Start of the School Year
Thirteen years ago, I (Angela) started my first day of classes at the University of Michigan. Like many other students, the first six days on campus were full of exhilarating and anxiety producing moments of meeting friends, scouting out classrooms, buying books, and going to Meijer for the first time. During that week and the next few weeks of the school year, students make decisions that affect the rest of their lives. Who will be my go to friends? What if I fail all my classes? Will I get along with my roommates? Am I gonna be a book worm or a party goer? These questions ran through our minds and are running through the minds of students right now…
Through God’s gracious work in my life, I got involved with Cru the second day I was at Michigan. After meeting my dorm bible study leader, who introduced me to the rest of the Bursley Cru community, I invited three friends from my hall to visit Cru’s first event of the year where we sang, prayed, and met more friends. This established the foundation for friendships that continue to this day. The Cru community welcomed us in as family and we found a place to grow in our love for God and each other.
In a different way, 10 years ago Bryan, an atheist at the time, went into college seeking to reinvent himself by pursuing girls and grades. Like him, a very different trajectory is playing itself out in the lives of other students. Those who don’t know God, are questioning God, or are running from him are turning to other things to find satisfaction and a place to belong. Alcohol, drugs and parties reign on the college campus. Alcohol related incidents have become so severe during the welcome week that UofM shortened move-in by two days this year. According to university spokesman Rick Fitzgerald, “the high volume of alcohol-related calls was one of the leading factors in restructuring the schedule.”
Join us in praying that God’s kingdom would continue to grow in the midst of these competitive forces. Pray that:
- Students seeking satisfaction in the party scene would quickly find the emptiness of it all
- Students who know the Lord would seek out Christian community on campus
- Cru students and staff will faithfully implore friends and faculty to be reconciled to Christ
- Surveys and flyers handed out by Cru would produce spiritual conversations where bridges are built to the gospel and students receive Christ