Mike Chalmers

Team ‘the North’  

Prayer letter January 2010
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my
voice and believes him who sent me has This  year  is  the  second  year  
eternal life and will not be condemned; he of  ‘FREE.’  And  again  in  
has crossed over from death to life...” Bangor  we’ll  be  having  a  week  of  events  giving  
“…How can you believe if you accept
praise from one another, yet make no students  an  opportunity  to  hear  and  respond  to  the  
effort to obtain the praise that comes from gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  
God?” And  we  can’t  wait!!  
John 5:24, 44 We  had  some  very  special  guests  at  our  CU  Weekend  
John’s  Gospel?  Again??!   away  in  November:  members  of  UCCF  Wales  Team.  
  The  FREE  week  in  February  will  be  led  by  students,  
I  promise  you  that  I’ve  read  and  studied  other  books   helped  by  UCCF  Wales!    
of  the  Bible  over  the  last  3  months!  But  John’s   All  12  members  of  the  team  (Relay  and  Staff)  will  be  
account  of  the  Good  News  has  been  in  my  mind  a  lot.   in  Bangor  for  a  week  –  doing  first  contact  evangelism  
I  read  these  sentences  at  the  start  of  our  annual  Staff   (questionnaires,  flyers),  lunchtime  talks  and  
Training  conference  (Jan  4th-­‐8th),  and  they  spoke  to   spending  as  much  time  as  possible  talking  about  
my  heart!   Jesus.  
  We’re  really  privileged  to  have  the  Team  with  us  and  
I  realised  that  the  Gospel  we  preach  to  students  and   have  lots  planned.  See  over  the  page  for  info!  
ourselves  is  straightforward:  trust  in  the  LORD  and    
you  will  have  eternal  life.    
Simples!  
Yet  I  fail  to  do  even  that!  I  find  it  difficult  to  believe  
Jesus  in  many  situations.  Why?    
I  am  like  Jesus’  audience  –  I  accept  praise  from  
people,  not  God.  
This  isn’t  a  new  thought,  or  realisation.  
This  isn’t  the  first  term  I’ve  had  trouble  with  
trusting  Jesus  as  I  should.  
 
But  I  am  so  aware  of  my  problem  with  it.  
There  is  a  lot  going  on  this  term  and  I  am  in  danger  
of  doing  it  for  public  approval,  not  the  “praise  that  
comes  from  God.”    
   
I  must  work  for  Him.   This  attractive  group  is  made  up  of  almost  
I  must  trust  that  He  is  King  and  has  given  me   exclusively  first  and  second  years!  We  had  a  great  
everything  –  I  am  no  longer  condemned  because  of   time  last  term  sharing  the  vision  of  CU’s  and  growing  
my  rebellion!   into  a  mission  team  on  campus.  
 
The  gospel  is  simple.  
The  gospel  is  hard.  
But  the  gospel  is  brilliant!  
Back to the East…
This July, God willing, I’ll be heading back to Lithuania!!
Myself and Heledd Job will lead a group of Brits to an evangelistic
English language camp near Kaunas. It’s a camp run by the
Lithuanian Student Movement – LKSB.
Please pray for all the practical details of the camp and Summer Team.
Pray for a good group of students to join us for language lessons,
Bible studies, singing, international football, moles, a lake and God
working in students’ hearts!
 Last  term  felt  quite  long  and  this  term  feels  fairly  short,  but  lots   Coming up…
has  happened  and  will  happen!  
  January
You  might  notice  on  the  ‘Coming  up…’  section  that  there’s   4th-8th – Staff Training Conference
18th-23rd – Relay 2
nothing  about  Glyndwr  CU.  The  reason  is  simple  but  sad  –  
28th – Bangor CU AGM
there  isn’t  currently  a  witnessing  CU  in  the  university.  There  are   31st – Preach in Penrhyndeudraeth
a  number  of  Christian  students,  and  some  staff,  who  we’ve  met  a  
few  times  since  the  summer.  But  there  doesn’t  seem  to  be  much   February
desire  to  meet,  pray  and  ‘go!’  Please  pray  for  us!   6th – Lacey Theatre Group, Bangor
  8th – Team Day: Newtown
Two  of  our  FE  College  CUs  in  Team  ‘the  North’  have  been  a  real   15th-19th – FREE
encouragement.  The  10  or  so  students  in  Yale  College  CU   26th-28th – New Leaders Training
worked  their  way  through  Mark’s  Gospel.  They  also  organised   Weekend
some  evangelistic  talks  and  did  some  questionnaires  on  
M arch
campus.  Coleg  Llandrillo  CU  is  smaller,  but  no  less  active!  The   17th-19th – Team Day
highlight  last  term  was  an  art  exhibition  based  on  the  story  of  
Job  which  attracted  a  lot  of  students.  
 
Bangor  CU  has  just  proposed  their  new  Exec.  I’m  thrilled  by  the   Our  RELAY  workers  Jon  and  Hannah  
prospect  of  working  alongside  them  this  year!   have  settled  in  well  to  their  new  role.  
Please  pray  for  the  Welsh  CU  in  Bangor  –  they  don’t  live  in  the   They’ve  been  able  to  meet  with  lots  of  
Welsh  Hall  anymore  so  have  found  it  difficult  to  meet  non-­‐ students  and  have  enjoyed  spending  
Christians.   time  studying  and  being  discipled.  

FREE…
Christian Unions across the UK are taking opportunities this term to
distribute copies of Mark’s Gospel to as many students as possible!
In Bangor we’re having a week of events including:
  Lunchtime talks - ‘Recycling: Why Bother?’, ‘Has science buried God?’, ‘What kind
of God allows suffering?’
Evenings – Chinese New Year celebration, Sports pub quiz, Welsh event, movie-
themed evening, gospel meeting.

If you’d like the full plan, do get in touch 

  Keep  praying  for  FE  CUs.  Thank  God  
Bangor,  that  they  would  enjoy  serving  

for  the  evangelism  that  happened  last  

    Pray  for  the  CU  in  Glyndwr  –  there  

year.  Pray  for  opportunities  for  them  

  Pray  that  I  would  be  faithful  in  my  

  Pray  for  Jon  and  Hannah  that  they  
would  continue  to  grow  in  Jesus  this  
  Pray  for  Team  ‘the  North!’  (which  

needs  to  be  a  gospel  witness  in  that  

preached  on  campuses  throughout  

  Pray  that  I  would  serve  the  Lord  

term.  Pray  that  more  people  hear  
  Praise  God  that  His  gospel  was  

  Pray  for  the  new  CU  leaders  in  

about  Jesus  even  in  the  midst  of  

the  CU  and  grow  in  the  gospel.  

to  use  what  they  are  learning.  

exams  and  uni  decisions!  
North  Wales  last  term.  

this  term  in  all  I  do.  

personal  witness.  
Prayer  Points…  

includes  you!)  

university!  
 

mike  chalmers          |          mchalmers@uccf.org.uk          |          07891  665249          |          uccf.org.uk          |          UCCF  is  a    registered  charity  (306137)  

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