If you asked me to tell you what defines the leaders of the EU what could I say? Bold? Godly? Intelligent? Caring? I could say all of those things. But if you asked me what has surprised me most about the leaders of the EU, it would have to be their servant hearts. I have seen how students fold leaflets for public meetings unseen by the public eye. How students go out of their way to meet non-Christians and help other students with their Christian walk. It is this beautiful truth about the leaders of the EU that has created a culture of service amongst the students they lead.

I asked several students at different points in their university degree to share how the leaders of the EU had impacted them. One first year student replied “I have been really encouraged to actively go out and love others as I have seen my second year small group leaders love us”. Interestingly when I talked to a second year bible study leader she related how “being personally invested in by the leaders of the EU (and) learning servant-hearted love from them” had similarly impacted her. It is the servant heartedness of the leaders in the EU that has grown a culture of younger students who likewise seek to love and care for others. God at work in servant hearted leaders leads to servant hearted people.

Having such a servant-hearted culture is indeed one way in which God has greatly blessed the EU. We must pray that these students will continue to be servants as they leave university, as the demands of life become seemingly greater and university becomes a memory. Rhys, a final year student reflecting on his past leaders added “Their Godly example, their love and their service has inspired me to serve God more, and to do so selflessly, following them as they follow Christ in their other-person centredness.”

Praise God that in years to come these students will be flooding churches in Sydney, Australia and beyond!