This Christmas, hundreds of students in CUs across the country have shared the hope of Jesus through carol services and other evangelistic events on their campuses. Year after year, these events plant countless gospel seeds – students hearing the good news for the first time or rediscovering it afresh.
In the natural world, a gardener plays the long game. They sow seeds knowing they may not see immediate results, but with time and the right conditions, those seeds will grow and flourish. The same is true of gospel opportunities. Often, the seeds sown at a carol service don’t show visible signs straight away – but one simple ‘yes’ to an invitation can lead to a life transformed.
George’s story shows this truth in action:
‘When I arrived at Exeter University, I called myself a Christian. I’d grown up going to church, knew the Bible stories, and could answer many of the questions. But really, my faith was in my head, not in my heart.
In my first term, I became friends with two Christians on my course. They were kind, cared about me, and when Exeter CU’s carol service came around, they invited me along. I said yes.
The carol service in Exeter is huge – a few thousand people gather in the city’s football stadium to sing carols, hear a talk, and enjoy mince pies. I can’t remember the details of the talk now, but I do remember the moment at the end: “If you want to know more, the CU is running a short course in the new year exploring who Jesus is.”
That simple invitation changed everything.
My two friends didn’t just invite me to the carol service – they came with me to that course. They answered my questions, asked me theirs, and together we explored the good news of Jesus. I can still remember the excitement of what I was hearing during those evenings, especially about what Jesus had done for me at the cross.
The course finished just as the CU’s events week began. I went to two evening talks and realised something: this wasn’t just happy news about Jesus, it was news I needed to personally respond to. That night I prayed with a CU Guest (a volunteer helping with events week) and asked Jesus to be Lord of my life.
That was 20 years ago, and I am so thankful for those two friends, that carol service, and all that the CU did to share the gospel with me. You might never know the impact of inviting someone to a carol service. The talk might fade from memory, but the seed planted may grow into real fruit and new life in Jesus.’
Of course, not every student’s story will be like George’s – Jesus explains this reality best in the Parable of the Sower:
‘A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.’ (Matthew 13:3–9)
This parable reminds us that when a gospel seed is planted, it needs the right conditions to take root and flourish. There are many reasons why someone might accept or reject the good news, and there is a mystery we cannot ignore: only the Lord can draw a person to Himself. Yet stories like George’s show how CUs can help to create an environment on campus where seeking students feel safe to ask questions, discover community, and encounter the love of God for themselves.
Would you join us in praying for every student who attended a carol service this year? Pray that the seeds sown would fall on good soil and grow into lasting, life-changing faith in the Lord Jesus.
Pray also for CUs across Great Britain – that they would be encouraged and equipped to be spiritual greenhouses on campus, places where students grow into fruitful followers of Him.