The Journey To The Way Of Jesus
A group shot of everyone that came along to the WOJ retreat!
At CUI, one of our main values is the sufficiency of Scripture. We believe God’s word helps everyone, Christian or not, see Christ clearly and beautifully. That’s why Scripture is at the heart of our work on college campuses. In September 2024, we shared our vision for what would become ‘The Way of Jesus: Luke’ (WOJ). Our hope for this project is that it will encourage students to read the Gospel of Luke, learn about Jesus, and experience Him in a real way.
In January, students, staff, and formation workers came together to talk about how Luke’s Gospel relates to students today. Luke’s message speaks to a generation that wants real change but often feels let down by their future, their leaders, and the religious examples they’ve seen. Many are searching for something real and meaningful. Jesus meets students where they are. He came to bring good news to the poor, to those who feel left out and discouraged, and especially to those who know they are broken. He offers more than a brief sense of comfort. He changes lives forever.
We made this resource for students like these. We wanted it to feel Irish, approachable, and relevant, while staying true to the long tradition of Christians following Jesus. Our goal was to create a beautiful booklet that would catch students’ interest, encourage them to read the Bible on their own, learn about the real Jesus, and be changed by Him. After many rounds of rewriting seeker studies, adding artistic reflections, and making the booklet easy for students to use, our copies of Luke were finally ready.
A student going through a physical copy of the WOJ for the first time!
At the end of May, we gathered about 20 students, each from a different CU, to train them on how to use the WOJ with friends who are searching. Students read Luke on their own and in groups, discussed together, and created art inspired by Scripture. On the last evening, we shared stories about what God had done in our hearts during the week. The week was a strong reminder of the power of Scripture and the Spirit’s work, and it made us excited to see these students share what they’ve learned with their own CUs.
CUI does many things to support students in their mission, but only one thing is truly needed: what Mary chose in Luke 10, to sit with Jesus and listen to His word. Our prayer for The WOJ is that students will do just that. Please join us in prayer as The WOJ officially launches at EQUIP in September, where the resource will be shared across our Island. We’ll give a copy to almost 200 students, plus a second copy for each to share with a friend and invite them to read together. Pray that these students will be bold in inviting their non-believing friends to read God’s word with them, and that they are amazed as they meet Jesus and take time to reflect on His claims and promises, so that they, too, are inspired to follow Him.
