Students get their marks

This spring has seen an evangelistic initiative by Christian Unions on many campuses to reach out with the message of Christ using Mark's Gospel. Bob Horn of the Universities & Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) reports. . .

He was a philosophy student and he had never read any part of the Bible. Then a Christian friend gave him a copy of Mark's Gospel during the Christian Union's mission last term.

As he read it, he became so excited that he went to the trouble of reading it onto tape, using different voices. He then put backing music to it, made other copies and gave them to his friends - an evangelist before he had become a Christian!

Striking design

The gospel that the Christian Unions - and thousands of others across the country - were giving out was the straight text of Mark, but presented in a striking design in CD format. That design resulted from careful research into current design trends in the student world; we did not want anyone to be able to dismiss the gospel because it looked out of date. Anything religious-looking would have been an instant turn-off. Believing that the gospel is part of the living and always contemporary Word of God, we wanted the impression it made on non-Christians when they first saw it to be a living one as well.

The design in fact had a powerful effect on many students. This was particularly true in institutions with art or design courses, where Christians were so proud of the design that they were even more eager to give it to their classmates. In some places the art lecturers commended the design, which all helped the gospel cause.

All the way through

More importantly, we saw a high correlation between students being initially intrigued by the design and then actually reading the contents all the way through - and often more than once. The contents were entirely new to many, since huge numbers of students in post-modern, post-everything Britain have never held, owned or read a gospel and have no idea what a 'gospel' is.

One UCCF CU Worker took a non-Christian girl to a mission meeting on 'Who is Jesus?' As conversation developed afterwards, the Staff Worker asked: 'Well, you heard the talk. Did it change your idea of Jesus in any way?' The reply was: 'I had no view of Jesus at all before tonight. This is the first time I've heard anything like this'.

When another student read the gospel for the first time, it blew him away. 'Wow, he was amazing - and he never did anything wrong. What a cool guy!' Not the phraseology of the pulpit, but the language of those in whom the Spirit is beginning to work through God's Word.

The nationwide project, involving around 200 CUs, was known as Identity, to focus on two great identity issues: Who is Jesus? And who then am I? The Scripture Gift Mission donated (yes, donated) 45,000 copies (plus another 2,000 in Welsh), UCCF staff pulled the project together and the Christian Union did the rest.

Each mission different

Scores of Identity missions were run: some were by CUs such as Oxbridge, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Durham and Birmingham with several hundred members; others were by CUs with as few as two or three members. Every mission was different, the planning adapted to each institution and its ethos, balance of faculties, timetables, social mix, geography (single or multi-site), etc. Large missions included a range of activities, such as:

* Lunch bars, with food provided while a speaker tackled common objections or distortions of Christianity and then fielded questions. Topics typically covered were suffering, sexual identity and relationships, other religions, tolerance, science and faith.
* Evening meetings, at which Mark's Gospel was opened and applied.
* Supper parties, at which a brief presentation would lead into (sometimes heated) discussion.
* International cafes, banquets, Grill-a-Christian sessions, etc.

All these were followed up by ID courses based on the excellent Christianity Explored material from Rico Trice and All Souls (now available from Paternoster). Because most students have so little Christian knowledge, most conversations come after they have their interest aroused in a mission and then look into Mark's Gospel over the six weeks of the ID course. And God has been bringing students to trust in Christ.

Monitor

One resource that CUs used is Monitor, a full-colour one-off magazine that UCCF produces each year (24 pages, A5). Christians gave it to those who have zero Christian knowledge, but are into various aspects of contemporary culture. It aims to be a 'straight-off-the-street' conversation-starter by taking up current issues (shades of Paul at Athens?). CUs have used it to prepare the ground for more direct evangelism.

'Please sort me out'

This year, as one CU member observed, fewer students came to lunch bar meetings to object and argue. As she said, they seemed to come acknowledging that 'I don't know where I am' and almost asking 'Please sort me out'. One student was converted in a mission last term, a whole year after he had first heard the gospel.

One international student, who was converted early in a mission, was from a people group of over ten million, of whom only 1,000 are known Christians (i.e. 0.01%). Think what influence that one graduate could have on returning home.

Unlikely venues and people

Events took place in unlikely venues. When no other room was available, one UCCF Regional Team Leader found himself late one evening in a squash court for a Grill-a-Christian session. There were only two problems: the court was unheated and a loud and energetic game was going on in the adjoining court. Nobody seemed to mind, however, as everyone put on their jackets, huddled together and shouted out their questions and answers. Many non-Christians came, including some internationals.

In one Further Education College, a UCCF Staff Worker was helping CU members to do questionnaires on people's beliefs and got into conversation with a girl. The latter's opening remark was: 'I'm the last person you'd want to be talking to about this stuff'. But her closing words were: 'Where is the CU then?' She came to the mission meetings and asked stacks of questions. Her parting comment was reflective, 'Well, maybe we were meant to meet today'.

Three more examples illustrate the need for on-going prayer. One Christian, who has been growing in conviction and courage, shares a flat with the Presidents of the Hindu and Sikh societies. He and his CU Staff Worker had a long conversation with them recently, showing that Jesus was not just another god, but the way.

One non-Christian girl, who has lots of friends who are Christians, and is increasingly persuaded by the claims of Jesus, is still clinging to a lifestyle that she knows must end if she turns to him.

Another university is holding a big pagan festival. The CU is very concerned about the number of students who may drift along and is organising an alternative evening.

Students to students

All this is students reaching students for Christ. With the government aiming to have 50% of this age group in Higher and Further Education, can any work be more strategic for the cause of God and truth in this country?

One final story. One college last term held its first-ever mission. The small CU had not shown much enthusiasm until the week before, when their CU Staff Worker took some evangelism training. A non-Christian turned up at this and started telling the CU how to 'get converts'. She advised them on how they should invite their friends and asked if she could come to the meeting to plan the Grill-a-Christian event. Later she admitted that she was not a Christian and wanted to find out more; then she got to her serious questions. But she was the one who galvanised the CU into evangelism. Keep praying.

If you would like a copy of Monitor for friends in your office, school, hospital, business, etc., please write to Monitor, UCCF, 38 De Montfort Street, Leicester LE1 7GP, or email: monitor@uccf.org.uk. (Copies are free, contributions to postage welcome.)

An evangelistic initiative by Christian Unions