great!” said Max Anderson ’01. Meredith Saylor ’04 expressed similar sentiments: “I really enjoyed having a dedicated time during reunions when I could reconnect with Sandy Corbitt and some of the girls from my Christian Union Bible Study,” she said. “I really didn’t know many of the girls very well before the spring study of my senior year, so it was great to have a gathering to bring us together [during reunions]. I also ran into many others with whom I interacted briefly at other fellowship groups, so it was fun to have us all together.” With alumni present from so many different classes, many introductions were made for the first time. Tim Van Hooser ’99 commented that he especially enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with several old friends, including the former owners of Wilson House who were among those in attendance. The brunch was also an opportunity for some alumni to get caught up on Christian Union news and recent events, while others used the opportunity to see Wilson House and hear about the Christian Union for the first time. While there was no formal program or presentation during the event, guests were able to pick up copies of recent Christian Union news releases, see pictures from recent Christian Union events such as the Ivy League Congress on Faith and Action convened in April, sign up to receive copies of the Christian Observer, and meet Christian Union staff members. The brunch began at 10:00am, but guests lingered at Wilson House until nearly 2pm. Many people left together from the brunch and walked back to campus for the P-rade, the parade of alumni classes that marches through the campus on the Saturday of Reunions Weekend. The successful turnout for the event was especially notable given that notice of the brunch was not included in the official Reunions Weekend Schedule of Events distributed to alumni at Reunions registration , due to the delayed recognition of Christian Union’s student group at Princeton (Princeton Faith and Action) this past spring. Nevertheless, hundreds of alumni had been notified of the brunch by phone, email and word of mouth in the weeks leading up to the event, and enthusiasm for the brunch was evident in the large numbers of alumni that were able to attend. The Christian Union staff expressed expectations that with improved communication and advertisement for next year’s brunch, even more alumni and friends will be able to participate in the event. As Mary Pagnotto ’00 said in response to the crowded Wilson House, “the more the merrier!”
Princeton University staff praying at the monthly luncheon which takes place at Wilson House on Nassau Street. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Christian Union’s most recent monthly luncheon for the Princeton University staff took place Tuesday, June 14, at the Wilson House. Due to the abbreviated lunch schedules of many staff members during the summer – and as a result of several requests – a sharing time was held this time rather than having a formal speaker and presentation. Close to twenty people were in attendance which was “a great turnout for a summer luncheon,” according to one Christian Union staff member. Included in this group were even several who had never come to a Christian Union staff luncheon before. “There was a real sense of community among the staff,” commented an attendee. “You could really sense everyone’s desire to encourage one another.” One staff member shared about how encouraged he was by the “Prayer for Princeton” events during the recent Reunion Weekend at Princeton. Another spoke of progress in her efforts to publish an article on an issue close to her heart in the Washington Post. Still another shared her hope that a graduate student Bible study will begin soon. Several of the staff members stayed for an extended time afterward, continuing to connect with and encourage one another. Christian Union at Princeton sponsors a luncheon once a month for anyone who works on staff at Princeton University to provide encouragement and support for the Christian community among the staff as well as to reach out to others on staff who may be exploring what it means to be a Christian.
Many parents and alumni attended the brunch: (from left) Lloyd Johnson, Joan Johnson, Kristi Johnson '96, Lloyd Johnson, Todd Johnson '01, and Max Anderson '01. NEW JERSEY - “Hip! Hip! Rah, rah, rah, tiger, tiger, tiger, siss, siss, siss, boom, boom, boom, bah! ’05! ’05! ’05!” Cheers erupted throughout the Princeton campus this past weekend as thousands of graduating seniors, alumni, friends, and family members gathered for Reunion Weekend, a celebration of some of the most cherished and memorable ceremonies from Princeton University’s long heritage of traditions. Events throughout the weekend included: arch sings, presented by some of Princeton’s many talented a cappella groups; the Prom, which boasts a turnout of about 5,000 finely attired graduating seniors and guests; the famous “P-Rade” of alumni, including this year’s oldest graduate representing the class of 1925; as well as graduation itself. The Christian Union (CU) was also involved in the festivities by providing an opportunity for seniors, alumni and families to meet and interact with one another during the weekend via their second annual CU Brunch and Open House, held Saturday morning at the Wilson House. Attendees complimented on the brunch as well as the atmosphere for renewing old friendships and meeting new acquaintances. The CU staff at Princeton continue to look for opportunities to love and serve current and former Princeton students in ways that are meaningful and that provide the support and encouragement they need as they live out their faith in the stations in life to which God has called them. This is consistent with CU’s core mission, which is to “change the world by bringing about sweeping spiritual transformation at the Ivy League Universities, thereby raising up godly leadership for all sectors of society.” “Experiences like those from this past weekend can be very helpful and encouraging, especially for our alumni, as they walk with God in the ‘sectors of society’ in which they find themselves,” noted Ministry Director Dan Knapke. “Our prayer is that this past weekend provided some of the fellowship and encouragement that they need to continue walking successfully.”
Dan and Laurie are leaving the Hershey Company to join Christian Union. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Christian Union has recently hired a new team member appointed to the position of Director of Undergraduate Ministries for the Princeton University campus. Dan Knapke comes to Christian Union from Hershey Foods, Inc., where he served in many capacities, the latest of which was managing Hershey’s $1.5 billion instant consumables division. While Dan thoroughly enjoyed his career with Hershey and found it “very exciting, fulfilling and promising,” he also found himself wrestling with a sense that something was missing from his job there. “The responsibilities that came with my position offered little time or energy to invest in one of my core passions,” he says. “I missed being involved in people’s lives personally and spiritually on a consistent basis.” Dan not only brings experience from the corporate world with him, he also has a background in ministry, having spent eight years working with Campus Crusade for Christ, primarily at Princeton. He feels that both of these previous experiences will be beneficial in his new position with Christian Union. Some of his new responsibilities will include teaching and co-writing Christian Union’s Bible Courses, developing the overall Princeton campus ministry, helping to create a ministry model for CU to use on the other Ivy League campuses, as well as training and developing new CU staff. Dan and his wife, Laurie, (who will be serving in a volunteer capacity with CU) are both delighted and enthusiastic about God calling them to serve together with this ministry. “I am eager to trade in the challenges of making money selling chocolate for the joy of connecting and meeting the deepest needs of the next generation of Ivy League university students,” he says. “That is worth getting excited about!”
Christian Union ladies pose for a photo. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Every Thursday afternoon for ten weeks during the fall semester, eight junior and senior Princeton women took over Matt Bennett’s house. They walked the short distance from campus, occasionally dripping rain on Matt’s carpet and stomping more snow on his front porch. As they entered the house, they shouted greetings to one another, catching up on the day’s classes and events over mugs of hot chocolate and baskets snack crackers. They settled around the dining room table extended with the extra leaf, chatting as they sipped their drinks and pulled out their Bible course notebooks. Though the laughter rarely stopped, the learning began prompting at 4:30 when Sandy wrangled the weary attention spans for another delve into 1st John. Chairs pulled close, the girls listened intently to Sandy, eager to ask their own questions and discuss the week’s story. Did William Wilberforce know what he was doing when he wrote A Practical View? Did William Booth have any idea the impact his founding of the Salvation Army would have? Could I have untapped spiritual gifts within me? Each week, a new issue emerged forcing growth among the friend group which stretched their perspectives. Opinions on the topics of the ongoing battle against evil, heart verses will, hardening of hearts, God’s plan, and listening for responses to prayer, just to name a few, sparked intense discussion. In the dorms during the days leading up to the study, the issues began to simmer amidst the girls, drawing curiosity and thought. By the time Thursday’s study arrived, the 90-minute session seemed too short. My junior year, before I joined the Christian Union women’s study, I overheard various seniors talking about the challenges they experienced while doing the study. The following fall, Sandy asked me to join and I responded with hesitation, “Well, I’m not sure I can commit…What if I need to miss a week…Maybe I’ll just come check it out.” In my time at Princeton, other campus Bible studies had distracted me. I attended, but left feeling basically the same and completely comfortable. After the first week of Christian Union’s 1st John study, I walked out of Matt’s house feeling led, stretched, and newly curious at what the Bible had to offer in its teachings. The study convicted me. My roommate who was also a group member and I would stay up until dawn debating issues from that week’s study. Occasionally, I would read the pages in my binder and realize that either it was wrong, or I was. For the first time since attending my Christian high school, I was compelled to seek out Scripture and to look closer for what God truly intended me to garner from his words. Though I’ve always participated in campus ministry during my Princeton career, I felt more stretched and challenged in these 90 minutes, in a diverse group of girls, than I did in any big group, Bible study, or leadership planning meetings. The other girls in the group became my best friends. I found that the Bible study strengthened the bonds between my roommate and I, with my hall-mates, and grew new ties to the junior girls I had only begun to befriend. In the confines of a heated study which produced many probing questions and pinpointed personal issues, our relationships grew through laughter and tears; tears over the convicting questions and life issues that arose because of the group’s intimacy, and laughter that the boys could be doing the same study with entirely different responses to the thought-provoking issues. I came into the 1st John study with reservations. A Bible study led by an adult? A weekly commitment? Sharing my opinions with the entire group? By the third week, I was already pestering juniors to sign up for the spring sessions and, each Thursday, I look forward to a warm cup of tea, a few cookies, and a great conversation about God’s word. Princeton Students Gather for Good Friday: Alum Leads Memorable Service The inter-fellowship service is an annual event, open to all students but organized by the evangelical campus groups. The Gothic architectural style of Rockefeller’s common room provides a moving solemnity to the service. “I really like being in Rocky Common Room because it’s so beautiful,” said senior Julie Park. “It’s so heartwarming to see the room so crowded, especially because Rocky Common Room is used for so many other functions, like the underclassman formals, [and tonight it’s] transformed.” Often, the message is given by ordained ministers associated with the university community and in a solemn tone, but Anderson’s message was a cross between a testimony and a sermon. Julie Park commented, “Ultimately, it was both a sermon and testimony. While it wasn’t a traditional testimony, a predictable account of exactly how he became a Christian, and instead a sermon about the cross and the meaning of Easter, you still get a sense of why he is a Christian.” The message began with an anecdote about Tyler Cross, his childhood friend and a pastor’s son. The other kids teased Tyler about being a pastor’s son and having the last name “Cross.” At age 9, Tyler was killed in a car accident. Max said, “I used to think dying was something goldfish did.” The sad reality underlying the sadness of losing Tyler at such a young age is that we all die. Looking to Jesus’ experience, when Lazarus died, Jesus did not take a sentimentalized view of death by spouting platitudes or euphemisms. Instead, Jesus raged against death, and wept. Anderson challenged the group with the idea that “Survival is denial—would you really worry about every aspect of your daily schedule if you knew you were going to die tomorrow?” Our culture distracts us from our inevitable death. The ancient way to immortality was through glory: the Greeks developed the concept of building up, or kleos, that would live on after one died. The modern way is to seek immortality through science. As Woody Allen said, "I don't want to become immortal through my work! I want to become immortal by not dying!" The truth of Easter is that immortality comes through the power of the cross. Sin is the cause of death, but Jesus had no sin, so why did he have to die? Jesus lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died. Anderson pointed out that Tyler’s last name, Cross, is fitting for everyone. Anderson chose to conclude his talk by singing “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us.” “It was so quiet and everyone was on the edge of their seats. No one was breathing. It was so sad,” said Park. “Max’s talk was heartfelt and honest, and promoted the message of the gospel and of Easter in a true and accessible way,” said Emma Somers ‘05. Junior Jason Murphy agreed, “Max Anderson's sermon was phenomenal. Very simple, very personal, very moving, and cut right to the core of Good Friday: death and Christ.” Although most of the attendees were already Christians, the event was a wonderful opportunity for outreach. The service’s larger size and more formal structure make it less intimidating than regular fellowship meetings. Also, nominal Christians or persons merely intrigued by Christianity are more likely to be interested around Christmas and Easter than other times of the year. Students felt that the message was accessible and pertinent for non-Christians as well. “Though it was deeply Christian, I didn't feel like it was addressed to Christians so much as addressed to all who face death; so, my feeling is that it would have been really good for non-Christians as well,” said Murphy. Park agreed, saying, “Max’s talk could resonate with Christians and non-Christians. He focused on the undeniable, that we die and need to know what happens after that. Anyone could understand that kind of fear.” All in all, the service was a great blessing to students and a moving celebration of Christ’s death for us. “[It] really engendered deep reflection as far as I was concerned, and I know that feeling was shared by a lot of people I talked to,” said Murphy.
Princeton students and community gather for the inaugural Princeton Evangelical Worship service. (photo by John Jameson) PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - The 13th of February 2005 inaugurated the century-in-the-making return of non-denominational worship to the Princeton University Chapel the Princeton Evangelical Worship (PEW) service. Led by the vision and support of the Rev. Dr. Michael Bobick (B.S., Cornell University; M.Div., D.Min., Westminister Theological Seminary; Ph.D., Drew University) of Calvary Community Church in Phillipsburg, NJ, in collaboration with Manna Christian Fellowship and with the support of the Office of Religious Life, PEW has launched into a vibrant amalgamation of students from various Christian fellowship groups on campus, Princeton community members, and University faculty. Princeton, originally known as the College of New Jersey, was founded by Presbyterians in 1746. Princeton records indicate that “daily services, dating back to the founding of the college, were conducted by administration and faculty members in private homes and in Nassau Hall. In 1847, the first chapel building was erected, later replaced by the larger Marquand Chapel in 1882. After Marquand Chapel was destroyed by fire in 1920, worship services were held in Alexander Hall until the current building, known as the University Chapel, was completed in 1928. For much of the University's history, students were required to attend chapel; juniors and seniors were released from this requirement in 1935, sophomores in the 1950s, and freshman in 1964.” However, within the first year of President Woodrow Wilson’s tenure (1902-1911), the University was officially designated as “non-denominational.” Since the University-sponsored Sunday evening service ceased in 1902, only denominational worship services have been held in the Chapel on Sunday evenings. Not meant to be a church, with no formal membership nor observed sacraments, PEW serves as an ecumenical resource for Christian worship on the University campus and restores the tradition of being both non-denominational and liturgical. As in 1902, ordained ministers lead the PEW service, which includes readings from Scripture (following the Revised Common Lectionary), songs from the Trinity Hymnal, prayer using both formal and informal prayers, and receiving of God’s Word through sermons. No offering is taken. The service is less than an hour long, followed by refreshments and fellowship. The five current ministers represent various professions of the Christian tradition. The inaugural evening was marked by a performance from Ruth Naomi Floyd, an accomplished Gospel jazz vocalist, composer, and recording artist from Philadelphia, PA, and the keynote sermon from the Rev. Dr. Samuel T. Logan, Jr. (B.A., Princeton University ’65; M.Div., Westminister Theological Seminary; Ph.D., Emory University). Logan’s sermon centered appropriately on Romans 5:12-19 and Christ’s fulfillment as a second representative head over humanity in redemption from the fall. In subsequent meetings, praise has been by Kindred Spirit, Princeton and Westminister Choir College’s non-denominational Christian a cappella group, and sermons from the Rev. Dr. Michael Bobick, the Rev. William Boyce ’79 of Princeton Evangelical Fellowship, and the Rev. David Buschman of the Baptist Student Fellowship. Future speakers include the Rev. David Kim of Manna Christian Fellowship and the Rev. Dr. Matthew Ristuccia ’73 of Westerly Road Church, Princeton, NJ. Sophomore Jin Hee Kim enthusiastically states, “I’ve been attending the PEW services, and it’s just been such a blessing to worship in the chapel. I’ve always thought it was a beautiful place, but there is something so awe-inspiring about worshipping there. As an usher, I got to meet the different people that come to PEW to worship-- friends from Christian fellowships, classmates, fellow eating club members, townspeople. It's really great to see the community come together to praise God. We’re so lucky to have something like PEW every Sunday night, and I hope it continues to grow.”
Over four hundred Christians attended the Ivy League Congress on Faith and Action. Plenary sessions were held in the Nassau Christian Center. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - This past weekend Christian Union hosted the first Ivy League Congress on Faith and Action (ILCFA). Many alumni, students and campus ministry staff reported that the conference was a tremendous encouragement to their faith, noting the quality of the speakers and the powerful times of corporate worship among Christians from every Ivy school. On Saturday evening students were so moved by the main meeting that a large number opted to remain for an additional hour of worship and prayer. “It was humbling that night to observe so many students worshipping and offering prayers of praise, confession and intercession for the campuses,” recalls Jay Harvey, a Princeton alumnus from the class of 1995. Christian Union President Matt Bennett praised the Lord for the ILCFA. “God answered all of our prayers for this event,” he recalled. “I am grateful to God for ministering to us over the weekend in the way he did.” Will Christian Union host another ILCFA in the near future? “Many alumni and students are asking us to plan another conference, and a number have indicated that they would like to have another ILCFA next year,” remarks Mr. Bennett. “We will seek the Lord’s wisdom and guidance regarding when we should host another ILCFA.” Alpha Course in Its Fifth Week: Weekly Evangelistic Program Continues On PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - This spring Christian Union is sponsoring the Alpha Course for University undergraduates. Students meet on Sunday evenings from 5:00p.m. to 6:30p.m. at Wilson House, a Christian ministry center and café owned and operated by Christian Union. Each week the students share a meal together, watch the Alpha video presentation on that week's topic, and have a round table discussion. Between 15 and 20 students have been attending regularly, which is historically a very strong turnout for a multi-week evangelistic event at Princeton. Mark Lewis ’08 reports, “One of the regular attendees is from a Roman Catholic background and is also taking Religion 251 at Princeton,” said Mark. “He said that Alpha has been very helpful in presenting the other side of the story.” (Religion 251 is a course known as “faith-busters” for its unabashedly biased attack of Christian orthodoxy.) “Another student who is a friend of mine,” recounts Mark, “hasn’t been as vocal but has shown increased interest in spiritual things. He recently asked me for a copy of C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity, so I can tell he is thinking things through.” Mark says that participating in Alpha has been an encouragement to him as well. “I have enjoyed being involved in kingdom work. It has been encouraging to see people’s interest in the gospel and to see them coming back week after week to learn more about Jesus Christ.”
Dr. Mark Noll addresses an eager audience of students, seminarians and professors on incoherence of government policy. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Dr. Mark Noll, the McManis Chair of Christian Thought at Wheaton College and author of the widely-influential book The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, turned from his studies of America’s religious past to share his views of more contemporary political events in his March 5th lecture, “Problems with the Present System: Reasons for Voting None of the Above.” Dr. Noll expressed his concerns and frustrations at “the lack of any coherent statement of government policy from either candidate in our two-party system,” and invited those assembled to join him in “looking for a morally coherent approach to the use of government for the flourishing of its citizens.” “Inspired by a recent spasm of Christian Democratic envy for the European parties that reach out across a range of issues,” Noll wrote an article early in 2004 entitled “Why I Voted Not to Vote,” which was published in the compilation One Electorate Under God and served as the basis for his lecture. Confronted with a choice of two candidates who were “falling much shorter than usual in meeting God’s standards of good government,” Noll, a registered Democrat, decided to voice his protest by withholding his vote from either party. He was particularly critical of the “laughable attempts” by America’s two major parties to offer a platform that was both “concrete and specific” in presenting a holistic approach to the important issues of the election. Instead, he claimed that the programs set forth were “aimed more at partisans than being based on principles.” Noll saw this played out most dramatically in what he called the “delivery systems” of the election: the advertisements and the debates. “The debaters were not explaining anything, just trying to trip up their opponents while winning over the ‘win-overables’ in the other party,” he lamented. “There was no articulation of ideas, so no debate was possible.” He called the debates “their own genre that people should not take seriously,” and was equally critical of the candidates’ “depressing” ad campaigns, which “showed no respect for political intelligence, but only the influence of Madison Avenue which is used to sell McDonald’s.” In support of these claims and of his decision not to vote, Noll listed seven key issues that he believes are the most “real and visible unaddressed problems” in America today. At the top of his list was the “on-going crisis of race,” a moral crisis stemming back to the Civil War that remains a “festering sore on the present.” “It took the gibes of Nazism to get our army desegregated,” Noll said, “and the problem lives on to our day, especially in urban areas where Republicans regularly write off African Americans, and the Democrats simply take them for granted.” Boldly declaring that he is “militantly pro-life,” Noll cited “life issues” as the second problem, claiming that “societies that deliberately sanction a culture of death are deliberately killing themselves.” In a society where we have “democratized the choices over life and death,” he asserted that “every possible resource and all of our support and encouragement needs to be given to the protection and possibility of life and of women.” Far from resorting to the rhetorical ranting of the politicians he criticized, however, Noll remained humbly self-critical, reminding the audience that “if I am Pro-Life, I need to be ready to open up my pocket book” in order to help support necessary efforts in favor of life issues. Noll’s third major issue was that of the “international rule of law.” Citing a paper by Princeton’s president Charles Hodge written in 1861, Noll asserted that “invasion is the wrong way to go about helping people,” and that “Iraq War problems are Just War problems,” stating that “how things come out should not be the measure of whether an action was right or just.” He wondered just how the current war could “claim to uphold an international rule of law when we continue to withhold legal counsel from detainees in Guantanamo Bay?” Noll admitted that while issues are indeed complicated and that “actions are required to defend citizens, actions are required that are moral.” The issue of taxation was also high on Noll’s list of priorities. Fiscal responsibility and a balanced budget are non-negotiable, and he also strongly favors a progressive income tax, based not on what one makes, but “on what it is possible to make.” “Initiative and hard work cannot make you wealthy in Zimbabwe,” he quipped, “and we are benefiting from an economic infrastructure that we have nothing to do with and have done nothing to attain.” Issues of religious freedom, the need for universal health-care, and the positive benefits of free trade rounded out Noll’s platform. In his approach to each of these problems Noll claimed that openness in each “is a good ‘bringer-together’ of people,” and that “a society simply functions better when all of its citizens have equal access” to health-care, markets, and to the practice of their most deeply held spiritual values. In the end, Noll strongly advocated that “we must be committed to what our moral principles say, and not what our listeners want us to say.” In spite of all the corruptions and short-comings in American politics, Noll articulated a hopeful picture of government. He remains staunchly committed to the idea that “government has been made with the potential for good by God, and that government service is potentially good.” Noll believes that “governments exist to promote the flourishing of other institutions, societies, and communities formed and made possible by God.” Government is no more important than these mediating institutions, and must create space for them to flourish. “Christians,” he concluded, “should expect from government what Scripture says it is meant to do: care for people who cannot care for themselves.” Bold and outspoken throughout his talk, Noll remained amicable and humble. Nearing his conclusion, he confessed, “as a historian, I am not as directly involved in matters of policy and politics; I don’t feel quite comfortable as a political pundit. This article was my chance to offer my observations and give a call to politicians to take the full gambit of issues more seriously.” Despite criticisms from such prominent Christian figures as Charles Colson, Noll claimed that the more he talks with people, the more committed he is to his decision not to vote, and the more eager he has been to share the reasons for his decisions with students, family, friends, and even in a special meeting in front of his entire home church. Noll concluded his lecture by inviting the members of the audience to offer their observations and criticisms “because I am interested to hear what those more involved in these issues than me have been thinking on these things.” The most common criticism leveled at Noll was that “you cannot simply wait for your ideal candidate to come along or you will never participate in a sphere of life that God has given you to be involved in.” One student even asked if voting not to vote might cause politicians to pander their views to voters for the wrong reasons.” Noll replied that voting is only one way to be involved in the political process, but that “the question of participation is a critical one. My ideas are best promoted by people who are active within a party for reasons they have really thought through and who are not slaves to the party line.” Noll also mentioned that he would love to see the development of an American Christian Democratic Party, modeled after those of Europe, built on principles founded on a Gospel worldview. In the meantime, it is up to the churches and local community groups to become active in promoting and demanding sound principles from their government, and to provide a moral compass for the ship of state. “However,” he concluded, “I actually don’t think the grass is greener anywhere in the world.” Dr. Noll’s talk was the third of a four-part public lecture series sponsored by Manna Christian Fellowship entitled “Christian Thought: Political Action.” “I appreciate the work of Manna here to push the concept of a gospel worldview,” Noll shared. “Worldview can be quite a sterile concept, but I am encouraged by seeing it lived out here at Princeton through events like this one.”
Following a brief study break, some CU men pause for a photo in Firestone Library before heading back to study for exams. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Christian Union led three men’s Bible Courses during the fall semester. Bible Courses—the core of CU’s ministry to undergraduates—are in-depth book studies with 8-10 participants. The freshman Course was on Galatians. Will McEachern ’08 commented, “Through studying Galatians I came to realize in a much deeper way how Christ fulfilled the Old Testament Law on my behalf so that I can stand before God freely.” Sophomores studied 1st John, using a Bible Course Manual written by CU staff. Juniors and Seniors formed a third Bible Course, also on 1st John. In addition, a number of men participated in Christian Union’s personal discipleship series—The Five Foundations. This study covers topics vital to Christian growth and yet often not taught directly or in adequate depth. Some of the issues covered are: human sexuality; how to deal with sin in the Christian life; the ministry of the Holy Spirit; and the basic steps for spiritual growth. Besides these regular ministries, CU staff also minister to men in evangelistic studies and outreaches to sports teams. Through these various ministries 33 men benefit from CU direct ministry at Princeton.
Reverend David H. Kim exhorts the PU Staff to transform the world with a renewing of their minds. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Reverend David H. Kim, the director of Manna Christian Fellowship, spoke at Christian Union’s monthly luncheon for the Princeton University Staff. David, who has been Manna's director for ten years, shared how the focus of his fellowship has had to be refined through the last decade. The current vision of the ministry is to help students develop and embrace a gospel worldview, to realize the power of God’s grace and to view the entire world through that lens. This year, Manna has sponsored a public lecture series entitled: “Christian Thought: Political Action”. David also shared two new initiatives that will take place in the spring semester. First, they will be starting a Christian Journal called Revisions which will explore the ways the gospel transforms the manner in which we see the world, from politics to music. Second, Manna will be sponsoring a non-denominational evangelical Sunday evening service in the University Chapel, the first of its kind since 1902 when President Woodrow Wilson stopped the non-denominational evening service. The launch date for the service will be February 13, 2005.
George Gallup encourages the Princeton Staff to fill the spiritual needs of their neighbors. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - A group of Princeton University staff heard from George Gallup as he spoke at Christian Union’s monthly luncheon. George shared with the audience about current trends he is seeing in society today. Contrary to what the media presents, Gallup says there is more interest in spirituality today than in the recent past. He said Christians should be looking for creative ways to capitalize on this interest and gain opportunities to share the gospel. He also mentioned that the polls indicate that many Americans believe there is a connection between love of God and love for neighbor. He went on to emphasize the importance of small groups as one of the most effective ways to engage people. People are more open to the teachings of a person’s faith if they are first part of that person’s community.
Alpha provides leadership training in the form of three video sessions and a workbook. The training enables leaders to effectively facilitate small group discussions with non-Christians. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Rachel Blair ‘06 and Mark Lewis ’07 will be assembling a team to put on an Alpha Course next semester at Princeton University. Alpha is a twelve-week introduction to the Christian faith developed by Nicky Gumble at the Holy Trinity Church in Brompton, England. The course is taught from an evangelical perspective, and is being used across denominational lines around the world. Many people have come to faith through Alpha, which offers an in-depth introduction to Christianity in a comfortable, open setting. Participants convene around a meal and watch Nicky Gumble—a bright, Cambridge educated lawyer turned Anglican priest—speak for 45 minutes on the topic of the week. After watching the video, participants are invited to join in small group discussions of the material in the video. Each discussion is led by a Christian who receives training from Alpha on how to effectively facilitate discussions with non-Christians on these topics. The Spring ’05 student-led Alpha Course will be the first of its kind at Princeton. Christian Union is pleased to provide funding to the students to defray all the costs of putting on the course.
Jenny Guinness speaking to Princeton students at the Wilson House. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Last Tuesday morning at the Wilson House, close to 15 Princeton students gathered to hear Jenny Guinness, the wife of Os Guinness, share about her journey of faith. Jenny was a top supermodel in New York City before she became a follower of Christ. She seemed to "have it all"--beauty, wealth, and she was even engaged to a baron--when she realized there was something missing in her life. She shared how she asked God if he was real and, "if he was out there would he please come find [her] because [she] did not know how to find him." Shortly after praying that prayer she met some people who were able to answer her questions and introduce her to Jesus Christ. At the end of Jenny’s presentation, one listener said, “I want to have you come back and share more with us this has been so encouraging.”
Princeton Group at the Ivy Conference. BOSTON, MASSACHUSSETTS - A group of students from Princeton joined over a 150 other students and staff at the Ivy League Leadership Conference in Woburn, Massachusetts on November 5-7, 2004. This conference was sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ and the Christian Union. Christian Union planned the conference and raised money so that all of the students could attend for free. The purpose was to encourage students to consider a one-year internship with Campus Crusade at the Ivy League Universities. This partnership with Campus Crusade is consistent with one of Christian Union's values: Helping other Christian ministries on the Ivy League campuses. The theme of the conference was “A Devoted Life” and the main speaker was Duncan Moore, a CCC staff member from the United Kingdom. One student summed up the weekend by saying, “The weekend was absolutely amazing! What a wonderful, refreshing, time of rejuvenating fellowship. It was an incredible blessing to retreat away…and to reflect on God’s calling and Lordship.”
Freshmen students meet at Jay Harvey's on the night of the Presidential Election for their Bible Course. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - As the nation watched the 2004 Presidential race unfold, so did Christian Union’s Freshman Bible Course. The men’s study from the Class of 2008 enjoyed pizza, fellowship, and a Fox New Summary of the poll results before diving into the Bible Course. This semester the freshmen men are studying Galatians with Howe Whitman and Jay Harvey. The freshmen study took shape more quickly than expected. “We got these guys together—some of whom didn’t know each other yet—and proposed having a Bible Course on Galatians that would ground them in their faith and enable them to grow in their friendships with one another,” recalls Rev. Jay Harvey, Christian Union Ministry Fellow. “The response to the study was immediate and I am impressed by their commitment to the group.” The group consists of seven men (2 students are not in this photo because they were sick) and meets at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. This particular evening the group took a break from their study of Galatians to study God’s redemptive purposes from Genesis to Revelation. The lesson began with Genesis 3:15 where God promises that the seed of the woman (namely, Christ) will crush the head of the serpent (Satan). This promise was traced through the covenants of the Old Testament and their respective fulfillments in the New Testament. The study concluded with Revelation 5:9, focusing on the worthiness of Christ. When asked for his thoughts about the Bible Course, Mark Lewis ’08 had this to say: “This Bible Course is very refreshing, particularly in the secular environment of Princeton. It was great to be reminded of the glory of God’s plan to reach the nations through Jesus Christ and our responsibility to participate in that work.” The study concluded with a discussion centering on the obstacles to--and opportunities for--evangelism at Princeton.
Oasis in New York City: Jennifer Sherwood '08 enjoys a taste of serene wildlife in the City that Never Sleeps. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - Four weeks into the first semester, Christian Union took a group of freshmen and several upperclassmen on a “Freshmen Overnight” in New York City. The group enjoyed dinner at Virgil’s Bar-B-Q in Times Square and then an hour-and-a-half cruise along the Hudson that included passing by the Statue of Liberty. Sports Teams, Fraternities and other groups often provide the social contexts for friendships at the University. The purpose of the Freshman Overnight is to allow "first years" a chance to build better relationships with their Christian classmates. The overnight trip doesn’t require a huge time commitment, but provides a unique opportunity for students who are still getting established at Princeton. “It was definitely really cool getting to know some upper classmen and the ministry staff of Christian Union in a different context,” said Texas Freshman Jennifer Sherwood. “The harbor cruise was great. We had a lot of good conversations. I feel like I am a better friend now to the people who went on the trip.” Why take the time out to go to New York when you can get to know folks at Princeton? According to Jennifer, “It is hard to get to know other students well in an hour here or there in between classes. The Freshmen Overnight provided great context for developing better relationships.” Summer Plans for College Ministry PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - What takes place in a college ministry during the summer when most students are away? Christian Union staff will be spending time on four primary areas of focus this summer. First, there are the students. Surprisingly, contact with students can be steady over the summer months. Many students serve in internships in areas close to Princeton (Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York). Additionally, some students remain in town to do their own academic research, work for professors or university staff, or train for the upcoming athletic season. Interacting with students during the summer provides another context for ministering to them by sharing in their lives and discussing new challenges to their faith. A second area of focus for staff member Rev. Jay Harvey, a Christian Union Ministry Fellow and Director of the Undergraduate Ministry at Princeton, will be developing Bible Courses on 1st John and Philippians for use in the upcoming academic year. A typical course guide has ten lessons, each of which requires an average of 15 hours to prepare. Thirdly, the staff of Christian Union will spend a week in Houston, TX during the month of August to solidify plans for the upcoming year. This time is an important time of prayer, reflection, planning and fellowship. Finally, a fourth focus sharing information about the Christian Union ministry. The summer provides a unique opportunity to inform alumni, churches and friends about the ministry of Christian Union to Princeton University students, faculty and staff. "We are eager to see how the Lord will continue to raise up resources for the work that we are doing," summarized one Christian Union staff member.
Duncan Rein (Princeton '97) and Collin Dretsch (Princeton '01) catch up with each other after the ceremony. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - On Saturday, May 29th during Princeton Reunions, the J. Christy Wilson, Jr. Center was dedicated "to the glory of God." As part of the dedication ceremony, several reasons were given for why the center was named after Christy Wilson (Princeton class of 1944). The first reason was that he had a close association with Princeton since attended the University, the Seminary, and lived in town as a high-school student. A second reason was that he was dedicated to missions, as evidenced by his founding of the Urbana Missions Conference and work in Afghanistan for over 20 years as a missionary. The third reason given was that he had an appreciation for higher education as demonstrated by his earned doctorate in Islamic studies and his 20 years of teaching at Gordon-Conwell Seminary. The fourth reason was that he was the first person to give a donation to the vision of a Christian bookstore in Princeton when, in the early 1970's, he donated $100 to Lamplighter Bookstore, which now houses the Wilson Center. A fifth reason was that he was a Christian statesman, which was demonstrated by how he had his own theological views but mixed easily with fellow believers of all different theological convictions. Finally, the sixth reason was that he had a commitment to sharing the love of Christ with his classmates, as shown by the personal letter he wrote to each classmate at his 50th reunion, urging them to receive Christ. The ceremony also included a panel of Princeton alumni who discussed how they were using their current professions to bring honor to Christ. Speakers included Tom Holton '54, Carol Fausnaught '94, Kristen Hansen '94 and Kamesh Sankaran '04. The dedication prayer was led by Bill Grady '51, founder of Prayer for Princeton and board member of the Christian Union. "The whole event was Christ honoring and we are trusting Him to use the building to bring honor and glory to Himself for many years into the future," commented one Christian Union staff member.
L to R: Sandy Corbitt, Matt Bennett, Betty Wilson Sylvia, and Irving Sylvia PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Betty Wilson Sylvia and her husband, Irving, recently paid their first visit to the J. Christy Wilson, Jr. Ministry Center in Princeton, New Jersey. Betty is the widow of Christy Wilson, after whom the ministry center is named. She and Irving had hoped to be part of the Wilson's Dedication Ceremony, which is occuring after the P-Rade on Saturday May 29th, but that is the same day of her goddaughter's wedding which they will be attending. The Christian Union staff were greatly encouraged by their fellowship and their stories from many years in the Muslim mission field.
Mikaela Tyson PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Her maternal grandfather is the founder and pastor of over ten churches in Jamaica. Her father is a full-time pastor who started preaching at sixteen and, a victim of gun violence in 1997 that paralyzed him waist-down, is a national spokesperson on forgiveness. As the current vice-president of Impact Christian Fellowship, where she will intern next year, Mikaela Tyson ’04 continues her family’s tradition of strong Christian leaders. Mikaela, a Woodrow Wilson school major from Kingston, Jamaica, accepted Jesus into her heart when she was five, and she hasn’t looked back since. “I've learned to own my faith and apply it for myself in college,” Mikaela says. “God's taught me total reliance on him, and he's also given me a great perspective.” With two strong Christians as parents, Mikaela and her two siblings—Jonathan, 19; Sarah, 16—have benefited from lifelong guidance and accountability. When she arrived at Princeton, Mikaela knew she needed to take more responsibility for her faith. “I knew my faith would either grow or regress, so I decided to join a Christian fellowship immediately,” she says. She joined three—Princeton Evangelical Fellowship, Agape Christian Fellowship, and Impact—whose staff and student leaders have positively influenced her faith. After serving as a Bible study leader and member of the Agape worship team during her sophomore year, Mikaela decided she would devote her remaining two years to Impact. “When I first came to Princeton, I struggled to understand the need for ethnic student ministries,” she admits. “However, as I got involved with Impact I realized the dire need that the campus had for the group.” Citing Paul’s mandate in 1 Corinthians 9:22 that we be “all things to all men so that by all possible means [we] might save some,” Mikaela explains that Impact’s ministry is tailored specifically to students of the African diaspora who may not be attracted to mainstream Christian fellowships. “In the U.S. the black church played a pivotal role in maintaining black community and humanity during and after trans-Atlantic slavery,” she says. “The disadvantage of this phenomenon is that the church has become, in large part, melded with black "tradition" in America. Impact specifically challenges black students who come from a "Christian" background to re-evaluate their lives and make a serious commitment to following Christ.” She emphasizes that Impact also seeks to unite black Christian students with their non-black brothers and sisters in other fellowships, demonstrating that in Christ there is no "Jew or Greek, slave or free" but we're all one (1 Corinthians 12:13). Mikaela, an affable and effervescent spirit, is widely beloved on campus. “What I've always loved about her, besides the awesome Jamaican accent, is her uplifting spirit and strong faith,” says Andy Lee ’05, who met her while they were underclassmen in Forbes College. Katie Hampton ’05, one of her roommates this year, is similarly full of praise. “Mikaela has a maturity that never ceases to amaze me,” she says. “She knows so much about the Bible, but also puts it into practice, which is even more important.” Katie highlights Mikaela’s ability to get along with anyone as a main strength. Nyron Burke ’05, president of Impact, agrees. “Mikki has a really kind and very disarming way of addressing problems that leaves everyone feeling respected and loved,” he says. “She is also one of the most selfless people I’ve ever come across.” Nyron credits her with having an admirable combination of maturity and child-like purity. “I will give Mikaela my highest compliment: I would gladly follow her leadership.” Currently raising support money for her Impact internship next year and praying about which field to pursue later in graduate school, Mikaela plans to return to her native Jamaica one day, perhaps working in government. In the midst of her ambitions, Mikaela also has larger worries on her mind. Her father, who in his paralysis had enabled the family to learn about relying completely on God, recently suffered a severe stroke that has left him unable to speak or move the right side of his body. “We're not sure why God has allowed Daddy to go through all this, but we're convinced that it will bring God glory, so we're hanging in there,” she says. Mikaela missed the last week of classes to fly back to Jamaica, and will return to Princeton for her oral examinations and graduation. Her mother, a schoolteacher, has taken a leave of absence and is receiving no salary. Fortunately, her family’s church has been supportive and is doing its best to cover all medical bills and to pay off the mortgage for the Tyson house. ”We know God will help us to get through this once again. My family has become closer through these situations, and they've helped me to gain a better perspective on life,” Mikaela says. She knows that God is in control, and draws on her faith for strength.
Two students who participated in distributing books at Frist. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Easter fell on April 11 this year, but the celebrations at Princeton University were weeklong. On Wednesday April 7, Manna Christian Fellowship and the Christian Union started distributing free books at Frist Campus Center, an eight-hour-a-day endeavor that concluded on Tuesday, April 13. Students chose between John Piper's The Passion of Jesus Christ, Phillip Yancey's The Jesus I Never Knew, Ravi Zacharias' Jesus Among Other Gods and Armand Nicholi's The Question of God. “I was very interested by the interest in the Christian worldview,” says Albert Lee ‘06, member of Manna who helped in the book distribution. “A lot of people came out and got books to read, which was great.” Also handed out was a compilation of student testimonies, entitled “What does Christ’s resurrection mean to you and how has it impacted your life?” Eighteen students, including two who chose to remain anonymous, contributed. “When I wept, Jesus wept with me,” wrote David Chen ’05. “To me, the resurrection means that life is a whole lot bigger than I ever thought it to be,” wrote Jonathan Cheng ’05. “Jesus Christ’s resurrection is an invitation for us to know God,” wrote Andrew Matthews ’06. “I constantly ask myself what it means to have Christ’s eyes,” wrote Mikaela Tyson ’04, “What would He feel if he saw us here at Princeton now?” Wednesday night was also Prayer Night, an inter-fellowship event held in the basement of Whig, where students gathered to pray about their response to Christ’s resurrection. The Princeton University Chapel held a Maundy Thursday Service and on Good Friday, an hour-long noon service of prayer, song, and Scripture reading entitled “The Seven Last Words” and an evening Tenebrae Service. The Christian groups on campus held an inter-fellowship Good Friday service in Rocky Common Room, which featured a message by Greg Waybright, president of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, with music provided by Professor Jamie Rankin and students including Tony Ford ’05, Ted Jeon ’07, Kelly Deltoro ’03, and Katie Lu ’05. “I really was moved to tears when Kelly sang ‘Were You There’,” says Teng Kuan Ng ’05. “I believe that the Lord really ministered to people through the music.” On Easter morning, students attended the Sunrise Service, held on Frist South Lawn at 6:30 AM. They took communion and celebrated Christ’s resurrection.. At 8 AM there was the annual baptism at Dillon Pool. Pastor Matt Ristuccia of nearby Westerly Road Church baptized graduate student Kamesh Sankaran, and Princeton Evangelical Fellowship pastor Bill Boyce baptized Jenitta Kwong ’04, Fei Wang ’04, and Jenny Harkin ’04. Easter festivities concluded with an evening of musical reflection and celebration of the resurrection of Christ, held in Frist 302. Worship was led by Erik Stiller ‘06, Tony Ford ’05, and Danielle Shin ’05, representing Agape, PEF, and Manna Christian Fellowships, respectively.
Dick Hubbard PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - “The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions, and the nearer we get to Him the more intensely missionary we must become.” Henry Martyn, missionary to India and Persia, c. 1800 Students on campus continue to have passion for evangelism. Impact Christian Fellowship is doing a new outreach program this spring, investigative bible studies are forming as an interfellowship initiative and Athletes in Action recently held a seminar on “Irresistible Evangelism: Natural ways to open others to Jesus” with guest speaker Doug Pollack. Not only do students share the gospel on campus, but many eagerly seek to share the good news around the world. Every summer several students go on missions trips—recent past locations include Nicaragua, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Cameroon and China. Campus fellowships nurture passion for God’s mission by offering missions trips and providing information about missionaries. Students from PEF spent a week in Nicaragua over spring break for a short term missions project ministering to children there. AIA sends students each summer to the Czech Republic to do sports ministry. PEF has a missions conference each year and invites outside speakers to give students a different perspective on missions. Students today are part of a long tradition of Princeton student missionaries, starting in the 1800s with the Student Volunteer Movement and its motto: the evangelization of the world in this generation! The Princeton Pledge said: “I am desirous, God willing, to go to the unevangelized regions of the world to share the good news.” Students back then even founded a sending organization called Princeton in China, which today is the secular internship program, Princeton in Asia. This past week, a local congregation, Westerly Road Church, held its annual missions conference, which a number of students attended. World missions have been at the heart of Westerly Road Church from its inception. The church supports 37 individuals or couples, 4 local outreaches and one people-group project. Many of these missionaries were students at Princeton and others many have been called to disciple and evangelize college students at Princeton, as well as Yale, Cornell, and Brown. During the week of the Westerly missions conference, there were prayer sessions with missionaries, workshops, coffee hours and panels. The week culminated in a service which commissioned Amy Williams, alums Kenny and Wendy Rudd and the church youth group. Katie Lu ’05 shared her perspective on the conference: “Since I’m not on the PEF missions team this year [Lu is currently PEF secretary], it was a refreshing reminder to have this time devoted to seeking to know God’s heart for missions better and to grow in understanding. How exciting to be part of a church excited about missions—this is a priority and not just a committee.” Archer Batchellar ’05 is a member of the Westerly missions team. He attended to a prayer session with several of the missionaries and said, “I was blessed to hear how missionaries prayed about missions—for example praying about their own marriage and family life. Both Lu and Batchellar agreed that hearing about God’s work in the world through these full time ministers gives a new perspective to the hurried and stressed-out Princeton life. “Missionaries are the coolest people I know. Nothing fazes them. They know who their Jesus is,” said Lu. “Missionaries are much less tied to materialism than other people,” said Batchellar. Students are blessed to get to know missionaries through their prayer letters and flyers, then to be presented with the opportunity to meet them in person. Batchellar said, “I had been assigned to pray for the Shades through PEF’s adopt-a-missionary program. It was so neat to go up to them after the service and say, ‘I’ve been praying for you for the past year.’” The keynote speaker for the conference was Dr. Hubbard, former senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in NYC and Boca Raton Community Church, FL. On Sunday morning, Dr. Hubbard spoke from Matthew 9:35-38, exhorting the congregation to join the few in their harvest work, with the principles of faithful prayer, eternal perspective and willingness to partner with others. Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
IMPACT Student Activities Fair PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Impact is a national organization of Christian fellowships formed to reach out to African American college students, affiliated with Campus Crusade for Christ’s ethnic ministries. The movement began as a college student conference in 1991, which 500 students attended. The most recent conferences, which are now held biennially, have each hosted more than 2,200 conferees. Impact seeks to equip alumni to return to their communities and fill a leadership vacuum as powerful and culturally relevant witnesses of Christ. In 1996 a group of Princeton students attended the Impact conference and sensed the need for a local Impact chapter. Matt Bennett, the Crusade campus director at the time, supported them in this, hosting their weekly dinner and bible study at his house. An average of eight students attended those first dinner studies; now up to twenty students attend the weekly meetings. Early outreach events, like ‘The Gospel According to Hip Hop,’ were held in the Third World Center (now Carl A. Fields Center). This year Impact at Princeton has its first full-time intern. Cynthia Pierre ’03 graduated with a BSE in chemical engineering at Princeton and is going to Northwestern University next year for her Ph.D. in Materials Science. Princeton’s Impact chapter reaches out to students of color, including both black and Latino students. “There is a lot of great Christian fellowship on campus, but black students aren’t coming out to them in great numbers,” said current Impact Vice President Mikaela Tyson ’04. “We’re embracing the mandate that Paul gave in 1 Corinthians 9:22, ‘I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.’” (Tyson has applied to be an intern with Impact in the coming school year.) Princeton Impact’s brochure highlights the need: “A new group of influential leaders, college-educated black people, are emerging in America. But many have lost sight of the relevance of Christ and his church to their lives. As young leaders we are striving to revive our generation’s faith in Christ and to engage students in a life-changing relationship with Him.” In order to do this, the Princeton chapter of Impact has focused on speaking faith, developing understanding, encouraging application and building fellowship in the 2003-2004 school year. Although some say that ethnic ministries are self segregation and therefore wrong, Tyson points out, “There is segregation generally on campus, more than just racial—we all segregate by our interests to some degree. With race it is just more apparent. Also, part of everyone’s identity is bound up in their social group, there is a need for a core group of people to help preserve this sense of self.” Impact exists both to nurture culture and also to challenge its negative aspects. Said Tyson, “Many slaves became Christians, so in African American culture Christianity has a traditional quality. We try to break out of that and stress a personal relationship with Christ. A focus of Impact is cultural relevancy—we share similar worship styles, but there is also the comfortableness of being surrounded by people who look like you.” Tyson ’04 got involved as a freshman at Princeton. She heard about the group through Impact’s president at the time, who was also involved in Agape. She went to the 2002 Impact conference, where over 3000 mostly black college students heard talks on the theme, Called to Lead. Though Impact is targeted for a specific group on campus, Tyson said, “We would like to see more inter-fellowship events.” All the leaders of Impact at Princeton have been integrated into one of the other evangelical fellowships as well—for example, current president Nyron Burke ‘05 is involved in PEF and Tyson in Agape. Impact and PEF had a pizza study break earlier this year to facilitate relationship-building between the two fellowships. “We strongly believe in drawing people into other fellowships and breaking racial barriers, but Impact has an important role in reaching out to a community that would be otherwise unreached,” said Tyson. Impact has also been reaching out to the wider community, with events like a trip to visit the UVA Impact and serve the local community there and a Christmas toy donation drive; this summer several students will be taking part in a summer project at Virginia Beach for 10 weeks. This semester, a series of talks on Christian growth has been encouraging consistency in fellowship and spiritual disciplines. Gender-specific outreach has been a priority this year, with a men’s paintball trip, “Girl Talk”—a panel of black Christian women from grad students to sophomores. Also a women’s retreat, with the theme “An Eye for an Eye: Exchanging our Sight for God’s Vision” featured guest speakers Tamika Lockhart and Melody Garner. Bowling trips and games night study breaks have been encouraging fellowship building. Thousands exposed to Christ PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - ITHACA, NEW YORK - NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT - As part of an evangelistic campaign by Tennent Media (a ministry of Christian Union), Christian Union is handing out thousands of copies of Christian books on the Cornell, Princeton and Yale campuses. Christian Union is partnering with Yale Students for Christ, Campus Crusade for Christ at Cornell and Manna Christian Fellowship (at Princeton) to hand out John Piper's The Passion of Jesus Christ, Phillip Yancey's The Jesus I Never Knew, Ravi Zacharias' Jesus Among Other Gods and Armond Nicoli's The Question of God. They will be handing out a total of 6,550 books in the next few weeks. Please pray that those who receive them have open and eager minds to know God better.
Dr. Schaefer PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Dr. Fritz Schaefer spoke on The Big Bang, Steven Hawking and God on March 4, at 8 pm, in McCosh 10. Roughly 100 people, a mix of students and community members, attended his talk, which was sponsored by the Veritas Forum and many of the Christian groups on campus. He spoke about cosmological theories which are compatible with, or even suggest, belief in God and also spoke on the spiritual journey of world famous physicist Steven Hawking. Dr. Schaefer was able to give this same talk twice this September in China to university audiences. He concluded his talk with a gospel presentation and testimony about his own conversion during his fourth year at UC Berkeley. He took questions from the audience, including several questioners who were upset by his advocating Christianity. Dr. Schaefer began by defining cosmology through a list of questions which is considers: whether the universe is infinite or eternal, whether it is running down or expanding, whether there is an existence beyond the dimensions. Many scientists seek to know the age of the universe and its beginning, trying to trace development backward to its origin. He explained that among these (non-Christian) scientists there is a great longing for an infinitely old universe, which would solve the problem of the beginning and eliminate the need for a creator. Another idea is that of an infinitely oscillating universe, but it has been demonstrated that even if the universe contained enough mass to halt its current expansion, any ultimate collapse would end in a thud, not a bounce. Einstein himself at first considered the universe to be static, but later grudgingly acknowledged it as a blunder and accepted the idea of a beginning and a superior force. Dennis Sciama, another scientist, joked that steady state (this rejected theory) “has a sweep and beauty which the architect of the universe appears to have overlooked.” Scientists admit they can’t explain the creation of the universe. Big Bang theory, which is unanimously accepted in the wider scientific community, postulates that the entire physical universe, all matter, energy, space and even time, burst out of a single point of infinite mass and density. The cosmological argument which Dr. Schaefer put forward in response to that: the effect of the universe’s existence must be attributed to a suitable cause. Also, the Big Bang shows the great power and yet careful care of the creator. Steven Hawking is a physicist who works on the beginnings of the universe, including the Big Bang, and wrote an incredibly popular book, A Brief History of Time. Dr. Schaefer quoted from his book: “Even if one unified theory is possible, it would be just a set of rules and equations-- what breathes life into a universe able to describe them?” Hawking is not explicitly a Christian, but he likes Augustine and denies being an atheist. Hawking has ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, so he speaks through a voice simulator to do his work. His wife, Jane Wilde, is a Christian, and she made all the difference in his life when he found that he was stuck with this incurable disease. She has said that her faith gave her the hope to marry Hawking and also to make it through the trials of his disease. Dr. Schaefer presented a few theories that have special meaning for Christian or theistic scientists. The anthropic cosmological principle looks at the variety of astronomical conditions that must be met if the universe is to be habitable. This universe is fine tuned with an incredible set of natural laws and conditions that must be met. Were the speed of light any different, for example, life would be impossible in this universe. The anthropic principle can guide scientific research from a theistic perspective—we are here! How? The beauty principle is a similar idea to Occam’s razor: “the mathematical simplicity of the universe is a reflection of the personal simplicity of the gospel,” said Don Page, a student of Hawking. The beauty and order of our universe is an awesome testimony that a good God exists. Dr. Schaefer’s degree in chemical physics is from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1966) and his Ph.D. degree in chemical physics from Stanford University (1969). For 18 years (1969-1987) he served as a professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Schaefer is currently Graham Perdue Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Center for Computational Quantum Chemistry at the University of Georgia. Dr. Schaefer has written a book for popular consumption, Science and Christianity: Conflict or Coherence, in addition to his many scientific publications.
Passion Forum Panel at Princeton PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - In the weeks since Mel Gibson’s highly anticipated film The Passion of the Christ hit theatres, it has generated astounding ticket sales–over 200 million dollars in the first ten days–and a storm of debate in both the public and the media. While some have praised the film for its realism and emotion, A.O. Scott of The New York Times called it “an unnerving and painful spectacle,” and David Denby of The New Yorker called it “a sickening death trip…[a] dose of death-haunted religious fanaticism.” In the flurry of controversy, The Passion of the Christ has been declared the best evangelistic tool in 2000 years, a blatant display of anti-Semitism, a profoundly spiritual experience, and an overblown ego-trip. On Tuesday March 2nd, the Office of Religious life, the Center for Jewish Life, and the Aquinas Institute sponsored a discussion in response to the film. Moderated by Thomas Breidenthal, the dean of religious life at Princeton, the panel consisted of seven distinguished and varying speakers: John Gager, a religion professor known for his “Faithbusters” class on “The New Testament and Christian Origins”; Robert George, a devout Catholic and famously conservative politics professor; Cornel West, professor of religion and African American studies; David Elcott, the U.S. Director of Interreligious Affairs; William Donohue, of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights; Jeffrey Stout, a religion professor best known for his class on “Christian Ethics and Modern Society”; and Steven Tepper, Deputy Director of the Woodrow Wilson School’s Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies. Each panelist spoke for eight minutes without interruption. Professor John Gager, admitting he had not seen the film, gave a skeptical and critical take on Christianity, reminding the audience that the Gospels of the New Testament, though taken as flawless truth, were written 40 to 75 years after Christ’s death. “The Gospels are different from each other, sometimes profoundly so,” he said, noting a “clear shifting of blame” throughout the Gospels from the Romans to the Jews. Professor Gager declared that there are varying visions of Jesus portrayed in the Bible–such as healer, teacher, interpreter of Biblical tradition, apocalyptic prophet, Heavenly figure, and suffering servant—and implied an impossibility for one person to embody all the portrayals. Professor Cornel West expressed concern on the film’s effects. “I speak as a Christian who is deeply suspicious of empires, state powers, and imperial might,” he said, adding that before Christianity became the official religion, the conflict about Jesus was merely a theological debate within the Jews, a persecuted minority in the Roman Empire. “Then the Christians were backed with imperial power,” he continued. Warning that anti-Semitism, like all forms of bigotry, is enabled by the state, Professor West criticized the American empire and the minorities harmed by it, such as blacks. Concerns about anti-Semitism also came from Professor Jeffrey Stout, who expressed disappointment that Gibson, despite sympathetic portrayal of characters such as Simon of Cyrene, did not adequately protect against the demonizing of the Jews. He also warned against another danger of Passion films, which he called “the tendency of audiences to become enthralled in participating in a sadomasochistic voyeurism.” Professor Stout concluded by saying he saw the film not as part of the cinematic tradition of Passion plays, but rather of films such as Braveheart, Rocky, and Saving Private Ryan. In contrast, the concern of David Elcott, who serves on the American Jewish Committee, was not mainly about anti-Semitism. "The Passion of the Christ will not create anti-Semites,” he said. “Anti-Semitism doesn't need the film, or anything that Jews or Christians or anyone does. Anti-Semites have been very capable of hating Jews on their own." He challenged the audience to consider the broad effects of narratives, mainly polarization. Does the narrative divide the world into good and bad? Is it presented as absolute truth regardless of the cost? Does it denigrate human beings? “In this film, everyone except a select few is portrayed as pure evil,” Mr. Elcott observed. “That is not how to tell a narrative.” Stephen Tepper, however, denied that there was a culture war between traditionalists and secular humanists occurring in America, or that the former were responsible for it. “There is a real pluralism of offensiveness in Hollywood,” he said, citing films that have recently offended groups such as Jews and Haitians. “Religious disputes are not the driving force behind culture disputes across America.” Mr. Tepper believes that, contrary to popular belief, in recent years there has been a convergence towards the middle, a convergence difficult to see due to the increased visibility of extremists on both sides. “As more Americans have been uniting, due to technology more extremists are being heard,” he said. William Donohue began his talk by declaring himself to be a personal friend of Gibson’s who saw the film twice with him before its release. Urging for more honest Catholic-Jewish dialogue in America, he dismissed concerns of anti-Semitism by saying that no Jewish person has ever been assaulted in the United States after a Passion play, and not in Europe since the Middle Ages. “There is a dangerous, incorrect assumption of latent anti-Semitism in all Christians,” he said. “Cops were going into movie theatres in case of hate crimes. Have you ever heard of a chilling effect?” Mr. Donohue defended the director’s rights to interpretation. “I have never seen such a vicious, unethical assault on a filmmaker and his movie,” he said. “Mel Gibson is not an altar boy. He can make his own movie.” he concluded by shouting, to much applause, “There’s a Fascist strain in the left, and I’m fed up with it!” During the brief question and answer period afterwards, Professor West supported the First Amendment. “There is the right for sexist, homophobic, offensive films and I will defend to the death the right for that kind of speech,” he said, eliciting the audience’s laughter by adding, “Or in Donohue’s case, the right to be wrong.” Professor West continued by declaring that despite Gibson’s right to make his movie, all films have responsibility. Perhaps the most moving talk was that of Professor Robert George, who used his eight minutes to reveal his personal faith in Christ. He said, “To answer the question, ‘Who killed Christ?’ I ask myself, ‘Who is Christ?’ If Christ is the son of the living God, then it is I who killed him. He died for my sins. I am a real-life sinner, and I put Christ on that cross.”
Sandy Corbitt meets each week with the senior women in an Acts Bible Course. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - The Christian Union recently celebrated the half-way mark on their Bible Courses for undergraduate students at Princeton for the Spring semester of 2004. Christian Union currently teaches three Bible Courses (one for women, two for men; one on the book of Colossians, and two on the book of Acts). "We began these courses in February as a consequence of our perception that the students would greatly profit from a high-level study of the Scriptures by people with extensive ministry experience and seminary training," commented staff member Sandy Corbitt. The courses are taught by Sandy Corbitt (Ohio State 1984, 19 years of ministry experience with Campus Crusade for Christ), Jay Harvey (Princeton 1995), and Howe Whitman (Princeton 1992).
Vince Vitale, Princeton '04 PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Vincent Vitale ‘04 has been named this year’s recipient of the Daniel Sachs Class of 1960 Graduating Scholarship, which will fund two years of study at Oxford University in England, culminating in an M. Phil in philosophical theology. At Oxford, Vitale will focus on the philosophers Thomas Aquinas and Soren Kierkegaard. Vitale plans first to earn his PhD and teach in a secular university before entering the pastorate. “I don’t see them as unrelated callings,” said Vitale. “Both will challenge me to faithfully and creatively engage my Christian tradition with secular society, and both will allow me platforms to encourage others to unconditionally seek truth.” Vitale enjoyed the process of applying for the Sachs. “In retrospect, I would encourage anyone to apply,” he said. “Writing the personal statement forces you to think creatively about your future and your passions, and further, how you can use your passions to impact others. Even before I knew that I had received the award, I felt the process had repaid itself. It is an intrinsically worthwhile exercise of self reflection.” Vitale had the benefit of several mentors during his undergraduate years, foremost among them professor of religion Jeffrey Stout. “Professor Stout is an academic coach of mine and also a dear friend. We are committed to different faith traditions; nonetheless he has a vision of democracy and secular space where different people are able to speak into each other’s traditions and to reflect self-critically on their own. He has shown me how fruitful such a dialogue can be and how we can inspire one another despite - or even because of - our differences.” The way Stout teaches illustrates this commitment. “He would walk into class on Monday and lecture on just war theory and I would be convinced. Then on Wednesday he would lecture on pacifism and suddenly I’m a pacifist through and through. He puts you in a corner.” In high school, Vitale was fed a lot of information-- “I just absorbed it all mechanically.” But in college, he encountered different worldviews which competed for the entirety of his soul. “Freshman year taking Christian Ethics [with Stout] was a real transitional time; the workings of my mind transitioned from knowledge to belief—this is a distinction drawn by Kierkegaard, who defined belief as knowledge supplemented by passionate commitment.” Other mentors include Prof. Hans Halvorson (philosophy) and Prof. Eric Gregory (religion), who are both advising his thesis. “The learning that takes place when I speak with them just seems so full; We don’t just share ideas and interpretations, but our whole selves…experiences, concerns, hopes…” said Vitale. “My thesis is covering a sensitive topic, so it’s a blessing to have advisors who understand the Christian worldview and keep me accountable to it. Currently, Vitale is completing a senior thesis tentatively titled “Divine Modality and Political Theory.” (He also has written substantial academic papers on "The Coherence and Significance of [Radical] Omnipotence” and “Kierkegaard's Teleological Suspension as an Ontological Redemption.”) Vitale came to faith during his freshman year at Princeton. “Before then, I was comfortable calling myself a Christian. I was not from a church-going family but I was spiritual enough and knew enough of the lingo. My faith was a very gray, lukewarm aspect of myself.” Halfway through his freshman year, Ryan Bonfiglio, director of AIA, gave Vitale a challenge; he laid out the basic claims of Christianity—that God became a man, that he died for the sins of humanity, that he rose again from the dead. “If these were true, they should mean absolutely everything. The radical nature of the claims necessitates a radical response. But if it’s not true, it is a big hoax or a nice legend, which should have absolutely no bearing on my life. I value consistency and logic, so I could see that my being between these two extremes made no sense.” It was another six months before he made a decision. “The Bible says [in Jeremiah 29:13], ‘you will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart.’ I was seeking with my whole heart so it was inevitable that I would find the truth.” Vitale researched the historical side, observed Christians and the church, asked questions, started reading the Bible and prayed a non-believer’s prayer: “Lord, I don’t know if you really exist, but if you do, please reveal yourself to me.” “I can remember the first time I said to myself, ‘oh my goodness, this really happened!’ I have changed a lot since then. Many times I had tried on my own strength to defeat a particular sin and failed, but the moment I said those words, even the temptation just faded away, and it has never returned. Professor Stout’s pedagogy played a large role in my conversion as well, because his teaching helped me develop the skills which prepared me to hear Ryan’s challenge and to respond to it well.” Vitale took a year off between his sophomore and junior years to intern for the Princeton chapter of Athletes in Action, an outreach ministry serving college athletes. During that time, he lived near campus and was able to lead bible studies and disciple students. “I am more and more convinced that the Christian life is not to be lived in isolation. No aspect of my life would be where it is today if not for the Christian community. I found a family at Princeton, not just a bunch of college buds. When one of us rejoices, we all rejoice; when one suffers, we all suffer. Our children will know each other (1 Samuel 20:42). We are living the life of faith together and fifty years from now we will still be spurring one another on.” In developing a Christian worldview, Vitale recognizes as key acknowledging the responsibility that Christians have in the classroom. “Sometimes I have heard untruth go back and forth in a precept and, for selfish reasons having decided not to do the reading that week, been unable to speak. But then other times, I supplemented the reading list on my own and with friends, and was able to enter the classroom prepared to think creatively about how to translate my beliefs so that others can understand and engage with Christian ideas. We need to understand our great responsibility as students at a secular university; we chose to be here.” Vitale considers Colossians 3:17 a life verse; “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Said Vitale, “When we do decide to enter this environment, we need to do it as worship and for Christ’s sake. When we don’t and are not prepared to give a reason for our hope, we put a stumbling block before unbelievers. However, when we are prepared, then we are offering ourselves as vessels for Christ to work through. One of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received came from an agnostic peer, who wrote to me after class and said ‘I often fail to understand certain Christian (or more generally theistic) arguments and points of view, but I really liked the things you said in this class and felt I learned a good deal. It would be great to keep the conversation going.’ As Christian students, we need to be passionate about the life of the mind and we must love our fellow students enough to prayerfully and charitably ‘keep the conversation going.’” The great challenge of Princeton life, Vitale found, is prioritizing time and commitments. He sits down at the beginning of each year/ month/ week, asking “What do I want to have accomplished?” and then works to stay strong to those commitments. “I don’t want to let the hustle and bustle of Princeton life dictate how I spend my time, especially in relation to ministry. What a privilege for God to call us to a work he could so easily do on his own.” This attitude is his antidote to the temptation to view ministry as just a volunteer position, secondary to athletics or academics. Athletics, along with academics, has had a great impact on Vitale’s life. “Initially my life was much more compartmentalized, into athletic, academic and social spheres. But Christianity as a worldview places an umbrella of faith over everything and redeems all aspects of life.” Vitale recognizes what being on a team teaches; for one, how to work with people of different personalities and backgrounds for one goal, just as the church does for God’s glory. Through athletics, Vitale also learned the value of honest accountability. “Once a month the coaches call you in for an assessment. You discuss what you need to work on, where you are improving, combing an honesty about performance with inspiration to go further. Prof. Stout would do this too, calling me into his office and saying, ‘Your performance so far is average, I need more from you in this class.’” Another privilege of athletic endeavors, Vitale said, is its intensity. “Every day you have to push your body to the wall. It brings to life the Pauline language of yearning and striving after righteousness.” Vincent Vitale transparently lives this out by God’s grace, a man in fervent pursuit of God.
Princeton Ski Trip Attendees PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Every year, after finals end, Princeton students get a week-long break from classes called Intersession. The Christian fellowships on campus take advantage of this work-free time to hold winter retreats for encouragement and community building. This year, from Jan. 26-30, Manna Christian Fellowship and Princeton Evangelical Fellowship held their Winter Retreat in New Hampshire at Camp Spofford and Agape, AIA, and Impact attended a joint Ski Safari at the Andrews Farm in Woodstock, Vermont. Activities included skiing, snowboarding, tubing, snowshoeing, Mafia, board games, and the annual Snow Bowl. (A football showdown between the Manna/PEF and the Agape/AIA men was canceled due to heavy snow.) Said Noelle Lyle, ’06, “I'd have to say that sledding on the hill outside our meeting lodge was my favorite activity of the week. I'd never tried to go off of snow jumps while standing snowboard-style on a toboggan before. It was a definite learning experience.” With no schoolwork to worry about (with the exception of seniors facing thesis work), students were free to enjoy themselves. For Jason Murphy ‘05, “The most fun activity was late nights up talking with friends and meeting new people over conversations, card games, etc. I don't ski, and haven't since my freshman year, when I did only one day.” This year saw slightly decreased attendance at the ski trips in comparison to the previous year, but a very similar format. Roughly 70 students attended Ski Safari, while 80 students attended the Winter Retreat. On the Agape Ski Safari, each morning began with a short devotional followed by about a half-hour of quiet time. “The morning devotional included biography sketches of some of Princeton's more prominent Christians: Witherspoon, McCosh, Hodges and Warfield. Michelle Sharpe [‘04] and I decided to rename Hodges H-Diddy, which added a whole new dimension to our discussion,” said Lyle. Afternoons were free for activities, while nights comprised worship and a speaker. After the speaker, students split into small group sessions for sharing and prayer. The last night was a sharing time for the whole group. “I remember this time from last year as the first time I had seen grown men crying. It can be emotionally rough, but it's great to know that people are comfortable enough to be open,” said Lyle. After sharing time, there was an extended worship session. “I think the count this year was 27 consecutive songs. It makes you a little hoarse, but it's definitely worth it,” said Lyle. On the PEF winter retreat, skiers left early in the morning and the non-skiers relaxed at the lodge or went hiking or ice skating during the day. In the evening, everyone gathered together for worship, small groups and a message. This year’s theme was God’s Great Narrative. Fellowship directors Bill Boyce, Clay Porr, and David Kim exhorted students to remember that as part of God’s master plan, we need to participate in His work in the world. The talks drew on illustrations from the final Lord of the Rings movie, The Return of the King, reminding students that our King is also returning in victory at the end of this narrative. Said Murphy, “Sharing on the last night was good, and incredibly eclectic, more so than I've ever seen a lot of encouragement, exhortations, sharing about spiritual battles, and a lot of people just coming up and sharing scripture. Not sure this was the most moving part, but certainly one of the most meaningful.” For Murphy, however, co-leading a small group “was probably the most rewarding part of the ski trip; it was really good to help foster both discussions and prayer amongst a smaller group there.” Bill Cummiskey ’05 reflected on the opportunities for fellowship during the trip: “At Ski Safari we break into groups after hearing the nightly talk, and these small groups were definitely the best part of the week for me. Though I was only able to make two of the three, I was able to spend purposeful time talking with other Christians about the challenges and struggles they are having in their lives, but also the great blessings that God has given to them. This opportunity to have strong, meaningful Christian fellowship and community was the focus of Ski Safari for me, and it was wonderful to have that goal met in the small group discussions. I'm excited to continue this purposeful attention to building and maintaining Christian community here at Princeton, where we need it so much.” Although the ski trips offer great potential for improved fellowship on campus, it is also clear that this improvement can not come without effort. Said Lyle, “I think there's a feeling that the retreat is ‘not real,’ that it's easy to maintain our sense of peace and community and our closeness to God during the week, but that once we come back to campus and all the distractions of Princeton start pouring back in, we're going to slide back into our normal routines. We talked a lot this year about trying to keep up the retreat community once we got back to campus, but it's a little too early to judge how successful we've been.” Outreach to non-Christians as well as fellowship among Christians occurred at the retreat, although the talks themselves are not overtly evangelistic. “One of the girls in my small group was a non-Christian earlier this semester. As far as I can tell, she has become a Christian between then and the Ski Retreat, and it was great to have her in small group, as she asked many great questions, and brought up some important issues and points. In many ways, though, it's difficult to tell who is and is not a Christian, especially from the fellowship you're not normally a part of in my case, Manna. It's also easy for nominal Christians to kind of 'float along' so to speak, as this retreat certainly has a cultural component that is probably just as prominent as the spiritual component, if not more so,” said Murphy. Why do the students go on these trips? Lyle said, “I went last year because a ton of people who'd been before told me that it was great...and because I didn't have anything else to do. This year, I was one of the people yelling at the freshmen, ‘You have to go! It's going to be tons of fun!’”
Tower Club PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - In the 1920s, Cottage Club alumnus F. Scott Fitzgerald immortalized Princeton’s eating clubs in This Side of Paradise. Those years were the clubs’ heyday, with the number of clubs peaking at eighteen and nearly 100 percent of the student body claimed as members. While membership has fluctuated greatly since, the eating clubs’ influence endures to this day. The eating clubs, lined up on what is referred to as “the street,” hold social power through the communities they offer. Rather than being mere dining halls, they serve as Greek houses, providing a social space and activities such as Casino nights, ping pong tournaments, and of course, drinking. William Haerther, class of 1942, described Tower Club as “a sanctuary from the daily routine of classes and work…it is impossible to conceive of Princeton without the club as a focal point.” Considering the significance of eating clubs, it seems imperative for Christians to partake in the scene, keeping in mind Matthew 5:14—"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” While there has been criticism of many Christians’ going independent and forming a “Christian bubble” in the Spelman dormitories, some join eating clubs for the express purpose of extending their social sphere to include non-Christians. “My being a Christian had everything to do with my bickering Tower,” says Cheryl Shih, president of Manna Christian Fellowship and a senior in the Woodrow Wilson School. “You can’t be a witness if you’re stuck in a bubble, if you’re not actively talking about the gospel, at least living it out where people can see you.” “Being on the street is a privileged position,” says Katie Lu, secretary of Princeton Evangelical Fellowship and a junior in the classics department. “Sharing a meal together is significant social interaction, especially at Princeton, and being in Tower allows me to have an everyday intimacy with people I wouldn’t normally see.” With a few exceptions, such as Lynette Robinson ’05 at Cottage Club and John Brunger ’05 at Ivy Club, most Christians in a bicker club belong to Tower. Tony Ford, a member of Princeton Evangelical Fellowship and a junior in the politics department, attributes Tower’s popularity with Christians to its openness to diverse types of people and friendly Bicker atmosphere. While sign-in clubs are relatively popular among Christians—for example, this year many Manna members signed into the Quadrangle Club, several PEF members into Colonial Club—this may hinder outreach to non-Christians. “The minority status of Christian Tower members prevents us from forming cliques within the eating clubs, and we are forced to hang out with other people instead of forming our own tables,” Tony says. “I have non-Christian friends I wouldn’t have without Tower. I can do things like talk about the Bible on an intellectual level.” Although they do not evangelize aggressively, Christians in eating clubs generally do not hide their faith, particularly when an opportunity arises to defend Christianity or answer questions about it. Sometimes there is widespread discussion on a topic, such as when a table tent advertising a talk on Darwinism set off a storm of talks during brunch. “It’s hard to be the minority voice, especially when it’s the traditional voice that everyone thinks they’ve heard already,” Cheryl says. “But if there’s not a Christian at the table, then people will continue in their misconceptions.” The desire to negate false assumptions and represent Christians in a positive light are frequently cited as reasons to join an eating club. These Princetonians, in their outreach efforts, seem to take heed of Colossians 4:5-6, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” However, Christians in both eating clubs and independent housing have expressed concerns that the Street is not conducive for a Christian lifestyle, and is in fact outright unwelcoming of it. Some say that there is pressure for Christian members to partake in un-Christian activities such as getting drunk, or that Christians have been denied membership to bicker clubs for seeming “too Christian.” “At times I feel like I don’t fit in, sure, but while I don’t approve of some things that go on, I am not hugely offended,” Tony says. “And yes, there are judgments made based on fellowship membership, but this is somewhat justified. Eating clubs want members who will contribute to their social scene, and not all Christians are going to do that.” Cheryl agrees. “Whether you’re Christian or not, if you come off as being very reserved, it’ll work against you in social situations,” she says. Members of Tower also state that such pressure is mainly only during bicker, and even then the expectation is more on attendance, not actual participation. The hope is that these Christians, despite their small numbers, can be the “light of the world” on campus. The eating clubs, with their predominant position in the Princeton social life, seem the logical place to start. “I got into this club by the sheer grace of God,” Katie says. “While it’s easy to condemn the street, what we should be doing is praying for it.”
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Reverend David Kim, director of Manna Christian Fellowship at Princeton University, wants to change the nature of campus ministry. “For too long, Christians have viewed the world as a sinking ship and tried to save people from a distance,” he says. “But Christians must understand both the world and Scripture in order to engage the world.” Through the transformation of Manna, David Kim wants to change the nature of evangelical Christianity. “There has been an inability for evangelicals to respond adequately to the world,” he continues. “We need a theological robustness so we can communicate to others, but there has been a real vacuum in the voice of the church.” He laments unsophisticated arguments that lack resonance to those without Christian background. Merely quoting Bible verses, he points out, will convince only the faithful. His convictions have resulted in a new mission statement for Manna, stated on its website to be “to develop and engage a gospel worldview at Princeton University, reinvigorating the witness of the gospel in the life of the academy.” Manna consequently adopted a new format, implemented in the fall semester of 2003. Held on Saturday evenings, Manna meetings have traditionally featured a time of praise and worship followed by Kim’s giving a sermon written with Manna members in mind. However, this year Manna is hosting a speakers series fully funded by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students. Every other week, a notable Christian comes to campus and gives a lecture not only to members of Manna and other campus fellowships, but also those in the university and community. A time of praise and worship is held afterwards, with mainly only Manna members attending. “We don’t invite people merely because they are Christian,” Kim says of the speakers. “We are bringing in people at the top of their fields.” Speakers have included Professor Bob Kaita, Princeton professor of plasma physics, who explained why he believed in intelligent design theory, and Professor Roy Clouser, philosophy professor emeritus at The College of New Jersey, who discussed the myth of religious neutrality. Manna’s desire to “engage the world” has been encouraged by the large numbers of non-Manna attendees, who can come close to outnumbering Manna members themselves. “I love the guest speakers,” says Tim Hsia, a sophomore and fellowship chair of Manna, with enthusiasm. “They definitely provide new and interesting ways of tackling the subject of a gospel-centered worldview, and it's very intellectually inspiring. It's attending lectures on a subject which is spiritually pertinent to you!” Albert Lee, a leader of the sophomore small group, concurs. “I think the speakers have been wonderful. Each has done a great job showing us how God's been working in their respective fields, which is really encouraging to hear,” he says. “It makes me realize how great God's plan is, so much bigger than me and my little world.” But Manna’s efforts to integrate life disciplines into a holistic, gospel-centered worldview have not come without a cost. The new format, with the constant alternating between guest lectures and Kim’s sermons, creates a disjointed feel. In addition, on weeks with guest speakers, many either come for the lecture or for the praise and worship, but not both, while on weeks with sermons, many stay for both sections of the meeting. Calvin Chan, a graduate student in electrical engineering, believes it detracts from the community. “Fellowship definitely has not been as sustained as it used to be,” he says. “There’s such a disparity between the two different kinds of weeks, and it affects the dynamic.” Shuen Chai, a junior and a leader of the freshman small group, agrees with his observation. “There is less community, and Manna is known for being a very community-based group compared to other fellowships,” she says. “But we just need to be conscious of keeping that community, and work toward that.” Reverend Kim observes that small group attendance for all years has been particularly strong this year even in the sophomore and junior classes, which tend to be weaker. A combination of cohesive small groups and strong social bonds have aided Manna members in maintaining their sense of community, and the initial misgivings of many seem to have submerged for the sake of the greater cause: to share the gospel with others, and to foster intellectual Christian discussion. Jen Kwong, a staff intern and a member of the class of 2003, believes that despite a shaky transition, Manna has been succeeding in fulfilling its new mission. “The campus at large has responded positively to what we are trying to do,” she says. “I think that in general people feel the need for more thoughtful engagement of controversial issues that goes against the grain of typical ‘Christian’ approaches, and so they have responded well to the speaker series.” This spring semester, Manna Christian Fellowship will continue to welcome speakers from various traditions, chosen for their valuable perspective on the gospel truth. Scheduled speakers include Dr. Max L. Stackhouse, professor of Christian ethics at Princeton Theological Seminary, and Dr. Jeanne Heffernan, professor at Pepperdine University and scholar of Catholic moral and social teaching. While the fall semester concentrated on theology, science, and philosophy, the spring semester will be more concerned with politics, globalization, and social issues. “This is a long-term project,” Kim says of Manna’s new direction. He does not expect the fruits of these changes to be seen for years, but firmly believes change will occur. “We need to enrich the university, not just create and nurture a subculture,” he says. “And when Manna members graduate, they have to leave with a gospel-centered worldview. They have to engage the world.” Urbana 2003 PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - On December 27, 2003, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign kicked off the twentieth Urbana Student Mission Convention since 1946, attracting 20,000 college students, missionaries, and pastors from all over North America. The five-day convention was sponsored by members of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, including Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, and featured the theme, “Your Kingdom Come, Your Will be Done.” The official goals of Urbana, as stated on its website at www.urbana.org, are to declare the Biblical basis of missions, to call students to God’s mission, to inform students of the current state of global missions, and to motivate students to participate in global and cross-cultural missions. For five days, students underwent a schedule of speakers, seminars, exhibits, small groups, worship, and prayer. “The last thing I expected at Urbana was healing, and yet that was the first thing that happened,” says David Chen, a junior in Princeton’s electrical engineering department. At his first morning scripture study, he was struck by the despair and self-loathing that had taken hold of him. “ And yet there is no need for shame,” he continues. “It has no place in God's children, for Jesus came to bind up the broken-hearted. My abilities will fade and my accomplishments will dim, but Jesus will not and in the end, He is the only thing that matters.” David was one of many students who had been anxiously anticipating the conference for several months, or arguably three years, since the last one in 2000. Urbana urged students like him to pray well in advance of the convention for spiritual preparation. They suggested Luke 11:1-3 as Bible Study and topics of prayer including, “What will it look like for you to be persistent in praying your bold prayers?” And “Pray for your heart to grow in trust of your heavenly Father who gives good gifts.” About a dozen students from Princeton went to Urbana 03, flying or driving into Illinois from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and even Canada. Most of them stayed in the Urbana-Champaign dormitories, trying to adapt to the sheer magnitude of the event. “It was an amazing thing to praise God with almost 20,000 other Christians,” says Sonia Lee, a sophomore in Manna Christian Fellowship. This year’s speakers included David Zac Niringiye, regional director of the Church Mission Society in Africa, Soong-Chan Rah, a pastor at the Cambridge Community Fellowship Church in Massachusetts, and John Stott, a theologian and missionary from the United Kingdom. Urbana Director Jim Tebbe spoke the opening sermon and also on “A Christian Approach to Another Faith.” Urbana also offered 300 seminars, with categories ranging from health care missions to social justice to campus evangelism. Exhibits allowed students to meet over 350 mission agencies and thousands of career missionaries in various ministries such as medical, children, urban, and arts. Their life efforts included Mormon outreach in Utah, building shelters for AIDS orphans, and traveling on a non-governmental hospital ship to teaching community health. Midway through the conference, featured a concert by the Native American music group Broken Walls. To many, Urbana 03 was an invaluable learning experience. David believes it lived up to its reputation. “It seemed that the future progress of my life was laid out in five short days and three distinct phases: understanding myself, understanding my mission, and understanding my mission field,” he says. Among many lessons, he “came to the realization that it is not political correctness that draws people to the gospel, but a passion and love for others.” Sonia concurs with his positive experience. “The most important things I carried away from Urbana 03 were convictions about my call to missions and the way I spend my money,” she says. “I spent the entire conference depressed over how difficult it was for me to turn these things over to God, and it wasn't until afterwards that I began to remember that they were His anyway.” Accompanied by worship and confetti, the convention closed on December 31st with 20,000 of God’s people celebrating the start of the New Year—a new year of discovering God’s desire for His kingdom to come, His will to be done. |
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THE PERILS OF PORNOGRAPHY
FAITH AND ACTION
‘STUDY TO SHOW YOURSELF APPROVED’
MEETING GOD AT PRINCETON
THE CASE FOR CHARACTER
A MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE
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Neah Lee Performs at Wilson House
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Dr. Mark Noll Speaks to Princeton Students about the Two-Party System: He Votes "None of the Above"
Easter Week at Princeton
Here Am I, Send Me
