The EU ministry has undergone a massive amount of COVID-necessitated change in the last twelve months, but particularly this year. Reimagining the basic structure of the EU ministry away from faculty-specific groups has been a large undertaking, and has highlighted three C’s that come with change.

C #1: Chance

Any change is a chance to try new things, to realise new opportunities and reap hoped for (as well as unexpected) benefits. The EU’s restructure has enabled us to experiment with longer small group bible studies and to try joint-faculty evangelism. EU students have shared how they have enjoyed getting to know students from other EU faculties. Clustering students together has given the EU ‘critical mass’ for small groups, Bible Seminars & training despite students being on campus much less than previously. It has also given EU a much more visible presence on the Uni campus as students hang around to have lunch together — something I haven’t witnessed to the same extent since the Manning/Wentworth Level 4 EU hang-out spots in the 1990s!

C #2: Challenge

Large scale change in a ministry creates significant challenges. All the usual systems and processes don’t work anymore. How are we going to do follow-up without faculty groups? How will the EU appoint leaders? Who will drive evangelism? How will AnCon function? All of these questions – and 139 others – have needed answers. This has been a significant challenge for the EU leadership, both students and staff. With God’s help we have made a lot of progress, and we keep developing more solutions as the semester continues.

C #3: Cost

Change has a cost – not just what may have been lost, but an emotional cost as we cope with the ambiguity of new situations and lead others through the change. There is no doubt that the changes EU has made this year have enabled the ministry at USyd to move forward despite the COVID restrictions. However, it seems to me that the EU student leaders and staff team are weary from 12 months of change. Whilst it is a real joy to again be serving together face-to-face on campus, please do pray that the Lord would sustain his servants as they make use of the opportunities these changes have presented.

Joyfully in his service,

Rowan Kemp 

CEO, EU GradsFund