FRESHERS :)
Congratulations, you’ve made it to Lancaster!!
Whether you’re considering faith for the first time or can’t wait to get to stuck in with the Christian Union, we look forward to welcoming you! Here’s a little taster of our current weekly events (these might be change by next term, but it gives you an idea !!) …
SUNDAY
Church - On Sundays, we encourage our members to attend a local church so we can learn about God's word, serve others and spend time getting to know other believers from different walks of life.
MONDAY
Globe - 7:30pm, Fylde Common Room - Globe is a relaxed and friendly Bible study group . Aimed to welcome international students, this is a great opportunity for ANY student to make friends, and invest time in some that might not have the same opportunities to hear the gospel in their home countries.
TUESDAY
Equip - 7pm for refreshments, 7:30pm start, Welcome Centre LT3 - This is our main meeting of the week, where we come together to praise God, pray, study God's word, and learn about practical ways we can be reaching other students with the gospel. Usually followed by hanging out in one of the bars on campus !!
FRIDAY
Prayer Meeting - 8am, Fylde Common Room - This is one of the most important meetings of the week. It's so good to come together and pray about things happening in CU, local Churches, Lancaster, and the rest of the world. Introducing our situations to God in prayer is such a privilege and so how great is it that we get to do it together, as students in the same university?!
*IMPACT GROUPS - Impact Groups are small groups made from CU members, who study the Bible together and ask big questions. It's a great way to get to know members of the CU who might not be in your year or church! These are held at different times in the week, depending on which group you're in !!
EVENTS SPECIALLY FOR YOU!
Oh hey there future freshers… we are so excited that you’re interested in joining us this October. We’ll let you know all our freshers events here on the calendar… but for more updates, you might want to keep an eye out on our Facebook and Instagram accounts (@lancscu).
We can’t wait to meet you!
FAQs
What is a Christian Union?
A Christian Union is a group of students who’ve come together from diverse backgrounds in order to give every student at their University the opportunity to hear and respond to the good news about Jesus Christ. Our heart is to be a community that loves Jesus, loves each other, and shares Jesus with the students on our campus.
What’s the difference between a CU and Church?
The CU loves the local church. We believe that is it through partnership with the local church that the campus can be most effectively reached for Jesus Christ.
In Lancaster, the churches we’re part of help us to value the bible, prayer and community. When we do these activities in CU, it's not to replace what we do in church, but rather to enjoy more of what will fuel effective mission on campus. The unique mission of the CU is to reach the University campus through a community living and studying together, meaning that the CU operates as the missional arm of the local church on campus.
Our mission flows from local churches as they disciple us and send us out, and flows back to the local church as new Christians are helped to be lifelong disciples.
What kinds of things does the CU do?
The CU is one of the most active societies on campus, carrying-out a variety of different activities and events. We do things aimed at equipping individuals and the CU as a whole for sharing Jesus, such as: our prayer meeting, Impact Groups and our big weekly meeting (called ‘Connect’). We also run events so that students on campus can hear the gospel and experience it through acts of kindness and love.
Who leads the CU?
Like any other Student’s Union society, the CU is led by a team of students called the ‘Executive Committee’. An election is held within the society every year to decide who serves in these positions for the coming year. There are also a number of other roles coordinating various aspects of CU which are integral to what we do.
Do I need to believe certain things to be part of the CU?
The CU is an open community accepting of anyone who comes through our doors. There are no special qualifications, creeds or beliefs necessary to come along and be part of our community. As with every CU across the country however, we do have a set of basic Christian beliefs - called the ‘Doctrinal Basis’ - which we unify around in order that we have common ground for doing mission together across our diverse church backgrounds.
Does the CU collaborate with any other societies on campus?
Yes, the CU regularly connects with two other Christian societies on campus - the ‘Chinese Christian Fellowship’ and ‘Radical Youth’. We also (under normal circumstances) have put-on an end of year celebration called ‘Party by the Pond’ which brings together many university societies to show-case their talents as part of the event.
What’s the relationship between the CU and UCCF?
UCCF is the family of Christian Unions across the UK, which includes us - CU students! - our Staff and Relay Workers, and supporters who pray for us and cheer us on.
Although the CU is student-led we're really glad for the support, example and advice that our Staff and Relay Workers give us as we carry-out our mission on campus.
UCCF also puts-on a number of high-quality conferences and training sessions for CU leaders as part of their commitment to help CUs like us in our mission.
You can find out more about UCCF here: https://www.uccf.org.uk/
How many puns based on the fact that ‘CU’ sounds like ‘see you’ should I expect to hear?
Many. Too many.
You might want to join an Impact Group!
Impact Groups are weekly Bible studies. We set these up to give you the opportunity to invite non-Christian friends to discuss the Bible as well as to develop deeper friendships with other CU members.
The sessions are run by students and it’s a good way to encourage and help each other share the gospel with our friends!!
There will be an opportunity for you to sign up for these groups once you arrive at Lancaster via a sign up sheet in one of our main meetings, or a link will be shared on social media.
Say hi!
If you’re keen to get involved with the CU this year, want to ask a question or two, or just fancy saying hi, feel free to drop us a message!
We’re so excited to get to know you and welcome you to the CU family :))