Ah, the joys and angsts of Freshers’ Week. Crazily it’ll be ten years this October since I first rocked up at Durham, complete with my Dad’s old duffle coat, my first laptop and some ‘gap yah’ beads. Ok, thankfully I didn’t go as far as the latter.
It’s a time of new opportunities, new friendships, and, in a way, new starts. For me, a defining factor of my time at university was benefiting from, and being involved with, the university’s Christian Union. Whether it be encouraging those already trusting in Jesus Christ, or whether it be giving others the opportunity to consider him for the first time, UCCF Christian Unions can have a huge impact – and that can begin in Freshers’ Week.
Two years ago I put together a short series of posts looking at how university Christian Unions can make the most of the opportunities that Freshers’ Week presents. After five years working with students from a range of different universities, it was an attempt to try and distill some of the advice I’d been given, as well as reflect on what I’d learnt in that time.
With September fast approaching, I figured it might be worth sharing again, in the hope that some of it is an encouragement. So, here are my top 5 thoughts, each linking to another post explaining more. Perhaps you know someone involved with leading a CU for whom these could be a useful springboard for discussion?
2. Create a CU culture that loves the local church.
3. Be all about the gospel of Jesus Christ, rather than assuming it.
4. As individuals, take the opportunity to evaluate how your own evangelism is going.
5. … well, actually I never got as far as 5, so what would your advice be? Why not leave it in the comments below…
You might also find this guide from UCCF handy.
