The Christian Union exists because of what Jesus has done for every Christian: he died on the cross to take the punishment that we deserve for our rebellion against God; and in rising to new life, he has given us a hope of eternal life with him in heaven. God has saved us, not because of anything that we have done, but because of his amazing love for us.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
As a free gift, we have been redeemed from our slavery to sin and the condemnation that we all deserve. Therefore, as we begin to understand what Jesus has done for us, it will be our longing, as Christians, to reach out to those around us who are in such great danger.
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)
So as Christians who are committed to the gospel, we will be seeking to tell those around us. In his sovereignty, God has placed us in colleges for 3 or more years, giving us great opportunities to witness. While we are at university, those around us are our friends, in college, in the faculty, in our sports teams, and on our staircases and corridors.
At university we have unparalleled opportunities for evangelism, living among many friends, all the time, at a time of life when they are searching for answers. As a student group we are uniquely able to come alongside students and use university resources. As Christians in colleges, it is normal to meet together to pray and encourage and support each other as we seek to share our faith with others. As a group together, we can combine resources in order to put on events or meetings, and use each other's gifts.
Therefore, CICCU (anyone who sees the importance of these things) exists as a group of students to make Jesus Christ known in Cambridge and help each other as we do that.
Every member of the College Group is a member of CICCU, and so should be committed to serving and taking responsibility for CICCU. We need to be working together towards this aim and to be spending our time in what furthers it. We will be coming together from different Christian backgrounds - we need to be accessible.
There may be some who don't agree with this and don't want to be involved. That is a shame, but we are not to let it keep us from going on with what we've become convinced is a great idea.
It is crucial that all people within CICCU and therefore, the College Groups, are aware of this, since it underpins everything we do, and answers many queries people may have with CICCU. So being a part of this will involve:
Being active in witness themselves and using the resources provided by CICCU.
Praying towards the work of CICCU (crucial!).
Serving in one of many necessary roles.
Giving financially towards the work.
Providing encouragement to those in leadership and giving feedback.
Taking the initiative in working out the aim of CICCU themselves.
Passing on the vision of the CICCU to others!
It is important to remember that CICCU is not a church. We all benefit from belonging to one of the local churches where we can serve and be supported. We also encourage and support each other to be members of other societies where we can serve and witness to Christ simultaneously.
CICCU is a member of the UCCF (Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship) which is itself affiliated to the IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students). With these groups we share a Doctrinal Basis which is an expression of the basic biblical truths which underlie all we do. The Doctrinal Basis is explained further in "Ultimate Realities" available from reps.
