Throughout history students have spoken up and worked to see God’s Kingdom come in their friendships, communities and the world.
Everything God gives us is to be used to glorify God and be a blessing to others.
- What or who springs to mind when you hear the word legacy?
When we hear the word legacy we often thing of people like Nelson Mandela or Mother Theresa - celebrated people who have changed the world through standing up for something and have made a huge difference. But Christian students have a chance when your at university to leave a Kingdom legacy that others will benefit from and be blessed by.
Loveyouruni
Loveyouruni is designed to leave a legacy with student who love their university, live beyond themselves, give beyond themselves and love beyond theirselves. Loveyouruni aims to resource and encourage thousands of churches to love universities and the millions of students who study there. The vision is to see a generation of Christian students living with purpose, compassion and conviction, in order that thousands more students would encounter and respond to Jesus.
The project has many expressions like linking students to churches, telling good news stories of what God is doing through universities and trainmen and equipping students to live boldly for Jesus.
- What would loving your university mean to you?
Loveyouruni has had a massive ripple effect on students wanting to make a difference and stand up for what they believe.
Gry’s Story
York Anti Trafficking Student group (YATS) was started due to the lack of awareness of Human Trafficking found among students in our social circles. After
having spent seven months working on the frontlines in Thailand, with child victims of this horrendous crime, I personally had experienced the magnitude of the issue, and saw the impact raising awareness about it could have. From the clothes we buy to the life choices we make, what we do can make an impact, and I wanted to share that responsibility to act with the student body. When two friends asked me if I wanted to start a society to bridge the gap in our student world, I was therefore eager to be given a platform on which to talk about the issues. Although we have only been going for a year now, we have seen our committee double, and been able to host a range of speakers from different backgrounds within the anti-trafficking movement. Almost by accident, our committee is only made up of christians, which means that, though we cannot be an explicitly Christian society, we believe we can make an impact through the way we live. It has been a blessing to be able to pray openly in our committee meetings, and give the problems that come up to God. We host 2 to 3 events a term, where we invite a speaker from some aspect of anti-trafficking work, and we try to change up how we do the events. Some appeal more to the emotions, some are mainly informational, some focus on politics, and so on. We also try to come up with some kind of practical way of engaging with the issue, although this can be challenging. We are very much still in the startup phase, and still have a lot of challenges we need to face, but I am praying that YATS would somehow make an impact, and maybe encourage more people to think about what they buy, and where their money is going. My dream is to see a University that actively put Human Rights at the centre of the choices that we make, and that teaches how to make a difference on this subject within their curriculum. I want to see people rise up to make a difference.
Our own discipleship legacy
This is something that can’t be bought or inherited but something we work on and with over time. When the disciples decided to follow Jesus they became students, learning under Christ, asking and being asked many questions. They were set practical assignments and at the end of their discipleship their commissioning required them to be sent out and be witnesses to all the nations doing Gods work.
Your years at university can lay the foundations for the greatest legacy of your life, a lie well lives with Jesus at the centre. To get stuck into this legacy the three disciplines that are required are prayer, worship and reading scripture. When we get our relationship with God right, seek Gods ways first, everything else falls into place.
- What does your rhythm look like with prayer, worship and reading the scriptures?
- What would you like it to look like in those three disciplines?
A great adventure awaits you.
Prayer
Father God may I live to honour you at university. May I be involved in seeing your kingdom come in the halls, bars, clubs and lecture theatres and participate in our will be done in the student world. Help me with all my needs - friends, study, only and food. Forgive me when I don’t get it right and help me to show mercy to my fellow students. Give me strength to face temptation and protect me from evil.For yours is the legacy I’m part of.
Amen.
This is 4/4 of the Starting University blog series
1. Starting university - The Start
2. Starting university - The Culture
3. Starting university - The Opportunities