In preparation for the coming year of EU ministry, involving approximately 900 students, the student leaders and staff gathered together for two days in February at Merroo Conference Centre for the annual Leadership Summit. The vision for this gathering: to consider how to serve in ‘counter-cultural’ leadership following in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus, and how together we might pursue the EU’s three objects on campus this year. Present were over 120 students, including assistant and senior small group leaders, faculty leaders and committee members, students leading in specialist ministries of outreach and training, our student executive, and more.

Senior staff worker Moussa Ghazal led us to think about leading with an all-consuming passion for Christ, following the all-inspiring example of Christ, and to cherish the all-surpassing greatness of knowing Christ, as he taught from the letter to the Philippians. Students also participated in workshops for innovative planning for evangelistic Public Meetings, enriching our culture of serving the less-reached and less-resourced, and creating opportunities for more students to grow in their Christian faith at university this year.

Alice, a fourth year student and one of the vice-presidents, expressed her thankfulness for a workshop emphasising the importance of leadership beginning with personal godliness, and the exhortation to intentionally pursue a deeper knowledge and love of God in the coming year.

Tom, a third year student who will be leading the Economics and Business Faculty, shared his reflection: “I found the time spent praying in small groups and thinking creatively about how the EU can be more public on campus very helpful. I’m super fired up to be spending heaps of time on campus this year so I can prayerfully and boldly proclaim Jesus as Lord to my peers.”

Amidst the unique pressures that contemporary uni life presents, these students are seeking to live and serve in the way Paul exhorted, ‘worthy of the gospel of Christ.’ Please join us in praying that God will strengthen this new generation of Christian leaders to do just that, in 2017, and beyond.