The first 3 weeks of Semester 1 is the EU’s welcoming and connecting season. From the EU’s perspective, it is an intense time as we start up the year. Seeking to love and connect with those that we don’t know, is a way that we can show God’s love radically. In God’s kindness, he sustains his people to show Christ’s compassion to new students who are transitioning into a new stage of life as they experience a newfound independence. 

Picture this: new students frantically wander around campus to find their classes, the buzz of voices of students standing outside lecture theatre halls trying to see if this is their class, students sitting by themselves as they have a break between classes. The stress of being a new student comes with all this pressure: managing to get to classes on time, completing pre-work for classes, but also building new relationships with new people. It’s a daunting time for new students and we’re glad that as the EU, we can provide some friendly faces who share similar values and faith.

The Education faculty has worked hard to maintain connections with students who attended EU Launch Day 2024. Seniors and first years went to dinner together after Launch Day to continue in fellowship. In week 1, Education held a welcome stall at the front of the Education building to help us make connections with students who may not have heard about the EU before. Small groups started in week 2 and we had a board games social in week 3.

The Education welcome stall in week 1 (although frantically run), reminded Education students that showing a small act of compassion can go a long way. It was a way for us to show practical love to the campus. Students approached us nervously to ask for directions to different classes or even for practical tips like where the closest filtered drinking water was. Praise God, even though most of the connections were small and didn’t lead to us having conversations about Jesus, we were able to connect 2 students into small groups, who we didn’t have prior connections with!

Let’s hear from Tim who is a faculty leader for Education about his experience of welcoming this year:

“A very memorable experience I’ve had with welcoming was not me welcoming others but others welcoming me into the Education faculty! 

Being a first year at EU’s Launch Day and having only one friend who was in the Education faculty, it felt quite intimidating seeing so many people wearing bright green shirts who I didn’t know. But I was instantly approached by EUers near me who introduced themselves to me. As we talked, they asked a lot of questions about me, what I was studying, what my hobbies were, and seemed genuine in wanting to get to know me. From this, I felt very welcomed by the faculty, and encouraged me to come to more EU-wide and EU Education faculty things. I learned that just being a friendly face, listening, and being interested in people’s lives has a great impact on them to know and feel that we are a community who are all about making newcomers feel included and part of the family.

Coming to the present, I’ve been encouraged to strive to have that same warm friendliness and eagerness that I received as I welcome newcomers into the faculty. It is such a privilege to be able to serve God in this way and welcome others to get involved in the EU, to open God’s word together and experience Him more.” 

Tim and Joey have played an instrumental role as faculty leaders to ensure that no Education student is left unconnected. It’s been a great opportunity to learn from them about how to welcome students well as they’ve had different experiences of being welcomed into the EU. Please do keep praying that first-years and newcomers will continue to receive this welcome from the EU, for the sake of God growing them in their faith!

– Esther Wong, Howard Guinness Project 2023-2024