Blog

When Holly, a 2nd-year student in Bath, was invited to try church, she had no idea much this invitation would change her life. A year on from giving her life to Jesus, Holly shares her experience of coming to faith and sharing the reason for her hope. “I’ve been in church all my life, but I didn’t know Jesus. I started uni...

"For he has clothed me with garments of salvation..." (Isaiah 61:10) I recently changed the photo on my driving license. The original photo was from 9 years ago, before I could drive, before I knew Jesus, and before I knew that I did not suit brunette hair.  The photo on the license doesn’t look like me anymore. The 9 years of aging...

“For I, the Lord, love justice;" (Isaiah 61:8) I remember stepping out of Gare du Nord, the main train station in Paris and wondering where to go next. We had arrived in the city on a mission to pray for and support the homeless community living there. If we had turned right out of the station, we would have journeyed towards the...

"and provide for those who grieve in Zion..." (Isaiah 61:3) I checked my phone after leaving the Fusion Conference in 2019. I’d been added to a group chat with 8 other friends from church and read the first message. For this group of friends, 2019 had been a year of grief, challenge, and isolation, but as I read the text, I realised...

Mike, a Student Worker in Guildford, has recently seen a breakthrough in the relationship between his church and his local university chaplaincy. For years, Mike describes the relationship as “non-existent, but not for lack of trying”, however, last year, the university accepted Mike’s offer to help serve students on campus.  “Our relationship started simply by emailing in, asking if we could...

It’s no coincidence that in trials, students often turn to Jesus for help. In the face of uncertainty, students want to cling to something secure, and for Laura*, a student in Oxford, this could not be more true.  Throughout Laura’s 1st year of University, she sat on the fringe of faith as she intermittently attended church, but had not accepted Jesus...

With 2020 behind us, is it possible to have hope for 2021? As we face more uncertainty, how can we choose joy?  Below are 3 ways you can live with expectant hope and choose joy for the new year ahead.  1. Pay attention to pain  When faced with pain, injustice or disappointment, we have a choice: to feel it and face it, or...

As we approach the end of an ‘unprecedented’ year (can that word be something that is left in 2020?), it’s a good time to pause, reflect and process. With challenge comes growth, so grab a notebook and consider some of the answers to the following questions. In preparation to make some new year's resolutions, give yourself space to enter into...

With mental health issues amongst students becoming increasingly common, how can churches support students who are struggling? We spoke with Dr Kate Middleton, Dr Roger Bretherton and Rachel Gardner about what they’re noticing in students and how they can be best supported. To watch the full video, tap here. For a summary of their tips, read below.  1. Encourage students to register...

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 I recently became an auntie for the 7th time to a beautiful baby girl called Olivia. After months of prayer, her parents decided on her...

With Freshers Fayres cancelled and more students thinking about faith, there are more stories of students trying church. Below are some of the highlights.  “I met a third year student studying Fine Arts, who just lived around the corner to the church. She said “I've been to catholic church a couple of times but it wasn't for me, and I really...

At the start of 2020, Tim, a Student Worker in Leeds, cast a vision to reach unchurched students in the heart of campus. With around 30,000 students living within one area near to a student flats, they partnered with another local church to dream, pray, and plan for what God could do in their space.  They had a vision: to create...

What does Student Work look like in your city? As Freshers find home in local churches and student work starts up again, how can student workers best support new and returning students, and how can students live out the hope of Jesus this year?   With the announcement of a new 3-tiered system in England, it can be difficult to know how...

What does Student Work look like in your city? As Freshers find home in local churches and student work starts up again, how can student workers best support new and returning students, and how can students live out the hope of Jesus this year?   With the announcement of a new 3-tiered system in England, it can be difficult to know how best...

What does Student Work look like in your city? As Freshers find home in local churches and student work starts up again, how can student workers best support new and returning students, and how can students live out the hope of Jesus this year?   With the announcement of a new 3-tiered system in England, it can be difficult to know how best...

What does Student Work look like in your city? As Freshers find home in local churches and student work starts up again, how can student workers best support new and returning students, and how can students live out the hope of Jesus this year?   With the announcement of a new 3-tiered system in England, it can be difficult to know how best...

As thousands of students head to university campuses over the coming weeks, we hear from Sam, who is heading back to university for his 2nd year. He shares her experience of finding a church at university as well as some wisdom for Freshers of 2020.  HOW DID IT FEEL TO FIND A CHURCH AT UNI?  "It’s a great and weird experience. I...

As thousands of students head to university campuses over the coming weeks, we hear from Beth, who is both a graduate and a University starter as she begins her masters this September. She shares her experience of finding a church at university as well as some wisdom for Freshers of 2020.  How did it feel to find a church at uni?  “Finding...

At the time of writing, on Wednesday 9th September, all the information reflects current rules and guidance. This information may change with time, so please visit the Government’s COVID-19 information for official and more recent updates if reading after this date.  “We spent yesterday planning the next term, praying into it and getting excited. And then the plans have to change,...

Hannah, who received her A Level results last week, now has her place confirmed at her chosen university. She, alongside thousands of others, has wrestled with the uncertainty of what being a Fresher in 2020 is like as she shares her thoughts ahead of starting university next month.  “I’m feeling nervous about meeting new people and having to be outgoing, but...

Every year, thousands of students leave their homes and head to university. They join Facebook groups to meet coursemates and flatmates, research Freshers events and do an Ikea haul. Many also consider what it might be like to find a church at university, whether they are trying church for the first time, or finding a home away from home.  Susanna, who...

“Even if you aren’t the type to have a 5 year plan, it’s easy to plan out what your life is going to look like, but the main thing I learnt is that there is a lot of freedom in surrendering your life to God.” When Brett opened up the brown envelope on his results day, he was met with disbelief...

Your time at university could be the place where your calling comes alive! As disciples, we are called to let our light shine before others (Matthew 5:14) wherever we find ourselves, whether in a relationship or not. Your view towards relationships as you prepare for university has the potential to help your calling come alive, or become a distraction from...

It’s the question that a lot of student workers and students find themselves asking. As we slowly release some lockdown measures, universities opening up again in September seems a lot more possible, however, with restrictions potentially still in place, Freshers 2020 will be different from years prior.  As you consider what student work could look like from September, we have compiled...

With many young people asking the question, "what will my Freshers week look like?", as well as considering the impact that online lectures may have on their university experience, we asked 4 student workers from different local churches how they're preparing to welcome students back to university in September. 1. We're in a crazy time. What are you doing as a...

We're all asking the question, "what next?". What next for students starting university in September? What next for leading student work? What next for universities opening up again? Over the next 3 days, we will hear from a range of people offering hope in the uncertainty that is Freshers 2020. If you're heading to university and you're not sure what their...

It was when the world as we knew it was put on pause, that we allowed ourselves to slow down and notice injustice happening before our eyes. The Black Lives Matters movement has shed light on racial injustice, and thousands of students have humbled themselves to apologise and educate themselves.  As student work is paused for the summer, one group of...

IN THE MIDST OF UNCERTAINTY, WE OFTEN FIND HOPE. THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR MANY STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO PREVIOUSLY, MAY HAVE CLOSED THE DOOR TO JESUS, INSTEAD BEING OPEN TO THE HOPE THAT HE OFFERS IN UNCERTAIN TIMES.  What could be more encouraging that stories of our answered prayers, that students would find hope in Jesus and home...

The church is waking up, and people are noticing. Throughout lockdown we’ve heard countless stories of students exploring faith for the first time and giving their lives to Jesus. A church asleep was unattractive, but when the pause button was pressed on life as we knew it, the church began to awake. As doors were locked, the church jumped online....

With deadlines and exams finished, students are now trying to answer the question, "what's next?". This question can be both exciting and terrifying, but Hannah, a career advisor at Lancaster University, shares her experience as students navigate their next steps.  Let’s be honest, we all want a BANG, ‘I am God and I want you to do this job my child’...

“Sharing my faith with someone is the best gift I can give them.” Becky, a final year student in Loughborough, is no stranger to sharing her faith, but with churches closed and her ability to meet with friends put on pause, Becky has chosen to take student mission online.  “My main gift is evangelism and this comes naturally to me because I...

“Worry isn’t an option for me, worry isn’t welcome in my life.”  With many students staring uncertainty in the face, how can they remain hopeful going forward? We spoke to Beth, a final year student in Sheffield, whose plans for life after graduation have a question mark next to them, but even so, she shares how she’s been able to remain peaceful...

4 years ago when on the way to university, Joel felt prompted to pray for a stranger he had just met walking down the street. He prayed a simple prayer: that this stranger would give his life to Jesus one day.  4 years on, at a student weekend away, Joel noticed a familiar face as he led worship. The stranger from...

Postponed graduations, cancelled A Levels and abrupt endings with no goodbyes are situations currently being faced by students and school leavers all over the country. But as in any difficult situation, there is always hope.  Cara, who recently joined in with Online Small Group Training, had just graduated and was about to begin her career as a teacher. Not long after...

In the midst of uncertainty, we often find hope. This has been the case for many students across the country who previously, may have closed the door to Jesus, instead being open to the hope that he offers in uncertain times.  What could be more encouraging that stories of our answered prayers, that students would find hope in Jesus and home...

The word ‘uncertain’ has managed to become a key part of every final year students’ vocabulary in the last few weeks, and understandably so. With thousands of students’ university experiences coming to an abrupt end in recent weeks, finalists are leaving with more questions than answers. However, the recent turn of events did not come as a surprise to God, as...

What do you do when you’ve got boxes full of chocolate eggs and a lockdown preventing you from delivering them?  This is exactly what happened to students in Nottingham. After purchasing lots of Easter Eggs ahead of their Easter missional events, they were left with little place for them to go when the country was days from lockdown.  It is said that...

“I’ve been doing this for 35 years, but I’m always up for learning. I think when we give up learning, we lose something.”  At 18 years old, Pete knew that he was called to work with young people long-term. Now, 35 years on, Pete is still learning, still serving and is committed to raising up new leaders. This is the reason...

When Harry grew up and tried to fit in more with friends at school, he slowly left his childhood faith behind. After spending a year in Australia, Harry started university back in the UK and over time, found himself becoming obsessed with drugs and drinking. “I was obsessed with drugs and drinking. It was all fun, but it was all fruitless.”  Within...

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” (Matthew 28:6) Do you ever find yourself living like the resurrection didn’t happen?  I sometimes find myself living like it’s still Good Friday. Good Friday was characterised by mourning, disappointment and grief. The world went dark and hope seemed like a distant memory.  But the story didn’t end on Friday.  It just got...

Each one of us is in a time of anticipation this Easter. Regardless of our beliefs, whether church feels like home or not, right now we can relate to how Jesus’ friends and followers must have felt as they awaited hope.  I’ve heard the word ‘unprecedented’ more times than I can count in the last few weeks. No one could have...

“What am I going to do on Sunday?”  This is the question that many people are asking themselves right now. Empty calendars with cancelled plans leave weekends free. Not only are church services now online, but coffee dates with friends are put on hold, cinema trips have been paused and visiting family in far away cities is a no go.  So what...

“What changed?” “I’ve realised that it's as big a risk to believe in atheism as it is to believe in God.” Josh, a student from Bath, decided to stay at university despite it closing for the next few months. Josh had consistently invited one of his friends to church over the previous year and had been met with rejection each time. Despite...

“I would have never had faith conversations if I hadn’t invited her to my small group, and I wouldn’t have invited her to my small group if it wasn’t online.” Going into her second year at university, Holly decided that this would be a good time to find a local church. She quickly joined a small group that left her feeling...

“It doesn’t matter where you are in the country anymore. My friend could be in my small group for 12 weeks, and those 12 weeks could change her life. I really think that God’s bringing revival through small groups.” Community and quarantine are two words that are unlikely to go together, however, Holly, a student from York, would disagree. After attending...

For student workers like Jodie, launching small groups online can be an exciting yet daunting task. Can we still have deep conversations? Will my students still invite their friends?  How on earth do you even host an online small group to begin with?!  Jodie recently signed up to be a part of Online Small Groups Training sessions which helped her to think through how...

When you invite a not-yet-Christian to church, what do they hear? Do they know the same church you know, the one where all are welcome and Jesus is the priority, or do they know cold buildings, covering their shoulders or even being judged? For many, the church means a building and it’s a building they’re not ready to enter into. If...

Is it really the most wonderful time of the year?  For many, I’m sure it is. I’m sure that for some, Christmas Day reflects a Hallmark movie where the streets are lined with snow and the houses constantly smell like gingerbread. I’m sure somewhere on this planet people’s lives actually look like their perfectly staged Christmas cards and family politics are...

This blog is a part 3 of a 3-part series of prayer letters between a student and God. Each blog follows the student throughout her 3 years at university and highlights some of the same prayers and questions you may have.  Dear Dad,  How did we get here so fast? I’m choosing dissertation topics and thinking about life after graduation. I’ve been asked the...

This blog is a part 2 of a 3-part series of prayer letters between a student and God. Each blog follows the student throughout her 3 years at university and highlights some of the same prayers and questions you may have.  Dear Dad,  I’m back at uni after 3 months at home. The summer felt long, but you know that. I’m really glad to...

This blog is a part 1 of a 3-part series of prayer letters between a student and God. Each blog follows the student throughout her 3 years at university and highlights some of the same prayers and questions you may have.  Dear Dad,  I’ve been here a couple of months now and I’m starting to feel more at home… slowly. Everyone told me...

Most of the buildings at my university were really ugly. I’d sit in the library for 12 hours at a time, revelling in my lack of productivity, wondering if there was a better way to study. I thought that working hard meant indulging in too many sugary snacks to keep awake, getting distracted by friends in the library and revising...

“Do I actually care?”  This was the question I asked myself multiple times at university. On Sundays, I’d hear a preach about mission, sharing Jesus with friends and neighbours and people giving their lives to Jesus. I’d feel inspired after the service, ready to see Jesus change my friends’ lives, until I had to walk home, get ready for the week,...

“Do what makes you happy.”  This is one of my least favourite quotes. I’ve seen it stuck onto a wallpaper designs, carved into wood for decoration, and set as friends’ screen savers. Hear me out, I have nothing against positive quotes and I’m not ‘anti-happy’, but I do think that particular phrase holds little substance. Yet, it’s something I think our...

Viki joined the Fusion team after she finished university in 2017, and is now on the North East Regional Team. Here she shares her experience of the application process and joining the team! “Why should I work with Fusion?" I think this is an important question to ask when considering applying because Fusion is unlike any other ‘normal’ job in many ways....

Like many students, I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do after finishing university. I was 1 month into my final year and already, some friends had jobs lined up or at least knew which sector they wanted to apply for. I, however, did not.  I went to university because I wanted to leave with a good job, a...

Mary recently graduated from university and has just started a graduate job as a Research Analyst. For many, it's time to start thinking about life after graduation, and Mary has some fantastic insight into turning work into worship! Towards the end of university, the world of work is a daunting place. I loved my course and learning in a way that...

September saw the launch of the Fusion regional teams which have provided lots of opportunities to visit university cities all over the UK! We have met with a large number of churches and have gathered fantastic stories of students and student workers stepping out in faith at uni! With this term and 2018 drawing to a close, we’d love to...

September saw the launch of the Fusion regional teams which have provided lots of opportunities to visit university cities all over the UK! We have met with a large number of churches and have gathered fantastic stories of students and student workers stepping out in faith at uni! With this term and 2018 drawing to a close, we’d love to...

September saw the launch of the Fusion regional teams which have provided lots of opportunities to visit university cities all over the UK! We have met with a large number of churches and have gathered fantastic stories of students and student workers stepping out in faith at uni! With this term and 2018 drawing to a close, we’d love to...

September saw the launch of the Fusion regional teams which have provided lots of opportunities to visit university cities all over the UK! As a whole team, we have met with churches all over the UK and have gathered fantastic stories of students and student workers stepping out in faith at uni! With this term and 2018 drawing to a...

The Small Groups Big Mission workbook has landed and we’re seeing students across the UK receive training in leading missional small groups! The workbook asks the question, ‘what does it look like to host unmissable meetings? To lead a small group that people can’t wait to attend?’  The book and the training consists of 4 main sections, including creating small groups...

The Small Groups Big Mission workbook has landed and we’re seeing students across the UK receive training in leading missional small groups! The workbook asks the question, ‘what does it look like to host unmissable meetings? To lead a small group that people can’t wait to attend?’  The book and the training consists of 4 main sections, including creating small groups...

The Small Groups Big Mission workbook has landed and we’re seeing students across the UK receive training in leading missional small groups! The workbook asks the question, ‘what does it look like to host unmissable meetings? To lead a small group that people can’t wait to attend?’  The book and the training consists of 4 main sections, including creating small groups...

The Small Groups Big Mission workbook has landed and we’re seeing students across the UK receive training in leading missional small groups! The workbook asks the question, ‘what does it look like to host unmissable meetings? To lead a small group that people can’t wait to attend?’  The book and the training consists of 4 main chapters, including creating small groups...

My two best friends are bloggers, and to be honest, they are the reason I started putting my small pieces of writing online. Before living with them at uni, I asked the question ‘who would want to read my writing?’ I believed that somehow my stories and experiences were less relevant and less important than the thousands of blogs already released...

Before I started university, I had a 7 week summer holiday. I had little to no experience with cooking meals, so my mum did the maths and worked out that there were 7 days in a week, 7 weeks in a summer, and therefore she could teach me a meal a week to ensure I didn’t starve or live off...

What happens when you gather 13 student workers and students from 7 churches on a stall at a University Freshers Fair? Unity happens, and students want to try church.  It was on a try church stand at a Freshers Fair last week that I began to see an answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17. In these verses, Jesus prays for...

So you're off to uni. It's exciting, everyone is asking how you're feeling and you already know you've got waaaaay too much to fit in the car. There are a lot of unknowns and things you're wondering about, so here are 9 things I wish I'd known before going to university! 1. You (probably) won’t find your best friends in your...

I’m going to make a sweeping statement here. I think one of the biggest struggles of sharing faith with friends is knowing how to bring Jesus up. Once the conversation is flowing, the questions are being asked and the topics go beyond the surface, it seems to become more natural. But the struggle, for me anyway, is how do you...

Maddie studied in the UK as an International student from the USA. A year after her graduation, she reflects on how it felt to leave a country she called home for 3 years, moving away from friends and embracing messy transitions.  'I have plenty of reasons to like the 4th of July. Last year was particularly fun because two of my...

I remember being told I was an evangelist for the first time.  I simultaneously felt as if I had been bestowed such an honour to share Jesus with those around me, as well as the weight on my shoulders and the question of ‘what if I don’t live up to my duty as an evangelist?’  I don’t think I’m the only one....

When Kat started university in 2015, she noticed a need on her campus. With students pouring out of nightclubs, drinks flowing and mental health struggles on the rise, she chose to be a light in the darkness. By teaming up with the Student’s Union, she, alongside other volunteers, created ‘Time Out’, a safe space for students, run by students.  'The light...

Josie took #TryChurch one step further last year when she invited two of her friends to join her ‘church search’ when she began her first year at university. After moving across the country, to a new city for university, one of the first things on Josie’s mind was finding a local church she could call home. She had been involved with...

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 third vlog looks at how...

It was exam season. I walked through my friend’s front door, flopped onto the sofa and took my much-needed cup of tea with a resounding ‘I needed that’. It didn’t take long for my friend to realise that I was exhausted, and that going to her house was finally rest.  She challenged me by asking ‘when was the last time you rested?’  To...

I’m going to start this blog with a confession. Ready? I often cheat at reading. At this point you may be thinking, ‘how on earth could you cheat at reading?’. Well, hear me out. I am one of those troubled people who skip to the end of a book before I’ve read the rest of it. I don’t know why I do it. There...

It’s Friday night, 2:29am to be exact. You’re returning from a night out you perhaps reluctantly went on with your housemate, with sore, slightly blistered feet and sticky shoes from the beer-stained dancefloor. It’s as if you can feel your bed beckoning you home, and as you put your key in the door counting down the minutes until you can...

Have you ever seen those adverts for the ‘ancestry tests’? They always seem to pop up on the side of my screen, claiming that I could find out my bloodline within minutes. A particular one that stood out to me was the option to test to see if there was any royalty within my bloodline that perhaps had been missed. ‘I’d know...

It was New Year’s Day. I had just arrived back home from a 4-hour journey, tired and ready to relax, so naturally, I typed the word ‘Netflix’ into my browser. I had got through all 7 seasons of Gilmore Girls, all 9 of The Office, tried watching Suits (wasn’t my thing), so was wondering what my next TV show was going...

I'm about to say something ruthless and radical. Ready? I enjoyed exam seasons. Yep. I said it. Perhaps you're questioning “how?!” in your head. Perhaps you’re about to click off of this post. But hear me out. After spending hours in the library in my first year, scrolling through social media and doing little actual studying, I quickly resolved that there must...

'Do I have to cover my shoulders?' 'Should I register? Do I have to pay entry?' 'Will I be judged if I wear ripped jeans?' Amongst many, many others, these are some genuine questions I had before I walked into church for the first time on February 2nd, 2014. My family are not Christian, and my church experience began and ended with a...

I used to hear stories of people walking into churches and just ‘knowing’ they were home, even if they had never gone to church outside of weddings, Christenings and funerals. I'd heard stories of people feeling ‘called’ to a specific church, whatever ‘called’ meant. I’d heard stories of people choosing a church because it felt like family from day one. I'd love...

In the autumn, many students all over the UK tried church for the first time. A generational shift has led to an openness towards church, a desire than needs to be met, and a belief that there must be something more. Stories amounting to students giving their lives to Jesus during their first weeks at university are emerging - are we...

The room was filled with smiling faces and open conversation. A sense of family reigned over any differences, and one theme prevailed: unity. A couple of weeks ago, 60 students and young adults from different churches around Sheffield, gathered together in unity to worship over the city. Led by a worship collective called ‘Far & Wide’, 8 churches were represented over the...

I hugged my mum goodbye, waved at her as she drove away, and made my way back to my bedroom in my new halls of residence. As I sat down on my slightly uncomfortable single bed with springs that squeaked way too much, a resounding “what next?” filled my mind. Lectures didn’t start for another week. Not all of my flatmates had...

I’d love to tell you that my main reason for going to university was to share Jesus with my non-Christian friends, that on my first day I stepped into my lecture theatre with a missional mindset, but that is simply not true. I had always been ambitious, and my undergraduate degree was just a first step onto a career ladder motivated...

I still remember the sound of the checkout beeps as my mum and I bought the floral cutlery from Wilko for Fresher’s week. I’d spent probably too much time making decisions over what cutlery would be the best option for me. There were plain sets, silver sets, plastic sets, 12 piece sets, 24 piece sets, and ones covered in flowers. To some,...