Text-a-Toastie serves gospel as you gobble

Text-a-Toastie originated at the University of Cumbria in 2008, in response to a university policy that stated students were not allowed inside a hall of residence unless they had a specific invitation from a resident.

During the CU events week, the members were keen to have conversations about faith and give out copies of Mark’s Gospel, so they handed out flyers, inviting students to text them a question in exchange for an answer and, naturally, a toastie.

At that initial event and at numerous since, students have shown great openness to hearing their Christian friends defend their faith. At the very first Text-a-Toastie, one student, who lived in Newcastle but had received a flyer when visiting his girlfriend at Cumbria University, was able to receive an answer to his theological question from the Newcastle Staff Worker who lived just round the corner.

Originating in the northwest, Text-a-Toastie wasted no time in making its way across to the northeast and 15 years later, this evangelistic strategy has been used by countless CUs to spark gospel conversations at the very heart of universities across Great Britain.

Fast forward to today, and the Durham Inter-Collegiate Christian Union (DICCU), just across the Pennines from Cumbria, ran a Text-a-Toastie in October to tremendous success. Durham is a compact city, and the proximity in which students live help to make this regular event a real success. In one evening, 55 questions were sent in, a record for DICCU! Students travelled out in pairs to share the gospel and truths of the Bible with students around the city, alongside delivering a fresh toastie.

One student, Oliver* spent most of the evening chatting with members of the CU. He had asked one brief question, but found it easy to ask more as he opened up to CU members about his faith journey. Oliver had questions on topics that were holding him back from faith. Through the Holy Spirit, the students were able to answer his questions, and, towards the end of the evening, Oliver gave his life to Christ! CU members rejoiced with Oliver and have since helped him to understand what it means to live as a Christian at university. Oliver now has a Bible of his own and has started to attend a local church.

That evening was a great encouragement to the CU, but God’s kindness didn’t end there. Around 40 seeking students, many of whom the CU had met through Text-a-Toastie, came to their evangelistic evening later that month. God is at work in the northeast, giving students the opportunity to plant seeds of faith in the minds of students who hear the gospel and experience the CU’s warm welcome. CU members, Relay Workers, Staff and local churches are praising God for His faithfulness shown last term in the northeast of England and pray that God will continue to grow the ministry here and around Great Britain.