WSLETTER NE

Issue 1 January 2012

Inside This Issue

A Warm Welcome
Hello! Welcome to Chester University Christian Unions first newsletter of the academic and calendar year! The purpose of this newsletter is to keep local churches, and those who support us updated with the goings on within CU. We really hope that you find it interesting, and once you finish reading have a real sense of excitement having witnessed the amazing work that God is doing here.
If you have any questions or would like to get in touch email Sarah Mayers on 1008578@chester.ac.uk , we would love to hear from you.

Freshers Fortnight Late Night Worship Small Groups Man Up! Queen of Puddings Football Words from Warrington Weekend Away CU Formal Christmas in CU Mission Week 2012 Presidents Word

Freshers FORTNIGHT
As a CU, Freshers Fortnight is such an important time for us as we have an opportunity to meet so many new people. Through Gods love we want to help these people settle into university life, meet new friends and feel welcome in Chester. The two weeks were jam-packed with events. We did Feed-aFresher, Walk the Walls, a BBQ, Bowling, Guys & Girls Social, Late Night Worship, Church Breakfasts, Text-a-toastie, Societies Fair AND our CU Main Meetings! On the whole the events were a huge success, we managed to reach a number of people, have a lot of fun, and got to know one another so much better. As a committee we really wanted to build a community within our CU and the first two weeks really did start the ball rolling. Weve been really blessed, to have so many Freshers this year, and currently we have 138 registered members, with an average turn out to meetings of 100. GOD IS GOOD! However, as a second year I can sit here, write this and tell you its great. But it might not be. So the following is written by a fresher new to Chester this September;

Before I started I heard from many people before going to uni how pro-active the Christian Union in Chester was. I met some other Christians from my course on our first day so we all went to the CU together that night, which made it a lot easier, as I had some familiar faces to go with me. I was amazed at how many people went, and I felt really comfortable and settled after what had been quite an overwhelming first week! The CU has had played a huge part in my first term. It was really good to have an alternative to the expectations that freshers week often promotes, and Ive definitely valued meeting loads of likeminded people who have become really good friends particularly after the weekend away in December. Theres so much to be involved in with the CU and theres always loads of things going on which is great! Moving away to uni can be a really overwhelming experience, particularly having to live with people that youve never met before. But by meeting people through CU and getting involved with different events, its really helped me to feel more grounded at uni generally, but more importantly, more involved in Gods missions and plans in Chester!

PAGE 2

NEWSLETTER

Late night worship

Wow!! What an amazing term God has given us. Late Night Worship is an opportunity where emerging worship leaders can do just that, lead worship. This term Late Night Worship has been God inspired, and what God has been doing is awesome. I have sensed a freedom in CU this year that I havent felt before. People are just letting go of their fears and worshipping God in their own way, and that has been the focus of LNW. New things that have never happened have been tried at LNW. We have had spontaneous rapping, beat-boxing, and stories of God working in peoples lives within extreme circumstances to name a few. I have to say that the most amazing moment for me this term has been seeing peoples passion and determination to worship God even in the darkest of situations, and LNW has been an environment where this has happened. Late Night Worship has been attended by more people this year than my previous two years in the CU, maybe this is because of the growth in size or maybe it is Gods peoples excitement to meet together, worship and pray in fellowship, either way Im so pleased. Over the next term I would LOVE to see that passion, and that love for God grow even stronger, and people would worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:23) together as one body!

Small groups
Small groups have undergone a structural change this year, which thus far seems to be working well. Small group leaders now work in pairs, so that they can support and pray for each other; and the practical burden of hosting the group is shared between two people. God has really blessed this change, and the friendship between the small group leaders has deepened and grown. So with nine small groups operating, there are currently eighteen small group leaders, which, logistically, is a bit of a challenge to co-ordinate: especially as we all eat together every Tuesday night! Having our studies in the context of a meal has really helped to develop a relaxed atmosphere in which small group leaders can be honest, accountable and free to grow in their leadership. Northgate Church have been very kind to let us use their Bistro and kitchen for our meals Small groups should be like families; every week, which has been a massive blessing to us. So it has been a season of change for the small groups, but God has really honoured the steps of faith we have taken and the small groups are largely flourishing, both in terms of attendance and positive feedback. When we were planning our vision for small groups at the start of the year, one thing that came up often was that small groups should be like families; and there is really a sense that that is what's happening. It's so exciting to see so many quality new leaders raised up from within CU. Prayer Points: * This term we will be starting a new series of teaching on Issues Facing the Christian Student. This will be written and run by our new UCCF Staff Worker, Sarah Oliver. Please pray for Sarah as she takes over from our previous staff worker, Matt; and that through this series small group members are able to reflect on how to live out their faith at University. * The new small group co-ordinator will take over in March. Please pray for a smooth transition, and wisdom for me in this time of handing over! * One of our small group leaders has recently undergone some surgery. Please pray for a quick recovery for them.

and there is really a sense that that is what's happening

ISSUE 1

PAGE 3

Man-Up
Man-Up first started at the end of the last academic year. With a largely female populated Christian Union the importance of masculine fellowship and discipleship was evident! Man up is aimed at all Men in the Christian Union and is run monthly. We usually start by providing a cooked dinner, as food is such a good way to build fellowship. Wed then study the Bible from a manly perspective. In doing this we have expected to see accountability and Godly male friendship growing. We started this academic year by having a curry and The MAN-UP Vision: FIFA night where our vision was put across and shared. To become Men of God, Since then we have discussed True Manhood talking through fellowship, being about stepping out and assuming the responsibilities of manhood. We had a session on what it means to be the accountable to one another, salt and light of the earth, looking at our calling to be and importantly through witnesses and stepping out in faith. We unpacked the studying His Word. armour of God and literally challenged each other to put it on and to be equipped against whatever the university lifestyle has to throw at us. And finally we looked at Jesus and the fellowship he had with his disciples, and the importance of this unit around him during his ministry. Please pray for continual guidance in running the events. Pray that as young men we would grow in our challenge to become Men of God.

QUEEN OF PUDDINGS
As women, queens of Gods Kingdom, we are called to support each other. I once heard women were described as the support personnel in an army, noting that without them it would most certainly fail. We were made to support and protect one another and that is exactly what this womens ministry has been aimed at this term. Encouraging and challenging ourselves to support one another and be a true family. Queen of Puddings is an opportunity for women to come together, share in puddings on a Saturday evening every other week, and explore what God has called us to be. As women we hope to grow together as a unit supporting one another, the CU and shinning out into the University of Chester. This term we have been looking at what characteristics a Christian women should have, looking at how to cope in times of hardship, and finally about living as a community. Despite relatively the low numbers the discussions have been amazing, and collectively I think it is fair to say everyone present was challenged by God through these different meetings. The highlight of this term I think is fair to say at the CU weekend away we started off with a group bonding activity, followed by a look into David and Jonathons God centred friendship. We broke up into little discussion groups and discovered what worked in their friendships. We then looked at Romans 12 to get practical examples of how to be accountable, how to be trustworthy friends, and how as Christian Union we can build each other up and be an example of Christ in all our friendships. It has been such an encouragement to share and learn about God in all our lives and for that reason alone Queen of Puddings has been a success. Prayer Requests: Please pray for the planning of this term, so we can understand what God wants to make of these sessions. Weve had quite low numbers at times this term, and it would be fantastic if we could bless more women with Gods word, please pray for this.

PAGE 4

NEWSLETTER

FOOTBALL
Football is something that is very close to a lot of peoples hearts. A group from within the CU and have stepped out and formed a football team. Chester Christians United. The purpose of this football team is to try and be a witness to God. Every time we step out to play there is a challenge given to all the players to play in the Godly manor. One that is loving to others, respectful of decisions made, and to enjoy it. Its a fantastic ministry because football is something that Non-Christians can relate. The stereotype of Christians is that they are Bible-bashers and geeks who dont enjoy life. We want to show that Christians are different in how they live their lives but still enjoy the gifts that we have on this earth, one of course being football. The team is not inclusive to Christians, in the squad we have 5 Non-Christians, so for them to witness God in us is amazing. The conversations and the relationships that have been built through football has been incredible. God has really blessed us with 3 fixtures already this term and already 4 planned for next term. God is really working in this team and that has been apparent in the availability for fixtures. Please pray for the continuation of this fantastic ministry, and the continued work that God is doing. If you want a game please get in touch too!

Words from Warrington

A lot has happened in the past year and especially within the past term. God has really blessed us at Warrington. We got our 'Wazza CU' logo designed, and witnessed a 100% increase in our CU, not many CU's can say that! (technically it was an increase of 2, but that's still a 100% increase and we thank God).
.

We had a busy Freshers week, each kitchen on campus got a washing up bottle with our logo, a short welcome and our contact number stuck on it. Later that week, at the Freshers Fair 304 CU packs were handed out, complete with noodles, sauces, shampoos, pens, post-its and an ultimate questions. 12 people signed up to receive more information. However, when we e-mailed about meeting up, only 1 came. Please pray that God will work in lives of the other 11, and that they might join us. At the Freshers ball we did Cuppa. Lots of students, bouncers and even the club owner made use of this and chatted away to us about why we were doing it. One lad Tom told me "I don't want to be preached at." I simply smiled and handed him tea saying "that's fine. But have a cup of tea." After a sip of tea he looked at If you'd told us a year ago that this me and echoed "no preaching?" "nope". He looked at us and the table would have happened, we would have and then said to me "tell me everything!". What an opportunity! What a called you crazy, but with God all things fantastic night! And what an incredible God we serve! Please continue are possible! to pray for Tom.
.

Coming up to Christmas, we felt that something had to be done. A Christmas dinner was what I had envisioned but it seemed like too mammoth a task! However, after a meeting with our UCCF worker, we decided to give it a go. We found the perfect venue, decorated it and cooked a 3 course dinner. 20 people came, ate and listened to a 10 minute talk from God's word.
.

God is working! Please pray that He continues to work and use us in whatever way he wants. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the churches who gave us the financial support: Bethesda Evangelical Church, Oasis 21st Century Church and Crumlin Evangelical Presbyterian Church. And thanks to those churches who have supported us in prayer and meeting with us.
.

May God bless you in 2012. Elspeth and Slou

ISSUE 1

PAGE 5

Weekend away
Every year we, as a Christian Union, go away for a weekend to get away from the pressures of university and have a weekend focussed solely on God. This year we had or biggest yet, with over 70 people going to Quinta Christian Centre, in Oswestry! The Weekend Away is a fantastic opportunity for us to get together as a CU to worship God, learn more about living out our faith, as well as getting to know other members of our community better. This year our theme was Our God, Our King where we looked at the book of Psalms in our main meetings. We had two blocks of seminars, the first block you had the choice of looking at Gods love, Gods wrath, or His faithfulness and goodness .And in the second block we looked leading a life of Worship, Evangelism and Giving God Your All. The Weekend Away this year really brought us together as a CU, and the sense of community had never felt stronger. God changed people on this weekend. The Facebook page (Chester University Christian Union) for the next few days was covered in posts of how excited people were for God, and what the weekend meant to them. One person wrote It was absolutely amazing!! I can't believe how on fire I am now! because I felt him! AAAHH! amazing!! What a brilliant way to finish the first term of the year! Our hope is that the feeling of dedication to God and to the CU will continue to grow in the coming term so we may bless the University and continue to share our faith.

Christmas formal
A benefit of Christmas is people naturally like to celebrate! We are no different within CU and saw it as a great opportunity, to put on the glad rags, enjoy a night of partying and dancing and share the love and appreciation we have with one another. It was held at Off The Wall in town, we had a fantastic live band and a DJ to keep us entertained throughout the night. Over 120 people attended, to help make it the night it was! Having been on our weekend away just days earlier, there was a brilliant sense of community in the room, which was also extended to those who were not able to make the weekend. As well as this, there has been a recent growth in dance ministry, which was shared with the CU at the weekend away, something which was very evident at the Formal when the DJ played a few Christian songs, such as Shackles by Tim Hughes Kingdom Skank by Guvna B. This produced a great reaction from the CU, during which many members enjoyed a time of worship in a very different style and location. All in all it was a very good night!

C hrist m as i n c u
Christmas, the time where we celebrate the birth of Jesus. We cannot deny the fact that Christmas is such an exciting opportunity for people to hear the Christian message. For some reason, those who wouldnt normally feel obliged to come along to Church because its what they do. How exciting!? During the lead up to Christmas we had a number of events. The first was the University Carol Service where both the CU and Chaplaincy came together to put on a carol service at the cathedral. We are so thankful for Gods blessing on this event were approximately 450 heard the message of Christmas! We also held our own Carol service - Beer and Carols service in the SU. It wasnt quite as large, with realistically more like 35 people coming, however the sense of community and proclaiming the birth of Jesus was brilliant. Taking the church to the people in the SU was what it was all about. Text-a-Christmas-Toasty was in full flow too, we delivered about 400 toasties across Chester and Campus on one night, and was really able to show the gift of love that God has given us. Christmas is always a period in any Christian environment, but God gave us the strength to do his work and we are truly thankful.

MISSION WEEK 2012

During this coming term Mission week will be taking place! Mission week is the whole week commencing the 5th March dedicated to serving the University Campus and sharing the truth about his amazing grace for us. This year we will be challenging the campus to think about who Jesus really was and who he is now, and we aim to show them why we think he is so great. Last years mission week involved free toasties, free flowers and free hot beverages. Given with the message of grace these are just a few ways that we try to imitate the great gift that He has given us. The CU provided a platform for anyone to come and ask some of those difficult questions in Grill a Christian. This year we aim to offer similar opportunities. By Gods grace we aim for everyone on campus to have been reached in some way by the CU during this week in March! Please pray for the planning of it as we look to see how we can best serve and love our campus. Pray for funding that we dont have to fall short of Gods ambitious plans because of finance! Thank you and watch this space!

Presidents word
In the summer edition of the newsletter, I said next term we will be trusting God for a greater experience in his presence. Little did I know the CU was going to encounter God in such a way where the fruits of the spirit (joy, peace, long suffering, community, unity, and love) can be felt among us. I am meant to be writing about my views on how the CU is doing and looking back over this past term however a lot has happened and I cant put it into words. All I can say is God is good and he has been good to us! The CU is doing well, the committee is blessed, the freshers are getting involved, we have support from members of the previous committee and there is a real sense of community, love, unity and accountability within the CU. It seems God is taking the CU on a journey, and its exciting to think where he is taking us. My personal favourite is the new culture of dance and expressive worship emerging. If there is anything to pray about please thank God for how far he has brought us, but most importantly, pray that CU will not lose the hand and presence of God among us.
.

Its the time of year where we beginning to think about new leaders for CU, please pray God will give us the grace to discern who he is calling to lead and serve. Much love, Prince Asiamah