Over 90 CU mission weeks have taken place on campuses all around Britain this academic year.
Responses to the gospel have been varied but Christian Union events weeks continue to be a source of great encouragement.
Zippy Chapwell, a student at Leeds University comments: ‘God has been massively on the move — 37 have given their lives to Jesus and another 130 or so want to hear more. Thank you so much for all your prayers’. At Oxford an anonymous student talks about how her friend came to faith: ‘A first year who we've been praying for put her trust in Jesus for the first time tonight. She says she has discovered “how wonderful a relationship with God is, and the everlasting love it brings into people's lives”. She said that putting her trust in Jesus feels like the thing that has been missing from her life’.
Strong reactions
However, not all responses have been so positive. ‘I am utterly disgusted by the sheer untruths and hyperbole being spoken on one of the talks this week’, comments one student on Facebook. He continues: ‘The sooner we get these fraudulent con artists out of our educational establishments the better. Don't you dare stand up in any more lectures and give announcements, don't you dare post on college notice boards about your lovely little indoctrination talks. I am sick of this and I am sick of liberals demanding tolerance for your beliefs. The sooner religion is dead and buried, the better for everyone’. Kenny Robertson, Assistant Team Leader for UCCF in Scotland, talks about his experience in Scotland: ‘There has been much hardness to the gospel and spiritual battles being fought during Edinburgh University Christian Union's events week. But two students professed faith’.
Students, staff and supporters of Christian Unions have a lot to be thankful for. Many have professed faith for the first time and hundreds of non-believing students are now signed up for and going through various follow-up courses.
Pod Bhogal is Head of Communications, UCCF: The Christian Unions — see http://www.uccf.org.uk to find out more about the missions. Follow Pod on Twitter: http://twitter.com/podbhogal
