Essex University Christian Union Events Week

John joined students at Essex University’s Colchester Campus 17-20th February. They, like other CU groups round the UK, call their mission ‘Events’ week’. The previous week had been a clearly very well-funded Islamic awareness week on the campus and it was apparent from the outset what a multi-cultural and multi-faith place the university is.

The CU at Essex is quite small but a committed group, made up of a mix of those who came to university with a Christian faith and others who had been converted during their time there. They had a fairly simple daily pattern – early morning prayers, free refreshments & chat in the morning in one of the squares, a lunchtime talk, debrief and an evening event. The free refreshments gave opportunity for conversation but also to advertise the free lunch & talk as well as evening events.

John writes, ‘It was a light programme compared to most missions but I really enjoyed it. The CU basically wanted an apologetics approach at lunchtime, which suited my gifts and experience. We had guests at every event & people signed up most days for follow-up through Christianity Explored. The guests came from a wide range of nationalities and faiths. There was time for some 1-to-1 work in the early afternoon with those who had specific questions too. I think future university missions would be a really positive development for TFM.’