Blog

Finding God in Hertfordshire

My name is Jess Pratt. I’m 22 and I’ve I just graduated with a degree in Journalism and Creative Writing. I was a member of University of Hertfordshire Christian Union for two years and it’s there that I came to faith. In September 2019, I was drawn to a leaflet from Hertfordshire University …

Opportunities at Christmas

The easiest invite of the year This December, Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union (OICCU) returned to the Sheldonian Theatre to host their two annual carol services. They welcomed over 1,000 guests, greeting them with a warm smile, a mince pie, and the news of Jesus, the Light of the World. …

Talking to friends about Jesus

What’s your initial response to the phrase ‘personal evangelism’ ? Perhaps it sounds daunting, overly strategic, or paradoxically impersonal. But what’s your response to ‘sharing life with your friends’ ? Suddenly, that sounds a lot simpler. So often we are tempted to cut Jesus short on the great …

Christmas is for you

Christmas for the doubter In the first chapter of Luke, we meet a temple priest named Zechariah. He’s not the kind of person you would expect to doubt. He is righteous and clearly committed to serving the work of the Lord and his people (v6). During an already momentous occasion of offering …

Carrying on the work

Rachel and Graham attended Southampton CU in the late 1980s. Since graduating they have supported UCCF in several ways, including praying, giving financially and connecting with students through their local church. They have also indicated their intention to leave a donation to UCCF in their wills. …

A surprising start to term

What is the student mission field like post-pandemic? No one knew quite what to expect this September. What would it be like as thousands of students came back to campus after the pandemic? For the Christian Unions, there were two main aims during their freshers’ weeks: to speak much-needed gospel …

Engaging well with your studies

‘And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.’ - Colossians 3:17 You may be wondering if your course really matters. Is the work that you do as a student something that can bring glory to God? Colossians gives an …

The start of a year on Relay

Hey, I'm Kitty. Having just graduated from Durham, I'm moving down to Oxford to do Relay this year. That's exactly what you would have heard 101 times if you were a fly on the wall during Orientation — my awkward introduction as I fumbled my words, remembering how to socialise again after 18 months …

5 things to pray for freshers' weeks

Freshers’ weeks are kicking off all over Britain, with a record 400,000 students heading off to uni for the first time. CUs are uniquely placed to share the gospel with those students, and to support those who are already Christians when they arrive at uni. Having just been to UCCF’s annual …

Advice for starting uni: reflections from two sisters

Starting uni is always a challenge, as students leave home and strike out on their own. But this year, as it was for freshers last year, an already nerve-wracking experience will be made even trickier as the effects of Covid-19 are still being felt. Although we're emerging slowly from the pandemic, …

What is good rest?

When you have time off, do you ever try to rest really productively? Get through that next Netflix series as fast as you can so you can move on to the next? Get as far down your to read list as possible? Make it your ambition to start a new hobby? Write a list of compulsory fun to get through to …

Making the most of Forum 2021

‘If I go again, I’ll definitely make sure I…’ Often when you go on holiday, you have a great time but come away with a mental checklist of things you’d do differently next time. Something to bring, or not bring. What to try and what to avoid. So, to help you prepare ahead of Forum 2021, we asked …

Pray for graduating students

Why pray for graduating students? Graduation is an exciting, but also scary, time for a lot of students. Many will have a job to go to, others will have little idea what comes next for them. Add to that the uncertainty that everyone is facing about what this next year is going to be like. Many …

Dealing with change

It’s been said that the only constant is change. Wherever you're at, whether you're graduating and going into the big, wide world of work, or if you're just about to start your first year of uni, things are always changing. Hopefully the easing of restrictions will continue and things will look …

A summer of 'phygital' mission

Here come the side-hugs… As social-distancing restrictions have eased this summer term, CUs have seized the opportunity to meet in-person. Dodging rainy and cold spells, they’ve met safely for book clubs in parks, Impact Groups in houses, run beach trips, first-contact evangelism and events in …

Who are our new staff in 2021?

This August, we’re excited to welcome in 20 new members of staff! They will strive to help the CUs live and speak for Jesus on campus – meeting one-to-one with CU leaders, delivering evangelistic talks, leading Bible studies, seminars, praying for students and more. 'It’s hard to put into a few …

Welcoming in new students

If only we could imagine the scene – God a few months before sending His Son. 'Its only a few months away'. And the plan was glorious. God Himself would step into the world to welcome the lost home. It’s clear how much Jesus valued extending welcome to those who needed it; in His parables, the …

How to talk to strangers about Jesus

'Hi, do you have a moment to chat…?' How would you feel about walking up to a stranger and asking them about Jesus? As a fresher, I remember learning how to do this. My Relay Worker took me around the university and we started conversations with random students lingering in the lobby, with the aim …

Digital mission - here to stay?

A year ago, as the pandemic accelerated, we had to make the choice between being connected digitally or not being connected at all – screens and video calls quickly replaced pubs and coffee shops. The Christian Unions faced the same difficult choices. Could their vision of giving every student on …

What difference does a Staff Worker make?

Next year, we want to put 20 Staff Workers in the universities to support and equip the Christian Unions at a crucial moment. These Staff Workers will spend their time reading the Bible one-to-one with students, delivering evangelistic talks, providing training seminars and much, much more. But …

Three ways to pray for the CUs next year

It’s hard to know what life will be like after the pandemic. The CUs are now making plans for when they return to uni in-person in September. Some students are feeling excited about the rare gospel opportunities this might provide, others are anxious about potential challenges. It’s a vital time to …

Seven tips on reading the Bible with friends

You invited your friend to a CU event. They came along. They heard the talk. Now they’re interested in finding out more… what do you do next? Simple, invite them to read the Bible! Uncover is a fantastic resource with a series of studies designed to put the Bible easily into the hands of your …

Pioneering mission weeks

'But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.' – 2 Corinthians 12:9 This spring, the Christian Unions learnt what it truly means to be weak. Each …

Keeping the conversation going

'Mission weeks open up opportunities to talk about the gospel that are often hard to come by. For that reason, we need to be active in keeping these conversations going. Mission weeks bear the most fruit when we don't allow them to be a one time thing, but when we keep investing in our friends, …

How to bring friends to online events

One of the things that’s encouraged me over the past few months is how innovative CUs have been in sharing the gospel, even in a university setting that’s new to us all. We’ve had to adapt some of our practices – including the way we invite friends to events. Given that handing out flyers and …

Making the most of online mission weeks

It might be hard to picture how your mission week is going to go this year. Maybe others in your CU are excited about it, and you’ve even mentioned it to a couple of your flat mates – but really, you aren’t too sure what to expect from a series of virtual events… Here, CU students who have been in …

5 ways to pray for mission weeks

Despite being in the grip of a lockdown, CU mission weeks are still going ahead. These are weeks of high-profile events, designed to make Jesus known to the wider university. They are a pivotal point in the year – many give their lives to Jesus, start investigating Him, or discover and grow in a …

Is anyone listening?

What God says about my depression and anxiety. In January 2014, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. It was a pretty bleak time, especially while I was waiting for the meds to kick in and the worst of the heaviness, sadness and fear to subside. I struggled to pray, I wept my way through …

Making the most of every opportunity

What did the CUs get up to this Christmas? Normally, the Christian Unions witness something unusual and exciting in December – they see hundreds of unbelieving students eagerly walk into churches, read passages from the Bible, and persistently ask about the next CU event. Why? Because it's …

Where do we find new beginnings?

For many people, the New Year holds significance as a way to welcome in a better year with the people who matter. There’s no overnight magic from the 31st to the 1st (and this year may already feel the same as last year!), but we all hope for change. Perhaps now more than ever. And we don’t only …

What the nativity tells us about...

So far this year, life at university has been tough. It's been tough being apart from families, tough to make those 'lifelong friendships' and tough to plan for life after graduation. Our hope for the future, sense of security, happiness and even self-confidence have all been called into question. …

How to answer questions about Christmas

Christmas has sprung up quickly this year. TV adverts are already full of happy families eating turkey. Shop windows are covered in tinsel. Mariah Carey's 'All I want for Christmas' has even re-entered the charts. Maybe you've begun thinking about when you'll head home for the holidays. Most …

Alternative Christmas mission ideas

With no Christmas parties, no dinners with friends and maybe even no carol service, it may be tempting to just skip Christmas this year. But now more than ever, our friends need hope. Rather than a vaccine, rules or government, they need hope in something certain – and that’s what we have to offer. …

Three prayers for the CUs this Christmas

‘The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear’ Over many years, Buddy the Elf’s tactics have been widely employed by CUs around the country at Christmas time; organising carol services and mince pie deliveries across the universities. This year will be significantly …

The impact of Impact Groups

Determined to make Jesus known but unable to run campus events, hold physical gatherings or even hand out flyers, the Christian Unions have been getting creative this year. Quirky and unusual outreach – such as dropping cake off outside halls of residence! – has emerged, but the main change for …

Make your online carol service one to remember

The carol service has always been a part of the CU calendar. I know when I was a student it was by far the easiest thing to invite my unbelieving friends to, and they absolutely loved it. But, why bother this year? We can’t pack our friends into churches or even football stadiums and can’t belt our …

Hope in the new normal

A series of four blogs on Romans 8 A new academic year, a very odd context. The effects of the pandemic continue to be seen around us as we continually adapt to new restrictions. It's now normal to say ‘social distancing’, ‘isolating’ and ‘the rule of six’. Yet, for all of the talk about this ‘new …

An unusual start to the term

Last week, I walked through the precinct of one of the universities near to me. It happened to be Tuesday of freshers’ week. Normally the campus would have been bustling with people; a whirlwind of activity. This year, stewards wearing visors and hi-vis jackets outnumbered new students. Signs …

Five reasons to pray for the CUs

With lockdowns on university campuses across the country, many students, including freshers, are currently experiencing an isolating start to the term. As missional communities on campus living and speaking for Jesus, Christian Unions are doing all they can to adapt to this new unusual context – …

Forum 2020 - what happened?

In August, around 2,500 students from Great Britain and across the globe tuned into Forum, UCCF’s annual training conference. This year, rather than taking place in a marquee in North Wales, the conference moved online due to concerns around Covid-19. So, while in previous years students would roll …

Seven ways to make the most of Forum 2020

One of my favourite parts of being a Staff Worker is going to Forum. It’s a time for great teaching, really getting to know each other as you co-exist in a tiny tent, and having lots of fun. But it also equips, excites, and energises us all for a year of CU mission. If you’re part of the CU or a …

Safe in His hands

No one started off the last academic year expecting to receive grades that were estimated not earned, adjusted and not achieved. But here we are. Results day 2020 saw social media blow up with frustration, anger and worry. News headlines were taken over by people analysing algorithms, league tables …

God has marked out your place

I remember my Results Day. I remember feeling like a dam was about to burst. There are few moments of tension like it. Sometimes the logging on, the loading up (the inevitable buffering) can be unbearable. We’re desperate to know: what will it mean?! And afterwards, the sinking feeling can run over …

What's a CU to do?

Are you planning for a socially-distanced events and looking for inspiration? Or perhaps you’re wondering how best to reach your university online? If that sounds like you, read on! We’ve had a look back at all the ‘virtual’ CU activities since March and we’ve chosen some of their best light-bulb …

Welcoming New Staff

A community of Christian students Uni life is more than just getting a degree. Today’s students are exploring perspectives that will shape their worldview forever. The student world presents an incredible opportunity to reach whole generations with the good news of the gospel, and Christian Unions …

Colour-blindness is a deficiency to be acknowledged not a virtue to be celebrated

The human eye that does not recognise the individual colours of the rainbow is failing to perceive the varying wavelengths of light. Physical colour blindness is, of course, a defect of vision – an inability to differentiate and enjoy colours. The Apostle John’s great vision of the universal church …

It begins with conversation: Striving for inter-ethnic unity in the CU context

The events surrounding George Floyd’s violent death have placed ethnicity and race relations back in the public eye, not only in the United States but around the world. People of a whole range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds have been prompted to re-examine their own views and practice when it …

Life together: pursuing community in ethnic diversity

Meditating on the hope of the gospel recently left me longing for the new creation, when our sin-sick world, the petri dish for racism and every shade of ethnic conflict, will finally be wiped clean. Be assured: perfect justice will be served by the perfect judge when the perfect comes. I believe …

Carrying the gospel baton

At one of my last Christian Union meetings as a student, I heard a talk on 2 Timothy, where Paul passes on his final messages to the younger Timothy. The pastor paused in the middle of the meeting to ask us, ‘What will you pass on to the younger years when you graduate and leave them?’ That is …

A long way from home

The Covid-19 outbreak has had an impact on lots of us. For international students, it’s been tricky in entirely different ways. Here, Chichester CU student Sian explores how the book of Esther can be an encouragement to those far from home during this time. The last few weeks have been challenging …

Virtually an events week?

At the end of May, supported by UCCF Relay Workers and Associate Staff Workers, the CUs in Scotland joined together to run an online events week called Hope . Bekah, vice president of Dundee CU, reflects here on what happened. We first saw lockdown as a disaster. It was ruining plans and bringing …

Relay blog: adapting to change

This years' cohort of Relay Workers have had a surprising end to their year. Both the way they support the CUs, and the way they themselves are supported, has changed significantly. Here, Georgia from Leeds reflects on what lockdown life is like on the Relay programme. Hello and a very good …

The latest on CU mission and Covid-19

Thank you for your prayers for us over these past couple of months. We were successful in our application to the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and have received the rebate for April salaries, as per the terms of the scheme. We are grateful to the Lord for this provision and …

Reading the Bible online when you're 'Zoomed-out'

It can be tricky to work out how to read the Bible with a friend when you're not with them in person. Here, Bath CU student Evie shares her personal story of how she helped a friend discover Jesus in the Bible. I began reading the Bible with Sarah (name changed) back in December. At the time she …