The CUs have incredible opportunities to share the gospel this Christmas.
Have you ever wanted to share your faith with a friend, but haven’t been sure when to take the plunge? Perhaps you were worried about how they might react, and so were waiting for a window of opportunity. Or a gap in the conversation. Just the right moment.
For students, the right moment is now.
Here are three reasons why.
1. Open minds…
Did you know that young people today are twice as likely to attend a place of worship over the Christmas period than over-55s?*
Churches loom over villages or town centres and can be considered intimidating or alien by young people today – the majority of whom haven’t grown up regularly attending one. The majority of whom may consider Christianity outdated, boring, even threatening. But in December, tradition becomes fun and festive. Under soft Christmas lights, church is suddenly an inviting and acceptable place to be.
And, as this wariness of Christianity is suspended across campus, CU students have a wonderful opportunity to share what their faith is really all about.
Ollie (name changed) from Portsmouth lived opposite a church. He’d seen things happening there before but had never gone along. On the day of the CU’s carol service last year, the students welcoming on the door called out to him as he was walking past and invited him in. He decided to go! He loved the service, where he got chatting with a student worker and the guy running the tech. They invited him to church the following Sunday, and he began going regularly. A couple of months later, he gave his life to Christ.
2. Open hearts…
Christmas doesn’t just help lower mental barriers to Christianity, but emotional ones, too. As another year comes to an end, conversations can turn to reflective topics of hope, life and love. This may be especially true for freshers finishing their first term away from home. Having finally had freedom to make all their own choices, they’ve perhaps started to question what is guiding these choices. What is life really all about?
Students may be ready not just to question pre-conceived ideas of Christianity, but to question their own need, purpose and hope.
In the autumn term last year, Emma (name changed) stumbled across a video of a Christian sharing their testimony on YouTube. She began imagining what it would feel like to be unconditionally loved, bought a Bible and started reading it – but struggled with parts she didn’t understand. She was excited when her coursemate in University of South Wales Treforest CU invited her to their lunchtime event called ‘Something more than a Christmas romance.’ There, she opened up to her friend about how she’d been feeling, and they agreed to start reading Uncover Mark together.
3. Open eyes…
Finally, Christmas is a time when CU members themselves will be fixing their eyes again on Jesus – remembering His birth, why He came, and finding joy in this. And this will be the best witness of all.
Maybe students will have thought their Christian friends were ‘religious’ and attended church on Sundays, but their delight in Jesus at Christmas is striking.
Maybe they thought the CU were kind and welcoming, but are starting to wonder why.
Maybe they’ve had the odd chat with their friend about the credibility of the Bible and sent in a question for text-a-toastie, but now realise that Christianity isn’t just an intellectual set of beliefs for their friend – but that it has hold of their heart.
Naomi (name changed) came to Royal Holloway CU’s carol service last year. She came jokingly saying it was only to ‘heckle her old flatmate’, who was the CU member presenting the evening. After the event, she opened up to CU Staff Worker Naomi about how whenever she hears about Jesus, she thinks of her flat mate. She said that their lived-out faith is softening her previously hostile view of Christians.
How you can pray
For the past few months, CUs have been preparing for this opportunity – making plans, booking rooms and finding speakers for carol services, festive meals, even ginger-bread making sessions. They have considered what themes will resonate best with their campus. They have equipped members to have gospel conversations, to invite friends to read the Bible.
Their peers will have increasingly open minds, open hearts and open eyes, and they are excited to show them that Jesus is not alienating or intimidating like the churches they walk quickly past – but loving, warm and welcoming.
If you were going to pray for the CUs at all this year, would you pray now?
But for all the CUs preparation, and for all the opportunities there are, this work will be impossible without prayer.
So, will you make the most of this moment yourselves and now be praying for the CUs?
Please pray:
- That many will be drawn to attend carol services.
- That the gospel will be clearly proclaimed around dinner tables, and behind microphones.
- That CUs will pro-actively follow-up with seeking students after their events, and invite them to read the Bible or attend church.
- That those who have never thought about Jesus before will feel their need for a Saviour.
- That those who have been exploring Christianity all term will be convicted to repent and give their lives to Jesus.
- That Christian students will be renewed in their joy in the Lord, and want to share Him.
Check out our list of carol service dates to help guide your prayers here.
Find more ways to pray and CUs to pray for in our fortnightly prayer emails here.
*www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1531664/worship-christmas-religion-church-synagogue-mosque-young-people