Christianity

What is Christianity all about?

It’s not about a religion,
It’s not about going to church on a Sunday,
It’s not about being a good person,
It’s not about following a lot of rules,
It’s not about some out of date ideals,
It’s about a person… Jesus.

When Jesus came to earth 2000 years ago he came with one purpose: to die.

We by our very nature – and in all the wrong stuff we think and do – reject God. He created us to be in a perfect relationship with Him, but we have all turned our back on Him and tried to go our own way.

God is totally loving and totally just. He cannot look at our rebellion and remain indifferent, and so He has to punish our rejection of Him. BUT! Jesus, God’s son, was perfect and he came to die in OUR place to take the punishment that WE deserve. He then rose again because God accepted this substitution. And now we can be reconciled to God and enjoy eternal life with Him in Heaven if we trust that we can be forgiven because of Jesus’ death and let Him rule over our lives.

Christianity isn’t an old religion full of rules; it’s a radical way of living, of experiencing true peace, happiness, forgiveness and a relationship with God. It isn’t about ‘do this’ and ‘do that’ – it is the amazing news that “it is done!” and all of us are offered freedom for free.

Matthias Media provide an excellent summary of the Christian message. Why not spend a few minutes having a look and think? www.matthiasmedia.com.au/2wtl/

Further Questions…

Maybe you know all about the Christian message but you still have lots of other unanswered questions, (‘How can God allow suffering?’, ‘What about other religions?’). The Be Thinking website is a great place to start having a think about some of these things; it will help you wrestle through the issues, see what the Bible has to say and hopefully give you a clear and honest answer to a good number of your questions.

What about Church?

‘Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.’ – Hebrews 10: 25

Living as a Christian was never meant to be done alone. Now you’re at university you’ll find you become very busy with essays and coursework as well as settling into a new place and meeting new people. The passage above reminds us of the importance of meeting together to encourage one another in the hope we have in Jesus Christ. It is really important that while at university you settle into a church, which helps you grow in your faith. A church will be the place where you receive good teaching and fellowship with other Christians. The UHCU has great links with a number of local churches and we’d be more than happy to help you get settled in at one. (Ask us any time for a local church list which has information about the churches and student contact details for each).

So what exactly is a CU?

The Christian Union is all about the good news of Jesus Christ and seeing this amazing message spread on campus! Christian Unions are student led and gospel driven mission teams operating in Universities and colleges all over the world. It is not a church – it is totally non-denominational – It exists for one reason; to share the good news of Jesus to students living without him. The UHCU is a diverse group of Christians. We all come from a wide range of backgrounds and churches, however we are united, one body in our belief in Jesus Christ and what he has done for us. God has a plan for people to hear his message. This is a saving message that speaks right into the 21st Century and right into student life in Hertfordshire. We have found life in Jesus and we are passionate about others finding life in Him also. We hope to play some part in introducing people to Jesus.

We know that it can be hard standing for Jesus on your own at University so that’s why we meet together. The UHCU is a fun, active and exciting group. It is a great place to meet new people, learn new stuff and grow into a closer relationship with God. We believe that the message of Jesus is so amazing and so relevant that we can’t stop talking about it! Our aim is to be down-to-earth, real people working together to get this Gospel out to the University. We’re always thinking of new ways to engage students with the Christian message. We run meetings, talks, studies, football, film nights, acoustic nights, prayer nights, BBQs – you name it. If we’re not doing it yet – why not help us start it! Our hope is that throughout everything we do students will encounter Jesus; regardless of their background, Christian or non-Christian, we’re here to bring students into a closer relationship with Him.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” Romans 1: 16.