Christian Union: The Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 8

Ministry Centers Increase Christian Influence
Christian Union Launches Drive for Columbia Property
S
tudents at the nation’s premiere
universities are in desperate need of
Christian outreach and influence.
As Christian Union works to meet this
need, there is a serious impediment: space.
Christian Union has identified the urgent
need to establish ministry centers adjacent
to campus at each of the universities where
it operates.
Currently, Christian Union operates
Christian ministries can face discrimination
on campus, ministry centers reduce Chris-
tian Union’s dependency on the universi-
ties’ administrations for securing space.
Strengthening
Christian Influence
As Christian Union celebrates God’s
provision of the Robert L. Melrose Center
for Christian Leadership at Princeton Uni-
Students there have faced obstacles to gain-
ing official recognition; and without official
standing, securing space to gather for the
weekly lecture series and for special events
is a constant challenge. Although Christian
Union ministry fellows often open their
homes for Bible courses or utilize coffee
shops as meeting spots, the challenge inten-
sifies as more and more students want to
study Scripture and grow in Christ.
The acquisition of Christian Union ministry centers at Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Pennsylvania would
lead to increased Christian influence with dedicated space for Bible courses, mentoring, and prayer.
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ministry centers at Brown, Cornell, Princ-
eton, and Yale. The benefit of these facil-
ities cannot be overstated. Ministry centers
establish a permanent Christian presence
and a visible welcoming space for students,
staff, and faculty interested in learning
about the Christian faith and experiencing
a community of believers. Centers provide
space for biblical teaching, leadership train-
ing, mentorship, and personal and inter-
cessory prayer. Crucially, in a time when
versity, the ministry envisions impactful
ministry centers next at Columbia, Dart-
mouth, Harvard, Stanford, and the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania. Christian Union
is also seeking to use its ministry center at
Yale more strategically.
At some universities, Christian Union’s
ministry is one of the largest student orga-
nizations on campus. This is true at Dart-
mouth, where over 160 students were
involved in the 2016-17 academic year.
In the case of schools where Christian
Union resources an already approved student
organization, such as Columbia, Harvard,
and Penn, students can schedule facilities
on campus when space is available. On many
campuses, space is difficult to come by. The
ministry at Columbia is engaging nearly
200 students, an extraordinary number for
this secular institution. However, the min-
istry, along with everyone else at the compact
urban campus, finds space to be at a pre-