Mission on Campus
Any mission done on campus at Sheffield University is organised through the Synergy society, whose website can be found by clicking here.
As students, this is the most efeective way to reaching the lost of our Universities, as many students are ready to explore the big questions in life.
Below is a list of mission activities that are currently done with other Christian students from other churches in sheffield. The contact details to get involved in each one are listed below!
The next termly Synergy Gathering is at St.Thomas Crookes on the 7th October 2009.
Agape
Agape means God’s love for mankind.
We demonstrate this Agape by giving out water late at night outside the Students Union which gives us the opportunity to talk to people, talk with them about Jesus and offer to pray with students. The project started in 2007 and the heart behind it is just to show God’s love in a practical way and simply serve the students in the University of Sheffield.
It’s been an amazing time for everyone involved, God has really shown us what it means to be servant hearted (especially when its 2.30am and -3 degrees outside!). The project is looking to expand over the coming year from one union night a week to two (this is for Pop Tarts and Tuesday Club) which is a really exciting opportunity to reach even more students!
If you would like to get involved then please join the Facebook group and we can keep you updated on when the next nights are.
Club outreach
This is an initiative supported by a number of Christian societies, in particular 24/7 Prayer. The aim is to have it working alongside Agape, so we will have people inside the club (Club Outreach) and people outside (Agape) as well! Whilst there may well be the opportunity for prophetic evangelism and prayer for healing, this is not a fundamental of club outreach; the aim is to bless our fellow students by being there for them.
This might mean getting them a glass of water, sitting and talking to them, paying for their taxi home and so on. We want students who are passionate about clubbing and passionate about Jesus, because we believe that we can worship God in every area of our life, even on a night out. This is still very much in its planning stages, but we cannot wait to see God use this ministry in the heart of our Union. We believe that there is a lot of darkness in the club nights, and as Christians we are called to take the light of our Lord Jesus Christ to these places.
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Free Hugs
Free Hugs was set up by a guy in Australia a number of years ago, but Synergy have adopted it as one of their initiatives. It does exactly what it says on the tin, teams of 3 or 4 people will go and stand on the concourse and just hug people. We have found it is not only a really practical way of showing people that someone cares about them but it also sparks off some really interesting and challenging conversations. Most importantly its great fun, the teams who do it always have a good laugh and most people who have done it once seem to want to come back again. We want to create a really good atmosphere of love and joy on our concourse and this is a great way of doing it. We believe that sharing the gospel is more than just preaching at people, it is about loving people, and genuinely caring about their needs and circumstances.
1 Corinthians: 1-3 – If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
freehugssheffield@googlemail.com
Video that started it all
Homeless Outreach
Homeless Outreach was set up a few years ago by two girls who had a real heart for the poor and the needy in the city. The aim is that teams go out, usually in the evenings and give out sandwiches and cups of tea to those living on the streets. With the help of Synergy, Homeless Outreach has also bought sleeping bags and blankets for those living on the streets.
Many of these people are so broken, so this gesture of love has made a huge breakthrough in their lives; to find that someone cares about them.
There have been many stories of people who have been badly hurt or let down by the Church in the past but finding that there are Christians out there who practice what they preach has reignited a desire in them to know Jesus. There is always the opportunity to share the gospel and pray for healing, and for God to breakthrough in their lives. Micah 6:8 “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
sheffieldhomelessoutreach@gmail.com
Alpha
As a Christian society, as well as going out and serving and praying for people, we feel that proclamation of the gospel is essential. Alpha is a world renowned evangelistic course that has proven to be successful at every level, not least in a student setting. It is not the perfect course, of course, but it does work, and we have seen this time and time again. Student Alpha was set up a number of years ago at Holy Trinity Brompton in London, and aims to give students the opportunity to explore what they believe.
This year the Synergy Society, with a huge amount of support from the Synergy Churches, are aiming to set up a huge Alpha initiative that will give every student in Sheffield easy access to an Alpha Course. The society itself will only be running courses in The Edge, down in Endcliffe Village, as well as at the the union itself, and both these courses aim to be a relaxed atmosphere where people can come along and ask the questions they have always wanted to ask, without being judged and without being preached at. In the last year we saw many students come to Christ on various Alpha courses across the city, but we want more. The Synergy Churches have a vision to see Alpha Courses in student houses and halls of residence, throughout our city, this means that anyone who wishes to explore what they believe has an easy access to a course, where they can get a free meal, make great friends, and hopefully, come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
Here’s the facebook group if you want to help run a course:
Facebook Group
Matthew 28: 18-19 – Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…”