CUs are mission teams on campus. They exist to equip students for evangelism by exciting them about the Gospel, giving them training and providing opportunities for outreach (you can get the full story over at the uccf website). In addition to their main purpose of evangelism, they are a great place to meet other Christians as well as offering an easy route into finding a church.
One thing we’re sure you’ll learn about CU is that it’s not a church – and nor is it trying to be. CU is about offering an outlet for evangelism rather than being a source of pastoral care. The programme the CU puts on might look great but your “spiritual wellbeing” is something your church needs to take care of – so don’t be tempted to attend CU meetings in place of getting firmly rooted in a church family.
Since the dawn of time students have wrestled with the conundrum: church or CU? Where should my priorities lie? Maybe wrestling is a bit of an over-exaggeration, but it is most definitely an issue. The short and simple answer is, ‘it depends’. Although here’s what we’ve found works best:
First and foremost, you should definitely be part of a local church that meets regularly: it’s here where you’ll receive pastoral support and can worship God as part of a community. Also, it’s so important to get plugged into key areas of that church – mid-week small groups, for example, are an absolute essential if they are available.
After that it’s down to personal preference. You might want to commit more time to CU events, or you might prefer to become more involved in church-based activities. Or you might even decide to limit how much Christian “stuff” you do in order to avoid getting caught up in the proverbial Christian “bubble”. Ideally you’d like a nice balance but everyone’s different and there’s no right or wrong way to divide up your time; especially as there’s often too much you could do and you run the risk of “burn-out”. Ultimately the best advice we can offer is this: find out how God wants you to use your time and then go do it! That’s where you’ll be most effective for the Kingdom and, more than likely, where you’ll have the most fun.
In case you haven’t already located your university’s CU, here are the links to their websites and facebook groups:
University of Manchester: website – facebook
University of Salford: website – facebook
RNCM – facebook
(c) Vinelife/Ralph Pedley 2008 (permission required)
