We want to share with you some of the encounters our University of Canterbury staff team and students had last week when they talked with new students at Club’s Week. Club’s Week is a time we affectionately call ‘hay-making’ season. It’s the busiest time of our student year, where we seek to reap the harvest of souls hungry for the truth only found in Jesus. Pray for Auckland, which has its Club’s Week next week (3-6 March).
Michelle: “Last week, I talked with a first-year student who told me that she came to know Jesus by watching TikTok. I have never met someone who has had this experience. She said she only ever went to church on religious holidays and that no one in her life to date was a Christian. She had never read the bible with another person. I’m praying that she would be established in her faith and grow a love of God’s word through bible study and discipleship.”
Abbey: “I met a graduate student from China. I asked her if she had heard about Jesus and if she knew anything about him. She held up her hands in a prayer gesture and said, “On TV, I see people pray before meals.” That was it. I shared the gospel with her, and she left quickly after 15 minutes.” Please pray for this person to have the seed of the gospel that Abbey planted take root in her life.
Cosette: “I met a girl who had heard a bit about Jesus but was sceptical about the claim that Jesus rose from the dead. So, we discussed the significance and evidence for Jesus’ death and resurrection, and then the next day, she texted me to say she had bought two Bibles to start reading!”
Stu from Lincoln campus: “I spoke with a first-year student and asked him if he had ever taken any time to consider the claims of Jesus for himself. The student replied, “No, not really, actually.” I offered to help him with that if he was interested, and he said, “Yeah, that sounds good to me!”
A UC Navs student: One of our students had the opportunity to meet up with a new girl but was very nervous about whether she could articulate her faith to another person. The team prayed with her and for her, and she reported back, “I’m so grateful you guys prayed; it really worked. Normally, I stumble over my words, but I really felt like God was speaking through me.” This young student will continue to meet the new person and read the bible with her. It’s always so exciting to see a student experience God using them!
Ben Burnell: I chatted with a number of young men from such interesting backgrounds—Muslims, Hindus, and Catholics, all interested in spiritual conversations. I gave some of them Bibles, and I’m excited to see what happens next.
Catherine: I met a Costa Rican who recently moved to NZ. She said she was so excited to connect with a group of believers as she felt her life was in limbo. This student expressed how hard it can be to find community and belonging.