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It's Official Student leaders were thrilled to learn that Harvard College Faith and Action (H.C.F.A.), which is associated with Christian Union, was recognized within its first year. Nathan Nakatsuka ’12 said he was “ecstatic and blown away by God’s grace when H.C.F.A. was recognized. My zeal for Christ further increased because the recognition really showed God’s hand in this whole process.”
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Faith and Vocation Explored at Cornell Posted June 3, 2009 ITHACA, NEW YORK - Campus on a Hill at Cornell held the second session of its Leadership Series this spring, addressing the topic “Christianity and Vocation.” Matthew Perman, senior director of strategy for Desiring God, was the guest speaker. The purpose of the event was to “equip Christians to think biblically and critically about the value of secular work and how to glorify God through it.” A Christian Union grant helped sponsor the event.
Heidi Baker Brings Radical Love to Princeton By Catherine Elvy, Ivy League Christian Observer 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. _______________________________________________________
Dinners Enable Evangelism at Brown Posted April 15, 2009 PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND - Brown’s Athletes in Action (http://www.aiaatbrown.com/) ministry is hosting a series of Monday Night Dinner Discussions to encourage student-athletes in the area of evangelism and expose non-Christians to the gospel. The discussions, sponsored by Christian Union, have been such a success that students sometimes take the initiative to host the meeting when ministry leaders are unable to attend. One such meeting happened at Judson House and included a discussion on the validity of Scripture. “This was especially memorable because it demonstrated initiative from students as well as confirmation that these dinner discussions are helpful and fruitful,” said ministry director Jarrod Lynn, Brown ’07.
Veritas Forum Provides Dialogue and Answers By Jin Wang, Columbia ’10 NEW YORK, NEW YORK - In February, a diverse gathering of people, ranging from professors to musicians, participated in Columbia University’s Veritas Forum (http://www.veritas.org/), an opportunity for the campus community to explore life's hardest questions through the person and story of Jesus Christ and to engage in meaningful and fruitful dialogue. In its fifth year, the forum featured three nights of events, including thought-provoking discussions, a screening of the documentary Call+Response, and a sold-out concert. The forum opened with a discussion by Dr. Shelly Kagan, Princeton *82, and Dr. William Lane Craig in an event titled “Is God Necessary for Morality?” _________________________________
Learn, Pray, Send, Go
Redeeming Culture NEW YORK, NEW YORK - Rev. David Kim, Penn ’94, is the director of the Gotham Fellowship, an intensive education program in Manhattan for young professionals started by Redeemer Presbyterian Church. He also serves as executive director of Manna Christian Fellowship (www.princeton.edu/~manna) at Princeton University. “The influence of New York to the world is a big part of why we’re investing in a small group of fellows every year,” said Kim. Much of the expertise Kim brings into his new position comes from his twelve years of leadership with Manna and its interaction with the Princeton community. “I couldn’t have imagined a better training than being at Princeton,” he said. “We’re all about training tomorrow’s leaders.” ______________________________________________
Dartmouth Prayer Fusion HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE - Each week the leaders of campus ministries and pastors from local churches meet to pray as the Dartmouth/Upper Valley Fusion Group. Chris West, Director of Christian Impact at Dartmouth, says the group is about leaders praying with leaders to grow in relationship and partner in mission together for the transformation of the Dartmouth campus. The purpose is “to mobilize the whole body of Christ at Dartmouth to strategically focus our resources on reaching the whole campus with the Gospel resulting in redemption of society and transformation of the university.” _________________________________________________
Jonathan Edwards Goes Digital
Singer-D'Souza Debate 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.
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Harvard Alumnus Responds to Atheists By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer for the Ivy League Christian Observer In his recent book No One Sees God, The Dark Night of Atheists and Believers, author, theologian, and former US ambassador Michael Novak, Harvard ’66, takes on the claims of atheists Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Heather MacDonald, Yale ’78. He meets these opponents to faith on their own court of reason and delivers counterpoints with the respect and dignity of a seasoned diplomat and the confidence of a deeply rooted faith in Jesus Christ. “This book is for people who, like me, have spent long years in the dark and windswept open spaces between unbelief and belief,” said Novak. ________________________________________________
Present Day Power at the Penn Club NEW YORK, NEW YORK - On September 16 at the Penn Club, pastor and acclaimed author Jack Deere addressed a crowd of approximately 70 Ivy League alumni and friends at the New York City Christian Union event with a simple message: God still moves in supernatural ways. Aside from Deere’s talk, there was also a performance by the Princeton University Gospel Ensemble. "It was refreshing," said James Harshaw, an investment attorney who lives in Princeton, N.J. "What I learned was that humble boldness in stepping out in new spiritual gifts—and in the face of new spiritual challenges—will be honored by God." _____________________________________________
Go Green, Honor God NEW YORK, NEW YORK - Catherine Billon, Brown ’85 and Columbia MBA ’89, recently launched an internet-based media company called RiverWired to provide tools, information, and resources for the eco-friendly and eco-novice alike. “Our mission at RiverWired is to help inspire folks to live a little greener in practical, achievable, and local ways,” said Billon, who left the corporate arena after experience with major media companies to “do something entrepreneurial that would positively impact the world.” As Billon works to educate others about sustaining the viability of the planet, she relies upon her own faith in Jesus Christ to sustain her personally and professionally. “Stewardship of the earth goes beyond economic need or national trend,” says Billon. “It’s also a Christian principle.” ____________________________________
40 Days of Prayer Event at Columbia By Sara Woo, Cornell ’09 NEW YORK, NEW YORK - Individuals and campus fellowships throughout New York City, including at Columbia, prayed around the clock from August 3rd to September 11th, with students signing up for hourly slots during the forty days. It was the first time that the students of New York came together to pray corporately as one body. Jeremy Story, president of Campus Renewal Ministries, shared about the ways in which he saw God moving throughout the 40 Days of Prayer. “I’ve seen a lot of things coming together,” he said. “We believe that the Lord can and will bring revival if we will seek Him.” _________________________________________
Praying for a Million PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Recognizing that it is only God who can bring about spiritual change, Christian Union recently launched a campaign to solicit 1,000,000 minutes of prayer for the Ivy League during the 2008-2009 school year. Ministry Fellow Quincy Watkins, who leads the prayer initiative, reminds alumni, friends, and students that “the Ivy League can be extremely hostile to morality and faith in Christ. Our students and campuses really need our prayers. Together, we can launch a deluge of penetrating prayers for a sweeping transformation of the Ivy League.” To join the prayer effort and receive regular prayer updates, go to Prayer for the Ivy League. _______________________________________
From the Sidelines to the Frontlines of Faith HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE - Four years ago, Kyle Cavanaugh came to Dartmouth ready to study economics and play two varsity sports. It wasn’t easy balancing two sports and academics, and it was not without a price. “I still read the Bible and tried to be a good person,” Cavanaugh said, but “faith took a back seat.” An ankle injury his sophomore year and surgery as a junior kept Cavanaugh from completing the football season and led him to give up playing baseball. Instead of becoming embittered by the injury, he became empowered. “It was something that was necessary for me because I was so focused on sports,” Cavanaugh said. “That’s where my commitment and time and energy went. The injuries brought me back down to earth and drew me closer to God.”
Rivers Speaks for African-American Church BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - The Reverend Eugene Rivers, pastor of Azusa Christian Community in
Love in Three Dimensions PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - The
Ending on a High Note 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. _____________________________________________________
Faith and Climate Change at Yale NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT - Yale Divinity students and members of the New Haven community came together on Earth Day weekend for the Second Annual Interfaith Solidarity on Global Climate Change. Students at the Divinity School and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies jointly sponsored the event. The purpose of the event was to “build bridges of religious environmentalism between Yale and the faith communities in the wider New Haven area.” The interfaith group gathered for a time of public meditation and a moment of silence. Attendees were also invited to participate in workshops discussing “Sustainable Community Outreach” and “Inconvenient Ethics: Using Al Gore in a Faith Context?” __________________________________________
Spring Service Break in New Orleans NEW YORK, NEW YORK - During Columbia University’s spring break, twenty students from three campus ministries traveled to New Orleans to participate in post-Katrina relief and recovery efforts. Two groups of students worked in the Lower Ninth Ward, the most devastated area of New Orleans. Another worked on gutting, roofing, and rebuilding homes in a project organized by Campus Crusade for Christ. “The work left still seems insurmountable,” voiced first-year student Ki Hoon Kim. “The people down there really need the love and grace of Christ.” Kim and others were very grateful for the experience. “I'm glad God used me,” said Kim, “and in the future, I would not hesitate to return.”
Students Run for Justice 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. __________________________________________________
Ivy League Congress Inspires Faith and Action NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT- More than four hundred students, alumni, and friends of the Ivy League universities gathered at the Yale Omni Hotel the weekend of April 11-13 for a bountiful time of sharing, learning, and growing in Christ together at the Ivy League Congress on Faith and Action, sponsored by Christian Union. Plenary speakers Ken Costa (chairman of Lazard International), Charles Gilmer (president of the Impact Movement), Richard Stearns (president of World Vision, Inc.) and Baroness Cox (CEO of Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust) brought both inspiration and a challenge to action through their messages. Vocational panels of experts in eight different fields, as well as seminars on five ministry topics, filled Saturday afternoon. The conference was concluded Sunday morning with Baroness Cox's message and the exuberant praise of an all-Ivy gospel choir.
Penn Grad Serves Christian Union and City By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer for the Ivy League Christian Observer NEW YORK, NEW YORK - Lolita K. Jackson, Manhattanite and Penn alumna, is putting her experience, reputation, and zealous faith to work for the Christian Union by serving as a new member of the board of directors. Jackson, Manhattan director of New York City’s Community Affairs Unit, became president of the New York City Christian Union in May 2006. “My vision of what the New York City Christian Union should look like is reaching forward, reaching back and reaching across,” Jackson said of her desire for alumni to network as well as mentor students. Jackson also wants to share the plan of salvation with the hundreds of thousands of Ivy League alummi living around New York City. “This is a mission field,” she said.
Princeton Ministries Trek to New England for Ski Trips 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.”
Harvard Students Celebrate True Love _____________________________________________
Princeton Pro-Life Marches on Washington
Christian Worldview Conference Examines Evangelical Roots of Scholarship by Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer for the Ivy League Christian Observer 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 Christians Attend Christian Union Conference by Christopher Hampson, Harvard '10 CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - On October 26, fourteen Harvard students joined students from other Ivy League schools at a conference in Rockland, MA sponsored by Christian Union. The purpose of the conference was to enable interns and staff with Campus Crusade for Christ (http://www.ccci.org/) to talk about their experiences joining staff and to help college students sort through the plethora of concerns that often accompany thinking about serving in ministry, including finances and relationships with parents. The theme of Lordship was central to helping students think about full-time ministry and put their future into a helpful perspective, said Daniel Lorenzana, Harvard ’09. ____________________________________________
Harvard Roundtable Tackles Religious Literacy By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer for the Ivy League Christian Observer CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - On October 17, The Roundtable on Science, Art & Religion and the Harvard University Committee on the Study of Religion, with partial funding from Christian Union, presented a dinner and discussion at the Harvard Faculty Club featuring Stephen Prothero. Prothero is the author of Religious Literacy—What Every American Needs to Know—and Doesn’t. He discussed his theory that Americans need to have knowledge of the world’s religions to have proper insight into the major issues of the day. “Though Prothero’s essential points . . . seem to me obvious and uncontroversial, it became clear from the discussion how potentially conflicted the interpretation and implementation of that idea might be,” said one participant. ________________________________________________
Supporting College Parents at Penn PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - Penn For Life (http://www.pennforlife.com/) is known for championing the lives of the unborn, but it doesn’t leave students who choose life at the bassinet. Through the College Parents Fund, this pro-life organization offers support for students who are parents and are working to meet the demands of raising children and achieving an Ivy League education. The vision of this non-partisan, non-sectarian organization, says grad student Shannon Martino, is to create a supportive environment on campus for mothers and families so that “students are not forced to choose between their education and their child.” Christian Union was one of the original donors to the organization, through the Christian Union grant program.
Yale Makes Edwards’ Works Available to Public By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer for the Ivy League Christian Observer NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT - More than three centuries after his birth, theologian and revivalist Jonathan Edwards’ writings are being given new life at the Jonathan Edwards Center (JEC) at Yale University. Nearly 100,000 manuscript pages have been painstakingly transcribed and compiled by members of the Center, making it one of the most comprehensive archives of work of any American theologian in the United States, according to Caleb Maskell, former associate director for the Center. Maskell, who calls Edwards the greatest theologian of the 18th century, said his writings give today’s revivalists a base of comparison and of identification with common themes. They offer a “stamp of intellectual approval,” he said. __________________________________________
Taking a Different Road By Biblia Kim, Cornell '08 ITHACA, NEW YORK - The future plans of Cornell senior Elyse Lee are conspicuously different from those of the typical Cornell graduate. After her early graduation in December, Lee will serve with Pioneers, a missionary-sending organization with workers in seventy countries. During her freshman year, Lee first sensed the Lord calling her to full-time ministry. The call came as she attended the first Ivy Congress on Faith and Action. There she met men and women of faith who were applying their distinguished educations and skills to advance the Kingdom of God. Her own long-term passion is to be a part of overseas ministry to unreached Muslim people groups in Asia.
Christian Bands ‘Luminate’ at Brown PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND - On the evening of September 29, after months of planning, the Luminate Christian music festival was held at Brown University’s Lincoln Field. Three bands performed: Music One, Holy Fire, and Lazarus & P. Lowe. All three bands presented their own, unique take on the Gospels, spoke a little bit about their personal testimonies, and prayed for the Brown campus. About 300 people attended the festival, which was partly funded by Christian Union. “It’s a place for Christians to be together, listen to music, reach out to the Brown community, and just to show that Christians are on the campus,” organizer Brian Lee ’09 said. ________________________________________________
Faith in the Halls of Power By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer for the Ivy League Christian Observer In his new book, Faith In the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined The American Elite, Dr. Michael Lindsay produces extensive empirical research that delves into how once ridiculed evangelicals are now among the most respected and successful citizens of the American elite. The book is a product of 360 interviews with some of the most successful and powerful leaders in contemporary culture. “Christian Union is exactly right,” Lindsay states of the ministry’s mission. The Ivy League wields a disproportionate influence, he explains. “I think there is a lot of excitement behind Christian Union’s work. It’s the only institution with a focus on the eight Ivy League schools. The bold vision and the inspiring model is attractive to many evangelicals,” said Lindsay. __________________________________________________________
Translations at Cornell Posted October 12, 2007 By Grace M. Chen, Cornell ’10 ITHACA, NEW YORK - Last winter, the Cornell magazine Translations (www.translations.magazine.googlepages.com/home) emerged for the first time. Translations is a “journal of Christian thought at Cornell,” explains Editor-in-Chief Claire Bryant ’09. Over 2,000 copies of the journal were distributed last year, and issues will continue to be published twice a year. Translations, states Bryant, strives to “challenge Christians in their current thinking and to give non-Christians a look at Christianity through a means other than a church building or a fellowship.” With the start of a new term, the Translations team is preparing for the release of a second issue, designed to engage students “in discussion about the intersection of faith with academia, politics, culture, science, etc.”
Out of Academia and Into Africa CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - For six weeks this summer, Pat McLeod, Harvard chaplain with Campus Crusade for Christ, his family, and thirty CCC staff and students from Harvard and Yale worked to bring the Gospel in both words and deeds to the people in South Africa. It was part of an effort, McLeod explained, to take a more “holistic approach to evangelism that brings good words and good deeds together.” According to McLeod, the project sought to “upset the equilibrium by forging a dynamic partnership that …would move against the current by linking the enormous material, economic, intellectual, and technological resources and reserves of Boston with one of the most impoverished, undeveloped, under-resourced, and marginalized parts of the world.”
Yale Provides Backdrop for Institute of Revival and Awakening
Forums at Harvard Engage Jews for Jesus Posted September 5, 2007 By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer for the Ivy League Christian Observer CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - Jews for Jesus at Harvard and Boston Universities, with the partial support of Christian Union, sponsored “Oy Vey” forums in April with the goal of “making the Messiahship of Jesus an unavoidable issue.” The panelists for the events were an eclectic group consisting of an Israeli raised on a kibbutz, a young college woman from a conservative Jewish background, and Garrett Smith, of Jews for Jesus. According to Smith, one of the great challenges facing outreach to Jewish students is the perception that Jesus simply does not apply to Jewish people. “The advertising for the forums was very important … because all readers were confronted with the issue of Jesus and, particularly, to the fact that Jewish people can believe in Jesus,” he explained. ____________________________________________
Apologia Debuts at Dartmouth HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE - This spring marked the debut of Dartmouth's first journal of Christian thought: Apologia. Dartmouth student Andrew Schuman ‘10, founder and executive director of the publication, states that the experience of creating the journal was “an amazing adventure with God and the biggest affirmation that God can do anything.” All of the articles in Apologia are written by undergraduates representing almost every Christian denomination on campus. Schuman writes in the first issue that “this is a journal of seekers, people who desire to love God with their minds as well as their hearts and souls.” The journal is available online at http://www.dartmouthapologia.org/.
Giving Up to Win: Princeton Quarterback Jeff Terrell Plays for God 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.” ______________________________________________
Yale Announces New Chaplain by Eileen Scott, Senior Writer for the Ivy League Christian Observer NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT - Sharon Kugler, university chaplain at Johns Hopkins University, will become the next chaplain of Yale University when Rev. Frederick Streets leaves the post this summer, according to Yale President Richard Levin. Kugler will be the first woman, Roman Catholic, and lay person to hold the position. “The members of the search committee and I were impressed by her success in building programs that support numerous faiths, by her work to facilitate interfaith dialogue, and by her keen pastoral skills that were appreciated by students of every background,” Levin stated. ___________________________________________________
Kindness Knocks at Princeton Dorms PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Students studying for exams the night of March 9 were surprised by a knock at the door and a random act of kindness. Nine students from Christian Union’s Princeton Faith and Action brought candy to Princeton’s residence halls, offering it to students with no strings attached. “It was a gesture of kindness for kindness’s sake,” said Charles Kim, Christian Union ministry fellow. These types of efforts help students reach out in a safe and accessible way that is comfortable for those giving as well as those receiving, he explained. Nearly 900 candies with attached Gospel verses were distributed.
Justice for Children International Camps Out on Ho Plaza ITHACA, NEW YORK - The Cornell chapter of Justice for Children International (JFCI) (rso.cornell.edu/jfci/), the first collegiate chapter of JFCI, raised over $1,200 to build safe houses in the Philippines. JFCI members camped out on Ho Plaza in the “CAMPaign to STOP Child Sex Trafficking,” raising awareness about child sex trafficking and collecting donations. The campout began at 10 a.m. Thursday, November 9, and ended at 4:30 p.m. Friday, November 10. Between fifteen and twenty students stayed through the night. Justice for Children International is a faith-based organization that works for the prevention, rescue, and aftercare of sexually exploited children. ______________________________________________
Bibles for Everyone! Christian Impact Gives Away the Best-selling Book of All Time HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE - About two-hundred Dartmouth students picked up a free, hardcover Bible during Christian Impact’s (CI) (www.dartmouthci.com/dynamic) Bible giveaway, partially funded by Christian Union, November 29-30. For distribution sites, CI selected campus hotspots: the food court and cultural and entertainment center The Hop. CI, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC), also included in each Bible a bookmark with the Web address EveryDartmouthStudent.com printed on it. This site is “produced by the national CCC ministry and has tons of information on common apologetics questions,” according to CI Director Chris West, who also indicated that they “customized the site for Dartmouth.” These Aren’t Your Parents’ Bible Studies: Princeton Faith and Action Draws Students to Its Rigorous Bible Courses by Eileen Scott, Senior Writer for the Ivy League Christian Observer 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. —II Timothy 2:15 PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Correctly handling the word of truth is what Princeton Faith and Action Bible Courses are all about. These courses encompass the rigors one would expect of an Ivy League education. However, the university does not sponsor the courses, and students receive no credit. So why would already academically taxed students voluntarily take another class? To gain a deeper insight, they say, and, for some, to satisfy their curiousity. ________________________________________________
Posted January 22, 2007 by Mary Beth Fender, Penn '09 WEST CORNWALL, CONNECTICUT - Representatives from predominantly Ivy League-affiliated Christian organizations and ministries traveled to West Cornwall’s Trinity Conference Center for Christian Union’s annual Prayer Conference December 3-4. Attendees spent an evening talking about the issues Ivy League campuses face and praying for their ministries. They also listened to lectures by Theological Education Institute President John Rankin and John Jay Institute for Faith, Society, and Law President Alan Crippen. Chuck Tompkins, director of the Mott House, Christian Union’s ministry center at Cornell, said, “It’s a great time for relationship building and hearing what God is doing on other campuses.” ______________________________________________
Posted November 3, 2006 PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Princeton University remembered its Christian roots November 2 as its 250th Anniversary Lecture Series concluded with “Revivalist Roots from a 21st Century Religious Perspective,” given by Dean of Religious Life Thomas Breidenthal. He reminded students and alumni of Princeton’s Christian revivalist past and its profound religious influence. Breidenthal believes Princeton is in the midst of a new era of Revivalism. Student interest in religion is at a peak, according to Breidenthal. Three years ago, Princeton hosted a convention that assembled national student religious group leaders. In February 2007, the third annual convention will be held in Los Angeles. “It’s a new Revivalist movement,” said Breidenthal. “It’s only fitting that it began here at Princeton.” ___________________________________________________
Posted September 13, 2006 by L.A. Wagner, Director of The Ivy League Christian Observer PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY - Adrian Mullings is a man on the move. Christian Union’s new Campus Ministry Intern earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University in 2004. There, Mullings applied his engineering knowledge to his running technique—and set a record in the 60-meter hurdles. Seven days post-graduation, Mullings went to work for renowned law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in New York. Now, two years later, he has joined Christian Union, where he coordinates Princeton Faith and Action and Christian Union’s services at Nassau Christian Center. Mullings will attend seminary in 2007, followed by law school. _____________________________________________________
Coming to a City near You NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK - Imagine America’s most influential leaders in every field—academia, the arts, business, law and government, the media, and medicine—unified for the same cause, with a presence in 125 cities throughout the country. Oh, yes, and add one more element: every constituent is Christian. This is the vision for Christian Union’s latest initiative, appropriately named City Christian Unions.
New York City holds the honor of being the premier chapter. Matt Bennett, president and founder of Christian Union, chose the Penn Club in midtown Manhattan as the venue for the July 13 launch reception. Approximately 130 guests, including Ivy League alumni; staff, faculty, and family members; and Christian Union supporters, attended the event. At the launch, Bennett explained the hope and purpose for the New York chapter: to offer evangelical opportunities, mentor recent Ivy League graduates, and, most significantly, “seek God’s presence on behalf of New York and the Ivy Leagues.” ___________________________________________
Readying for Revival “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”—Jeremiah 29:13 NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT - They toured the campus, slept in a dorm, and met faculty members. They also attended lectures and had discussion groups. While this might seem akin to a college freshman orientation, it actually surpassed anything in the realm of intellectual pursuits. It was the Institute of Campus Revival and Awakening. Here, 57 campus ministry leaders from across the United States commenced their summer, spending June 21 through June 28 at Yale University. Collegiate Impact, Campus Renewal Ministries, and The Center for World Revival and Awakening sponsored the Institute. For participant Matt Bennett, founder and president of Christian Union, the key message was that Christians should not seek revival, per se. Instead, we should “seek the Lord Jesus Christ himself,” he said. “Then He revives our hearts. Our focus should be on the beauty, grace, power, and love of Jesus Christ.” |
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Princeton students Chris Lumry '09 and David Colquitt '09 participate in a Faith and Action Bible Course
Dan Knapke, director of Undergraduate Student Ministry at Princeton, Chris West, director of Campus Crusade for Christ at Dartmouth, and Matt Bennett, president of Christian Union, at Ivy League Prayer Conference
