Separated from the main campus of Sydney Uni by a 40-minute commute, ministry at the smaller Conservatorium of Music campus can sometimes feel like a different world to main EU activities!

At the Con, music is everything: from operatic voice warm-ups and jazz flowing from practice rooms, to the piano in each classroom, busts of Mozart and Beethoven guarding the library entrance, and conversations with students anxious about their career prospects but eager to pursue their passion.

A few things, however, remain the same across both campuses: a group of students regularly gathering together to hear from God’s word, pray, and encourage one another.

This year, we’ve had around 25 students regularly coming to our weekly ‘Public Meeting’ talk on Thursdays, and even more involved in small groups. It has been great to see the EU community at the Con grow stronger after the disruption of COVID, begin to establish more of a known presence at the Con, and reach out more actively in evangelism.

There are still many cultural challenges for Christians there though. Here are just a few ways that you can be praying to God for ministry at the Con!

In September, as part of the EU’s ‘Mission Weeks’, we held a ‘Testimony Picnic’ in the beautiful Botanic Gardens, where two students were set to share their testimony. We expected only a handful of non-Christian friends to show up, but God brought 15! It was so encouraging to see the number that came, a testament to the strong friendships that Con students have with one another.

Please pray for Christian Con students to be bold in sharing the gospel relationally with the friends God has given them.

As students prepare to enter a very competitive and financially insecure industry, it can be difficult for Christians to know how to realistically put Jesus first. One student said to me, “It’s so hard to be a Christian pianist! You’re always trying to find time to practice. No one’s going to hire the second-best pianist, so when you take three hours out of your week to go to bible study or church, you know that someone else is using those three hours to practice and get ahead.” Even while studying at the Con, many students feel overwhelming pressure to make every hour count.

Please pray that God would help these students to trust in him for all their provision, and that Christians would display a radical and sacrificial love to their friends in the midst of time-poor cultural context.

I was especially encouraged by Rachel*, a second-year cello performance student, who started reading the Bible with three of her friends this year – one of whom has expressed interest in following Jesus! Praise God!

Thank God for how he has used Rachel to declare his gospel at the Con this year, and pray that this student would continue to grow in knowing and loving Jesus!

– Sarah Chaudary, Howard Guinness Project 2022-2023

*Names changed for privacy