Blog

Hey! We’re Christa and Barnaby and we are currently the Fusion Scotland team! Fusion Scotland has just turned 5 and so we thought we’d take the opportunity to share a bit about students in Scotland and how we are seeking to serve them.    What’s the reality? Most students in Scotland are very aware of the fact that they are not okay and...

Preparing to Welcome Freshers   Preparing for university is so important, whether you are sending off young people and helping them to get ready for a new adventure, or you’re making preparations to welcome new students. We believe if a young person connects to a church before they go to university, it could make all the difference. It could help them thrive...

Here at Christians in Media we want church family to be strengthened to shine out the Gospel message within their sphere of influence.  We need the next generation of Christians in media to be significant leaders in this important public space. We want them to be confident. Bold. Able to flourish in their faith.    Could this be you? Media is ever-changing. Besides the...

Rebecca Glover works for Youth for Christ as their digital comms coordinator. She's recently published a booklet with Grove about engaging emerging adults in church, which discusses authenticity, community, serving, attraction, and intentionality. We asked Rebecca to write a blog about the key findings of the research and how you can find out more... At nineteen years old I felt like I...

What’s the problem? In the current cost of living crisis, things like food, gas and electricity are costing more than ever. The result? Many students in your community are falling into spiralling debt just to cover the cost of groceries, bills, text books and transport.  A recent National Union of Students (NUS) survey found that more than 1 in 3 university students...

With the cost of living crisis effecting students all over the country, we asked CAP what advice they have for students facing financial difficulties. Here's what they said.  Got the maximum student loan you’re entitled to and still struggling to make ends meet? You’re not alone. An online poll commissioned by Radio 1 and BBC Newsbeat found 52% of 16 to...

The Student Mission story is always unfolding. With every new story of salvation and answered prayer, there is another story of someone committing to pray to see a move of God in the student generation. Some of these stories are hundreds of years old, with people whose names we may not know, making a huge impact on the student mission...

The Student Mission story is always unfolding. With every new story of salvation and answered prayer, there is another story of someone committing to pray to see a move of God in the student generation. Some of these stories are hundreds of years old, with people whose names we may not know, making a huge impact on the student mission...

The Student Mission story is always unfolding. With every new story of salvation and answered prayer, there is another story of someone committing to pray to see a move of God in the student generation. Some of these stories are hundreds of years old, with people whose names we may not know, making a huge impact on the student mission...

Jesus said, “do not worry about tomorrow”. But Jesus wasn’t about to graduate. It’s a daunting prospect to see yourself approaching the end of educational conveyor belt. Our post-pandemic, globally unstable, inflation-peaking world looks a lot less safe than the familiarity of lecture timetables, commutes to campus, and even exam hall routines. It’s already June – where did that year go?...

The Student Mission story is always unfolding. With every new story of salvation and answered prayer, there is another story of someone committing to pray to see a move of God in the student generation. Some of these stories are hundreds of years old, with people whose names we may not know, making a huge impact on the student mission...

The Student Mission story is always unfolding. With every new story of salvation and answered prayer, there is another story of someone committing to pray to see a move of God in the student generation. Some of these stories are hundreds of years old, with people whose names we may not know, making a huge impact on the student mission...

A few summers ago, I decided that I’d read my Bible front to back and cut out every verse I found about justice. I work for Just Love – a movement raising up a generation into a whole-life, life-long pursuit of Jesus and His justice – so I figured it would be a useful thing to do. What I ended...

The Student Mission story is always unfolding. With every new story of salvation and answered prayer, there is another story of someone committing to pray to see a move of God in the student generation. Some of these stories are hundreds of years old, with people whose names we may not know, making a huge impact on the student mission...

The Student Mission story is always unfolding. With every new story of salvation and answered prayer, there is another story of someone committing to pray to see a move of God in the student generation. Some of these stories are hundreds of years old, with people whose names we may not know, making a huge impact on the student mission...

Gregory Smith, Assistant Head of Development at the Eternal Wall, shares why praying bold prayers is essential and how you can be activated in prayer.   Picture this. You’re on a barren mountainside surrounded by people who don’t know God. You’ve spent years trying to get them to follow Him, but it’s just not happening. Against you are a rather unfriendly group...

The Student Mission story is always unfolding. With every new story of salvation and answered prayer, there is another story of someone committing to pray to see a move of God in the student generation. Some of these stories are hundreds of years old, with people whose names we may not know, making a huge impact on the student mission...

The Fusion Team are regularly on the road in the UK meeting with churches and students. This week, Katie, a member of the Fusion team, shares what she is noticing during her time with students. “We have been particularly encouraged by what we have seen God do in Northampton. This story starts with the curate at St Giles who proposed a...

Written By Mark Arnold, Additional Needs Ministry Director, Urban Saints One in five young people and young adults have additional needs of some kind, including over 17% of home higher education students, yet many people, including lots of professionals, struggle to understand the best ways to be inclusive when engaging with them. So, here’s a great model to follow: ASK and BE An...

The Fusion Team are regularly on the road in the UK meeting with churches and students. This week, we want to share with you a story from our time on the road. Here's one of Paul's highlights of the term so far! "Our team is going through a time of transition and change. Whether that be changing roles, moving to a...

Written By Mark Arnold, Additional Needs Ministry Director, Urban Saints Around one in five young people have additional support needs of some kind; that includes the range of physical, mental, and ‘hidden’ disabilities, long term health conditions, developmental conditions, and other barriers to learning. In most cases these additional needs are lifelong, resulting in measures needing to be put in place...

I'm Josie Gamble. If like me, you are a Christian, and you are a passionate creative, you may not only be looking to develop your career in the creative industries, freelance or build a creative business but also have a desire to serve the church with that creative skillset too. Well, as a creative business owner, and the founder and...

The Fusion Team are regularly on the road in the UK meeting with churches and students. This week, we want to share with you a story from our time on the road. Here's one of Mollie's highlights of the term so far! “We recently went to Exeter to do some training to ignite students for student mission. There were about 60...

Christians in media provides a community for Chrsitians working in and with the media in the UK, to support, inspire and encourage each other in work and faith. Feyi, shares all about the Christians in Media mentorship scheme.  Our media needs Christians now more than ever.  We are in an age of misinformation, “fake news” and clickbait. Unfortunately, what is true is...

I’m grateful for technology. I really am. I’m so grateful Covid-19 struck in 2020, not 1995. Fax machine and pager church might have been a bit less fun than meeting on Zoom. But as a communicator who loves being in the room with people, speaking to the circular lens next to the white light on my computer just wasn’t the...

With term very much in full swing, deadlines mounting up and stress creeping in, Will, from the Mind and Soul Foundation, shares some advice on how to protect your mental health and how to thrive at university.  The student years are some of the most emotionally turbulent of our lives, largely because of the dramatic transition between life in a family...

Suzanna, a student about to start her second year of university in Bristol, questionned her abililty to share her faith with her friends in first year. Despite this, she was bold, shared the reason for her hope and finished her first year with one of her friends giving their lives to Jesus. Here's Suzanna's experience of her first year at...

As the main session came to an end, the Conference Host invited delegates to ask questions. Immediately, a forest of hands shot up. But, one hand seemed to be a little higher than the rest. The roving microphone found its way to the back of the hall into the clutching hands of a young woman in her mid-twenties. She stood...

"...so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations." (Isaiah 61:11) On the final day of lent we finish with the following promise: ‘so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.’  For the Israelites, righteousness meant living in line with the covenant between them and God through obedience to God’s law. And although there...

You will spend 3,500 days of your life at work.  Or at least you will if you’re an average British worker.  That’s 84,000 hours or over 5 million minutes.  Your work fills more of your waking hours than anything else in your life.  So if you’re serious about Jesus being Lord of your life, you must know what the Bible...

To pursue climate justice, we must pursue and follow the ways of Jesus. Jesus demonstrated comfort in suffering and hope in having overcome the world, past tense. Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfilled the promise that one day the world would be restored. When heaven and earth become one, all injustice would be eternally removed. But where in the life of...

What’s the next step after university? This is a question that I was asked repeatedly in my final year of studying. It felt like I had just got my head around how to live out my faith at university and suddenly I was having to think about life after graduation. This can feel both exciting and scary, with the balance...

"I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for work after I graduated. All I knew was that I loved sharing Jesus and helping others to do the same. Being a part of the Fusion team has helped me to realise my own calling as a follower of Jesus, as I help others work out the same."  ⁠ As we soon...

Students always have a story to tell. Not just a capital-T “Testimony”, but little nuggets of what God is doing in their lives. Maybe a story of answered prayer. Or a bible verse that’s come alive for them. Or a time when they’ve stepped out in faith and seen God show up.  One of the challenges is that these stories stay hidden!...

I arrived at university in London 10 days after 9/11. I remember how the impact of that event shifted all of the conversations we had in the corridors and cafeteria after our theology lectures - what did ‘welcoming the stranger’ look like on a personal and national scale if we were afraid or suspicious of them? How would we engage in...

Student Linkup exists to help local church connect with University students for the first time. We want to bridge the gap between school and University so that everyone who wants to find a church has the best opportunity to do that.  Student Linkup Sunday on 13th September is a day to help your church get ready to welcome students home. Watch...

Lily Owens from hopeindepression.org shares her thoughts on feeling anxiety around preparing for university this September. If you’re off to university in September you might be feeling a mixture of emotions: excitement, anticipation, nervousness, fear and possibly anxiety.  If you are sensitive to feelings of anxiety, keep reading to learn how to best prepare for your life at university.   First, accept that the anxiety you’re feeling is completely normal. I guarantee you’re not alone and there will be others who feel...

It’s our final week of the Spiritual Rhythms Challenge. How did the Daily Examen go for you? Do you feel like your soul got a chance to breathe as you recognized the ways God intersected with your days last week? We’re wrapping up the challenge with one of my favorite new rhythms – Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina was first established by...

Over the next few weeks, Lauren Hansen, a Young Adults leader from Chicago, shares with us how her students are building sustainable spiritual rhythms in this season of lockdown. This week, we're hearing from Jason. Welcome to week two of our Spiritual Rhythms Challenge! Did you give the breath prayer a try last week? Pretty amazing, isn’t it? If it was difficult...

Over the next few weeks, Lauren Hansen, a Young Adults leader from Chicago, shares with us how her students are building sustainable spiritual rhythms in this season of lockdown. This week, we're hearing from Hannah. Hello, brave one. I’m so excited you’ve joined our Spiritual Rhythms Challenge! What I love about these spiritual rhythms we’ve selected is that they’re what author Dallas...

Over the next few weeks, Lauren Hansen, a Young Adults leader from Chicago, shares with us how her students are building sustainable spiritual rhythms in this season of lockdown.  This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest...

Recently, an article showed up in my Facebook feed. It was titled, “That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief,” and it included an interview with David Kessler, the man responsible for popularizing the concept of the five stages of grief. According to Kessler, many of us are experiencing unidentified symptoms of grief during this pandemic. The same sentiment appeared again and...

Our friends at LICC are committed to empowering Christians to make a difference for Christ in the workplace, as well as helping church leaders equip their church communities to do this. Tim, from LICC shares his thoughts towards uncertainty below. Deep sea diving scares me. It’s too deep, and there’s too much sea involved for my liking.  I’ve been told that deep...

Here are ten top tips for life after university, taken from Routed: a resource from Fusion and LICC for journeying with God post-graduation and into the world of work.  SLEEP You need this to function as a human being, especially when you are adjusting. Try and get as much as you need as often as you can. SABBATH Set aside one day a week...

“God has been doing amazing things at Southampton this year and has used me more than I could ever have imagined. At uni, people are far more open to talking and questioning you about your faith, so Living & Telling was such good preparation! It helped me be more confident and encouraged me hugely, which was invaluable as God threw...

Ruth Akinradewo is an Ambassador with Press Red and a social justice activist. Press Red is a Christian charity that works to equip, empower and educate people to tackle issues of gender-based violence. It wasn’t that long ago I was a student myself: just a little over two years ago now. The scene hasn’t much changed. When I was at uni, one of...

We asked Michael, a placement student in Loughborough, to SHARE his experience of Club Mission encouraging you to share Jesus with your campus.  After moving to Loughborough for university, the Student Worker at my new church kept encouraging me to serve at Club Mission, but I had just assumed it wasn’t for me so I would always find some sort of...

Alasdair is a recent graduate from the University of St Andrews. He now works as an intern at Christians in Politics and has written a short blog to highlight the importance of students in the political landscape of today. While election season can bring dread to many around the country, we have seen so many Christians stepping up and bringing Christ...

I first did Living & Telling whilst I was studying at university and it changed my understanding of what it means to share my faith.  I discovered that talking to friends about Jesus could even be great fun, but it wasn’t always like that for me… I had been a follower of Jesus for a couple of years before university but...

10 years ago I moved with my wife and family to Créteil in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, at the end of metro line 8. We came to plant a church that would be family, would make lots of room for the Holy Spirit, and would have mission in its DNA. One of the reasons we came to Créteil is that it...

Helping students find hope in Jesus and home in the local church is something that we believe is high on God’s agenda. With around 25 million students studying across Europe the task is both huge and urgent. However, if every local church committed to playing their part, together we will make a huge difference. Church Twinning This may be already happening for...

Love students and love the local church?  We want you on our team and so do St Marks Coventry.  We are looking for a passionate and committed individual to join both the Fusion Team and the student work at St Marks Coventry. This role would be based in Coventry as part-time Student Leader pioneering student work locally and part-time Mission Developer as part...

‘Gazing out of the window of the minivan and sharing moments from our day, we watched Tanzanian life unfold: children on their long walks home, having collected water for their families and women cooking on open fires. We passed houses that had collapsed during the recent rainy season and thought about the families that used to live in them, now...

I wonder if you (like me) are really inspired by the stories of Christian social reformers like William Wilberforce, Lord Shaftesbury or Elizabeth Fry, and you long to see our culture influenced by the gospel today? If you’re a recent graduate with a sense that God might be calling you to work in public policy, advocacy, social justice or politics,...

Loving our neighbours is about more than just being nice. It’s about giving other people the same attention, the same care, the same time, and the same opportunities we expect for ourselves. It’s disruptive, inconvenient, and countercultural. And if you’re anything like me then you probably feel that actually practicing this daily is difficult, but this is what we’re called...

I don’t care about politics. I’m not interested in politics. Those politicians – they’re all the same. They haven’t a clue about what’s going on out here in the real world. Politics does nothing for me. Why should I give them my vote? They don’t care about me. I have heard these sort of statements regularly over the last ten years....

All over Europe, there are whispers. Can you hear them? Whispers of something more. Whispers that speak quietly of a change in the narrative, daring to tell us that hope is replacing despair and that light breaking through the darkness. Whispers that tell stories of boldness and joy, where lives are being transformed and futures being rewritten. Whispers of a slow turning...

Whether you’re a youth worker, a church leader or a parent, it’s easy to feel intimidated when it comes to preparing young people for university. What should you do? What to discuss? What if you’ve not been to uni yourself, or not for many years, and are not confident of how to speak meaningfully into they’re upcoming experience? In reality, the...

September is a critical time of the year for hundreds of thousands of school leavers, as they prepare for what is their first long stint away from home. It’s an incredibly exciting time for them to own their faith and embrace new opportunities, but for many it is also incredibly daunting. Here at Fusion, we want to equip you, the...

FIREBRANDS IS THE NAME OF OUR FUSION CONFERENCE THIS YEAR. BUT FIREBRANDS, FOR US, IS FAR MORE THAN A CONFERENCE, IT'S A CALL. WE SENSE THAT GOD IS CALLING US AS A GENERATION TO BE FIREBRANDS. So what exactly is a firebrand? The student mission team are unpacking this question with you in a series of vlogs. This second vlog looks at how Firebrands...

As a Christian, if I mention the Royal Wedding, I think it’s obvious what I’m going to point out. THAT sermon by Bishop Michael Curry. It was such a powerful moment that the post-wedding news coverage is focussing on it more than the tiara, the veil and the dress. Even this morning at the train station, I heard people talking about...

It takes small steps to create a legacy. As the phrase goes ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ Sometimes those small steps can look like giant leaps when you don’t feel up to the task. A few years ago I went back to re-live my student days by doing a Masters degree. Unlike the first time round, I got stuck into a...

Did you use Student Linkup this year? Whether you used it once or it was your go-to app as a fresher, then we’d love it if you could fill in this survey. Loading... We believe that the local church is the hope of the student world, so your response will help us continue to help students connect to a church in their university city. Fill in...

In my opinion, the floor of a club toilet is one of the grimmest places on earth. Mid-way through a night out in second year, it’s where I found myself, with a friend who had just opened up for the first time about her journey with faith. We had done the typical girl-thing of heading to the toilet together, and after waiting...

In Mark 7: 24-30, we read of a woman with a demon possessed daughter who was so desperate for the power of God to move in her life that she threw herself to the floor at the feet of Jesus, embarrassing herself totally and abandoning all sense of self dignity and respect. She begged for an encounter with Jesus and it...

I don’t celebrate Valentine’s day. I often hate how it makes me feel, single or in a relationship, and I find the teddy bears, roses and hearts a bit forced. One year, I even saw a single rose on sale for £20! However, a few days before Valentine’s day this year (which was also so close to PANCAKE DAY I might add),...

"My home is in heaven. I'm just travelling through this world." - Billy Graham In his 99 years on earth, the legendary evangelist Billy Graham is estimated to have preached to 215 million people in more than 185 countries across the world, with an estimated lifetime audience across TV and radio of 2.2 billion people. He counselled every US president from Lyndon B....

Fresher’s fair is a crazy few days. I remember walking around with a bag full of free branded stuff, Dominos in hand and leaving with a membership to the following societies (none of which I went to): The Chocolate society The Caving society The Ultimate Frisbee society The Flair bartending society (how to flip and spin bottles in the air…) When I got back to my...

Who's Next? How do I raise others around me and leave a legacy? We've released 5 student leader videos in this series. Check them out here Previous Episode

Firebrands - Fusion Conference 2018  Join us from 30th August to 1st September in Oxford. We are convinced that there are more chapters of student revival still to be written. We gather expectantly, knowing that God will speak to us and we gather boldly, ready to be ignited with all that God has for us. More Info  Book your tickets  

Imagine you’re going hiking. What do you need? A tool belt? Boots? Snacks? A map? Preparation is one of the most important parts of undertaking something BIG. Without preparation, we go into the wilderness completely ill-equipped; a bit like wearing converse whilst trying to hike up a mountain. Heading to university can sometimes feel like looking at that mountain before climbing it - half...

Evangelism  How do I avoid getting so busy with Christian things that I miss the point? We'll be uploading a new episode in the Student Leader Series every Monday for the next 2 weeks. Keep up to date Previous Episode

Discipleship  How do I thrive in my faith and help others do the same? We'll be uploading a new episode in the Student Leader Series every Monday for the next 3 weeks. Keep up to date Previous Episode

Integrity  How can I lead when I don't feel ready or good enough? We'll be uploading a new episode in the Student Leader Series every Monday for the next 4 weeks. Keep up to date Previous Episode

Sangita* didn’t know anyone in her class at university, and the other students seemed to shy away from her, as if afraid of her wheelchair. All except Rebecca* who, it turned out, had a sister who was a wheelchair user and felt perfectly comfortable befriending Sangita. Rebecca went for coffee with Sangita, spent time working together with her in the library,...

So, I'm a leader? What does it even mean to be a student leader? Where to start and what to do next... We'll be uploading a new episode in the Student Leader Series every Monday for the next 5 weeks. Keep up to date

In June 2015, I was standing in Edinburgh Airport holding my one-way ticket to New York to work at the summer camp I had worked at for the previous two summers. The only difference this time was that I wasn’t planning to return at the end of the season. I had just finished my four years at the University of Edinburgh, graduating...

The other day I was sat getting my haircut down the local barbers, casually eavesdropping in on the conversation from the chair next to me, where the hairdresser and her client were decrying the decline of the Great British Nativity. They longed for a return to the good ol' days of traditional nativities, where you kept it simple and stuck with your...

Retail therapy is one of my least favourite concepts. The idea that filling our lives and homes with things we don’t need in order to try and make ourselves feel better, to calm our anxieties and soothe our fears, it doesn't sit well with me. Every year Black Friday slithers into my inbox like the vines of a poisonous plant, tens of emails...

Watch the latest spoken word from Miriam Swaffield and our friends at yesHeis. And so we improvise Playing our part under kingdom skies, Living this ancient-present-future story, The grand narrative that swallows up and transforms destiny. In freedom, in trust, we know the book and so we live the Way, We create and perform the drama of God, we step onto the stage of our day, And...

Rebecka is from Gothenburg, sweden and came to study in York last year when she became a christian. Before coming to university I wasn’t a Christian, I had never really met anyone particularly passionate about Jesus and quite frankly I didn’t care if there was a God or not. Starting uni was a big change in many ways (I moved all the...

The Fusion team is growing and there has never been a better time to join. Through Student Linkup we have linked more than 22,000 young people to local churches. We are looking for diligent and enthusiastic workers to help us develop this to the next level. Could it be you? Each year, thousands of young people use Student Linkup to prepare for...

Don't believe what they tell you, university is a time of adventure, discovery and fun. It is a place and a time where lifelong friendships are formed, caffeine-fuelled hours are spent refining essays and projects in dingy libraries, tears are shed over kitchen tables and laughter is shared around sports pitches, grimy lounges and ash-filled smoking areas.  There is mess, there is excitement,...

Every time freshers season rolls around, news websites and timelines are filled with a steady stream of articles sharing apparent wisdom and advice for the latest wave of anxious, excited and open-minded teenagers starting university that autumn. And every single year, we grow more and more frustrated with the fact that more often than not, the advice doled out amounts to...

Chances are, if you've been on social media over the last six weeks, you’ll have been inundated with a steady flow of memes and shocked reactions centred on the ITV2 reality show, Love Island. For those of you not familiar with Love Island, the premise is that a bunch of impossibly beautiful men and women, with perfectly toned bikini bodies and six...

What’s your biggest and boldest prayer? Deep down inside of you, what is that one thing you long for and hope for above all else? Is it a husband or wife? Two gorgeous children and a perfectly fluffy golden retriever puppy? A fancy job and a nice car? Or is it for a full on revival in your generation? Do you long to...

Nominations for the Student Mission Awards are now OPEN! This is your opportunity to nominate either yourself or someone else you know for the chance to be shortlisted for the awards. If successfully shortlisted you will be invited to come along to the big awards party we’re throwing in central London in February 2018 and you could win a cash prize to...

The Student Mission Awards are coming in February 2018. What student mission stories have you got to share? Could the Best Student Mission Idea award be yours? If I came up to you tomorrow and gave you a shedload of money for you to invest in student mission, no other strings attached, what would you do with it? It could be absolutely any activity...

As a Christian, you’ll be no stranger to worship. On a Sunday, listening on Spotify, or even a classic campfire session your friends. All great, but has your worship made the transition from hobby to lifestyle? We were built to worship. It’s not important because it’s a set slot in the service, but because it is our reflex reaction to the...

We should vote because we have a voice that will write the future. We should vote because our beliefs, our principles and our thoughts need to be heard. We should vote because we need to reject the stereotype of political apathy amongst young people and reverse the trend of falling turnout (in 2015, only 43% 18-24 year olds showed up to vote). We...

The Student Mission Awards are coming in February 2018. What student mission stories have you got to share? Could the Mission Styles ‘Talk with Me’ award be yours? 'Talk with me' people are the kings and queens of the D.M.C. (Deep and Meaningful Conversation). They're the ones sat outside at 3am at house parties engrossed in a five-hour conversation, laughing and...

The Student Mission Awards are coming in February 2018. What student mission stories have you got to share? Could the International Student Mission award be yours? Government statistics state that the number of international students who studied at university (undergraduate and postgraduate) in the UK in 2015-16 totalled 436,585 – approximately 20 percent of all students. This is an extraordinary number, and...

This blog is written by Lauren, a second year student at the University of Lincoln who goes to St Swithins Lincoln church. Here Lauren shares her story of what it has looked like for her to do mission at uni. Be encouraged and be inspired to loveyouruni by the experiences she has had. Being a Christian at university is such an amazing...

IF YOU COULD WRITE A LETTER TO YOURSELF AS YOU STARTED UNI, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? Dear Student Viki, Congratulations! You've arrived at uni, you're unpacking - making your room resemble a Pinterest board and your bedroom door is held open with an owl shaped doorstop to show your flat mates you're friendly. You're doing good. These next 3 years will genuinely be...

Track with us as we explore how four individuals outworked their Mission Style through Alpha. Convince me: A ‘Convince me’ person likes to weigh stuff up before coming to conclusions. They're thought-through, they know why they believe what they believe and if they've got questions, they'll do their homework to find out more about Jesus. Michael's Story I was recently a helper on my...

THE STUDENT MISSION AWARDS ARE COMING IN FEBRUARY 2018. WHAT STORIES OF MISSION HAVE YOU GOT TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD? COULD THE DIGITAL MISSION AWARD BE YOURS? OFCOM research published in 2015 estimates that young people aged between 16 and 24 spend an average of around 27 hours a week on the internet, which works out at nearly 4 hours a day. Students...

Track with us as we explore how four individuals outworked their mission style through Alpha. Show me: A ‘Show me’ person is practical and down-to-earth. They know God's love has to be shown through actions. They know what is required to get the job done and fulfill the need. Emily's Story I’m part of a vibrant church in East London and we have...

Track with us as we explore how four individuals outworked their mission style through Alpha. Let me experience: A ‘Let me experience’ person just goes ahead and tries stuff. They trust their instincts and have a go at sharing Jesus in new ways and with new people, even if they're not sure how it'll work out. Esther's Story After I started regularly attending...

The Student Mission Awards are coming in February 2018. What stories of mission have you got to share with the world? Could the freshers’ award be yours? Benjamin Franklin wrote that there were only two certain things in life: death and taxes. Well in the world of student mission, there is a third certainty – freshers’ week. Every year hordes of young students,...

Track with us as we explore how four individuals outworked their Mission Style through Alpha. Talk with me: A ‘Talk with me’ person is looking to connect through conversation. They end up in deep-and-meaningfuls all the time and love it, especially when they get the chance to bring Jesus into the story. Sophie's Story My friends and I have loads of questions about...

We're looking forward to being at the Big Church Day Out later this year! Rosie Vickery-Brown, a University of Chichester graduate, tells us about her time at one of the largest Christian festivals in the UK. 'Incredible live music from the largest Christian artists, dancing in a field as the sun sets, sitting round a roaring campfire late into the night, belly-laughing in...

Today we want to shout about the things we love. We love students, we love it when people share Jesus, we love our neighbours, we love boldness, we love creativity and we love the local church.   In celebration of all the good news stories of student mission around the land, and in encouragement of all the missional ideas still to be tried, we...

IF YOU COULD WRITE A LETTER TO YOURSELF AS YOU STARTED UNI, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?   Dear Alastair, as you prepare for university a few tips from the perspective of history!  Everyone else is also pretty nervous about being away from home and meeting lots of people. So relax, be yourself and enjoy it.  Don't judge people on first appearances, as they'll be...

If you could write a letter to yourself as you started uni, what would you say? Dear starting uni and excited-yet-nervous little Adam, First of all, enjoy uni! The next three years will absolutely fly by so take time to enjoy all the different experiences and opportunities, and a little heads up for you for freshers week – reel in the banter a...

Caleb Meakins is part of a team of friends that run Shift. He is passionate about the intersection of church, business and media, and currently works closely with investors in Africa to build sustainable businesses that positively impact the continent. Check out his thoughts on New Year's Eve in this guest blog. From as far back as I can remember New...

Cast your mind back to 2005. The year of the Crazy Frog, footballing heroics in Istanbul and this indie banger from Hard-Fi – Living for the Weekend. Pre-teen me may have not understood half the things this song was talking about, but I loved this tune, and I would proudly belt out the chorus of "LIVING FOR THE WEEKEND, LIVING FOR THE...

My mission style is Let Me Experience and for me it’s all about going out and doing things. When I read the bible, I want to experience it today and my faith comes alive when I live out the stories of boldness and courage we read about. When I'm reading the bible, I fist pump the air when Peter has the audacity to...

A few days later, the younger son gathered together everything that he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered and wasted his fortune in reckless and immoral living. - Luke 15:13  Sound familiar to you? For me, this verse from the story of the prodigal son is a perfect illustration of university. In culture and media, the story of the stereotypical student sees them...

Answer: Four- one to change the bulb and three to add 'Illumination Technician’s Assistant' to their CVs.   We promise that’s the last groan-inducing, work-related joke you’ll hear from the team at Changing Light– a brand new, weekend experience for young adults in their first years of work or preparing to start work.   The transition into working life can be both exciting and overwhelming.   You...

The Advent season is one of waiting. Not a passive waiting, but a waiting that summons the whole body to be awake and alert. A waiting that causes adrenaline to course through our veins and the heart to pound like a bass drum. A waiting that means we struggle to sit still. A waiting that demands we dance to a...

We are really grateful to God for the year just gone and for all those who worked with us and cheered on students along the way.  Here's a little snapshot of what we achieved together...               1 ...cycle from Lands End to John O'Groats 3  ...VW Camper van breakdowns during the Road Trip. 6 ...team members have joined, growing the Fusion team from 10 to 16 & counting. 7 ...nations now have access to...

“The decisions are made by the people that show up!” Josiah Bartlett, the fictitious US President in The West Wing TV series, will no doubt be proved right once again on May 7th 2015. There seems little need to rehearse stories of voter dissatisfaction here. More than half of young adults stayed away from the General Election in 2010 and hundreds...

We are very pleased to announce that we have recently appointed two new Fusion team members, Chloe (Fusion Developer Wales) & Ciara (Fusion Developer Scotland). Both Chloe & Ciara will be developing and implementing vision and strategy for Wales & Scotland to help establish a strong church-based student mission movement. Alongside their roles for Fusion both Chloe & Ciara also...

Are you passionate about poverty and angered by injustice? Roots is a completely FREE conference for students to explore the roots of global poverty. Come and hear about Christian Aid’s trailblazing campaigns work on tax and climate justice, learn how to plan a successful campaign, and get a rare opportunity to apply for funding to organise your own event. The weekend will...

I wish I’d known how to budget my student loan in my first year… If only I’d signed up for Volley Ball instead of watching daytime TV…I wish I’d made a decision to live with the friends I’d made in Halls so I could have stayed committed to those friendships … If only I was prepared for what to do...

Get up and go - some keys to becoming radical!  Similar short term mission opportunities have been part of the 24-7 prayer movement ever since the first prayer room in 1999. We have sent pioneer teams to over 50 locations and seen new areas open up to the gospel, churches planted and thousands of team members ‘ruined for the ordinary’ in...

We're very excited to tell you about The Graduate Alphabet: An A-Z for Life After University. Sarah-Jane from our friends at LICC compiled various graduate voices that make up the book, and has written a few thoughts: I want to talk about the big G… Graduation. Oh yes, that mixed marker that signals, ‘Yes I did it!’ and equally, ‘Argh what on earth am...

Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland and Fusion are pleased to announce a partnership, designed to assist each other in better reaching, connecting and serving University students in the UK & Ireland. Student Linkup is a practical and strategic service for all churches to benefit from, contribute to and be profiled through. Student Linkup encourages the preparation, resourcing and sending of new...

Our guest blogger today is Matt Coombs, student worker at St Mary's London. He's an all round good egg. "Everyone knows that the student years can be the best of our life. They are key to forming who we are, but at the same time they throw up challenges and sometimes our relationship with God can take a backseat. For me...

David’s Tent is a 3 day worship festival on the Wiston Estate in West Sussex from 24th-27th May. This is our first year running David's Tent and we are really excited about the vision of encouraging, eqipping and empowering the Church across the nation. We cherish those moments when God powerfully meets us in worship and we eagerly anticipate HIm leading...

Life 2011 - Elim student and young adult conference         Check out the video here.  

Looking for a new challenge in the autumn? Moving to London for the first time? Have you heard of Mission Year, an exciting new Christian initiative that launched in 2010, resourcing local churches in deprived areas around London to make an impact in their community?     You can join a team while studying or in full or part time employment, or as a...

Fusion is growing!  We are looking for a highly-motivated, self reliant applicant who will play a leading role in the future development of this movement.  Good organisational and interpersonal skills are a must! The role of Fusion General Manager is being created to develop and manage the new Fusion Head Office in Loughborough from September 2011. Fusion is looking for someone...

3 New Posts Over the next 3 weeks Fusion are recruiting for 3 new positions to start in September 2011 based in Loughborough and York.   The positions Fusion are looking to fill are: Student Mission Developer Student Linkup Developer Graduate Jobs and Student Opportunities Developer If you would like to apply please contact Fusion's Operations Manager, Andy Norton to be sent an online application Pack. All applications...

This is Pete* – he has a mum and a dad who love him, he isn’t poor and he eats at least 3 meals a day. He has plenty of clean water to drink and wash with when he feels like it. He can read and write, in fact he is at university. You could say he has everything he...

What is your mind set? Young minds should be full of hope, yet most youth workers see too much sorrow. Self-esteem, self-harm and self-image are now words in common use - but do you know what they mean and how to respond? Premier Mind & Soul have teamed up with Soul Survivor to offer you this one-day conference on emotional health...

After the success of last year’s conference, Soul Survivor are again hosting ‘Naturally Supernatural’ at the end of February. This three day conference runs from 24th – 26th February with teaching from John and Ellie Mumford, John and Debbie Wright, Mike Pilavachi and Andy Croft.  Naturally Supernatural is all about us learning how to move more powerfully in the gifts of...

The University Year has certain key times of stress like Freshers’ Week, but also Exam Time. Many courses have some continuous assessment, which can add to the pressure students feel they are under, but even so things tend to come to a head at the end of each semester – in the New Year and just after Easter. Not even...

Fusion Value: relational Jesus put our purpose in life very simply: “Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence; …love others as well as you love yourself” (Matthew 22:37, 39 The Message) Relational Expectation What he expects today of us is no different. We are called to a personal friendship with Father, Son and Spirit – not just words...

Fusion Value: Missional “Jesus told us to go into all the world and be his ambassadors, but many churches today have inadvertently changed the “go and be” command to a “come and see” appeal. We have grown attached to buildings, programs, staff and a wide variety of goods and services designed to attract and entertain people. Missional is a helpful term...

We would like to invite you to what we are praying will be a significant event in the lives of the nation’s 18-30s at the beginning of 2011 Retreat to Advance promises to be a great weekend at Center Parcs that aims to address the frightening retreat that’s going on in UK churches at the moment. Only 5% of church attendees...

Fusion Value: inclusive It seems the word ‘inclusive’ can conjure up many misunderstandings, prejudices and even judgements across the Church. It is a word that for many is controversial because the claims of Christ are very exclusive. It is the outworking and presentation of these claims by believers that cause the church to look fragmented and exclusive at times. Fusion, in...

Fusion Value: catalyst For decades the student numbers within the Universities of this nation have continued to grow. This process has opened up many new opportunities for the Church of Jesus Christ to reach students. These changes and opportunities have corresponded with a significant decline in national Church attendance within the University age range. The decades of greatest opportunity have coincided with...

Fusion Value: biblical  “Churches live, grow and flourish with God’s word,but they languish and perish without it.” J. Stott Any healthy Christian spirituality will be anchored in a love of God’s written word, Old and New Testaments. The desire to explore and to engage with scripture should go hand in hand with the hunger to learn more. This hunger should be earthed...

The UK has around 2 million students. Just 2% are connected with Church - and that figure is decreasing. Our passion is to see that trend reversed in the UK and Europe. On 5th and 6th November 2010, St Thomas Church Philadelphia (Sheffield), will gather students from across the UK and abroad to engage with the issues that matter to them at...

Twenty years ago, to the exact day, I made the journey up the motorway with my dad to come to Loughborough Uni. I arrived feeling daunted, excited and praying hard that I'd meet some other christians who would help me hold onto God through the unknown. I did meet other christians and it's fair to say they changed my life. I really...

It's not as if Sam wasn't a Christian. In fact, he spotted the other Christians at the Fresher's fair in Durham University long before he clocked the Guinness Club's free bar. It took him just two weeks to find a good church in the quaint Northern city, much to the delight of his youth worker back down south. And within two weeks,...

The title of this event, ‘Retreat to Advance’, has two meanings: 1. Getting away for a great weekend at Center Parcs including use of the great facilities, taking time out from hectic schedules to be still in God’s presence, hear from his Word and be inspired and empowered by the Spirit to be sent out in mission. 2. Addressing the frightening retreat...

Welcome to The Stuff of Life, it is the sort of stuff that affects all of us to a greater or lesser extent. It’s stuff that already impacts our relationships and outlook on life, stuff that, if not faced, can diminish a lot of our freedom and enjoyment of day to day living.  It’s the stuff we often have a sense...

Summer is nearly over and with the start of term just over a month away, it's time to start thinking about freshers again. Here are a few ideas to get you going: Make sure your info is up to date Does your church website have a student page?  Can it be found easily and is the information all up to date? Is...

We have had hundreds of Freshers registering to be a part of this year's sSTUDENT LINKUP.  They will be coming to a uni near you this Autumn and if you are a Fusion Connection church you can contact them now. To access the details of the Freshers you need to a Fusion Connection church. Click here for details of how to sign...

We work relationally at every level of the Fusion network. It is our belief that to outwork the purposes of Fusion we will need a network of individuals and churches that are connected on a heart-level.  We work hard at good, honest and open relationships that facilitate the growth of the kingdom of God. “This is how we know what love is:...

Hi everyone! My name is Chloe, I’m 19 and a gap year student, and I’m starting as a fresher at Warwick University this October! Despite the fact that every time I tell someone what my course is, they say: ‘Oh… what is that?!’ I’m so excited to get back to studying, although I’ve had a great year out. I moved down...

The steady fragmentation of the community and breakdown of the family has had its effect on university culture.  Students arrive at university from a variety of backgrounds and may carry a level of pain and guilt from the disappointment of past broken relationships. Even sociable students scarcely venture down the road of deep friendships, preferring to remain in the shallow end...

Here are three steps that will ensure you are sending the school leavers in your church to university well prepared for the life they are about to go into. Going to university is an exciting time full of opportunities, but it may knock them for six if they are not prepared. If you care - you will prepare! 1. Run a preparation...

In the past few weeks we've had a flood of new churches joining the Fusion Connection partnership. They are: St Paul’s Ealing Harvest International Church Reading St Thomas Trowbridge St John’s Egham The Rock West Bridford St John the Baptist, Stapleton Devonshire Rd Christian Fellowship, Liverpool St Paul’s Leamington Spa BCF Bristol Exwick Parish Church Centrail Baptist Church Chelmsford London City Life Silverdale Elim Church Newcastle Grace Community Church Staines Kingsgate Richmond   You can search ALL...

Do you have a vision for mission amongst students? We are looking for a motivated, faith filled and energetic leader to take the Guildford Student Team forward and lead it into growth. The Guildford Student Team has developed strongly for ten years encouraging churches to engage with students. Whether in helping resource cell based mission, networking churches, hosting 24-7 Prayer weeks...

We would like to welcome St Mark's Church Colney Heath to the Fusion Connection partnership.    To find out more about St Mark's, you can look at their page on the find a church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you can find more...

We would like to welcome Coventry Vineyard to the Fusion Connection partnership.   To find out more about Coventry Vineyard, you can look at their page on the find a church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you can find more information here...  

We would like to welcome St Chad's Romiley to the Fusion Connection partnership.    To find out more about St Chad's, you can look at their page on the find a church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you can find more information here...  

We would like to welcome St Matthew's Walsall to the Fusion Connection partnership. To find out more about St Matthew's, you can look at their page on the find a church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you can find more information here...  

We would like to welcome Jesus Fellowship Oxford to the Fusion Connection partnership.      To find out more about Jesus Fellowship, you can look at their page on the find a church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you can find more information here...  

We would like to welcome The Kings Cross Baptist Church  to the Fusion Connection partnership.    To find out more about Kings Cross Baptist Church, you can look at their page on the find a church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you can...

If you're looking for something to do this summer or in the coming year, check out these great opportunities with the Ichthus Summer Project starting this June and the Ichthus Radical Network which kicks off in September! Read on to find out more... Ichthus Summer Project  27th June – 11th July Ichthus are proud to present the Summer Project...

We would like to welcome His Church London to the Fusion Connection partnership.     To find out more about His Church, you can look at their page on the find a church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more information...

We would like to welcome Solihull Renewal Christian Centre to the Fusion Connection partnership.     To find out more about Solihull Renewal Christian Centre, you can look at their page on the find a church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you can find...

We would like to welcome Hope City Church Liverpool to the Fusion Connection!     To find out more about Hope City Church, you can look at their page on the find a church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more...

Do you want some inspiration for your student work for next year? Or time out with your student team before the freshers arrive? Or just want a weekend in Birmingham?!? Read on... The mission is still vast. Only 2% of students are connected with church and student culture continues to be filled with unengaged consumerists. But today's students are the leaders of...

We would like to welcome Proclaimers, Norwich to the Fusion Connection. To find out more about Proclaimers, you can look at their page on the find a church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more information here...

We would like to welcome Woodlands Bristol to the Fusion Connection.   To find out more about Woodlands, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more information here...

We would like to welcome St Mark's Haydock to the Fusion Connection.     To find out more about St Mark's, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more information here...  

We would like to welcome Mosaic Leeds to the Fusion Connection.   To find out more about Mosaic, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more information here...

We would like to welcome St Thomas with St Maurice to the Fusion Connection.   To find out more about St Thomas with St Maurice, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you...

We would like to welcome Gateway Leeds to the Fusion Connection.   To find out more about Gateway, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more information here...

We would like to welcome St Mary Bredin, Canterbury to the Fusion Connection.   To find out more about St Mary Bredin, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more...

We would like to welcome St John's Moira to the Fusion Connection.   To find out more about St John's, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more information here...

We would like to welcome Kings Cross Church KXC to the Fusion Connection.   To find out more about Kings Cross Church (KXC), you can look at their page on the find a church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find...

We would like to welcome St Mark's Gabalfa to the Fusion Connection.     To find out more about St Mark's, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more information here...  

We would like to welcome Ascension Balham Hill to the Fusion Connection.     To find out more about Ascension, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more information here...  

We would like to welcome St Aldates, Oxford to the Fusion Connection.   To find out more about St Aldates, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more information here...

We would like to welcome Holy Trinity Ripon to the Fusion Connection.   To find out more about Holy Trinity, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more information here...

We would like to welcome Christ Church Birmingham to the Fusion Connection.        To find out more about Christ Church, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more information here...

Around the UK people are waking up to student mission! Students still represent one of the largest unreached people groups and even the biggest groups of Christians still represent only a tiny fraction of the students in the UK. Local churches and their students are renewing their commitment to get involved and share the Good news of Jesus with words, works...

Remember fresher’s week? University life presents a smorgasbord of opportunities, and some of the dishes are more wholesome than others. In 2010, thousands of Christian school leavers will move away from home and enter higher education. However, if the trend continues, 50% of these young people will fail to get involved with any form of Christian activity at university.     If you’re...

For the 2010 summer events, we’ve kindly been given the free use of this Mini Cooper! It’s a hard life. I’ve had to drive it round for the past couple of weeks but soon it’s going to be parked up at the Big Church Day Out, New Wine and Soul Survivor events in Shepton Mallet. Make sure you stop by and...

We would like to welcome St James in the City Liverpool to the Fusion Connection.     To find out more about St James, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find...

Imagine what could happen if a generation of young people took justice issues seriously… let’s help make this a reality. Let’s make our voices heard and make a stand! Our new parliament will have been in place for 2 weeks when Tearfund, Open Doors, Christian Aid and Emerging Culture will join together to march from Westminster Central Hall to Trafalgar Square, stopping...

I was reading a book by Max Lucado* recently. In an early chapter he recounts the story of George Washington Carver. Born in 1864, this scientist, botanist, professor and inventor went on a quest. Carver was attempting to regenerate the post Civil-war land which had been decimated by years of cultivating cotton. When an invasion of vicious beetles wiped out the...

We would like to welcome Riverside Church Birmingham to the Fusion Connection. To find out more about Riverside, you can look at their page on the Find a Church area of the Church Connection area of the site. If you would like to know more about how your church could join the Fusion Connection you you can find more information here...    

Key Partner News What’s as ancient as Abraham yet more powerful than the Prime Minister?  It can separate seas and move mountains, bandage up brokenness and transform towns. You don’t need to be a genius… Prayer! We stand with our feet planted in a world rife with injustice but with our hands outstretched. We try to grab hold of this place where...

to help students get along to the annual New Wine Leader conference a special student rate has been introduced. Special Student Offer The New Wine Leadership Conference is an opportunity to be re-envisioned for the glorious, costly and difficult task of enabling your church to fulfil its potential in changing your community, and helping to change the nation. We welcome as our...

At the launch there will be live music, free food and drink, entertainment, lively discussions, products for sale and perhaps the odd treat or two… all Fairtrade, of course! Key Partner News - Christian Aid