Spring 2015 Christian Union The Magazine

PRINCETON

Spiritual Coaching

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Christ in Community

Christian Union the magazine :: spring 2015

Go and Make Disciples... page 6

Q and A: Max Anderson, co-founder of The MBA Oath The Spiritual Climate on Campus The latest from Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton & Yale New York City Christian Union: Os Guinness Speaks at Forum

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table of contents

volume xiv issue ii

Christian Union

the maga zine :: spring 2015

in e ach issue Letter from the President / 3 14

Q and A with Max Anderson / 5 31

Donor Profile / 30 What’s Next / 33 6

6 Discipleship

spring 2 015 fe at ure sec t ion A Distinctive Call to Discipleship / 8 The Theology of Discipleship / 10

univer si t y chris t ian union updat e s Princeton / 16 Cornell / 17 Brown / 19 Harvard / 21 Penn / 22 Columbia / 23 Harvard Law / 26 Yale / 27 Dartmouth / 25

cit y chris tian union New York City Christian Union / 32

This magazine is published by Christian Union, an independent Christian ministry.

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c o v e r p h o t o : Naomi Ayele, Columbia ‘16, and Ava Ligh, a Christian Union ministry fellow at Columbia. p h o t o c r e d i t : Phil Anema

34 The Spiritual Climate on Campus

updat e s fr om l e ading univer si t ie s Science, God, and Atheism (Brown) :: Building a House of Prayer (Cornell) :: Testifying in Song (Dartmouth) :: Under One Tent (Penn) :: Celebrating True Love (Yale) :: News-in-Brief from Each University, and More

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letter from the founder and ceo

Devotion and Discipleship

God is truly merciful and generous to allow us to play roles in discipleship, even though we are in such need ourselves.

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am especially grateful to Liz Stevenson Green and Scott Gill, who played such a powerful role in my 20s. Their love, teaching, modeling, and patience have yielded wonderful fruit through the years for which I am deeply grateful, and even more so to our heavenly Father. More recently, I’ve been incredibly blessed by the teachings and friendship from afar of John Mulinde, a Ugandan pastor and revivalist. His heart for his nation and leadership to help make a difference by the power of the Spirit have been deeply inspiring. How wonderful that we have not only extraordinary examples from the Scriptures, but alive and real-time models to teach us and help us become all that God intends us to be.

This issue of Christian Union: The Magazine is dedicated to the theme of discipleship. May He use this ministry to disciple many for the future leadership of this nation, and may He also use you in the lives of those around you.

Yours in Christ,

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2015 ::

Matthew W. Bennett is the founder and CEO of Christian Union. He earned undergraduate and MBA degrees from Cornell, and launched Christian Union in 2002 in Princeton, New Jersey. matt bennett

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o be a disciple of Jesus, that is, to be a learner or follower of Jesus, is to live as God’s highest intention for every human being. To be fully human, as Adam and Eve were created in the beginning, is to follow God and to learn from Him consistently as a way of life. Until the day Jesus translates us into the next realm, we will be learning more of what it means to follow Him through thick and thin, and in good times and in bad. If we are fortunate, we will also have the opportunity to help disciple others, helping them also to become consistent followers of Jesus.

I’ve always wondered at how God allows me to help “disciple” others when I know I have so far to go myself! He is truly merciful and generous to allow us to play roles in discipleship, even though we are in such need ourselves. I praise Him, that just as He has produced perfect Scripture through the pens of very fallible men, so He also executes His perfect will in the lives of others through very fallible “disciplers.” Praise God that “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Truly, it is God who has the power to bring about understanding, change, and development in the lives of others, yet He chooses to use us humans to help in the process.

I praise God for those in my life, especially in my earlier years, who took time to develop me in my devotion to God. I could name many people, and

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seeking god

Checkmate Prayer by jim thomforde

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n his book, Grace in Practice: A Theology of Everyday Life, Paul F. M. Zahl writes, “The more dire the circumstance or checkmate is, the more heartfelt and spontaneous the prayer for help is.” I love the image of a checkmate because it describes well the human condition: defeated and helpless apart from God’s grace. Due to the invasion of evil we find in ourselves and our world, we are utterly impotent to change, improve, or save ourselves. We are surrounded by reckless rooks and cruel queens that render our personal kingships hopelessly conquered. Checkmate.

While this may sound pessimistic, it’s the only thing that makes sense of “heartfelt and spontaneous” prayer, isn’t it? To the degree we are optimistic about our ability to save ourselves and change the world, our fervency in prayer will disappear. But to the degree that we see ourselves accurately, as helpless, we will pray to God for help. And perhaps this is why energetic and sincere prayer is so rarely found today: we don’t know that we’re in checkmate.

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we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again.

You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”

(2nd Corinthians 1:8-11) Notice how Paul sets up his “prayer request.” On the one hand, he describes himself and his friends as “as good as dead.” On the other hand, he describes God as the One “who raises the dead.”

Paul was completely pessimistic with respect to his circumstances and his own strength, but that was, he writes, “to make us rely not on ourselves, but on

right anthropology (what we can do). No matter how much we know about God, without an appropriate “checkmate” anthropology, we will never truly rely on God and, as a result, we will never truly pray to God. Prayer is the only response to checkmate. After emphasizing that only God can deliver those who feel the sentence of death, Paul writes this: “You also must help us by prayer.” Since the helpless can only be helped by God, they can only be helped by prayer. Since the ones who face death can only receive life from God, they can only live by prayer. Checkmate… your turn. | cu is Christian Union’s ministry director at Cornell University.

jim thomforde

We are surrounded by reckless rooks and cruel queens that render our personal kingships hopelessly conquered.

The Apostle Paul understood checkmate prayer. He writes this to the Corinthians: “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that

the God who raises the dead.”

Paul Zahl also writes this: “You pray deeply when you pray with a death-resurrection model of life.” This is the perspective Paul wants the Corinthians to have: completely helpless on their own, yet hopeful in God. As good as dead, if not for the grace of the God who raises the dead. Most of us possess a right theology (what God can do) but fall short of a

AUGUST 17 – SEPTEMBER 25, 2015 www.ChristianUnion.org/40Days

Five Minutes with Max Anderson “Setting a Higher Standard for Business Leaders”

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hristian Union: The Magazine recently interviewed Max Anderson, who co-founded The MBA Oath in 2009 with Peter Escher and a team of fellow students at Harvard Business School. The MBA Oath quickly evolved into a movement and spread to other universities, both in the United States and abroad. Today, Anderson (Princeton ’01, Harvard Business School ’09) is the founder and chairman of Stagecoach Ventures, an innovation firm located in Greater New York City.

christianunion.org

Why do people continue to sign the MBA Oath?

It’s an idea that continues to resonate with people. A lot of folks want the challenge of living a disciplined, self-sacrificial life. We’re looking at redesigning the Oath now with a new commitment to take the Oath in groups of three-tofive and then to meet together with that group twice a year to talk through dilemmas and encourage each other to uphold your values. I’m encouraged that people are still interested. The Oath alone cannot change people’s hearts, but it sets a new standard for us to aspire to. | cu

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Why is a Hippocratic Oath for managers powerful? How can an oath influence behavior and help bring about the “sea change” in business that you have talked about?

Public promises or public statements of intent have been proven to influence the people who speak the promises. Those who say their intentions out loud are more likely to fulfill them.

As a society we know this. It’s why we ask people to pledge allegiance when they become citizens, swear fidelity in marriage, and promise to tell the truth when testifying in court. We know that these words aren’t just words. Sure the promises can be broken, but if you are thinking about breaking your promise, you now have to live with the cognitive dissonance of thinking of yourself as a good person, but knowing you are breaking a promise. That’s a powerful disincentive.

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How much Christian influence was behind the Oath?

The Oath isn’t an explicitly Christian document. We had Christians, Jews, Muslims, and agnostics work on it. But, as a Christian, it aligns with my belief that

Why did the MBA Oath expand so quickly beyond the HBS community?

The time was ripe.

Somehow Nick Kristof at the New York Times heard about it. He posted it on his Facebook page and got 300 comments in four hours.

Later that afternoon, I got a call from a reporter wanting to do a story. From there it snowballed and everybody covered it.

In your book, The MBA Oath: Setting a Higher Standard for Business Leaders (co-authored with Peter Escher), you write about the need for “business leaders who don’t just make a difference in the world, but make a difference for the world.”

How will this happen?

It happens when you have a generation of people more committed to creating value than they are to capturing value for themselves. God created work before the Fall. Work is a big part of what we are called to as human beings made in God’s image. Business and management are spheres where leaders have a tremendous opportunity to do more than enrich themselves (though they can do that, too). They can bring together people and resources to create value that no individual could create alone.

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Why did you and other Harvard Business School (HBS) classmates create the MBA Oath?

It was 2008 and the financial crisis made us rethink why we had gone to business school and what we wanted our careers to be about. The Oath is an expression of our desire to live out our values in our professional lives.

Why did two-thirds of your class sign the Oath?

I think most people want to do something meaningful and purposeful with their lives. The rap on MBAs is that we’re all greedy and narrowly focused on the bottom line, but reality is never as simple as the cliché. We may all have demons to wrestle with, but we’re trying to appeal to the better angels of our nature.

God is sovereign over every square inch of creation and the Oath expresses our calling to love our neighbor as ourselves.

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feature section | faith and work

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Discipleship

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feature section :: spring 2015 The Call to Discipleship / 8 21st Century Discipleship / 10

Discipleship Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you...” (matthew 28:19-20)

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2015 :: christianunion.org

As believers, we each have a responsibility to obey the Great Commission. In this special section, Christian Union: The Magazine presents two articles that focus on various aspects of discipleship and challenge us to help others grow in grace and become “transformed into the image of Christ.” (Romans 8:29)

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feature section | discipleship

The Distinctive Call to Make Disciples by rebekah hannah

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e are all disciples of someone. We all have someone in mind we want to emulate.

We dress like others. We talk like others.

We do what other people say is best. We take pieces of other people and put them together to build the best version of who we want to be. Whether good or bad, we all emulate someone who came before us.

That being said, we also have more influence than we could possibly imagine. With each conversation and encounter, we are shaping others.

In his book, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change, Paul Tripp says, “The bottom line is that you cannot have a relationship without being a person of influence. You give and receive counsel every day. It is not a task confined to paid professionals; it is woven into the fabric of human relationships. The problem is that we don’t often recognize the powerful impact of those everyday encounters.”

For Christians, however, there is a distinctive call: a call to be disciple-makers (Matt 28:19). But the best part of being a disciple-maker, in Christ is that we are not trying to get people to be like us. As a disciple-maker I am pointing women to something and someone greater than myself. In return, I get the distinct privilege of watching people become greater than me. Not only that, I get to become greater than me. As I experience God’s redemption in beautiful and shocking ways, I become more like Christ as I strive with my disciples towards holiness. This is Christian discipleship. The goal is not simply to act like Jesus, but to be characteristically like

Him as “we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor 3:18). But facilitating this experience is often far messier and more confusing than many of us would like to admit.

What are the goals of discipleship? In the midst of our frailty, failure, and sin, are there or should there be qualifications to the one teaching and leading? Should we use methods for discipleship? Should it happen in organic, natural relationships? How do we teach about the grace offered by Jesus, but also work to put off sin?

knowing the gospel In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commands His disciples to “go out into the world baptizing” other people. These are Jesus’ instructions just before ascending to sit next to His Father in heaven. He is offering the local church a huge opportunity: to be a part of His body and experience Him. Because Jesus calls them to baptize, we can deduce that the first step to discipling others must be salvation. Because confession and repentance are the first steps toward salvation and obedience to Christ, our disciples must first know the Gospel. Only after salvation and baptism does Jesus instruct the disciples to “[teach their disciples] to observe all that [Jesus] has commanded.”

Nevertheless, just because someone can tell you the Gospel story does not mean they believe or understand a

Gospel reality. In order to observe all that Jesus has commanded, we must be taught the Gospel, not just for salvation, but also as an ongoing impact on our daily thoughts, struggles, and deepest personal desires. We must be diligent to return to the Gospel as our Christian foundation, searching for cracks of unbelief and weak theology.

How does the resurrection apply to your personal hardship? In what way does Jesus’ perfection affect your view of the homeless person on your street? Does the ascension impact how you work? How should the free gift of grace change how you interact with your friends?

If the Gospel is the underpinning for our personal theological convictions (and therefore way of life), then we must daily seek to make that Gospel foundation secure. When a crack in understanding or a point of unbelief about God and His Word is detected, we work to assess and restore that belief by putting on faith so that the disciple’s perspective is grounded in truth. Therefore, the Gospel of both grace and truth must be the dwelling place of discipleship.

te aching scrip ture My goal as a biblical counselor is always to work myself out of a job. Part of this goal is teaching the one receiving counsel to study Scripture on her own.

While many would confess that “all Scripture is breathed out by God” and therefore helpful for all of life (2 Tim 3:16), this is often not how our daily

the “God of all comfort” (2 Cor 1:3). If you follow the trail, we could find out that she ultimately believes God is neither who He claims to be nor that what He has to offer is sufficient (2 Cor 1:4).

In return, she is essentially calling God a liar and saying His comfort is not good enough for her through her sinful actions. This is an inordinately high view of self and low view of God. To repent of not trusting the perfect honesty of God and that you actually believe you know more than God are different confessions than repenting of looking at pornography in general. Our everyday actions flow out of our true beliefs. I don’t want women simply to act like Jesus; I want them to be like Jesus from the inside out.

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is a Christian Union ministry fellow at Columbia University. rebekah hannah

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d is cipl ing w i t h gr at i t ud e Discipleship is a gift from God to His people. It is an opportunity to walk by the Spirit, diligently participating in His cultivation of flesh into holiness and love for Him. It is a gift to watch God confound humans with His grace and to experience His beauty while participating in redemption. It is an astonishing reward of salvation to encounter our Perfect Creator at the most personal level as He changes the sickness of our flesh into the likeness of His beauty. It could be called the “most important activity in the entire universe” (Tripp, 237). God is taking rebellious, selfish people and changing them into holy creatures for His glory by His power.

For this purpose and to this end, He has called every Christian to repent and incarnate His presence and care through discipleship. What a wonderful God we serve and what a privilege to be part of His work. | cu

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tr aining in righteousne ss Colossians 3:16 tells us that the result of dwelling deeply in God’s Word and gaining wisdom will then result in “teaching and admonishing one another.” In general, sin does not disappear the moment we become Christians. In fact, the more we see the holiness of Christ, the more we will see the depths of our own sin. When we have spent years

learning and choosing sin in particular ways, it should not come as a surprise that we would need to work at “putting it off” (Col 3:8-15; Eph 4:22-24). We must practice righteousness because we have spent so long practicing sin. While our flesh is no match for God’s confounding grace and love, we are called to work at putting our flesh to death . . . though we have Gospel freedom, God tells us to make no provision for the flesh (Rom 3:14).

Exploring specific points of unbelief at the root of sin helps expose cracks in our understanding of God’s Word and His Gospel, therefore helping us to build up and encourage disciples more towards Jesus in very specific ways. “Better is open rebuke than hidden love” (Prov.

27:5). For many discipleship relationships, this can be a test of how much we sincerely love the person sitting across from us.

Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head. Psalm 141:5 To love someone truly is to gently speak the truth to them, even (or maybe even especially) about their sin (Eph 4:15). However, we should never leave a brother or sister with just a rebuke, but offer help and hope from God’s Word toward what to “put on” in place of a particular sin. The amazing reality is that God has given us His Spirit to do just this (John 16:13). Knowing the point of unbelief behind sin will motivate transformation from the heart, as opposed to just behavioral change. We confess specific sin so that we may see our exact point of unbelief and can change in detailed ways. For instance, if a person is struggling with pornography and confesses that it stems from a desire to have comfort, it is highly possible that she believes true comfort comes outside of

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lives or ministries actually operate.

If your disciple knows how to study and use Scripture in a way that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:17), then she will be equipped not only to deal with her own heart, but also competent for whatever “good work” God may have for her. If the goal of discipleship is to love, glorify, and emulate Christ, then knowing how to find motivation to study God’s life-changing Word will accomplish that goal.

(Col. 3:17) As a disciple-maker, my objective must be to show how useful and relevant the Bible is. I need to help foster their relationship with Jesus and give them the tools needed to apply Scripture in a way that promotes genuine faith and spiritual maturity (I often use books like Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds

by Jen Wilkin, and Crosstalk: Where Life & Scripture Meet by Michael R. Emlet). When people know how to truly study and apply the Bible, the result will be a “Gospel-rich, kingdom-focused, Christ-centered symphony in their ears, with the result that the alternative (and ultimately false) voices and stories that beguile them are drowned out increasingly to insignificance” (Emlet, page 75).

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Twenty-First Century Discipleship A Biblical Theology for Changing Times by michael j. wilkins

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s I stand on a bluff overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean near our home in Southern California, I watch lines of waves forming far out on the horizon. The waves that finally break near shore are much larger today than normal.

I check out the surf report and find that these waves were generated by a monstrous storm. The weather is sunny and calm where I stand, but the waves that break below me were generated by a ferocious, hurricane-force storm many days ago and thousands of miles away off of the tip of New Zealand.

If I am to surf these waves effectively, I need to know as much as possible about their size, power, direction, and speed.

Similarly, as we stand here, midway through the second decade of the 21st century, waves of various kinds of practices, fads, and styles continue to sweep upon the church. And like the waves of the ocean, the waves of church issues that impact us today are normally generated by forces far away and long ago.

And if we are to ride them effectively, we need to know as much as possible about the forces that have brought them about and how they impact us today.

Following World War II, the parachurch movement spawned organizations like the Navigators, Campus Crusade for Christ, InterVarsity, and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association that revolutionized campus and evangelistic mission. During the 1960s and -70s the Jesus movement transfigured traditional ways of expressing worship.

The 1980s and -90s saw the arrival of the seeker movement with megachurches that reached out to people that had

never darkened the door of conventional churches. In the 1990s and the first decade of this 21st century, we witnessed the spiritual formation movement that has transcended ecclesial lines to impact mainline, charismatic, Bible, and emergent churches with the quest for meaningful spirituality.

All of these movements generated power that impacts the church today. We find this today also in waves of different forms of “discipleship” and “disciple-making” that break upon the church. Discipleship is not a recent or unique phenomenon. It was initiated nearly 2,000 years ago when Jesus Christ entered human history and called out to men and women, “Follow Me!” But discipleship as we know it in the church today is impacted by other forces, near and far. The terms discipleship and disciple-making are related expressions, referring respectively to the process of growing as a disciple of Jesus and the process of helping others to grow as Jesus’ disciple. Each of us carries around various conceptions of discipleship and disciple-making that are influenced by our past experiences.

discipleship tr aditions The waves of discipleship materials that have swept over the church in the past sixty years have, in many cases, caused people today to be more confused than ever when they think of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

These traditions developed out of a desire to be more like the disciples of Jesus

found in the New Testament, yet they often became so rigorously focused on their particular practices, that only an elite few could adhere to them.

The “learner.” Some emphasize that a disciple is the person who is dedicated to an intense study of the Bible. A disciple is actively involved in personal devotional time, Bible memorization, and Bible study as a regular habit of life.

This implies that a Christian becomes a disciple when she is dedicated to learning the Word of God and applying it.

The “committed.” Others emphasize that a disciple is supremely committed to Christ. He has rejected a worldly lifestyle. This means that a Christian is a disciple when he has truly denied himself, taken up his cross, and is actively following Jesus on an everyday basis.

The “worker.” Still others declare that a disciple is actively involved in Christian service. Her service distinguishes her from nominal Christians who simply attend the group or church. This implies that a Christian becomes a disciple when she is an active worker for Christ.

The “mentor.” Some of us have been involved in one-on-one relationships in which an older, more mature Christian has “discipled” us. This is often called “mentoring.” Many people believe that only when we are involved in such a relationship can we say that we have experienced true discipleship.

The “small group.” Small groups are one of the most effective means of facilitating growth in Christians because we

can learn from the example of others, we can open our lives up to others, and we can be held accountable to the growth that we say we desire. Many suggest that in the same way that Jesus “discipled” His small band of followers, true discipleship occurs today when a person is involved in a small group.

e s s en t i a l s o f d i s c ip l e s hip With this definition in mind, we can explore the following essential features of biblical discipleship that must characterize all of our attempts to develop a disciple-making ministry.

Discipleship originates with a gracious call from Jesus to enter into an intimate relationship with Him. In contrast to the form of discipleship found among the scribes and rabbis of Jesus’ day, where a person earned the right to be called a disciple through intense study and commitment, Jesus called men and women to Him to be His disciples solely and only on the basis of grace. Whether it was calling Peter and Andrew by the Sea of Galilee (cf. Matt.

4:18-22) or offering salvation to the citizens of the city of Ephesus (Eph. 2:89), discipleship to Jesus originates with a gracious call from Jesus, and it is a call that must be obeyed from the heart as we enter into an intimate, transforming relationship with Him.

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Discipleship must be grounded in a personal, costly relationship with a seeking Savior.

The new life that comes at regeneration cost Jesus, and it costs us. Although it is nothing we can buy, it is costly nonetheless. The cost is life—Jesus’ life, and our life. The cost of Jesus’ life was given in His death on the cross. He came seeking those who were spiritually ill, to make them well and fit for His kingdom. This initiative could only be accomplished through the penalty He paid for our sins in His loving act of redemption on the cross. He gave His life so that we might have life (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Mark 10:45).

The cost for us is likewise our life.

While Jesus’ death on the cross is unique,

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a definition of discipleship There is, of course, truth in each of these, because each encourages necessary ways of promoting growth in the Christian life. However, they have often been mistakenly advocated as ways that an individual becomes a disciple; it is often advocated that once a Christian’s life is characterized by one or more of these commitments, the person becomes a disciple.

This is the root of much of the confusion today about discipleship, implying that discipleship is a second stage in the Christian life. There is an expression found among some that goes, “All disciples are Christians, but not all Christians are disciples.” In this view, discipleship is for an elite, more committed, or more specially trained person or group of Christians.

But this is surely not what Jesus intended us to understand about discipleship and disciple-making. A more accurate conception is seen clearly when we go to Jesus’ final command, the Great Commission, where we understand that a person who believes on Jesus for salvation is a disciple at conversion. Jesus said that we are to make disciples of all the nations (Matt. 28:18-20), not to make disciples out of Christians. So, at the moment a person believes in Jesus and receives eternal life, that person becomes a disciple of Jesus, and the ongoing process of growth in the Christian life for all believers is discipleship.

Therefore, all true believers are disci-

ples of Jesus; the point is whether or not they are obedient disciples. Further, in this more wholistic understanding, discipleship is not just one aspect of the church’s mission, but it encompasses all that the church does. Discipleship is the ministry of the church in helping all believers to grow in their discipleship to Jesus, and reaching out to bring non-Christians to Jesus to become His disciples.

The prevalence of elitism in many of our traditions explains why scores of people are frustrated in their Christian lives. A two-level conception of the Christian life promotes apathy among those who haven’t yet chosen to be committed, and it suggests that the higher level of commitment is optional, which in the daily world of most Christians means that commitment to Christ-likeness is optional.

The fundamental picture of discipleship that we find in the pages of Scripture is the centrality of Jesus as the one we follow minute by minute through life. This is a discipleship that has at its core a radical promise of transformation for all believers, not just a few specially committed ones.

Discipleship emphases of the past sixty years have focused upon isolated discipleship passages of Scripture or particular biblical discipleship themes in order to provide specialized ministry. However, this specialization has often come at the expense of a full biblical portrait of discipleship. A more complete definition of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ moves in the following direction: Discipleship means living a fully human life in this world in union with Jesus Christ, growing in conformity to His image as the Spirit transforms us from the inside-out, being nurtured within a community of disciples who are engaged in that lifelong process, and helping others to know and become like Jesus.

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feature section | discipleship

we also lose our life through taking up our own cross (Matt. 16:24-26).

Discipleship begins with intentional evangelism that challenges people to count the cost of accepting Jesus’ call to life in the kingdom of God, which will prepare them to engage in and expect personal transformation as the normal Christian life.

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Discipleship must begin with and strive toward a transformed identity in Jesus.

From the moment of salvation, God views us differently. We are His beloved children who have been born into a new identity (John 1:12-13). We are new

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creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) who are now in the process of being transformed into (2 Cor. 3:18), and conformed to (Rom. 8:29), the image of Christ, as Christ is being formed in us (Gal. 4:19).

Our identity as a disciple of Jesus affects all that we are, including the way we see ourselves, the way we relate to God, and the way we relate to others. Disciple-making ministries must help new and older Christians to find their identity in being Jesus’ disciple in all of their relationships in the home, the workplace, the community, and the church.

Discipleship must be initiated and empowered by the Spirit of God. The spiritual life that accompanied Jesus’ inauguration of the kingdom of God was initiated by the Spirit of God (John 3:5-6). This phenomenon is described from different perspectives by different New Testament authors: regeneration (Titus 3:5); new birth and born again (1 Peter 1:3, 23); spiritual resurrection (Rom. 6:13; Eph. 2:5) and new creation (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:10); and God’s seed in us (1 John 3:9).

We are different persons once the Spirit gives us new life. The supernatural work of God deep within our soul implants new spiritual life in us, and from that moment, the direction of our lives is placed Godward as the Spirit begins to produce new life—the very life of Jesus—in ours.

John’s gospel gives us three characteristics of Spirit-empowered discipleship that gives direction to our discipleship ministries: A) Being set free from the lies of the world by Jesus’ truth (John 8:3132); B) Being loved by Jesus means to love like Jesus (John 13:34-35); and C) Bearing the fruit of being united to Jesus (John 15:7-8).

Discipleship must be continually guided by God’s Word.

Discipleship ministries help their people to adopt a radical commitment to the authority of the Word of God as the absolute truth about reality. This is not simply the acquisition of truth, but the internalization of truth so that it expresses our worldview, characterizes our

values, and conveys our entire lifestyle.

As we teach our people to know the Word of God, we equip them to compare God’s Word with the values of the world, so that they can follow Jesus obediently in all of their circumstances (Matt. 28:20).

Discipleship must develop through a whole-life, life-long process of becoming more fully human.

Because of being created in the image of God, humans are like God and represent God in a way unlike any other creature (Gen. 1:27-31). The image of God is something in our nature as humans, and refers to what we are (e.g., mentally, morally, spiritually, relationally), rather than something we have or do. Sin distorted the image of God in humans by affecting every aspect of our likeness to Him, yet the restoration process has begun with our redemption in Christ (e.g., Col. 3:10).

Therefore, discipleship ministries help believers to develop in every area of life as whole persons, helping them to transition intentionally through all of life’s dimensions and stages so that they are continually growing into His image. A disciple of Jesus is intent upon becoming more fully a disciple in every area of life.

I had a radical conversion to Jesus away from a life of drugs and pleasureseeking. I discovered that my life as Jesus’ disciple helped me to become more the way that I was intended to be as a human created in God’s image. That continues to affect every area of my life.

Discipleship must be nurtured in communities of faith.

Each individual disciple enjoys a personal relationship with Christ that facilitates transformation into His image, but that personal relationship must be nurtured within two primary communi-

Our Lord Jesus is still at work calling men and women to follow Him today, and our joyous task is to join Him in fashioning our ministries to serve Him to that end.

(Ph.D.) is Distinguished Professor of New Testament Language and Literature, and the Dean of the Faculty, at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, in La Mirada, California. Among the books he has written are: Following the Master: A Biblical Theology of Discipleship (Zondervan, 1992), In His Image: Reflecting Christ in Everyday Life (NavPress, 1997), and Matthew, NIV Application Commentary (Zondervan, 2004).

michael j. wilkins

christianunion.org

not jus t another pr o gr am The tremendous privilege that we all have in the Christian life is to walk with Jesus as His disciples and to be continually transformed into His image as we grow in our discipleship to Him. Our Lord Jesus is still at work calling men and women to follow Him today, and our

This article was adapted from a version that appeared in the journal Knowing and Doing (Winter 2011).

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Communities of faith are necessary for purposeful gathering away where believers are strengthened and equipped.

But the growth and transformation that we experience is what enables us to live effectively with Jesus in this world. Our transformation enables us to live as sojourners in the world, and “live such good lives among the pagans that…they may see your good deeds and glorify God” (1 Pet. 2:11-12).

joyous task is to join Him in fashioning our ministries to serve Him to that end.

But, this is not just another optional program. Rather, discipleship is central to all that we do. Discipleship is the expression of how God equips and transforms Christians for this life through the ministry of the church and parachurch ministries. As a new, powerful wave of discipleship breaks upon the shores of our ministries, we have the joyous privilege of helping our people know how to surf it effectively. Disciple-making ministries help everyday men and women who are being transformed as Jesus’ disciples to be light in a dark place, and to be the living example of the hope of transformation that our world so desperately needs.

Disciple-making ministries help disciples of every age of life and stage of growth to know how to walk with Jesus and to be transformed by Him in every area of life. | cu

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Discipleship must be carried out by sojourning in our everyday, watching world.

In this earthly life, a human is a sojourner, a resident alien (Ps. 39:12). The creation awaits its renewal and it groans under bondage to sin and decay (Rom. 8:19-22).

Regenerated disciples, however, live as people who have been set free from death and sin; our transformation has

already begun. Therefore, we are at this time not of this world; our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20), and we are aliens and strangers in the world (1 Peter 2:11).

Nonetheless, our purpose for being here is to advance the Gospel message that has redeemed and transformed us, to be salt and light in a decayed and dark world, and to live out life in the way God intended life to be lived before a watching world (cf. John 17:15-21).

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ties of faith—the spiritual family and the biological family.

The spiritual family is the church, entrance to which is based on obeying the will of the Father and experiencing the new birth (Matt. 46-50; John 1:1213; Matt. 16:18). Brothers and sisters in Christ need each other as a spiritual community of faith to stimulate the growth of individuals, as well as the body as a whole (Heb. 10:24-25; Eph. 4:11-13).

But the biological family continues to play a major role in God’s program. Marriage is a relationship in which husbands and wives mutually nurture each other’s transformation, while the parental role is designed to nurture children to know the will of God for their lives and help them to grow as whole persons reflecting the image of Christ (Eph. 5:22—6:4).

A disciple-making ministry accepts its responsibility to equip families, so that husbands and wives can nurture each other and so that parents can nurture their own children. In turn, the responsibility of the family is to be the training grounds for the next generation of leaders within the church (e.g., 1 Tim. 3:4-5; Tit. 1:6-7).

Discipleship is developed within the spiritual family and the biological family.

Disciple-making ministries unite these two families and show how they work to support and strengthen each other.

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from the university to the city

The Road To Leadership seeds for culture change are planted as the lives of our

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future leaders—and the universities they attend—are transformed by

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God. Specifically, as students who are well-positioned to ascend to roles of influence learn to seek God, grow in their faith, and develop

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a thoughtful, Christ-centered worldview, they will be prepared to engage culture effectively. This is at the heart of University Christian Union’s work at Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale.

as these students graduate, christian union’s ministry to

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its alumni and their peers—City Christian Union—will help them

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the early 1800s. Pray that God will bring similar change to the U.S. as new networks of leaders emerge and engage today’s culture.

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to England through William Wilberforce and the Clapham Circle in

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multiplied. This model was used by the Lord to bring sweeping change

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in key cultural centers, starting in New York City, their impact will be

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take the next step. By developing networks of like-minded believers

15 Justin Mills, Christian Union’s ministry director at Penn (center), with students David Moore ’17 and Courtney Kobata ’17

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Spiritual Coaching Christian Union Ministry Fellow Leads by Example by eileen scott, senior writer

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While Christian Union faculty teach rigorous and intellectually rich Bible courses to students at some of the nation’s leading universities, they also walk alongside the young adults through troubling times, stressful semesters, and doubts about their faith.

Serving as role models and mentors, ministry fellows like Scott Jones open their hearts and lives to students, emulating Christ as they share what it means to live a seeking God lifestyle.

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Ryan Benitez ’15 said mentoring from Christian Union Ministry Fellow Scott Jones helped him grow as a believer during his Princeton years.

Jones (Cornell ’04) holds both a Master of Divinity and Master of Theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has been a ministry fellow at Princeton for seven years. He has enjoyed mentoring students and demonstrating what it looks like to be a Christian scholar, a professional, a family man, and, according to one student, “just a cool guy.”

“Walking alongside a student for four years, being there for the good and the bad, and watch-

ing Christ’s formative work up close is one of the greatest joys of my work on campus,” said Jones.

For example, for the past four years Jones has mentored two Princeton athletes who have overcome obstacles and now stand ready to lead others.

Blake Thomsen ’17 was a shortstop with the Princeton baseball team. He dreamed of being a professional athlete and was enjoying life as an Ivy League student. But two years ago, Thomsen developed a severe hip problem that landed him in a wheelchair and led to two surgeries. His graduation was delayed and his college baseball career was halted. And the dream of playing in the big leagues faded.

With the mentorship and encouragement of Jones, however, Thomsen learned not to be defined by his circumstances, but rather to identify with Christ’s suffering.

“Scott was essential in shaping my view of how to suffer,” said Thomsen, noting that Jones painted a biblical picture of suffering that reminded him that God uses pain and loss for good.

“I realized that I had a profound opportunity to emulate Jesus in a way that is difficult to do, but was exceptionally powerful,” he said.

Thomsen has since recovered and is on his way to playing baseball again.

As Jones points out, the road to redemptive suffering and physical healing was not simple to navigate nor was it lined with optimism.

“I’ve watched Blake shed tears and admit his anger at times, but he has courageously held fast to Christ through it all,” said Jones. “Without question, he’s taught me as much about battling idolatry and enduring suffering as I’ve taught him…Maybe, I’ve learned more.”

The challenge faced by hockey goalie Ryan Benitez ’15 wasn’t physical, but spiritual, as he faced doubt about who Christ really is.

Benitez said he had faith in God when he entered Princeton, but wasn’t convicted about the Lordship of Jesus until his sophomore year.

the mark of a true disciple; according to Jones, After admitting his doubts about Christianity these two scholar athletes stand ready to share to Jones, Benitez became open to discovering distheir own lives to impact their classmates. cipleship through Jesus Christ. Responding with understanding, rather than judgment, Jones created a “Walking alongside a student for four years, safe environment of combeing there for the good and the bad, and passion and guidance in which Benitez could ex- watching Christ’s formative work up close is plore his beliefs, helping one of the greatest joys of my work on campus.” to usher in a time of hon—Scott Jones, Christian Union Ministry Fellow est reflection and healing.

Jones said, “Ryan cares deeply about pleasing God and seeks to walk daily in a manner worthy of the Gospel.” Further, he added, Benitez seeks to understand the deep and practical questions of faith in order to live rightly.

Living a righteous life in the sight of God is

“Both Blake and Ryan are incredibly trusted voices on their teams and among their peers. Each of them has intentionally taken younger guys under their wings to help them follow Christ at Princeton,” said Jones. | cu

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Engaging Communication Students Exhibit Boldness in Speech Class by eileen scott, senior writer

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believe it,” said Garrett.

As students who are very active in Christian Union’s leadership development ministry at Cornell, Mistur and Garrett are engaged in a seeking God lifestyle, which includes a deep commitment to prayer, studying the Bible, and promptly obeying the Spirit.

“Before my speech, I prayed for confidence and that glory would go to God,” Mistur said. “It went more smoothly than any time I had practiced it.”

Garrett said his faith kept him grounded as he prepared.

“I just wanted to trust that it was a topic God could use in order to get just even a remnant of the Gospel out to people,” He said.

Both students credited being part of Christian Union’s vibrant campus ministry as a factor in giving them boldness to put their faith into action.

“Because I am part of a body of believers here, I feel like I can take the challenges of being on a liberal campus and utilize them to grow, rather

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Two students took a classroom assignment and used it for God’s glory, buoyed by the strength and courage they received from participating in Christian Union’s ministry at Cornell.

In their Oral Communications class, Elisabeth Mistur ’17 and Nashon Garrett ’16 each chose to present a position that runs contrary to popular views. Mistur discussed the public policy issue of whether to require women to view their ultrasounds before an abortion; Garrett spoke about creation being taught alongside evolution in science classes.

“I knew right away that I wanted to pick the topic of abortion and use the opportunity to share with classmates about what abortion really is,” said Mistur.

Garrett also used his presentation to educate classmates on a view that is often discounted in the academy.

“People are so used to believing things without understanding or thinking about why they

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than compromise in the face of a challenge,” said Mistur.

Garrett agrees.

“Christian Union helps me stay accountable in my relationship with God and His body,” he said. “I know there is a community of believers who are praying and seeking God and who have my back when I am going through hard things.”

“The community within Christian Union at Cornell has made the most impact on me. God wants unity in the body; there is so much power when we are together.”

In his presentation, Garrett stressed the importance of scholarly exploration of both creation and evolution.

“We should provide students with enough information to be able to choose how to view different theories,” he said. “Teaching them to see the similarities and differences will lead them to reason and think for themselves in other areas of conflict, rather than just accepting one view without question.”

Despite taking potentially polarizing stances on these “controversial” issues, the students were not met with ridicule or backlash from their peers. However, Mistur was surprised at the level of ignorance regarding abortion.

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Both students credited being part of Christian Union’s vibrant campus ministry as a factor in giving them boldness to put their faith into action.

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“I was holding back tears and shocked by the honest unawareness in the room,” said Mistur. “I really do not think a single classmate in that room could have explained to me how an abortion works – what the procedure actually is or what happens to the fetus.”

The communications major specifically credited the mentoring she received from Christian Union Ministry Fellow Anna Shea with helping her to make bold choices.

“I have been challenged in my faith and put in situations where I have a decision either to com-

Elisabeth Mistur ’17 turned a classroom assignment into an opportunity to educate her peers about the horrors of abortion.

promise or to stand firm on the Word of God,” said Mistur. “Being in a Christian community has allowed me to continue to grow in the Word of God and be encouraged to stand on Christ as my rock.”

And upon that rock, Mistur hopes to continue to develop as a strong witness and a solid servant leader.

“Elisabeth makes the most of every opportunity,” said Christian Union Ministry Fellow Anna Shea. “Speaking about abortion to her speech class constitutes just one of many opportunities she has seized to express the value God places on human life.”

Mistur is also producing a series of pieces for a print-making class that celebrate the beauty of the human figure from conception to birth. Additionally, she gave a presentation to a gathering of ten resident advisors about issues related to abortion and abstinence.

“I couldn’t be more proud of her courage,” said Shea. | cu

Christ in Community Winter Conference Fires up Students by catherine elvy, staff writer

ora of outside activities, including sledding and hiking. One afternoon, the students tied together eight tubes and sledded over a ramp topped with fresh snow.

“No one was left standing afterwards,” added Doyle, recalling the resulting moment of exhilaration and hilarity.

Nonetheless, the spiritual aspects of the conference remained the central focus.

During the Saturday evening lecture, Woodard explained how Christ’s crucifixion points believers to the need to bear one another’s burdens and tangibly demonstrate care and compassion for each other.

“God really stirred in me a hunger to know and love Him more.”

—Gianna Uson, Brown ’18

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“It forms the theological basis for who we are as a community at Brown,” Woodard said.

On Saturday morning, Doyle probed how the Lord’s very name forms a basis for faith and for relationship with the Almighty.

In Exodus 34: 6 and 7, as He passed before Moses on Mount Sinai, God proclaimed Himself as “The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin.”

Such insights proved inspiring to the students.

“How great it is that we as believers serve a God who is so accessible and desires to reveal Himself to us?” said Jordan. “He wants to get personal with us; and His faithfulness inevitably draws us closer to Him.” Such perspectives are critical as Christian Union expands at Brown, where many students arrive without biblical foundations.

Overall, ministry leaders and students say they are energized by the growth of the campus minis-

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Christian Union’s leadership development ministry at Brown University hosted its inaugural winter conference in February. Held at a retreat center in Plainfield, New Hampshire, the conference featured teaching on core elements of the faith, including the study of Scripture, and the corporate aspects of Christian living.

“We wanted the students to desire what faith should look like vertically and horizontally,” said Matt Woodard, Christian Union’s ministry director at Brown.

With 16 students in attendance, the ministry’s leaders were pleased with the turnout and enthusiasm for the weekend, which took place as many students were approaching a round of exams.

“It was just the right size for students to connect at the right level,” said Justin Doyle, a Christian Union ministry fellow.

The weekend also provided a respite from campus stresses, though, not surprisingly, some students spent their free time in study sessions.

“The weekend was a much-needed reminder to rest in Christ and a great opportunity to be spiritually refreshed,” said Gianna Uson ’18.

“God really stirred in me a hunger to know and love Him more.”

Josiah Jordan ’18 echoed those comments.

“The fellowship we all shared was filled with agape love and edification,” said Jordan.

As part of ongoing leadership training, the students were given ownership of the conference, to direct everything from worship to the large and small group sessions to the social times.

The undergraduates especially benefited from a student’s presentation on methods to study the Bible.

“You could just see that students really appreciated hearing from one of their peers,” Doyle said. “The students desire to grow in the study of the Word. They were thanking him.”

On a lighter note, the students enjoyed a pleth-

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Sixteen students with Christian Union’s new ministry at Brown University participated in the inaugural winter conference.

try, which launched in the fall.

So far, about 30 students are participating in Bible courses, which are focusing on the elements of a seeking God lifestyle.

“We have a lot of momentum,” said Woodard.

“We’re learning the campus and culture. We’re learning what makes students at Brown unique.”

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Overall, ministry leaders and students say they are energized by the growth of the campus ministry, which launched in the fall.

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So far, about 30 students are participating in Bible courses, which are focusing on the elements of a seeking God lifestyle.

Ministry leaders also celebrated the conference as a milestone, one that marked the group’s first solo conference. In September, shortly after launching on Brown’s campus, 11 undergraduates took part in the ministry’s joint excursion with the team from Christian Union’s ministry at Harvard College.

Following their winter conference, the students returned to Brown with renewed passion for spiritual growth and camaraderie.

“God had His way during the weekend and allowed for such a smooth-flowing, relaxing, enjoyable, and inspiring weekend,” said Uson. “God has really been moving in the ministry at Brown, and I am extremely excited and expectant for what’s to come.”

Jordan echoed those comments, calling the conference “the start of something great.”

As the spring semester began to come to an end, the Christian Union faculty at Brown said the fall and winter conferences, Bible courses, and one-on-one mentoring made a big difference with students.

“During the year, Matt Woodard and I met with student after student, many who are now deeply connected to the community God is forming here at Brown. These students, and so many others, have been shaped and molded more and more into the image of Christ through opportunities God has made available and through the presence of Christian Union at Brown,” said Doyle.

“God is in this place! He is here, He has been here, and He will continue to be here, spreading the truths and hope of the Gospel into the darkest places of this campus, redeeming lost and broken students, and turning the tide of an unjust and cruel culture to be in line with the values of His Kingdom.” | cu

Examining the Big Questions Christian Union Hosts Wintersession Lectures by catherine elvy, staff writer

history),” said Wood.

As for Rittenhouse, the physics major tackled the topic of faith and science by spotlighting the difference between agents and mechanisms. “Science is a study of mechanisms. It doesn’t say anything about the agent who may use that,” he said. “The things God does are not necessarily repeatable.”

Likewise, the students enjoyed a conversation about unexplainable spiritual events. “It ended on a really positive note,” said Rittenhouse of the series. “In a skeptical world, it helped provide vocabulary to discuss [spiritual] events.”

The lectures prompted a lively conversation on personal miracles and encounters with God.

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Don Weiss, Christian Union’s ministry director at Harvard, has been impressed with Wood’s and Rittenhouse’s passion for the Gospel and servant-hearted approach to campus ministries in Boston. Giving the students this kind of apologetic teaching over Wintersession helped to create momentum going into the spring semester.

Brandon Price ’17, a member of the outreach team for Christian Union’s ministry at Harvard, described Wood and Rittenhouse as “very knowledgeable on apologetics. It’s encouraging to know that there are intellectuals who do take the claims of the Bible seriously.”

Price said he especially appreciated the commitment of the speakers to presenting the Gospel alongside solid apologetics during the recent series.

“From what I could tell, students enjoyed the thorough examination of historical evidence for the resurrection from Alycia, and they also really enjoyed Nathan’s reasoning for why science and faith don’t conflict,” he said.

“They all came out deeply encouraged.” | cu

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A group of students with Christian Union’s ministry at Harvard College probed some of Christianity’s toughest questions during the Wintersession break.

In collaboration with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, the students hosted three talks in January in Boylston Hall to examine questions that are core to the faith. The topics included the resurrection of Christ, the intersection of science and faith, and why God is sometimes perceived as hidden.

“We had some really good discussions,” said Brian Zhang ’15, a member of the ministry’s outreach team.

During Harvard’s Wintersession, just before the commencement of the spring semester, campus organizations offer a variety of enrichment courses and opportunities.

Students with Christian Union’s leadership development ministry at Harvard developed the idea for the training sessions after an undergraduate led a discussion on apologetics over the 2014 break. Once the spring semester started, the students resumed their regular Christian Union Bible Courses, weekly leadership lecture series, times of prayer and seeking God, and campus outreach events.

Alycia Wood and Nathan Rittenhouse, interns with Ravi Zacharias Ministries, partnered with Christian Union to host the discussions. Zhang noted the lectures prompted a lively conversation on personal miracles and encounters with God. For her session, Wood highlighted some of the historical evidence for the resurrection of Christ, including the writings of Roman historian Tacitus, who referenced early Christians in his work, Annals. The manuscripts of another historian, Flavius Josephus, also include mentions of Christ and the origins of Christianity.

The students “were excited to learn there are so many outside sources (corroborating Christian

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Times of Refreshing Conference Helps Unite Christian Union’s Penn Ministry by catherine elvy, staff writer

Students involved in Christian Union’s leadership development ministry at the University of Pennsylvania focused on biblical community building during the organization’s second annual winter conference.

In January, 41 students and Christian Union ministry fellows ventured an hour northwest of campus to the Refreshing Mountain Retreat and Adventure Center in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In a nod to the event’s core theme, organizers said they especially were pleased that the

and ran much of the event, planning everything from worship to an evening of student entertainment and skits. More importantly, the students welcomed opportunities to study the Bible, worship, pray, and bond with one another.

“The best part of the conference was connecting with other students,” said Kaitlyn Lapp ’18, who served on the event’s planning crew. In addition to the rich biblical teaching and worship, “We also spent some time playing games and laughing, and that strengthens relationships that

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Christian Union’s leadership development ministry at the University of Pennsylvania journeyed to Refreshing Mountain Retreat and Adventure Center in Lancaster County for its second annual winter conference.

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number of students who participated more than doubled from the ministry’s inaugural winter conference in 2014.

“This conference far exceeded our expectations,” said John Cunningham, a Christian Union ministry fellow.

Cunningham and Justin Mills (Penn ’05), Christian Union director of undergraduate ministry at Penn, served as the main speakers, highlighting passages from Second Corinthians as they emphasized the essential nature of community building in Christianity.

The students took ownership of the conference

carry back to campus.”

Along those lines, the undergraduates took advantage of small group sessions to relate better to one another and share common struggles.

“Being in a place where it’s expected that you share your real feelings and troubles is such a different environment from what we’re accustomed to,” Lapp said, referring to an intense academic culture. “The conference helped to get me off to a great start for the semester, both spiritually and in my relationships with other students.”

Brigida Altamirano ’17, also a member of the ministry’s executive team, echoed those comments.

“Over the course of the weekend, it was encouraging for me to see students interacting with and getting to know people they hadn’t known well or at all before,” said Altamirano.

Likewise, Rosalie Doerksen ’17, treasurer of Christian Union’s ministry at Penn, said she was inspired to see the growth in the organization, which launched in fall 2013.

“To have watched God pour out His blessings on this ministry is absolutely a testament to how God is faithful to those who trust in Him,” said Doerksen. “During the conference, I spent some time observing the interactions of those around me and was happy to see the tangible, filial love that everyone in this group shares.”

Doerksen also enjoyed witnessing how the students are “diverse in every way imaginable, but we all share a passion for Christ and will to love one another… That is what ties us all together. Of course, our differences make conversations much

more interesting, as well.”

For Cunningham, the spiritual aspects of the getaway remained central to the group’s mission on campus.

“The conference helped to get me off to a great start for the semester, both spiritually and in my relationships with other students.”

—Kaitlyn Lapp ’18 “The benefit of winter conference is it comes right on the heels of winter break, when people are getting ready to launch into second semester,” Cunningham said.

“It provides real clarity as to what it looks like to live in Christian community.” | cu

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Engaging Culture on Campus CU Ministry Hosts Panel on Race, Lecture with Darrell Bock by eileen scott, senior writer

2015 :: christianunion.org

self-segregate, intentionally and unintentionally,” said Kalu Ogbureke ’16, the president of the ministry. “On campus, there was no foundation for substantive conversation between those with different perspectives. The quality of dialogue was severely lacking and we felt compelled to do our part.”

Ogbureke served as moderator for the panel, where he posed questions to Rev. Joseph Tsang (Vision Church), Rev. Kevin Hart (Christ Crucified Fellowship), and Dr. Anthony Bradley, Associate Professor of Theology and Ethics at The King’s College. Each responded candidly about racial unity and the church’s role in forming a cohesive body.

“Our burden is to see that human relationships are what God intended for them to be— characterized by love, union, and intimacy,” said Bradley.

All three panelists noted that social justice and

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What does the Gospel have to say about race?

That was a question asked by students involved with Christian Union’s ministry at Columbia University this winter.

As the fall semester was coming to a close, Jim Black, Christian Union’s ministry director at Columbia, and Yolanda Solomon, a ministry fellow, encouraged the students to be a voice on campus following nationwide racial unrest.

On February 5, the leadership development ministry hosted a student-led forum entitled Race and the Gospel, which provoked discussion on a topic not often explored within the Church. The goal was to present a compelling vision to the wider campus on this topic and offer a deeper understanding of how the Gospel affects the way we view race and racial reconciliation.

“As diverse as we are, people still typically

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hosting the forum also provided an opportunity for the students to grow as Christian leaders who would be aware of the personal and social implications of racial divides.

Also in the spring semester, Dr. Darrell Bock, a professor of New Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary, was the guest speaker at the ministry’s leadership lecture series. Dr. Bock addressed historical issues of the Gospels and the New Testament. He left plenty of time for Q & A, so that students could ask him about the specific issues that arise from discussions of the Bible in the Core Curriculum classes at Columbia.

At one point a student asked, “Could you say something about “the lost gospels”? Dr. Bock responded with humor, “Well, I actually wrote a book called The Lost Gospels, so how much do you want Kalu Ogbureke ’16, the president of Christian Union’s leadership development me to say?” ministry at Columbia, organized “The Gospel and Race” forum in the spring “The students benefited a great semester. deal from his scholarly insight and relatable teaching,” said Jesse Peterson, a Christian Union ministry fellow at ther King, Jr.’s view that Sunday morning is the Columbia. most segregated time of the week, the speakers Several students involved with this leadership called for a more unified church that welcomes development ministry at Columbia participated the uniqueness of God’s people. in the annual Christian Union Spring Break ProjOgbureke and his peers accomplished what ect in New York City. Students served with varithey had set out to do, which was to develop a ous ministries across the city during their week off forum that would lead to frank discussion about from classes. | cu how Christians can and ought to walk alongside their brothers and sisters of different racial and

...................................... ethnic backgrounds. The roughly 100 students who attended the event reflected a cross section of the cultural diversity represented at Columbia, Christian Union’s including representatives from the Black Students Social Media Links: Organization and the African Students Association.

“I knew that our ministry could tackle the Twitter.com/ChristianUnion issue of race in a way that seeks to heal and reconcile the Columbia community by inspiring honest but humble dialogue,” said Ogbureke. In addition to engaging the culture about racism, Facebook.com/Christian.Union

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racial equality are fundamental ideals of the faith, yet each agreed that the Church is often fractured along racial lines. In reference to Dr. Martin Lu-

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A European Connection Dartmouth Students Embark on Mission Trip to Germany by eileen scott, senior writer

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said Alexakos, “but the ministry leaders at Dartmouth have done a phenomenal job of reorienting my idea of prayer and what priority it takes in life.”

The ministry’s rigorous Bible courses and oneon-one mentoring from ministry fellows helped Alexakos better understand and appreciate his missionary work.

“I learned how we should strive to make the Gospel impact everything we do,” he said, admitting that, in the past, he often enjoyed the physical labor of mission work more than sharing the Word.

“But this trip brought the Gospel back into focus for me,” he said. “The biggest take-away was that the Gospel is the greatest good we can do for people.”

In joining with others from Connexxion to do the good work of spreading God’s Word, the Dartmouth students enjoyed the unity of being children of God and a wondrous familiarity of meeting a distant sister or brother in Christ.

“There’s a beauty in having lunch with a believer who grew up halfway around the world from you. It’s like meeting an old friend,” stated Fernandez-Lizarraga.

Cultivating friendships within the body of Christ, and building new relationships with and emulating God’s compassion to non-Christians were concrete ways students were able to impact the secular campus.

“The way we love and care for others around us, beyond a normal human level of concern, is the Spirit witnessing to nonbelievers,” said Alexakos.

While the city of Bonn may not fit the stereotypical mission field, such as one in need of disaster relief, it is typically a spiritually barren place.

“I saw that while the church may sometimes forget about a particular mission field, Christ does not forget,” said Alexakos. | cu

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During winter break, a team of students with Christian Union’s ministry at Dartmouth set out on a mission to impact peers at one of the most secular institutions in Germany.

From December 5 through 13, the students partnered with Connexxion, a campus ministry in Europe, to help bring God’s Word to Bonn University. The trip was led by Christ Redeemer Church, which is near the Dartmouth campus.

The team visited dining halls at the large college and invited students to evening social activities, where they sought to present the Good News of the Gospel.

“At the events, we would engage with the students to try to figure out where they were at in life and connect with them,” said Josh Alexakos ’17.

Evelyn Fernandez-Lizarraga ’16, a member of Christian Union’s ministry at Dartmouth, said the ministry’s teaching and training helped her be a leader on the winter trip to Germany.

“Christian Union gave me an opportunity to put [my gifts for teaching, mentoring, and communication] into practice and develop them further,” said Fernandez-Lizarraga.

Working as an assistant Bible course leader with Christian Union’s ministry at Dartmouth has taught her how to minister to young women and be a mentor. That was helpful in reaching out to the Bonn students, she said.

Studying the Bible has also helped Fernandez-Lizarraga nurture a greater sense of confidence and trust in God. “Part of the beauty of finding my identity in Christ is the freedom to fail. Knowing that ultimately, I’m defined by my faith in Christ and not by my works, allows me to take risks, to step out of my comfort zone without fear,” she said.

Alexakos also appreciates the Christian Union ministry for its emphasis on a prayerful, seeking God lifestyle.

“I’ve always struggled with a desire to pray,”

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Finals, Family, and Faith Christian Union Faculty Helps Law Students Maintain Balance by eileen scott, senior writer

Being a Harvard Law student is quite a challenge. Add being a spouse and parent, and you’ve got a balancing act to rival the Flying Wallendas. Some Harvard Law students with families are maintaining equilibrium by keeping their eyes on Christ and following the lead of Christian Union faculty at Harvard Law School.

Jim Garretson, Christian Union’s ministry director at Harvard Law, and Jared Wortman, a ministry fellow, are husbands and fathers who model both professionalism and family life. Garretson, the father of five, is an ordained minister

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Christian Union Faculty at Harvard Law, Jim Garretson (right) and Jared Wortman

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with a doctorate in homiletics from Westminster Seminary California. Wortman, a father to two preschoolers, holds a Master of Theological Studies from Duke Divinity School.

Garretson said personal example is critical in shaping future leaders. “We become like the people with whom we spend time,” he explains. With students, he seeks to demonstrate the importance of self-discipline, stewardship of time, and the need to prioritize.

Garretson said Bible courses, prayer, and reflection upon the relationship between faith and the application of law are vitally important for

students now and as they pursue their careers.

First-year law student Christopher Burkhalter has been married just over a year; he and his wife, Alicia, had their first child right before finals. The new parents found the spiritual and practical guidance from the Christian Union team to be instrumental in learning to balance a demanding study schedule with the responsibility of parenthood.

Burkhalter says the level of care within the Christian Union ministry goes beyond teaching.

The faculty is involved in their lives, he said, and that produces a sense of family in an otherwise highly competitive and driven environment.

“They give us a ton of support,” said Burkhalter, noting that the Wortmans even shared baby items with them.

The Burkhalters have also come to appreciate the value the ministry fellows place on time management and emulating Christ. “It’s the sacrifices you see them make to ensure they are being obedient [to God] and to help train others to be obedient,” said Burkhalter.

Beyond family life, the Christian Union ministry fellows also encourage students to think about what it will be like to be attorneys who follow Christ. Garretson already sees spiritual and leadership maturity in Burkhalter, who plans to enter the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps after graduation.

Garretson says Burkhalter’s love for God takes priority, and that gives him proper perspective on the goals and objectives he has for his life and the care of his family.

“Graced with a teachable and humble spirit, Chris models the servant-like outlook that must underlie those who would become leaders of others,” Garretson said. “His combination of self-discipline and growing Christian maturity has enabled him to keep a good balance between family, church, and law school responsibilities.”

Christian Union ministry fellows encourage

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students to handle their responsibilities with godly care and a servant-leader’s heart, whether they are in the living room or the courtroom.

For Burkhalter, that means being attentive to each area of his life. He is able to focus on his studies and then switch gears to care for his wife and daughter with the same level of diligence.

“Keeping things in perspective keeps the anx-

iety down,” said Burkhalter, who knows there are other priorities in life, including making time for morning reading, prayer, and reflection.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the bubble of Harvard Law and think that it’s your whole world. It’s not about the rat race. It’s about being faithful and a good steward of the opportunities God has given me and His call on my life.” | cu

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Compassion, Truth, and Same-Sex Attraction Book Study Empowers Students to Reach out by catherine elvy, staff writer

Student believers desiring to reflect Christ on college campuses often encounter barriers when it comes to sharing their faith with classmates who struggle with homosexual desires.

That issue can be especially magnified at Yale University, which has been dubbed for decades as the “Gay Ivy.”

Wesley Hill describes in his 2010 book.

“One of the challenges I have faced as a student at Yale was to figure out how to speak to the issue of homosexuality with compassion, but also with truth,” said Boesl. “People have a very strong perception of how Christians view homosexuality, usually in a very negative way.”

For Boesl, the issue surfaced as the baritone

—Marcus Boesl, Yale ’14

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interacted with students involved with Yale’s vibrant a cappella community. “We would talk and they would say, ‘This whole idea of Christianity is really beautiful, but I don’t see how my sexuality can co-exist with that,’” Boesl said.

“That’s a pretty common experience for students here as they are having conversations with their friends.”

As for Hill, the self-identified celibate Christian offered a glimpse into the challenges of wrestling with same-sex attractions while wanting to serve

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Given the issues evangelicals may face when interacting with peers who grapple with same-sex attractions, a Christian Union intern hosted a book study on the subject throughout the spring semester.

Marcus Boesl, Yale ’14, led a study around Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality. About 15 male and female undergraduates involved in Christian Union’s leadership development ministry at Yale met once a month on Wednesday nights to discuss the issues

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“One of the challenges I have faced as a student at Yale was to figure out how to speak to the issue of homosexuality with compassion, but also with truth.

People have a very strong perception of how Christians view homosexuality, usually in a very negative way.”

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God. Hill also explains that believers who choose celibacy over homosexual activity encounter loneliness, and they crave meaningful relationships.

During Boesl’s study, the Yale undergraduates talked about ways they can support individuals who battle homosexual desires, but want to honor Christ with sexual purity. Much of the discussions centered on the sinful tendencies all believers wrestle with throughout their lifetimes, including some that are more intense during youth.

“Everyone is broken.

This is just a particular area,” said Boesl, who led the discussions at the Pennington Center, Christian Union’s ministry center at Yale.

“We’re learning how to share our brokenness as we talk to our friends on campus.”

On a campus that A group of students involved in Christian broadcasts a cultural Union’s ministry at Yale University message of freedom and participated in a study of Wesley Hill’s tolerance in sexuality, book, Washed and Waiting: Reflections on the students explored Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality. the benefits of following God’s design and the dangers of stepping outside His plan.

At the same time, they discussed the compassion and value that all people crave, as well as the fear of judgment and analysis that keeps some young adults, especially those dealing with homosexual attractions, from seeking spiritual support.

“One of the big stereotypes is the Christian view is old-fashioned, bigoted, arbitrary, and doesn’t reflect how life is,” said Boesl.

As well, the students have focused on ways to realize identity through Christ. “We are not primarily defined by our sexuality,” said Boesl. “As Christians, we are primarily defined as being in Christ.”

Christian Union Ministry Fellow Jon Yeager echoed those comments. “So much of the culture is

saying, ‘This is who you are. You cannot let Christianity take that away from you,’” Yeager said.

“Believers are defined by Christ.”

More importantly, God offers grace to transform all areas of human brokenness, a hope that resonates with Hill.

In Washed and Waiting, the Wheaton College alumnus describes his identity as “one who is forgiven and spiritually cleansed and my struggle as one who perseveres with a frustrating thorn in the flesh, looking forward to what God has promised to do.”

Hill encourages individuals who experience homosexual attractions to seek refuge in a spiritual community.

“In so doing, they may find, as I have, by grace, that being known is spiritually healthier than remaining behind closed doors, that the light is better than the darkness,” Hill wrote.

Yeager agreed.

God intended for His followers to enjoy intimacy with Christ, while finding support and deep friendships within a community of believers.

“The Christian community needs to be at the forefront of embracing those with struggles” and provide a “safe place to struggle through the confusion of desires of all sorts,” said Yeager.

“Most homosexuals are scared to be in an evangelical church,” which should function as the embodiment of true Christian relationships.

After all, God intended for His followers to enjoy intimacy with Christ, while finding support and deep friendships within a community of believers.

“It’s a beautiful, creative intent to be knit together in God’s harmony and unity,” Yeager said.

“It goes beyond sexuality. God’s plan for humanity and those in Christ is for people to share such intimacy and self-giving love.” | cu

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Christian Union: ‘A Movement With Momentum’ Princeton Alumnus Recalls Discipleship during Formative Years by sarah camp

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hen Tim Kuo ’96 arrived at Princeton as an undergraduate, he wanted to be part of a Christian community, but admits he didn’t expect Christ to be central to his college experience. That all changed for the Palo Alto, California, native within his first week when he met Matt Bennett and Dan Knapke through Cru, the ministry formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ. In the 1990s, Matt (who later founded Christian Union) was the director of Campus Crusade at Princeton, and Dan (now Christian Union’s chief operating and development officer) was a staff member.

Through his involvement in a college ministry, God provided Tim with Christian examples worth emulating. At that formative stage of life, having relationships with more mature believers who were “content and secure in Christ, who could radiate the joy of being in Christ” changed Tim’s life. He remembers, “I wanted that for myself.”

Soon, Tim was spurred to pursue a more Christ-centered life and a more rigorous study of the Bible. At the same time, as he came to a better understanding of the doctrines of the faith, mentors challenged him to learn to convey the Truth with love and grace.

“I was eager to engage in deep discussions with my roommates and provide the Christian perspective,” Tim recalls. “Matt, in particular, encouraged me to learn to do this with more grace.

I wasn’t always successful, but the support I received helped me learn to share my faith in a way I had not done before.”

Laura Heinemann Kuo ’96 hails originally from Marietta, Georgia. She arrived at Princeton firmly rooted in faith and was active in Princeton Evangelical Fellowship as a student. Her experience with a campus ministry was instrumental for her as well; she credits the ministry with helping her pursue biblical teaching and forging lifelong friendships.

You might say Tim and Laura met over molecular biology. In the summer before their senior years, Tim and Laura were both on campus working in the laboratory and on their senior theses.

They had mutual friends, too, and were part of a dinner group comprised of students from different campus ministries.

One night in particular stands out for Tim. The rest of the dinner group was deep in discussion about some controversial theological topic, but Tim was paying closer attention to Laura: “I was just amazed at how deep and thoughtful she was (and beautiful, too!). On the walk home, I told a friend I thought I was going to marry Laura one day!”

True to his word, Tim married Laura one year after graduation.

Together, the two continued their respective educations. On each campus they saw and experienced the vital importance of campus ministries, and they contributed to the impact of these ministries as well. After Princeton, for example, both found ways to engage with campus ministry while at Vanderbilt. After completing her master’s degree in biology, Laura went on staff with InterVarsity Graduate Christian Fellowship. While earning his MD at the Vanderbilt Medical School, Tim was active with Medical Campus Outreach.

From there, the couple went on to Stanford University for Tim’s medical residency and fellowship.

They have also been involved in a church’s college ministry together.

Today, the couple raises their children, daughter Sarah (12) and son Ian (8), in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area where Tim is an oncologist and Laura is a stay-at-home mom. Now that their children are getting older, she is gearing up to return to teaching. They attend Stonebridge Church (PCA).

Campus ministry, particularly at Princeton,

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remains close to both of their hearts: “Students coming to a secular institution and finding new independence have great spiritual needs during college. There is so much hunger for knowledge and truth during that time of life.”

“There are amazing opportunities to see Christ tangibly fill that hunger.”

With a connection to Christian Union’s founder stretching back to their undergraduate days, Tim and Laura knew something of the progress the ministry was making in developing Christian leaders in order to promote national culture change. Christian Union launched first, after all, at their alma mater.

Tim and Laura Kuo and their children, Sarah and Ian They were on board with Christian Union’s vision to pursue students and help them to experience life to the fullest in Christ.

Christian Union and other campus ministries do When the couple became closer, more active partfor students who are faithful to the Lord.” He and ners with the ministry, Tim says they felt blessed.

Laura believe God is using Christian ministries to “We were excited to hear firsthand how God was ‘reserve’ faithful Christians that will stand with advancing His kingdom on this campus.” each other in a challenging environment.

The couple is deeply mindful of the difficulty But there is more – Christians are transformof being a Christian at schools like Princeton. The ing the environment of Princeton itself. Tim and memory of his own feelings remains strong for Laura see that window of opportunity is open Tim: “I remember feeling lonely… in the classto maximize the Christian impact at Princeton. rooms, in the laboratory, and in the eating clubs, “We’re excited to see that take off!” when I felt like I was standing alone in what I Both Tim and Laura have hearts for campus believed.” ministry, shaped by their own transformative exIn those times, God brought Tim repeatedly periences. As Tim puts it, “One of the reasons I back to the story of Elijah in I Kings 19. In the support Christian Union today is because of the chapter, Elijah is hiding out in a cave, running lasting impact Christian mentors had on my life from Jezebel. He cries out to the Lord, “I am the during college. I want to help Christian Union’s only one left…” faculty have the same profound impact on stuIn response, God intimately appears to Elijah, dents.” and reveals that He has “reserved” seven thouAt every step, in ministry as in their life, Laura sand in Israel that will stand with Elijah; he is not and Tim trust the Lord: “We consider it a tremenalone, though he may feel that way. dous blessing that we can be involved with ChrisTim reflects, “That is a great picture of what tian Union – in whatever way God calls us.” | cu

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Tranformation and the West Os Guinness Speaks at NYCU Forum by catherine elvy, staff writer

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oung believers will help determine the outcomes of some of the top issues facing the world’s faith communities, including whether Western nations will return to their deep spiritual roots.

That was one of the themes from Os Guinness when the renowned author addressed a forum hosted by New York City Christian Union on January 13. The message was entitled “Renaissance: The Power of the Gospel, However Dark the Times.”

Though a conspicuous slate of Western nations are living in the twilight of Christendom, the Oxford-educated scholar and commentator noted the Gospel that transformed Europe’s once-barbaric continent Os Guinness and inspired its majestic cathedrals can once again beckon followers.

“There can be renewal and revival,” said Guinness.

Scott Crosby, director of New York City Christian Union, echoed those comments, noting believers are charged with a powerful mission to the far reaches of the planet.

“Our calling, as followers of Jesus Christ, includes not only the transformation of our personal lives, but also the transformation of the world we inhabit,” he said.

Guinness especially warned against Western believers embracing the “ridiculous theory” suggesting the nations of southern continents and the Far East Asia now get their turn at a supernatural movement, virtually to the exclusion of the faith’s cradle civilizations.

Instead, Western Christians should celebrate the dynamic spiritual renewal happening in the globe’s southern corridors, and they should help to prepare their new brethren for the dangers ahead associated with modernity.

To wit, the revivals touching the peoples of Latin America, Africa, China, and even India, are happening in developing regions where evangelism is simultaneously outstripping discipleship. Moving forward,

such converts need training, and they need to guard their fledgling faith against the spiritual complacency that often accompanies modern lifestyles.

As for Guinness, the prolific author has served as a senior fellow with the EastWest Institute, and is co-founder of the Trinity Forum.

Since relocating to the United States in 1984, Guinness has been a guest academic at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution.

As well, the eminent social critic is the great-great grandson of the famed Dublin brewery founder.

During his recent appearance in Manhattan, Guinness said that seasoned believers in Western nations and across distant lands should not give up hope.

Contemporary Christianity reflects diverse populations, and some sectors are experiencing explosive growth.

As well, Western history offers clear reminders of the transformative power of the Gospel, dating back to the Apostle Paul’s ventures to Greece and Italy. Such missions helped spread Christianity to Europe and motivated future generations to carry and instill the faith into the fabric of the colonial shores of the New World.

More recently, Christianity played a key role in the momentous reform movements of Western civilizations, especially those tied to human rights and slavery. “Most all of the reform movements were led by people who followed Jesus,” Guinness said.

Looking ahead, today’s youthful believers will be called upon to answer the critical questions of their generation, including ones that will determine the future of humanity and whether the West will reaffirm its Christian heritage.

“The Christian voice will be key in all of that discussion,” said Guinness. | cu

What’s Next...

Please pray for upcoming Christian Union events

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november

Prayer and Fasting Initiative Christian Union and believers across the nation will pray and fast for 40 days. See www.ChristianUnion.org/40Days to learn more.

Dallas, Texas Benefit Event An evening of celebration in Dallas, Texas to support the ministry of Christian Union in developing Christian leaders to transform culture.

New York City Benefit Event An evening of celebration in New York City to support the ministry of Christian Union in developing Christian leaders to transform culture.

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december

The Christian Worldview Session will provide an opportunity for students to engage deeply with the most arresting questions in relation to the viability of the Christian faith in today’s postmodern culture.

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Worldview Summer Session

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Nexus, the Christian Union Conference on Faith & Action (formerly the Ivy League Congress on Faith & Action) will be held April 1-3 in New Haven, Connecticut.

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dartmouth 45 harvard 4 8 penn 51 prince ton 5 4 ya l e 5 7

34 students at cornell university

reports from some of america’s most influential universities

The Spiritual Climate on Campus The following articles were written to keep readers informed about the spiritual atmosphere at some of America’s leading universities. Some stories will encourage you by highlighting ways God is working through other (non-Christian Union) ministries and alumni. Other articles— on news, trends, and events—are included to help motivate you to pray for these institutions, their students, faculty, and staff, and for all of the Christian ministries that work at these schools. ......................................................................................

BROW N | On Campus

Science, God, and Atheism VE RITA S FORUM AT B ROWN AT TR AC T S L ARGE CROWD

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

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University Fellowship (www.rufbrownrisd.org), Cru Brown (www. cru-brown.org), Cornerstone Magazine, and Rhode Island School of Design Christian Fellowship.

Student host Kenneth Kim ’17 described the forum as an opportunity to start conversations, rather than a debate.

“We are not here for final answers to every single question,” said Kim, a leader with Reformed University Fellowship. “We’re here

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Salomon Hall to probe whether there is a fundamental conflict between the scientific approach and faith in God. Longtime Brown biologist Ken Miller served as moderator of the 80-minute event that also featured audience queries.

Sponsors of the Veritas Forum included: Athletes in Action (www.aia-brown.org), The Branch (www.thebranchconnect.com), Brown Christian Fellowship (http:// blogs.brown.edu/bcf ), Reformed

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racticing science as a believer means having to accept some of the tensions between methodical scholarship and faith.

That was one of the themes from Hans Halvorson when the Princeton University philosopher appeared at Brown University during a Veritas Forum entitled Does Science Point to Atheism?

On February 11, Halvorson faced Brown biologist David Rand in front of hundreds of students in

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tonight for a discussion, a real discussion connecting truth to our hardest questions and our deepest beliefs.”

For his part, Rand said he focuses his worldview through the lens of cause-and-effect relationships, predictability, repeatability, and falsifiability. “For me, that’s a really important guiding light,” said Rand, Harvard ’80, Yale Ph.D. ‘87.

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In February, Princeton University Philosopher Hans Halvorson discussed some of the issues within the intersection of faith and the scientific approach when he appeared at Brown University during a Veritas Forum.

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However, Halvorson recognizes God as the supreme creator, and, as an academic, he inquires to “see what science has to say.”

Scientific fields tend to focus on structures and patterns in efforts to establish truths. Spiritual matters may lack similar types of rigid, measurable proofs, but such an absence does not equate with non-existence, according to Halvorson, who joined Princeton’s faculty in 2001.

Even the deeper theories of physics can involve mysterious elements, said Halvorson, who serves in both Princeton’s philosophy and

mathematics departments. New discoveries in physics open bigger, deeper questions.

Likewise, Halvorson accepts some of Christianity’s foundational backstories on faith. “God’s ways are not my ways,” he said.

While he does not commit himself to embrace logical contradictions, Halvorson acknowledged he is OK with some of the resulting tensions that emerge between proof-oriented methodologies and the faith he embraced as a high school student.

That is especially so as science sometimes ends up “having to rewrite itself,” Halvorson said. Wise practitioners are open to new data that sometimes clashes with established theories.

As such, Halvorson told Brown students to be willing to update their beliefs.

“All of you believe at least one false fact,” he said. “The challenge is to find out what that is and stop believing that… If you are a good, rational being, you will update your beliefs.”

For his part, Rand described himself as a near atheist who regards rowing as his virtual religion.

“I don’t think God should play a role in how I do science,” said Rand. “Genesis is entirely inconsistent with basic science. That’s not a hard issue to debate. It’s basically settled.”

Miller, the event’s moderator, frequently hits the speaking circuit to plug the case for evolutionary biology, which he does not regard as in conflict with belief in a supreme being.

Upon questioning from Miller of a more theological nature, Halvorson also noted he embraces the

scriptural account of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. “I believe, by default, all of the miracle stories of the Bible. They are part of the data in my overall view of the world,” Halvorson said.

In parallel, Halvorson’s commitment to Christianity also thrives.

“I wasn’t convinced of Christianity through intellectual means,” he said. “There was a point in my younger years, when Jesus Christ was the answer to my problems, personally. Since that time, I have been trying to follow that call…

My faith still stands.”

Such faith does not merely shape morality, it “also changes your intellectual life,” Halvorson said. It also inspires Halvorson to view the world as reflecting God’s handicraft and genius.

“If you think the universe was created by a being with a mind, something like an architect with a blueprint, I can reproduce a blueprint,” he said. “I find it a very satisfactory motivation.”

Still, Halvorson acknowledged that with academics, “our framework of what is true is so shaped by science.” As such, Halvorson admitted he is bothered when he encounters possible contradictions between science and scriptural texts. “Any serious Christian has to be a little bothered,” he said.

In recapping the event for Cornerstone Magazine, a student-run Christian journal for Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design, Monica Perez ’15 highlighted Halvorson’s cautions against using rigid methodology to determine truth.

“He presented the idea that truth can be discovered in ways that don’t necessarily have a structure,” Perez wrote. | cu

BROW N | On Campus

Fifty Shades of Hypocrisy S TUDE NT HE ALTH ORGANIZ ATI ON HOS T S B ON DAGE WORK S HOP

By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer

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sexologist and psychology professor at Columbia University, told ABC News. She explained BDSM participants often feel guilt and embarrassment and fear intimacy.

That lingering guilt and fear is not surprising, considering that BDSM is not about love, respect, or a covenant with God. Rather it’s about stoic contracts, consent, and pre-negotiated ground rules.

The New York Observer recently ran an article entitled “The Story of ‘No’: S&M Sex Clubs Sprout up on Ivy Campuses, and Coercion

The Observer article cites an Ivy League student who ventured into the S & M world and ended up with a knife held to her throat. The report states “she had sometimes felt forced into sex acts, including electrocution and fire play.” Because the girl was unfamiliar with BDSM, she convinced herself it was normal.

Even a leader with Conversio Virium, Columbia’s BDSM “education” organization, told the Observer that there is confusion over the meaning of “no” and admitted

That lingering guilt and fear is not surprising, considering that BDSM is not about love, respect, or a covenant with God.

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that young adults often “become easy targets.”

These kinds of facts stand in marked contrast to the notion that BDSM offers students an acceptable sexual outlet. And students like Lauren Galvan, Brown ’16, long for healthier discussions.

“I wish and I pray every day that Brown would start hosting more events related to having true healthy and respectful relationships,” said Galvan, a leader with the mental health organization Students for Samaritans. “BDSM is a practice that covers up psychologically-violent desires by putting them in a sexual context. It is the epitome of a dehumanizing and disrespectful practice.” | cu

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Becomes an Issue.” In the article, Susan Wright, a spokesperson for the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom admitted that “there is still confusion between consensual BDSM and assault.”

The Coalition is conducting a survey that, so far, indicates that 30 percent of the 5,000 respondents have had previously negotiated limits violated during a BDSM encounter.

That, says Wright, is “horrific.”

Even so, schools throughout the Ivy League have marketed events like Sex Week and the BDSM Workshop through the auspices of sexual health organizations. Harvard, Yale, and Columbia have recognized clubs devoted to BDSM practice.

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s colleges across the country institute measures to combat sexual assault, Brown University recently hosted a workshop on bondage, dominance, and sadistic/masochistic practices.

The BDSM Workshop was hosted by the Student Health Awareness Group on campus and generated discussion about the movie Fifty Shades of Grey. The workshop also addressed the importance of consent in such encounters, but discounted concerns that BDSM can lead to rape and assault.

According to an article in The Brown Daily News, event facilitators showcased devices used for inflicting pain and presented control-based encounters as normal and healthy. Additionally, rather than promoting sexual assault prevention by stating, “no means no,” student leaders introduced “safe words” to indicated when one has had enough.

Media claims that BDSM brings couples closer together were also presented at the workshop, the newspaper said.

Love and sex are often two different things in a campus hook-up culture that promotes casual relationships. Unlike loving intimacy, those practicing BDSM may have no actual intimate emotional contact, experts say.

“Some people cannot experience pleasure. They can only experience deep feelings when they are truly painful,” Judy Kuriansky, a

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Is Brown Becoming Theophobic?

In a column for The Brown Daily Herald last semester, Divya Bhatia ’15 asked if students and professors at her university were becoming “theophobic.” Bhatia noted “a tip-toeing” and lack of intellectual engagement around the topic of religion within the classroom for fear of offending others.

The article was entitled “Are religion and academics incompatible?”

Divya Bhatia, Brown ‘15

“To make students more comfortable, both as scholars and members of a faith group, we should make the effort to listen to various perspectives, rather than correlating religion with a lack of academic integrity,” Bhatia wrote.

Students Attend Augustine Collective Retreat Students involved with Cornerstone Magazine, Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design’s Christian journal, participated in the seventh annual Augustine Collective retreat in Boston. Some 15 campuses with student-run Christian magazines took part in the event, which was held January 23 to 25 in the

historic Park Street Church.

Speakers included James K.A. Smith, philosophy professor at Calvin College and author of Desiring the Kingdom and Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism?; Jordan Monge, Harvard ’12, former editor-in-chief of The Harvard Ichthus; and Jordan Hylden, Harvard ‘05, founder of The Harvard Ichthus.

Professor and author James K.A. Smith served as one of the speakers for the seventh annual Augustine Collective retreat.

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COLU M B I A | On Campus

Thomas Merton at 100

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UNIVERSIT Y HONORS TR APPIST MONK

By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer

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his year marks the 100th birthday of Thomas Merton ’38 and Columbia University commemorated the milestone with a three-month exhibit highlighting the Trappist monk’s extraordinary work as an author and his influence on the culture.

The Columbia University Library exhibit, Seasons of Celebration: Thomas Merton at 100, runs through May 29. The collection includes Merton’s papers and manuscripts, as well as pieces from his teachers, friends, and biographers.

Merton’s works as a student at Co-

lumbia are also incorporated in the collection, including illustrations he created for The Jester and a copy of The Columbian, which he edited.

Also showcased is a manuscript of Merton’s highly-acclaimed autobiography, The Seven Story Mountain.

Columbia Professor Mary Gordon opened the exhibit with a talk entitled “Merton and the Catholic Revival.”

Additionally, a commemorative mass was held at Corpus Christi Church, where Merton was baptized in 1938. Father Daniel

O’Reilly, Columbia Catholic chaplain and parish administrator of Corpus Christi, was the homilist for the mass.

Columbia University is deeply intertwined with the spiritual life of Thomas Merton, not only because of his conversion there, but because it is also where he began to discern his call to the religious life.

The Merton Lectures Series is held on campus each fall and his name adorns the Catholic Student Center.

At Columbia, Merton received

Yet, for other Christians, Merton has been an inspiration to draw more deeply and personally into communion with Christ and Christian living.

Father James Martin, Wharton ’82, and editor of America Magazine, watched a documentary about Merton while he was trying to discern his own purpose. Merton’s life seemed “interesting and peaceful and satisfying and fulfilling,” said Martin.

Father Raymond Rafferty, a former CorThe 100th birthday of prolific spiritual writer pus Christi pastor, said Thomas Merton, Columbia ’38, was celebrated on Merton continues to campus through an exhibition of his works. inspire Christians, many of whom still visit the works gave voice to the peace move- place of his baptism.

“I was always amazed at the ment of the 1960s and he received criticism from those who felt such number of people who visited Coractivism was inappropriate for a pus Christi from all over—so I saw monk. Merton continues to receive his influence even all these years afcritique from some Catholics and ter his death.” through his writings about war, the environment, and civil rights. His

Father O’Reilly, Princeton ’97, has encouraged students to read Merton’s autobiography, noting that the monk’s personal struggles mirror the challenges and doubts contemporary students face.

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As Rafferty told the Columbia Spectator, it was inspiring that “somebody from a monastery in Kentucky could be so aware of the issues of the world and concerned that we should be doing something about them.” | cu

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non-Catholics who take issue with his interest in Asian religion and his advocacy of East-West dialogue. He was visiting Thailand as part of a conference for Eastern and Western monks when he died in an accident in which he was electrocuted.

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spiritual direction from then Chaplain Father George Barry Ford.

Three years later, he entered the Abbey of Gethsemane in Kentucky, a Trappist monastic community that lives an ascetic lifestyle.

Merton penned more than 40 books of essays, poems, and religious writing. His works covered a breadth of topics including the contemplative life, spiritual identity, and self-enlightenment. In The Seven Story Mountain, Merton writes openly about the tragedies and challenges of his life, including his doubts and struggles with sin.

Father O’Reilly, Princeton ’97, has encouraged students to read Merton’s autobiography, noting that the monk’s personal struggles mirror the challenges and doubts contemporary students face.

“Columbia Catholic students should make sure to read that book before they graduate. His journey will sound remarkably similar to the journey of Catholic students today,” said O’Reilly.

For example, Merton endured the deaths of both of his parents at a young age, and spent a portion of his youth traveling throughout Europe and giving himself over to temptations. In his search for purpose and meaning, Merton experienced the angst and doubt common among young adults. He even experienced a season of agnosticism before discovering the writings of the great saints, such as Augustine, who inspired him toward a life of faith.

Although Merton entered the monastery and lived a life of solitude, he still engaged the culture

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COLU M B I A | On Campus

Patterns of Evidence PA N E L D I S C U S S I O N H E LD IN C O N J U N C T I O N W ITH R E LE A S E O F E X O D U S F I L M | By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

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panel of public figures, including two with ties to Columbia University, highlighted spiritual implications of the biblical account of Exodus in conjunction with the nationwide release of a documentary probing evidence for the epic liberation.

In January, New York Archdiocese Father Jonathan Morris and radio host Dennis Prager participated in a panel discussion tied to the inaugural screening of Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus. Morris, a religious life advisor at Columbia, is an author and contributor to the Fox News Channel. Prager was a fellow at Columbia University’s School of International Affairs (1970-72), where he did graduate work at the Middle East and Russian Institutes.

Fox News personality Gretchen Carlson moderated the panel, which also featured author and commentator Eric Metaxas, Yale ’84, and Anne Graham Lotz, author and daughter of evangelist Billy Graham.

Tim Mahoney, the producer of the movie, noted a crisis of faith led him on a 12-year journey to explore the evidence – as well as the controversies within academic, archeological, and some theological arenas – associated with the scriptural account of the Israelites’ dramatic escape from Egypt. Fathom Events and Thinking Man Films released the two-hour documentary in U.S. cinemas in January.

As for the panel discussion, the commentators gathered in Trinity Broadcasting Network’s Manhattan

studios to react to the evidentiary patterns Mahoney highlighted in the documentary and to proffer related spiritual insights.

While the panelists openly acknowledged Bible skeptics are not likely to embrace the traditional record of Exodus after viewing Patterns of Evidence, the documentary does promote intellectual discourse on the ancient events.

Metaxas noted Patterns of Evidence offers enough compelling material to open meaningful conversations on a potential adjustment of Egyptian chronology to better align with the scriptural account of the ancient Israelites.

Believers and nonbelievers alike should welcome “cracks in the secular narrative,” in this case the one denying the Jewish exodus, Metaxas said.

Morris, the author of several books, said God still teaches and encourages through the account of the dramatic deliverance of the enslaved Israelites.

“It’s first and foremost God revealing Himself to us,” said Morris.

Prager noted the scriptural accounts of the creation and exodus serve as the cornerstone beliefs of Judaism.

“If those didn’t happen, it’s a meaningful fairy tale,” said Prager, who is Jewish.

“The beauty of this whole documentary is that it gets a conversation started,” Metaxas said. “If we can begin to talk about this, then

the truth will come out.”

However, not all researchers are quick to expose weaknesses in prevailing academic thought, and some remain willful skeptics in the face of promising evidence.

“Scientists are human beings,” and some practitioners “don’t want there to be a God,” said Prager, also a columnist and speaker. “Atheism is aggressive.”

However, for believers, evidence confirming the account of Exodus helps point Christians to a larger narrative. “The Bible also tells a story from beginning to end,” said Morris. “We’re coming to know and love God’s history as He reveals it to us.”

Likewise, the historical events of the Bible not only shaped Western civilization, they provide the backstory of Christianity. “Truth existed even before I came to believe,” Morris said. | cu

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‘Jubygrams’ Spread Valentine’s Day Love The a cappella group Jubilation! offered students the opportunity to send a singing Valentine’s Day telegram with a message and a bag of candy to someone special on the Columbia/Barnard campus. The telegrams, or Jubygrams, were sold as part of a fundraising effort for the singing group (www.jube.org).

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COR N E LL | On Campus

Building a House of Prayer A MOVEMENT GAINS MOMENTUM AT CORNELL

By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer

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he Cornell House of Prayer is both a place and a movement.

The building is a two story, craftsman-style house located on North Campus, but organizers are hopeful that the recent spiritual renovations of its prayer room will give it a curb appeal that invites students in for designated times of focused, continual intercession.

Attorney Stan Matusz ’93 began leasing the house two years ago to provide prayer and worship space for Christians at Cornell. Initially, the house served only as an informal spot to pray.

Recently, Cornell House of Prayer (CHOP) began scheduling prayer 17 hours a day, seven days a week, encouraging students to sign up for time slots during which they commit to intercede for community needs. There are no ministry parties or social events held here; rather, it is designed exclusively for prayer, praise, and worship.

Visitors entering the house are met with a large welcome sign in the small entry foyer. Through a

prayer needs and words of praise and inspiration. A list of corporate prayer goals is also available to help focus around campus needs or cultural issues like ending sex-traffick-

which is, in many ways, spiritual warfare,” said Lee. Currently, not all time slots are filled, but there are many students and staff who come to pray consistently for about 30-40 hours a week. CHOP’s long-term vision is to host a space that is alive with prayer around the clock, 24/7.

“Seventeen hours a day is still an ambitious goal, and I believe the initiative will have an impressively long lasting and powerful impact at Cornell,” said John Nystrom, a freshman from Rogers, Arkansas who Freshman John Nystrom helps lead prayer helps lead two prayer meetmeetings at the Cornell House of Prayer. ings at CHOP. According to Matusz, ing. For those inclined toward wor- there is also something particularly ship, a keyboard, an acoustic guitar, edifying and unifying about prayand a djembe are at the ready. ing with others.

According to Bomi Lee ’15, a “Prayer and intimacy with our Human Development major from Father spurs evangelism, and we Alpharetta, Georgia, it is import- have to remember that winning ant to encourage focused and dis- souls for Christ is a spiritual battle ciplined prayer among the students. at Cornell and other institutions,” Matusz said.

Along those lines, there are six “It is incredibly encouraging to pray with a group of fellow students who rent rooms at the believers, all passionately following Jesus. Your passion is fueled, CHOP and who have committed to praying for the campus, serving and it can energize you so much.” as stewards of the facility, and en—John Nystrom, Cornell ’18 couraging others to use the house for prayer and worship.

“Being able to pray with other “They are ‘intercessory misset of French doors, one enters the prayer room, which boasts a cozy believers is very powerful because it sionaries who feel led to promote fireplace, comfortable seating, and not only unites the body of Christ, a culture of prayer and worship at a large blackboard wall containing it also adds strength to intercession, Cornell,” said Matusz, who moved

to Ithaca six years ago after feeling called to help transform the campus for Christ.

Lee was among the first students to move into the house in 2013.

She explains, “I wanted to live at CHOP because I have a heart for intercession. I wanted to be part of the fragrance that rises to heaven on behalf of Cornell, through prayer, and I knew that continued intercession would have an impact on our campus.”

Although busy with academics and activities, Lee and Nystrom also appreciate the fruit of prayer with others.

“It is incredibly encouraging to pray with a group of fellow believers, all passionately following Jesus. Your passion is fueled, and it can energize you so much,” said Nystrom, an Animal Science major.

The impact is being noticed on campus, according to Matusz, who said there are more non-Christians

participating in ministry activities and, overall, believers are increasingly burdened for prayer.

However, more needs to be done, say these intercessors, as they continue to unite for the sake of their university.

“I pray that people on campus would get fed up with the emptiness of materialism, and mere happiness, and would long for the deep joy that only Christ provides,” said Nystrom. | cu

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COR N E LL | On Campus

Canon, Transmission, and Translation NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGIAN SPEAKS AT CHESTERTON HOUSE EVENT

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

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very least, neglecting other equally worthy candidates for inclusion in the Jewish and Christian scriptures, respectively.”

Blomberg labeled such posturing as “spin” and “only slightly less fictitious than the one that Dan Brown made up in The Da Vinci Code.”

As for the canonized literature of the New Testament, Christian writers started to identify the books they designated to be “treated on par in terms of authority and God-givenness as the Hebrew scripture” by the mid-second century, said Blomberg.

In the early centuries, as the New Testament canon began to take shape, the consensus centered on the four traditional gospels, letters from the Apostle Paul, Acts of the Apostles, and the like. In particular, Christian leaders looked for apostolic authority with the writings

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terton House as part of its Institute of Biblical Studies. Bethel Grove Baptist Church and New Life Presbyterian Church also co-sponsored his lectures throughout the corresponding weekend.

Some scholars assert political figures shaped the formal literature and legacy of the early church, resulting in the exclusion of some potential texts from the New Testament.

Such proponents believe that “this was a huge act of politicking,” said Blomberg.

They postulate there were many sects of Judaism and Christianity.

The theory goes, “from the outset, these religions were movements of competing sects, until one emerged victorious that then chose the books that would be considered uniquely sacred books and rewrote the history of their movements – suppressing, destroying, or, at the

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ome scholars argue politics, rather than divine guidance, determined the 27 books of the New Testament and the 39 texts of the Old Testament.

That is not so, according to theologian Craig Blomberg.

On January 30, the New Testament scholar debunked such claims surrounding the canon of Scripture during an appearance at Cornell University.

It is simply untrue that the formation of either testament was “brought about because of ideological conniving, such that a winning party in a political process had the opportunity to suppress or rewrite or even chose unilaterally in a totalitarian fashion what should go in either the Old or New Testaments,” said Blomberg.

Blomberg, a distinguished professor of the New Testament at Denver Seminary, appeared at Cornell at the invitation of the Ches-

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and materials that were non-contradictory with the Old Testament.

Early church leaders recognized other Christian documents as possessing value for practical instruction, but not holding the same weight and authority as the select texts.

“Smattered throughout these writings are regular allusions and frequent quotations of the first-century books that would come to form the New Testament,” Theologian Craig Blomberg Blomberg said. took aim at contemporary Such letters and inarguments that politics, structional materials also rather than divine contain statements by guidance, determined the the authors acknowledgcontent of the Bible. ing that they lacked “the type of authority the apostles had.” Nor do the writers put forward their works to be “on par” with the accepted books of the New Testament.

“Only 20th and 21st-century scholars have sometimes said, ‘Maybe, we should treat them on the same level,’” Blomberg said.

As for the books of the Old Tes-

tament, Blomberg noted the major components came together in three discreet stages, with the final one containing the most disputed texts.

The 39 texts capturing histories, prophesies, and the like offer a “remarkable unity to the narrative of the story that they sketch out,” Blomberg said.

As well, “prophet after prophet is looking forward to the messianic age when a deliverer will bring about the fulfilment of all of what God first intended for Abraham,” Blomberg said.

Indeed, the Hebrew Bible is a “very open-ended collection of books.”

In randomly reading the prophets, “you will see that, with few exceptions, there’s a lot of judgment in the short term. There’s a lot of blessing in the long term. That blessing has yet been fully realized.

That’s where Jesus, the Christian movement, and the New Testament come into play.”

While less is known about the criteria Jewish leaders used in picking the sacred texts of the Old Testament, references to apocryphal

works seem “conspicuously absent.”

Likewise, as Jewish tribes faced persecution, their leaders would have been motivated to be selective about sacred scrolls.

“The prospect of dying for owning a book can have a profound effect on a person. It probably made much of Judaism, at least within Israel, reflect upon which books they were willing to die for and which were uniquely sacred, authoritative, and inspired,” Blomberg said.

Still, apocryphal literature offers insights into the spread of Judaism and even early Christianity.

At the same time, “there is no evidence the Israelite leaders ever included them in the Hebrew canon of uniquely authoritative scriptures,” Blomberg said. When New Testament figures quote Old Testament materials, they occasionally sound like they are alluding to apocryphal writings, “but never clearly enough to call it a quotation,” or the fulfilment of a passage.

Ultimately, orthodoxy from early church leaders may have played a modest role in the selection of New Testament texts, Blomberg said. | cu

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Collegiate Day of Prayer Student believers at Cornell University gathered in February to participate in the Collegiate Day of Prayer. On February 26, over 60 students from various ministries united in corporate prayer for Cornell at Goldwin Smith Hall.

Across the nation and beyond, more than 1,900 campus ministries, churches, and

individuals signed up to intercede for 1,500-plus colleges during the sixth-annual event, which also coincided with the 200th anniversary of United Prayer for College Awakening.

‘Big Law’ Roger Brooks, a partner at Cravath, Swaine, and Moore, LLP, spoke about career pursuits on March 6 at Cornell. Big Law from a Christian Perspective was co-

sponsored by Chesterton House, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Finance Commission, and the Christian Legal Society.

Brooks, Princeton ’84, has successfully represented highprofile clients like Qualcomm and Dooney and Burke, among others, and has been recognized by numerous organizations, including The Legal 500 United States, for his work in trade secrets matters and patent litigation.

D A R T M OU T H | On Campus

Testifying in Song DARTMOUTH A C APPELL A GROUP TOURS CHIC AGO

By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer

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n December, members of a Dart- riers,” said Herrick. evening came to a close, the entire Fellow sophomore Joy Shen audience joined hands as they sang mouth a cappella group entered into the joy of the Advent season agrees, saying she felt the presence the worship song “Sanctuary” toby ministering to people in Chicago of the Holy Spirit there, and the gether. and sharing Christ’s message of hope performance at Roseland was one “Never in my entire Christian of the most meaningful moments life have I so strongly felt the work through song.

For ten days, X.ado performed she has ever had. of God in one place, and it has been at homeless shelters, hospitals, churches, schools, and events throughout the city. In addition to singing, the students shared testimonies and presented workshops for children on beatboxing and a cappella music.

X.ado chose Chicago because the Windy City offered an opportunity to minister to a wide range of ethnicities and neighborhoods. The group’s mission is to intentionally touch unreached communities, both on campus The a cappella group X.ado served as musical missionaries in urban Chicago this winter. and beyond.

“Our most powerful The Economics major admits a powerful milestone in my spiritushows are often at ministries like homeless shelters, soup kitchens, that coordinating the logistics, in al journey,” Shen said. and hospitals,” said Skye Herrick addition to singing, left her feeling Both vocalists agree that the ’17, a member of X.ado. “Through exhausted. Additionally, she had universal appeal of music allows music and personal testimony, we agreed to give her testimony—de- God’s Word to unify people. Singshare Christ’s message of transfor- spite her fear of public speaking. ing praises, Herrick said, “invites “I began talking about my spir- the Spirit in a really powerful way mation and hope and often feel the itual journeys, personal struggles, that can be felt by Christians and Spirit move powerfully.”

One of the highlights of the and the lessons God has been teach- non-Christians alike.” trip was a performance at Roseland ing me,” said Shen.

And that power is often felt on Afterwards, a woman approached the Dartmouth campus, as well.

Christian Ministries, located on the her in tears, saying that she strug- The outreach-oriented group perSouth Side of Chicago.

“It was an incredible experience gled with the same issues. The two forms in venues such as fraterniof God’s power to break down bar- talked and prayed and when the ty houses and the student center.

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in their faith and enjoy a close-knit group of fellow believers. Members balance six weekly hours of rehears-

Some shows are more gospel-heavy than others, she explained, but all include an introduction declaring

“Through music and personal testimony, we share Christ’s message of transformation and hope and often feel the Spirit move powerfully.”

—Skye Herrick, Dartmouth ’17 that they are a Christian group.

“People notice the passion and energy we have that comes from singing with a greater purpose,” said Herrick.

And uniting for that purpose helps the members of X.ado grow

als with other extracurricular and academic demands. Shen said, “The faith aspect of the ensemble makes it easier because we can find support and encouragement within the X.ado family.”

The members also participate in

Bible study and openly discuss issues and questions of belief.

“My faith had always been a more private part of my life, but X.ado has helped me to speak openly about my walk with Christ,” said Herrick. “X.ado has also been teaching me that time spent with God and striving after Him is not limited to church on Sundays, but should be integrated into everything we do.”

And thus, Herrick and her peers continue to emulate the words of the song they sang at the Roseland ministry: Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary Pure and holy, tried and true. | cu

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D A R T M OU T H | On Campus

Marching on TUCKER FOUNDATION HOS TS MLK CELEBR ATION

By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer

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n January, The William Jewett Tucker Foundation at Dartmouth hosted a Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Faith Celebration with a message from civil rights leader Rev. Starsky Wilson.

Rev. Wilson is president and CEO of the Deaconess Foundation, a St. Louis, Missouri, faithbased organization that advocates for children. He is also co-chair of the Ferguson Commission, which is studying the underlying conditions surrounding the death of 18-year old Michael Brown, Jr. In August, Brown was shot by a Ferguson policeman during an altercation. Later in the year, in a case that captivated

Rev. Starsky Wilson

the nation and set off protests in several cities, a grand jury did not indict officer Darren Wilson.

At Dartmouth, Rev. Wilson’s message was entitled “Selma to Ferguson: Why We Can’t Wait.” In his sermon, the pastor said the lack of influence by the Ferguson faith community contributed to the death of Michael Brown, Jr. Had the faith community been present in tangible and necessary ways throughout Brown’s life, then perhaps he would not have died, Wilson contended. Had they shown up as mentors for big brothers and big sisters, if they had “shown up in the streets,” then maybe he would

not have died.

Rev. Wilson purported that the Lord’s reputation is at stake as people look to the faith communities during times of crisis and ask, “Where is God?” A similar question could have been asked 50 years ago, following the historical civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, Wilson said.

“These people led by a Christian preacher and a young student; these people who launched out from the church; these people who sought to work toward God’s justice on a holy day of their tradition, were beaten on a bridge in front of America [through television] and all of a sudden, God’s reputation was on the line,” he said.

The overall tone of the William

Jewett Tucker Foundation celebration in January echoed a message given by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Dartmouth in 1962:

victims of an illusion wrapped in superficiality. So, in order to tell the truth, it is necessary to move on and say not only have we come a

“Now, it is a fact that we have come a long, long way, but it isn’t the whole truth, and if I stop at this point, I will leave you the victims of a dangerous optimism...”

—Martin Luther King, Jr. at Dartmouth, 1962 “Now, it is a fact that we have come a long, long way, but it isn’t the whole truth, and if I stop at this point, I will leave you the victims of a dangerous optimism,” Dr. King told the audience in 105 Dartmouth Hall. “If I stop at this point, I’m afraid that I will leave you the

long, long way, but we have a long, long way to go before this problem is solved in our nation.”

Despite some progress in our nation, Wilson said we are not yet at the threshold of the Promised Land envisioned by Dr. King. | cu

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Retreat Unites Agape Fellowship

Bethel Christian Fellowship Attends Impact Weekend

Agape Christian Fellowship at Dartmouth held its winter retreat in February at Wellspring Worship Center, a local church. The annual retreat, which fosters unity among the ministry, consists of group building activities, worship, sermons, and small group sessions.

“We seek to create close bonds with one another in the name of Jesus, and we hope to strengthen each other’s faith through fellowship,” said Jonathan Huang ’17.

Students with Bethel Campus Fellowship at Dartmouth attended the 2015 Impact Weekend in Chicago in January.

Impact Movement (www. impactmovement.org) is dedicated to raising leaders of African descent who are “spiritually focused, financially responsible, and morally fit.” The weekend conferences, also held in Atlanta and Philadelphia, featured plenary and seminar sessions with dynamic speakers, praise and worship, and an open mic night.

A Christian Union grant help facilitate participation for Bethel Campus Fellowship. spring

2015 :: christianunion.org

Members of Bethel Christian Fellowship participated in the 2015 Impact Weekend in Chicago.

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H A RVA RD | On Campus

Dr. King and Harvard

RETIRED DIVINIT Y SCHOOL PROFESSOR HAS FOND MEMORIES OF MLK

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

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n recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a retired Harvard professor paused to recall his friendship and collaboration with the slain civil rights leader.

Harvey Cox, a longtime divinity professor and Ivy League alumnus, noted he especially was impressed with King’s commitment to nonviolence, despite mounting pressure.

The Baptist preacher modeled his tactical approach after both Jesus Christ and Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi.

King learned “a lot from Gandhi and said that on many occasions. It was Gandhi and Jesus who were his two main instructors,” Cox told the Harvard Gazette in January. “He demonstrated that you could actually accomplish things that way.”

In the early 1960s, King asked Cox, a friend from endeavors dating back to 1956 (and a Harvard doctoral student), to help establish a Boston branch of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Notably, at King’s insistence, Southern remained part of the organization’s name in Massachusetts, despite geographical dissonance.

Starting in 1962, Cox recruited northern sympathizers for marches, rallies, and demonstrations. As well, Cox participated in several protests, including two marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and the pair remained comrades until King was assassinated in 1968, according to the Gazette.

The 85-year-old Cox told the Gazette that he still regards as one of King’s crowning achievements his delivery of the main address to

In recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, retired Harvard Professor Harvey Cox recalled his friendship and collaboration with the slain civil rights leader.

the 1966 meeting of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

The momentous occasion came upon the heels of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In further reminiscing, Cox noted King also developed a keen interest in economic inequality. “He was so utterly committed to human dignity across all kinds of racial lines and other dividing lines,” Cox told the Gazette.

In 2009, Cox retired after four decades of professorship with Harvard Divinity School and another decade plus inside the corridors of

the Ivy League. The preeminent theologian and ordained American Baptist minister earned a bachelor of arts in history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1951 and a bachelor of divinity from Yale University in 1955. He completed a doctorate in the history and philosophy of religion from Harvard University in 1963.

In retrospect, Cox said he had no notion King would become a major historical figure and play a leading role in ushering in social change in the 20th century.

“What I admired most about him was his sheer physical courage,” Cox told The Birmingham News in 2012. “He had an intuition that he was going to be killed, but he didn’t let that deter him.”

King’s ties to New England turned out to be pivotal. The Atlanta-born King absorbed the foundational philosophies for many of his trademarked principles while a doctoral student at Boston University.

Later, on the public stage, the son and grandson of preachers showcased stellar political acumen with spiritual rhetoric.

Likewise, King was no stranger to Harvard, where he attended classes as a special student in 1952 and 1953, before completing a doctorate in theology from Boston University in 1955.

As well, King was a guest preacher at Harvard’s Memorial Church during the 1960 academic

year, according to the Gazette.

In 1962, the humanitarian lectured on integration at Harvard Law School, and King used his speech to call for legislative action. “The law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me,” he said.

However, King’s most heralded visit to Harvard may have taken place in January 1965, three months after he received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Well-wishers mobbed King, who appeared as a guest preacher at

the Memorial Church during a student-sponsored visit. Photographs from the university’s archives captured King waving to an unseen crowd as he paused with Nathan Pusey, Ph.D. ’37, Harvard’s 24th president.

Inside Memorial Church, King cautioned against hatred and revenge, but he called for federal voting intervention in some Southern ballot districts and legislation to end segregation in schools, the Gazette reported.

Five decades later, on another

blustery Sunday, Memorial Church paused to commemorate King. The recent service featured Walter Fluker, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Ethical Leadership at Boston University’s School of Theology.

As for Cox, the retired theologian noted to the Gazette that history could have taken a different course if King had instead followed his intellectual dream, namely becoming a professor of theology.

“How would that have changed the world?” he remarked. | cu

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H A RVA RD | On Campus

Pure Religion H A R VA R D S T U D E N T S S E R V E C H I N E S E O R P H A N S D U R I N G B R E A K

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

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Daniel Yue ’16 spent his winter break from Harvard College volunteering at orphanages in East Asia.

and have committed their lives to providing a loving home for them, was an inspiration to me in Christian living unlike anything I had seen before,” Lim wrote.

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ogy major, was deeply moved by the profound commitment of the Catholic operators to supporting the youngsters, many of whom have special needs.

The experience gave Lim insight regarding “the value God places on the most vulnerable of those made in His image.”

Lim said the center felt distinctly tight-knit, especially as the staffers live on site and the children assume the founder’s surname. The youngsters call the director “Mom,” and they refer to the nannies and workers as aunts and uncles.

He paused to reflect on his time at the orphanage and the wholehearted dedication of its operators in a blog for The Harvard Ichthus, a student-run Christian journal.

“The way in which they care for these abandoned and disabled kids,

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wo Christian students at Harvard College were profoundly touched while volunteering at orphanages in East Asia over the winter break.

Shaun Lim ’15 and Daniel Yue ’16 ventured to the People’s Republic of China after Harvard China Care, a student-run organization, helped arrange terms for the young men to volunteer.

“It was a reminder of what really matters in life,” said Lim. “It puts a lot of things in perspective.”

The Singapore native served at an orphanage, the name of which can be translated Home of Compassion or Home of Love, in a rural town in Fujian Province from December 21 to January 4. Yue volunteered at Sunshine Village, a government-run facility in Liaoning, Province, from January 3 to 18.

Lim, a molecular and cell biol-

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Likewise, many of the staffers have decided not to pursue marriage and instead focus on caring for and educating the children and youths. They regard Christ’s call to service as “demanding their life, their all, such that getting married would detract from their ability to commit as wholeheartedly to the place and its mission,” Lim wrote.

and a quest for cultural experiences played roles in the physics major’s decision to volunteer in China over Harvard’s winter recess.

“I was looking for something to do over break that didn’t involve sitting at home,” said Yue of Maryland. “It seemed like a good opportunity to gain some perspective and see part of the world.”

The experience gave Lim insight regarding “the value God places on the most vulnerable of those made in His image.”

Lim also was touched by the devotion of the believers he encountered in China. Many bypass worldly opportunities “not out of compulsion, or painful acceptance, but because they’ve found something better, something worth committing to.”

As for Yue, a sense of adventure

Like Lim, Yue was struck by the communal nature of the orphanage’s workers, who also run a farm.

Though he volunteered at a government-operated home, Yue also took valuable insights from his service back to campus.

Namely, unlike academic research, which tends to be solitary,

work in the orphanage provided a compelling window into “what it means to live a life with practical, direct implications for other people,” Yue said.

Harvard China Care, which is affiliated with China Care Foundation, Inc., dispatches student volunteers to orphanages and fundraises to support the homes and the medical needs of the young residents.

Given their recent experiences, both Yue and Lim are eyeing opportunities to return to China, and Lim hopes to volunteer during the summer.

“I really want to do something worthwhile, something that will allow me to serve people,” said Lim. “I cannot think of a better way to spend my summer.”

Over break, Lim even jotted in his journal, “Wow, this feels like real life.” | cu

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Bridges Boston, a ministry that serves international students and visiting scholars at Harvard University and other local colleges, hosted an Easter party this spring.

On March 28, students gathered to learn why Easter is Christianity’s most significant holiday and also partook in the American tradition of coloring Easter eggs. Boston Bridges is part of Bridges International, a Cru ministry that provides foreign students with practical services, social-networking opportunities, and spiritual resources. At Harvard, the ministry holds

weekly lunches for international students in Read House, Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.

Glendon Speaks at Catholic Law Association Event The Harvard Catholic Law Student Association recently hosted a talk with Mary Ann Glendon, a Harvard University law professor and former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. On March 4, Glendon discussed opportunities to reflect the Catholic faith within the legal arena and her experiences interacting with popes. In addition, Glendon shared about

her role as vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Pope Francis named Glendon in 2013 as a member of the Pontifical Commission of Inquiry Photo Credit: Martha Stewart for the Harvard Law School Professor Mary Ann Institute for Glendon Works of Religion. At Harvard, Glendon teaches in the fields of human rights, comparative law, constitutional law, and political theory.

P E N N | On Campus

‘Come Away and Rest’ N E W M A N C E N T E R H O S T S G R A D U AT E S T U D E N T R E T R E AT

By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer

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sions, adoration, and Mass, Simmonds said. The scripture readings at Mass focused on Jesus’ resurrection, and the fireplace at the retreat center was a powerful reminder of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Subsequently, relationships with Christ and one another were ignited during those moments and remained long after the retreat ended.

The retreat was centered on The Spiritual Exercises, which were initially developed by St. Ignatius Loyola, a sixteenth-century priest.

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“The experience of friendship was really beautiful,” said Simmonds. The students arrived at the retreat searching for camaraderie and left with a sense of community. That bond has resulted in a student-initiated prayer gathering that happens two times a week.

There is also enthusiasm about growing the graduate ministry.

Simmonds believes the students who looked within themselves and toward God during the retreat are ready to take leadership roles in helping move the ministry forward.

They are more spiritually filled to engage others for the sake of Christ.

As St. Ignatius himself once said, “He who goes about to reform the world must begin with himself, or he loses his labor.” | cu

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space.”

The retreat was centered on The Spiritual Exercises, which were initially developed by St. Ignatius Loyola, a sixteenth-century priest.

The exercises focus on the existential and fundamental life questions: Who I am? Where do I come from?

Where am I going? What is God doing in my life? and How should I proceed in my Christian life?

Although the exercises were originally designed to be explored in solitude, Simmonds adapted a format that allowed for greater community exploration. This interactive approach helped students process the questions and gain insight where they shared similar situations. For example, two research students who work in labs connected and shared their frustrations and challenges.

“They helped each other see the value of their work and how God is present in their lives. Jesus was a carpenter and that wasn’t always interesting. There is value in the mundane,” said Simmonds.

Participating in groups garnered favorable feedback from the students, who subsequently developed strong friendships.

As with many retreats, when participants removed themselves from the burdens and stresses of life, room opened up in their hearts and within the community for Christ to move and for His Spirit to be felt.

“God was particularly present and speaking in a beautiful way” during Saturday evening’s confes-

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he 2015 spring retreat for graduate students within the Penn Catholic Newman Center was a blend of solitude and community that led students into fellowship with one another and a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

There is a level of diversity found among these seasoned students that is not typical of their undergraduate counterparts. Some are married, some have children, and others live on their own, creating an independent lifestyle that can lack community and fellowship. Therefore, the graduate ministry at Newman exists to offer camaraderie and spiritual nourishment that these mature students desire.

“The graduate ministry gives students real spiritual food,” said Ricardo Simmonds, director of the Newman Center.

The ministry offers weekly small groups called Connections, which include Bible teaching and informal socials on Saturday evenings. Events like the spring retreat are also valuable resources in meeting the soul’s need for community and silence.

In April, the grad students traveled two hours north of Penn to the Pocono Mountains, where they retreated from the pressures of campus life.

“It’s about making space for God,” said Simmonds, a brother with the order of the Sodality of Christian Life. “An encounter with God happens within us, but making physical space helps make inner

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P E N N | On Campus

Under One Tent

PENN4JESUS HELPS UNITE C AMPUS MINIS TRIES

By Rosalie Doerksen, Penn ’17

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ocust Walk, the main thoroughfare that connects Penn’s campus, bustles mutely every morning as halfasleep students trek to class. But in the week leading up to Easter, a white prayer tent is set up prominently along Locust, and the routine speed-walk to class is no longer accompanied by silence. Quite often, a group sits

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for a bold witness, the Prayer Tent has been integral in helping unite the Christian community at Penn.

Gabriella Puig ’17, a small group and prayer team leader with Campus Crusade for Christ, says the power of prayer can have a huge impact.

“If we are able to show Christ’s

Campus Renewal Ministries helped coordinate a Prayer Tent at Penn this spring.

cross-legged in a circle on the carpeted floor of the tent, praying and singing praises to God. These students represent various Christian ministries across campus, of which there are 24 in total. The tent is coordinated by Penn4Jesus, the local branch of Campus Renewal Ministries.

In addition to providing a place

love to one another, on a bigger scale than just within our respective fellowships, I think the campus truly would notice and want to be a part of our community,” Puig said.

Michael Hu ’00, the campus director with Penn4Jesus, said his organization seeks to unite ministries and help them work together towards reaching the campus with

the Gospel.

“Over time, strong ties have blossomed and there is a growing desire for unity among the campus ministers,” said Micah Sandusky ’15, a former co-chair of Penn4Jesus. “(Penn4Jesus) very much identifies with Jesus’ prayer in John 17: ‘I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.

Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.’ ” Philip Jung ’17, a current Penn4Jesus co-chair, played a pivotal role in organizing this year’s Prayer Tent, which was also partially underwritten by a Christian Union grant.

Uniting many ministries is not without its challenges, though.

“The biggest challenge is creating an atmosphere where all groups desire to join together,” Jung said.

Over the last 18 years, the number of ministries at Penn has more than tripled and the number of ministry staff has quintupled, a “huge explosion,” said Hu. Naturally, with more ministries, there are more players to try to coordinate, Hu says. Moving forward, the main challenge is trying

to “match the intention with the logistics.” “(We want to value) each other’s contributions and strengths more and more, to the point where we can wrestle with what it looks like to be different parts of the same body,” Hu said.

Currently, only 10 or 11 campus ministries have some sort of official communication with Penn4Jesus, Hu says. Thus, the active goal is to formalize the involvement of ministries through Fusion groups which, he says, are a foundational strategy for bridging these gaps.

“We build relationships based on prayer amongst leaders. Leaders meet together every week to pray for the campus and that builds the strong foundation of unity,” Hu said.

Hu wants to establish regular lines of communication, ideally having a ministry representative from every group on campus involved with Penn4Jesus by May 2016. The goal is, as always, to es-

Being connected to one another is a source of inspiration for outreach, Jung says. And outreach is the ultimate Great Commission for Christians: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing

“We build relationships based on prayer amongst leaders. Leaders meet together every week to pray for the campus and that builds the strong foundation of unity.”

—Michael Hu (Penn ‘00), director of Penn4Jesus tablish relationships.

“We’re not trying to get people to come to a meeting. We’re trying to build community,” Hu said.

them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). | cu

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CRU Hosts Faith and Work Panel, MLK Service Event

The New Spirit of Penn Gospel Choir celebrated its 15th anniversary with a spring concert

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at Dunlop Auditorium on April 19. The concert featured top gospel music songs from the past 15 years by artists such as Kirk Franklin, Israel & New Breed, and Tye Tribbett. The choir, which started with five members during the 1998-99 academic year, performs a variety of music, including original songs, medleys, and traditional and contemporary gospel.

spring

The spring semester was a fruitful one for Cru Philly, which serves the University of Pennsylvania, as well as Temple and Drexel universities.

As part of its ministry to Penn seniors, Cru Philly held a faithand-work panel and dinner in February. Among other winter events, the ministry also hosted a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service in honor of the slain civil leader. In a partnership with Ray of Hope, the ministry served its neighbors in the 2800 block of North Jasper Street.

Gospel Choir Celebrates 15th Anniversary

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PR I N C E T O N | On Campus

The Call to Serve

PRINCETON STUDENTS EARN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARSHIPS

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

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hree Christian students at Princ- ter their junior year in a federal in- of Revisions: A Journal of Christian eton University recently pledged ternship and, upon graduation, en- Perspective, and the tenor has sung to reflect Christ-centered devotion ter the Woodrow Wilson School’s with Kindred Spirit, an a cappella while they pursue graduate studies public administration program. group serving Princeton and Westmade possible via prestigious schol- The two-year curriculum includes a minster Choir College. arships. fellowship with the federal governAs well, Johnson interned with In January, Princeton anthe N.J. Department of Ednounced its selection of the ucation in spring 2014 and 2016 cohort of the Scholars with the Philadelphia Mayin the Nation’s Service Initiaor’s Office of Community tive, which provides students Empowerment and Opporwith federal internships and tunity in summer 2014. study in the university’s mas“Working to correct inter of public administration stitutional injustices is realprogram. The newest recipily important to me,” Johnents include Jamal Johnson, son said. “It’s important for a politics major from Texas, me really to get engaged in A trio of student believers at Princeton University, and Abyssinia Lissanu, a polthese policy areas and try to including Abyssinia Lissanu ’16 and Samuel Kim itics major from Kentucky. imagine a world and nation ’15, plan to reflect spiritual commitment while A month later, the Gates they pursue graduate studies made possible via more like the kingdom of Cambridge Trust released prestigious scholarships. heaven.” the names of 40 U.S. winAs for Lissanu, the polners of scholarships that alitics major is concentrating low outstanding students from out- ment between their first and second on international relations, and is a side the United Kingdom to pursue years of graduate studies and a sum- certificate candidate in Spanish lanpostgraduate study at the Universi- mer of intensive language training. guage and culture. ty of Cambridge.

During her time at Princeton, Among the class of 2016 recipiSamuel Kim, a chemistry major ents, Johnson is focusing on Amer- Lissanu has developed a keen infrom California, was among three ican politics and political economy, terest in educational policy, as reseniors from Princeton selected for and is a certificate candidate in ur- flected by her leadership role in a the scholarships, which cover ad- ban studies and statistics and ma- mentorship program for area midvanced studies at one of the oldest chine learning. dle school students and her time as and most prestigious universities in His chief career goal centers on an English teacher during a study the world. abroad program in Spain. combatting urban poverty.

As for the Scholars in the Na“Being a Christian and serving “There is a basic Christian call tion’s Service Initiative, the pro- to consider the ‘least of these.’ I is my number one priority,” Lissagram is designed to support and take that very seriously,” said John- nu said. “Service is the best way I prepare top students to pursue ca- son, who is involved with Manna can show people how much I love reers within the U.S. government, Christian Fellowship. them.” both domestically and abroad.

Eventually, Lissanu plans to Also during his time at PrinceScholars spend the summer af- ton, Johnson has served as an editor pursue a law degree with the goal of

supporting educational causes via the public sector.

“Government service is not glamorous. It’s not a job where you go in expecting glorification. It’s ‘What can I do best to help a community?’ ” Lissanu’s credentials also include an internship with the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, where she concentrated on improving after-school and summer enrichment organizations. In New York, Lissanu also collaborated with interfaith leaders to determine how the agency could bolster its access to religious communities.

Lissanu, a member of Christian Union’s leadership development ministry, has served on campus in

a variety of capacities.

“I am really interested in social justice,” said Lissanu. “It’s not an isolated space. There’s a lot of brokenness in the world that translates in the classroom.”

Though the challenges in public education are formidable, especially in administration, “you have to believe you can make a difference,” she said.

As for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, competition was fierce for the 40 awards in the U.S. round.

Those students, plus another 55 in an upcoming international round, are rated on both social leadership and academic ability.

Kim, a Los Angeles resident, will study for a master’s degree in chemistry at Cambridge as part of

his overall goal of pursuing medical and doctoral degrees to become a physician-scientist.

“It’s a great opportunity,” he said.

Kim, who is completing a certificate in global health and health policy as part of his undergraduate studies at Princeton, envisions himself eventually laboring in the medical field in developing countries.

On campus, Kim is involved with Manna Christian Fellowship and the Princeton chapter of MEDLIFE, a global aid organization.

For Kim, service remains central, especially to his spiritual and professional endeavors.

“God has really called me to serve, to give back for everything I’ve received,” he said. | cu

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PR I N C E T O N | On Campus

Finding Hidden Treasures

V I V I E N N E TA M ’ 15 W I L L S E R V E I N C H I N A F O R T W O Y E A R S

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

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tion ambitions shelters, nourishes, and trains special needs children, including many who were essentially abandoned as babies.

“I loved working with the children,” said Tam, who traveled to China with a friend from Cornell University.

The pair linked up with the trip via contacts within the Alabaster Group, a grassroots organization of student and alumni believers from Ivy League campuses, as well as the MassachuVivienne Tam, Princeton ’15, plans to serve setts Institute of Technology. at a special needs orphanage in China after During her first service at graduation. the orphanage, Tam was deepthese,’ you get to understand a part of Jesus’ heart.”

The orphanage that served as a game changer to her post-gradua-

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summer stint volunteering in a special needs orphanage in China served as a life-changing experience for a Princeton University senior.

Vivienne Tam was so touched during the two weeks that the chemical and biological engineering major has decided to postpone graduate school.

After commencement, Tam will return to the small Chinese village.

“I really do feel a tug toward ministry,” said Tam ’15, who is multilingual and attended high school in Canada after spending her childhood in Singapore. “When you are working with the ‘least of

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ly touched while watching disabled children lift their hands in worship and she wondered if God had a further calling for her.

“It struck something in me,” Tam said. “Being at the orphanage was really a pivotal experience…

There was a tugging in my heart.

This was the place where the Lord was meeting me.”

As well, Tam noted the children, despite disabilities, seemed joyful and peaceful, presenting a striking contrast to the stress-drenched world of Ivy League students.

“You can see the love of Jesus shining through them,” she said.

Still, Tam admits she has wrestled with questions about whether her new plans are an acceptable use of her engineering studies, especially given the pressure for Princeton alumni to pursue worldly success.

However, her parents have given their blessings for the venture, and Tam noted she has experienced a series of spiritual confirmations.

More importantly, Tam said many of her interpersonal giftings and spiritual passions align with the orphanage’s needs.

Likewise, she was encouraged when her campus pastor offered timely, poignant input not to think less of vocational ministry.

“Working with the children touches a special part of my heart and part of God’s heart,” Tam said.

Even with the best of motivations, her new path involves tangible personal sacrifice and the postponement of long-nurtured dreams.

“I have wanted to go to grad school since I was five,” said Tam, who grew up in an academic family. “The Lord has really changed my idea of success. It’s a

really good journey for me to push back against culture.”

As such, Tam is learning to focus on spiritual rewards, rather than monetary, scholarly, and career markers.

During her two-year assignment, Tam will concentrate on offering religious and formal education, as well as music therapy, to the youngsters.

Upon her return to North America, Tam wants to study biomedical engineering. Eventually, she may pull together her diverse talents by working on behalf of children with neurological disorders.

“How God created the brain is amazing,” Tam said.

In addition to her involvement with the Alabaster Group at Princeton, Tam also participates in Manna Christian Fellowship and leads worship during Nassau Christian Center’s Campus and Community service.

Not surprisingly, Campus Pastor Nate Johnson described Tam as passionate and faithful to spiritual causes.

“It’s been a privilege to journey with her in the last few years,” said Johnson. “Her consistency in pursuing God, sharing Christ with her peers, and serving in our church has made a huge impact.”

For Tam, service remains central, especially to young believers. “Ivy League students are given so much privilege,” she said. “Our job as Christians is to follow in His footsteps. Faith is a journey of challenge and risk, laying your life down.”

For now, that means speaking identity and love into those who are broken and disregarded by worldly standards.

“God is really putting China, children, and missions in my heart,” Tam said. | cu

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Miller Presents Faith and Work Lecture at U. of Minnesota Professor David W. Miller, director of the Princeton University Faith and Work Initiative, shared his latest research at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management in April. Miller’s presentation was entitled, “Faith and Work: Opposing Forces or Complementary Resources?”

In 2007, Miller, an associate research scholar and lecturer at Princeton, authored God at Work: The History and Promise of the Faith at Work Movement.

An Unprecedented Gift In February, Princeton University announced its receipt of the largest gift in the university’s history.

William Scheide, Princeton ’36, Columbia MA ’40, who died in November at 100, left his remarkable collection of 2,500 rare books and manuscripts to his alma mater. The collection, including religious works, has an expected appraised value of nearly $300 million.

The Scheide Library, housed in Princeton’s Firestone Library, holds the first six printed editions of the Bible, starting with the 1455 Gutenberg Bible.

YA L E | On Campus

Celebrating True Love T H E A N S C O M B E S O C I E T Y L A U N C H E S YA L E C H A P T E R

By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer

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Valentine’s Day Kick Off Event gers of bad habits regarding sexual with scholar Donna Freitas, the au- apathy and offer an alternative: the thor of Sex and the Soul and The End resurgence of a healthy dating culof Sex: How Hookup Culture Is Leav- ture,” said Ozuna. ing a Generation Unhappy, Sexually Similarly, Hirshorn said she is Unfulfilled, and Confused about In- “hopeful that the Anscombe socitimacy. The Love and Fidelity Net- ety will continue to engage broadly work, which conducts a Valentine’s across the Yale community, at this Day Campaign on campuses each time when our campus is seriously year, co-sponsored the event. examining issues of campus safety Freitas shared conclusions from and personal integrity.” her research, gathered from hundreds of interviews with young people about spirituality, religion, and sexuality. The results contradicted the laissez-faire, detached attitude often associated with casual sex.

“The part of the talk that resonated most with me was simply the fact that most people do not truly enjoy hookups,” said Chukwu. “It Author Donna Freitas (center) was the guest speaker for inspired me with the assurthe Anscombe Society’s Valentine’s Day Kick Off Event. ance that human beings are creatures with a fundamental capacity for giving and receiving Yet, standing against the tide of real love.” promiscuity and casual encounters Grace Hirshorn ’15 said Freitas’ on a morally liberal campus is not message had applications beyond easy. But for Christian students like the realm of sexual integrity, as the Ozuna, working in the shadow of author challenged students to re- the Cross gives her the strength and fuse to settle for ambivalence or a hope to persevere. “whatever” attitude about sex and “It’s the love I have for my felspirituality and fully engage every low man that drives me more than dimension of their lives. anything else. I hurt when they Twenty students attended the hurt, even when they hate me for lecture. But that is only the begin- it,” said Ozuna. “It’s not always ning of Anscombe’s mission to im- easy, but whenever I start to feel pact the Yale campus. overwhelmed, I look to the Cross “We want to show Yale the dan- and find my strength renewed.” | cu

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he Anscombe Society launched at Yale this winter with a Valentine’s Day event that underscored its advocacy for the sanctity of love, marriage, and human life.

Named for Philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe, the organization was founded at Princeton University nine years ago by Cassandra Hough ’07.

In recent years, Yale has had more than its share of issues regarding the hookup culture and accusations of sexual assault. The Anscombe Society is seeking to engage the campus for a time such as this.

“When you have a society that does not value the dignity of human life, where people are treated as less than human, you find that meaningless hookups and sexual assaults permeate that culture,” said Gabriel Ozuna ’15, president of the Yale Anscombe Society.

And for some students, the reality of pervasive, casual sex and disregard for human dignity is gut-wrenching.

“Moral issues surrounding sexual integrity and the family have provoked the most internal anguish for me because I can watch, firsthand, the decay of standards around me,” said Mary Chukwu ’18. “Yet, efforts to reverse this trend are hamstrung because this culture is not open-minded enough to listen to the truth.”

Students with the Anscombe Society remain undaunted. In February, the organization hosted its

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YA L E | On Campus

Forgetting Our Roots T H E C A S E F O R A T H E O L O G Y R E Q U I R E M E N T AT YA L E

By Ugonna Eze, Yale ’16 Editor’s note: The following commentary is reprinted with permission from the Yale Daily News (www.yaledailynews.com). Ugonna Eze is a junior in Yale’s Pierson College.

nying ourselves the very characteristics that make religion special.

Where there were once classes debating the merits of faith and our

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n the fall of 1701, a group of 10 Protestant ministers came together to form the “Collegiate School,” a theological seminary aimed at providing a sound religious education for students. Over the first 150 years of its existence, the college expanded its curriculum, requiring students to be well-versed in logic and the natural sciences, as well as biblical texts.

A Yale education was an education of spirit, first, and a preparation for worldly pursuits, second. Yale could not create good leaders without first creating good men. The College’s ability to balance these two modes of education, the spiritual and the worldly, made it a unique place to produce national leaders.

Yale has come a long way since its humble beginnings over three hundred years ago. Yet, for a school that has spent the greater part of its history producing ministers of the church, it seems strange that today,

personal obligations to one another, we now have classes where we read the Bible as literature and interpret Islamic theology through the lens

“A Yale education was an education of spirit, first, and a preparation for worldly pursuits, second.” most Yalies would not consider religious practice a necessary part of their moral and spiritual education.

We have instead relegated religion to the “cultural space,” de-

of politics. Religion has become an ornament to be studied at convenience, rather than an important way of ordering our lives.

We must recognize that religion

is one of the few institutions on campus that balances our individualistic tendencies. At its heart, religious practice is about centering our life around our relationship with God; it requires reflecting on life choices, serving the community, and subduing selfish attitudes.

While there are organizations on campus that fulfill any one of these functions — and their members should be lauded — only in religion can one find the harmonious synthesis of all three.

Yale should be responsible for the moral education of its students. One of the first steps it can take towards that end is instituting a theology requirement.

At universities like Georgetown, students are required to take classes on theology in addition to core requirements in the humanities and the sciences. The theological classes are taught by Georgetown’s Jesuit professors who challenge students’ beliefs, atheists and theists alike, in classes such as “Problems of God.” One could argue that this suggestion leaves very little room for atheists and agnostics. “Yale may have started out as a theological seminary, but today it is a secu-

lar institution,” they would argue.

“Who are we to force religion on what should otherwise be a neutral, a-religious space?” This view is not wholly without merit; because Yale is a global institution, it would be inappropriate for the university to be engaged in the business of assimilating its students into a single religious tradition. Such a view, however, obscures the difference between the university encouraging its students actively to engage religious questions and the university endorsing any one religious

view. Yale’s obligation to respect the various cultural backgrounds of its students does not absolve it of its responsibility to provide for our moral education. A secular Yale need not be an atheist one.

If you were to take a straw poll of students’ favorite classes on Yale’s campus, you would find that the most praised classes are the ones that force us to think about how we ought to live our lives: “Death” with Shelly Kagan, “Humility” with David Brooks, and “Fractal Geometry” with Michael Frame. The clear

demand for classes that educate us on how to be good people is further evidence of our expectations of Yale. Yet, external incentive structures such as job security, major requirements, and GPA orient us away from the classes and clubs that would make us good people. If Yale is to fulfill its mission of producing global leaders, it needs to emphasize both our spiritual and professional development. A theology requirement would be a simple means of fulfilling that obligation. | cu

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Grads of the ‘Pray Together’ Held in Dwight Chapel Roundtable

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The Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale Divinity School is providing access to the collected works of the renowned theologian through free internet downloads.

Edwards, a 1720 graduate of Yale, and is known for his role in the Great Awakening.

“The release of Edwards’ work is more than a historical contribution. It comes at a moment of renewed interest in the preacher…,” wrote Jonathan Merritt for Religion News Service.

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Fred Sigworth, a professor of physiology and biomedical engineering at Yale, was the featured presenter at the April 13 dinner gathering of the Grads of the Roundtable.

Hosted by the Yale Graduate Student Christian Fellowship, the roundtable is a new venue for promoting dialogue surrounding a wide variety of issues, including scholarship, culture, worldview, religion, and public life. Sigworth’s message was entitled “Exploring Different Models on the Interaction of Science and Religion.” He also engaged in a group discussion, which was followed by a question and answer period.

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On March 28, Yale Christian Fellowship sponsored “Pray Together,” an initiative to unify ministries, students, and staff on campus. Several ministries came together in Dwight Chapel for an evening of worship and prayer.

Ministry staff took turns praying, and the altar was also open to anyone else desiring to lead out in intercession.

Additionally, the event featured reflective prayer stations for use prior to the service and during worship. The purpose of the event was to ignite more prayer and discussion among ministers, foster greater unity, and respond to the spiritual needs of the students.

Downloadable Edwards

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pa rt ing shot

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Jimmy von Thron, Princeton ’15 || Photography by Phil Anema

Thank you!

Through your generous giving, Christian leaders are being developed to change culture.

Sarah Sparkman

f 2016

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