When I started at Sydney Uni, I knew practically no one, but I’d been told about a Christian group on campus running a welcome event, where I’d be able to meet people who were trying to work out the same thing as I was: what does it look like to be a Christian at uni?
I signed up online and went along, with no idea what to expect or who would be there. I was overwhelmed by the number of people there, but someone helped me find my faculty.
I got to meet lots of people over lunch, and the rest of the day’s activities helped me get to know them and the EU more. Through Launch Day, I found a Christian community on campus that helped me to find my feet and stand firm for Jesus when I had no idea what I was doing.
That’s why it has been such an exciting opportunity and privilege for me, two years later, to help organise this same event and welcome first years into our community, as we launch the EU program for 2026. Based on our three EU objects, our theme for Launch Day this year was gospel knowing, disciple growing, and a heart for going. We wanted Launch Day to be a platform from which students can gain a deeper knowledge of the gospel, grow as disciples of Christ, and develop a heart for the lost on campus and across the globe.
A new addition to Launch this year is that we ran split sessions for first years and seniors. We wanted to make sure we didn’t overwhelm new students with lots of info, so we stuck to the basics of what the EU is all about. We introduced the first years to our Big 3: small group bible studies, weekly bible talks and our annual conference.
The seniors’ session, on the other hand, implored students to be open and welcome others into the EU community. Seniors were encouraged to do so by getting involved in some of our specialist ministries: FOCUS, CousMin and Go-teams. Each of these ministries seeks to help students look beyond their Christian circles to those on our campus who don’t know Jesus. Whether it be international students, people of other faiths, classmates, or complete strangers, all people need to hear the Gospel.
The all-in session was a great time to unite first years and seniors within the EU by singing together, and sharing our vision for the year. Focusing on 1 Corinthians, Rowan encouraged students to ‘stay salty’ (the Jesus version), by meditating on His Word, in the power of His Spirit, amongst His people. Rowan left us with the question: how can you maintain a different ambition, motivation and vision (like Paul) as you go to uni this year?
Faculty Time was a great opportunity for first years to build relationships with people studying similar degrees, and a time to get to know a smaller community. Faculty connections were then deepened over lunch, and a wide game which had students running in groups across campus, completing challenges, and trying to guess a Bible verse.
The team’s prayer for Launch Day was that first years would be welcomed into a Christian community, where they could find like-minded people trying to figure out what it looks like to be a Christian at uni. We would love it if you could pray with us for each of the approximately 500 people who attended Launch Day. Pray that all students, whether first years or seniors, would be encouraged to have an ambition, motivation, and vision centred on Christ, and that the EU would be a community ‘staying salty’ for Jesus, for years to come.
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