Alison Williams

Head of Training & Development

Student ministry has been a huge part of my life for the last 20 years. Having had a wonderful experience of CU life as a student in Wales, I went on to join the UCCF staff team, moving later to work with the GBU in Italy. Now, working back home in Ireland, I’m so excited to see Christian students engaging with their friends, showing Christ through their lives and community and giving those same friends opportunities to explore the truth of the Gospel. In these dark days of despair about climate change, social issues, the political establishment, and the prevailing crisis of identity and values, CUs are wonderfully placed to shine like stars in this dark universe. Jesus brings hope, light, truth, love and acceptance, and the Christian students are in a fantastic position to spread this wonderful news.

I will never forget my first events week as an undergraduate student. We met every morning to pray for the daily events and prepare for the day. I remember we had a whiteboard listing specific people we were praying for that week, and over the course of that week, many of them came to faith in Jesus. We were literally “ticking off” the names! I think by the end of that week, 14 people had come to know Jesus, and many others had agreed to read the Gospel of Luke in a small group. It was such an important time for me as a young Christian, and it shaped how I pray for friends and trust in God, who loves to save.