So there we were, at the Freshers’ Fair, jammed tight up against the stage at the Student’s Union with the latest Club Night being promoted through the medium of ‘officially-too-loud-unless-you-have-earphones’ dance anthems (according to the engineering students next door and their krazy sound measuring devices) and outrageously scantily-clad dancers on stilts.

I guess that’s what being a Christian Union is about – ok, so the music was very loud – but we were in the heart of the world. Lots of sign-ups is very encouraging, and hopefully over the next few days we’ll be able to encourage Freshers to stand up for Jesus.

Freshers are very young and their perceptions of what Christianity is are all over the shop. I suppose they’ve every right to be all over the shop, given what’s going on under the banner of ‘Christianity’ across the UK. I am excited about what the next year brings, and seeing disciples made.

As we were walking across town, we passed two old men in the marketplace who regularly give five-minute talks to the collection of people who are sitting on the benches for whatever particular reason. There really didn’t seem to be any engagement going on between the men and the message, and those to whom they thought they were speaking.

I’m thinking now of our plans for the CU this year – we want to hold out the word of life, knowing that it is folly to the perishing, but we want people to be able to engage with what we’re saying.

Where is that line? Do we change our vocabulary? Do we change our 20 minute address vehicle? Where does the apologetic distrust the power of the gospel to save?