New UCCF Worker for local University and College
By Sheri Newton
I have just come to the end of four years working for UCCF (Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship www.uccf.org.uk ), supporting Christian Unions (CUs) in Ipswich, Colchester and Chelmsford, and I look back with real thankfulness for all God has been doing.
There has been a CU at both University Campus Suffolk (UCS) and Suffolk New College (SNC) for the past few years, and although neither has been large, God has still been at work:
“Especially towards the end of my year at college, I saw God really move in my relationships with friends who weren't Christians. More questions were asked, especially on the days I went to CU because they wondered what we did and talked about.”
A CU member at SNC CU
“We are able to share our fellowship and support each other, no competition just sharing our faith, and with the objective to spread the word of Jesus to the UCS students outside of the CU. …The Christian Union has been a great source of support for me personally to be able to study and work through issues at Uni.”
A CU member at UCS CU
I would love local Christians to be praying for both CUs as the new academic year begins. At UCS, please pray that the CU would really take off this yea, that a good number would join and catch the vision for all God could do through a small group of keen, passionate Christians wanting to love each other and the Uni well. At SNC, please pray that the CU would get established again this year and that the CU would be creative in sparking interest in spiritual things amongst the students at the College.
I am sad to be moving on, as, although it’s not always been easy, I have loved working with the students at each Uni and College and they have come to mean so much to me. I have learned lots during my time with UCCF – how to pull a seminar together when asked to do it that day, how to drive long distances without injuring anyone, I was even given a crash course in makeup at one point, but the biggest thing I’ve learnt is to delight in God more as he has been teaching me much about his wonderful character.
I am very pleased that a wonderful lady called Charissa Brain is taking over from me. Charissa is a Warwick graduate who has been working for the NHS in Southampton. Please do consider supporting Charissa. Perhaps you could commit to praying for her? You can contact her to ask for her prayer letter via www.uccf.org.uk
All that remains to be said is to thank all the many churches and individuals who have provided such wonderful support to me and to the Christian Unions over the past four years. You’ve been brilliant!
Charissa Brain is excited to be moving from Southampton to Colchester to take up the CU staff worker role for Essex and Suffolk. Charissa has discovered she is too passionate about investing in students and sharing the gospel to avoid full time student work. After graduating from Warwick she has got stuck into student work at her church, and found time to fit in CU events weeks and houseparties. She joined the NHS on the management grad scheme in 2008, and found that her three years as an NHS manager were exciting and challenging. She is excited to see how God uses the skills she learnt in a completely different context.
Charissa loves chocolate and coffee, chatting about theology and cooking new recipes.
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