ONE WAY to live

Lois Cross looks back on the CU mission week

Photo: Lizzie Freear

If you were puzzled earlier this term as to why there were several people in white T-shirts with strange pictures on the front handing out what seemed like thousands of flyers around campus, then fear not. This article will attempt to explain all. In week five of the spring term, the University of York Christian Union held its annual mission week. Our title for the week was One Way, and with the help of a mission team from across the country, we put on a series of events to encourage people to find out about Christianity.

To prepare for the mission, we had held a week of 24/7 prayer in the Quiet Place. It was great to spend time alone with God, and to focus on prayer and preparation. It was wonderful as the week went on to see the things that had been prayed for coming about, such as opportunities arising to talk to particular friends or particular situations arising. Then, on the Saturday at the end of week four, the mission team arrived and led the CU’s main meeting. We heard a talk on why we should be longing to share the gospel with our friends, and spent some time considering what we were about to do during the week, and asking God for help. We knew that we alone couldn’t achieve anything, and that we needed his help if we were to make an impact that week.

At the best of times, it’s not always easy to share your faith with others, so having a special week of events to invite your friends to makes it a bit easier. Every lunchtime during the week there was a ‘Hot Potato’ seminar where there was the opportunity to get a free (yes, free!) lunch (not actually a hot potato, unfortunately) and hear a talk on a controversial issue such as Has science disproved God or Christianity: Opiate for the masses? There was also a chance for people to ask any questions they had, and the opportunity to talk to members of the mission team or CU to find out more. Hot Potatoes will continue to run fairly regularly throughout the year — see the CU’s website at www.uycu.org.uk for more information.

Also running throughout the week were the dinner parties. This was a chance for members of the CU to invite their friends round for a meal, and to have one of the mission team give a short talk on what it means to be a Christian. About 12 dinner parties were held, and the talks often produced a good discussion on God, faith and lots of other stuff. It was a good opportunity to correct people’s mistaken views of Christianity, and at the same time to show them a little bit of God’s love for them by serving and cooking for them.

Each college also organised teams of people to go out asking people to complete questionnaires throughout the week. Different colleges did this at different times, and in different ways. The aim was to challenge people to think about what they believed in, and why. This was the one event held during the week that didn’t involve food, although I believe that Derwent did give out some lollipops! Halifax, on the other hand, went round the student kitchens and did people’s washing up, showing that they were willing to serve others and to live out their beliefs as a witness to others.

Friday night was a big night for the mission. Firstly, there was English High Tea, an event put on by the CU’s International team for international students who can often feel a bit lost on campus. Again, this was a chance to hear a speaker and find out more about Christianity. International students are often more open and curious about Christianity and English culture, and combining the two with food produces a good evening!

Photo: Katherine Boardman

Also on Friday night was Omni. This event, run by the Derwent College branch of the CU (in this case in association with Vanbrugh), happens once or twice every term and is both popular and successful. It is a chill out café, where music and (yet again!) free food and drinks are available for anyone to come along. It is meant to be a non-threatening atmosphere where people can come along to talk to members of the CU about what they believe and why. It also showed to many people that Christianity isn’t about being sad and boring, but that actually we are humans (well, mostly…). Thanks especially to the Derwent and Vanbrugh college teams, especially the Derwent Evangelism Coordinator Emma Novak, the evening was, as usual, a great time.

The climax and finale of the week was Saturday evening’s meeting in Langwith dining hall. Paul Hinton spoke on part of John 20, and on how we need to trust in Jesus. We also heard a testimony of a student who had recently become a Christian, which was encouraging. Afterwards, there was more cake and biscuits, and another chance to ask questions or respond to what the speaker had said — with exciting results.

Overall, it was an interesting week. Many people worked very hard, and I’d like to thank in particular the mission team, the college evangelism co-ordinators, and especially everyone who helped at Hot Potatoes. It was great to be able to focus on helping people understand what Jesus means to them, and how they need to trust him. But evangelism isn’t just for one week. Hot Potatoes will be continuing throughout the year, and there are other events planned too. Also, a follow up course (appropriately called Hungry?) is running for people who want to find out more about Christianity. And planning for next year’s mission week will soon be starting.

Oh, the t-shirts? On the back was the One Way logo and the verse; “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14v6). On the front was a series of pictures that can be used to help explain the gospel in six steps. God creates the world and man, man rebels and sins, but since God is just this means that man will die. However, God loves us so he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die instead, so we can be forgiven. Therefore, we have to choose to obey God and live, or to continue to rebel and die. Not a great deal of choice, really.

And the name of this series of pictures? Two ways to live.

Lois Cross