Blog

Planning ahead in Student Ministry is hard, especially when there’s often a pastoral or logistical crisis that needs navigating. Finding time to plan next week’s Student Night or Small Group can be challenging, let alone a whole three year ministry cycle. However, the value of gradually taking time to develop a curriculum now will not only be beneficial for you...

Christ Church Winchester spent Freshers Week this academic year creatively reaching the students in the city. Here is what they got up to... "Last year, in the build up to Freshers Week, we realised that the thing that we have, as well as hope in Jesus, is knowledge about how to live well as a student in the city we’re in....

Josh is a Student in Oxford. This is how he and other students at St Aldates have been learning how to step outside their comfort zone this year when it comes to mission… Two of the things that can stop us from doing anything in life is the fear of failure, and the fear of rejection. What if I mess up?...

Ines is a student in Nottingham and this is her story of finding a Church and growing in faith whilst at Uni... Jesus has been in my life as long as I can remember as I was brought up in a Christian home. I grew up going to Church every Sunday and attending Sunday school. So, I can definitely say Christ...

Libby is a student in Lincoln. This is her story of inviting friends to church this year… "I grew up going to church with my mum, and although I got confirmed, I was never that interested in it so stopped going in Year 10. Even though my school held traditional chapel services everyday I’m not sure I thought about God or...

This term the Student community at Vinelife Church in Manchester has set out to bring the awe of God back to University. Taking inspiration from Habakkuk 2:14, they have sought for students in Manchester to be ‘filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord’ by creating spaces where they can encounter Him, ask big questions, build community, and...

Candace is a student at St Aldates in Oxford. This is the story of them reaching their community during the early hours of May Morning... Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields” (Matthew...

Adam is a student in Newcastle and this is his story of finding a church through Student Linkup... Growing up, my church was always a place where I felt comfortable and known. It had been a constant in my life since I was born. In 2021, I moved to Newcastle for Uni. While I was excited about living independently, making new...

Reece was a student in Preston and this is his story of trying church and coming to faith... I grew up in an atheist household and faith was something that I had never explored. I looked at other Christians and settled on the idea that they had something that I didn’t, and that faith was something that just wasn’t for me....

A group of students in Manchester, who are part of the community at Saint Philips Chapel Street, began to wonder how they could do more to share their faith with friends. Theo, one of these students, shares their experience of what happened next... One night, during our weekly Connect Group, four of us were chatting about life: about Uni, friendships and...

Nathan is a student in Nottingham and this is his story of coming to faith whilst at university...   Despite Growing up in a Christian home, I never really developed a faith of my own. I always felt something was missing but quite simply put, I wanted to live my life my own way without any input from God or anyone else. As...

Jesus’ mission was not outworked solely by himself; he gathered a small group of unlikely disciples to partner with Him as he brought the good news of God’s Kingdom. We can see in Acts 2:42-47 the early church regularly met in small groups in people’s homes. These communities were dedicated to following God and deepening fellowship with one another; they...

Chloe is a third year student in Nottingham. When she first arrived in the city she felt compelled to try Church. This is her story of finding Jesus whilst at Uni... My incredible mum and dad raised me to have “good” morals, and to be a “good person”, but there was never a focus on Christianity. Despite this, I’ve always believed...

With nearly 3 million Uni students in the UK, student mission is a huge field, yet we need more people who feel called to work in it. That's why Fusion seeks to raise up, train and strengthen all those in church-based Student Ministry, and theological training can be a huge part of this. However, the idea of studying academic theology...

As the dust settles on Freshers Week you're perhaps thinking about finding a church. Whether you’re a Fresher or a Covid-delayed second year, this can be a little daunting, but it can also be hugely life-giving. Being a part of a church as a student is not just about allowing your faith to survive whilst at Uni, but seeing it...

We at Fusion want to help you grow in your calling and develop as a practitioner in Student Ministry. This is why we love hosting spaces where Student Workers can connect with each other, share what's working, and challenge one another to remain both sharp and creative in their approach. It's important to be a part of wider community of people...

Are you starting Uni this September? If so, are you wondering where to start before beginning this journey? This summer Fusion are running Preparation for University sessions which are designed to equip you for Uni life and give you a taster for this next stage of life. Why should you do one? We interviewed Nathan, a student in Nottingham, who took...

"They will rebuild the ancient ruins..." (Isaiah 61:4) I’ve always struggled when it comes to building things. Trips to Ikea often end with me staring vacantly at a sheet of instructions, hoping a housemate will offer to help and, if I’m lucky, take charge and do it all. But flat-pack furniture is one thing, and the thought of building something for God...

“At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?” Luke 1:41-43: In this passage, we read how...

In these last few months it may have seemed like lots of things are out of control. Whether you’re scared, anxious, bored, or fed up of this pandemic, I am sure it doesn’t feel like you’re in control. But as followers of Jesus we can still find our hope in Him and recognise that He is in control even when we’re not. One Bible...

As restrictions are strengthened again and Covid cases rise on campuses, forcing halls and homes into lockdown, it may feel there’s little to be optimistic about as a student. However, as a follower of Jesus you can be a light to those around you in dark times. As you spend more time with your housemates, both in and out of...

As September approaches, students will begin an academic year like no other as the Coronavirus pandemic impacts universities. But God is still moving and working, students are searching for hope and purpose, and we can meet this moment in prayer. That is why prayer walking on campuses can be so powerful. But why is this something worth pushing into?  God made...

You may have mixed feelings about being at uni during a pandemic. Happy to be with friends and grateful you can just roll out of bed for 9am online lectures, yet disappointed with restrictions: one-way systems on campus; limitations on sports teams and societies; nightlife curbed and large house parties taboo; more virtual than in-person events; and being confined to...

In the midst of lockdown many student workers have found themselves furloughed. This has proven to be a time of both challenge and encouragement for those in this position who are involved in student ministry. Here Lois, student worker at Holy Trinity Leicester, shares her reflections and experiences on Furlough. Kicking off this academic year I didn’t expect that I would...

In the midst of lockdown many student workers have found themselves furloughed. This has proven to be a time of both challenge and encouragement for those in this position who are involved in student ministry. Here Sam, student worker at Ivy Church (Manchester), shares his reflections and experiences on Furlough. Lockdown and furlough can be summarised for me in one word: grief. I am...

Emily is a second year student in Nottingham, and this is her story of trying church and exploring faith this year. What made you decide to try church and what was your experience of it? I wasn’t raised in a Christian family and so hadn’t really been to church since I was young and never really understood why we went to church in...

As term finishes does Small Group feel like a disaster zone? I’ve been there. Maybe nobody’s turning up or nothing is said; sessions become a debate between two people; others have been unreliable; or someone has been causing tension. Whatever it is you may be low on confidence, high on frustration, feeling tempted to quit. However, it is often in...

The first time I was asked to help lead something in second year at Uni, by being a support leader in my small group, I was as encouraged as I was nervous. I probably didn’t do an amazing job but it was an important moment for me as it was my first experience of leadership. Now that I find myself...

As the new year looms on the horizon, those of us involved in student work will be planning how we can welcome and reach out to new students. It’s an exciting time - especially when new students who have never been to church rock up. But I often then fall into the trap of not following up how they have...

We all want to know that we belong to something bigger than ourselves. Whether it be a society or sports team at Uni, or our small group and church family, we all want to be part of something where we have purpose and a place. This is why we at Fusion are inviting you to join students, student workers and...

Making phone calls isn’t always the easiest thing to do. We can worry about what we say and how we said it, hope that other people aren’t listening in, and maybe even question whether it was worth it. But a phone call can go a long way. The role of a Church Relations Developer at Fusion is to help grow and...

I wonder how many of your New Year’s resolutions have you broken already? The dangerously high pile of stacked plates and the overflowing bin will tell you my ambition of maintaining a clean kitchen this year has not gone to plan. The New Year can be frustrating at times. Our grand plans of changing our lifestyle and improving our routine can...

It took me half an hour before I finally plucked up the courage to pray for my non-Christian housemate who was complaining about the sharp pain in his wrist. Breaking into a cold sweat I mumbled the words ‘can I pray for you?’ After he agreed I managed to splutter out a prayer complete with awkward side-glances. Nothing happened, but...

When I walked across the graduation stage, at the moment my middle name was pronounced incorrectly, I had a slight existential crisis as it felt like just the week before I was an overly keen Fresher and the prospect of ‘adulting’ life seemed a lifetime away. I began to question whether my decision to intern at my church for a year...