So it’s the last day now and what a week we’ve had. I feel I can’t do it justice by trying to summarise it in one blog. God’s been too good for that. But I’m sure we all have our own conversations and personal stories to look back over and thank Jesus specifically for. Please do share these with one another – it is such an encouragement to hear what God has been doing and a great way to build each other up as the week draws to a close. A few things to mention; Outreach this week has simply been awesome. God’s presence has dominated so many conversations and situations and it is so exciting to see and hear about people showing such an interest whilst just walking across campus. Give thanks for the outreach team this week and the passion they have to share the Good news with this campus. They have been such a blessing. Pray for the conversations that have been had and the seeds that have been sown in so many hearts. Also give thanks for the conversations that have happened during International café, Text a Toastie and on the Question sofa. On my way to write this blog I passed the sofa and saw a whole crowd of people gathered around asking questions. I have also heard a rumour of a couple of Text a Toastie conversations that have led to our ultimate goal; saved souls - Praise God and pray for new found faiths. It is just so exciting! The café this week has been great with so many students finding it as such a welcoming and relaxed environment and I know of many a conversation that people have come away from thrilled. Thank God for his provision and peace in all practical things in the café and marquee, and for the relationships that have built up there. Pray that they may they continue to grow on past this week. The contribution of so many of the CU in all aspects of this week has been great to see, as well as the involvement of the Oxford team and all other CU guests. The passion and commitment that have been demonstrated has been such a blessing to the whole campus. God’s provision has been astounding so we must praise his name for this. Last night we had debating delusion and from what I hear it was an amazing success. So many great conversations were had in the marquee with so many difficult questions being tackled and answered, some of which continued til past midnight! Please pray that God is working on the hearts of people involved and that they will continue to search for the answers they need. Finally, I can’t write all this without mentioning the effects of the talks this week. So many people, Christian and non Christian have come away buzzing and God’s presence has been unmissable. Last night’s talk had every seat full and many people having to stand outside. It was great to see 6 months hard work paying off as people were transfixed by Michal Ramsden’s talk and signing up to the alpha course at the end of the evening. Please pray for Michael as he prepares for his talk this evening which looks set to be the biggest turnout this week and a great opportunity to reach out to so many. Pray for God’s continued presence to be moving in the hearts and minds of people and that they’ll continue to seek God, and that we as a CU can be a supportive community for all those who are still seeking the answers. God really has been moving this week but we know he does not want this to end here. Pray for the alpha course starting up tomorrow and that it will provide the answers to the big questions that people look for. That as this week draws to a close it will not the end, but the beginning of something big. Thank you such much for your prayerful support this week – His presence is the reason for this week’s success. He’s the God of this city, of this campus, of these people, and He really is good! God Bless! EW Team.

Another great day of mission gone by and of course we have loads to thank God for! Firstly, Text a Toastie reached an all time high with around 152 texts in the 4 hours it ran last night. God Bless all those who cycled in the rain to deliver a toastie in the middle of the night! God has been working wonders though this with great conversations springing up all the time. Give thanks to Him for this! Many of the prayer requests remain similar to yesterday’s blog – may God’s presence continue to grow more this week through Text a Toastie, International Meals, Question sofa and in all the conversations we’re having with our non Christian friends. Keep praying for the talks and the words of the speakers – that they may be relevant and speak to the hearts of all who listen. One other prayer request; may God encourage people to put questions in the new Avenue question box…and may the cleaners not throw it away! Finally, massive prayers up for the Debating Delusion running this evening – God only knows the conversations and discussions that will come up in this. Pray for great conversations with people in the atheist society, that God will be in present in all that goes on tonight and that ultimately his will be done. Any prayer requests or encouraging stories of what God has been doing so far this week, let us know through email or text so we can get praying :D God Bless! EW Team

Hey all! Although the rain has come, our spirits will not be dampened! Tuesday was another great day for spreading the word. Firstly, Text a Toastie got 113 texts in 2 hours! The record I hear is 130 in 4 hours so this is an amazing success. Tonight will therefore be running from 8 – midnight so please pray for the team as they strive to deliver! Pray for safety on the roads, for energy and motivation and for great conversations to come out of it. International meals have been great too, with the students really engaging in the talk and with numbers growing. Pray that this will continue tonight as it moves location to the marquee (also pray for the organisation and logistics of this as more tables and chairs are brought in!) Both the lunchtime and evening talks are getting fuller with great questions and discussions coming up. This lunchtime looks to be a pretty busy talk (it’s the big question of why God allows suffering) so big prayers up for both Tom Price (the speaker) and the people who will come and listen to him speak. Pray for Michael Ramsden as well, for his talk on Truth tonight. May God speak through him and give him the right words to relate to everyone who hears. Finally, pray for the Slumdog Millionaire film and discussion tonight, and that great conversations will spark out of this and really get people thinking. Hoping all your own conversations are going well with your non Christian friends. Any prayer requests or encouraging stories of what God has been doing so far this week, let us know through email or text so we can get praying :D God Bless! EW Team

And so it begins! First day has already flown by and what a day it was! God has been working in so many ways and I’ve had some great feedback from many events yesterday. A few things to thank God for: Text a Toastie – it had a LOT of texts last night and I’ve heard of many great conversations that sprung up around Southampton. Let’s pray that this will continue to grow even more and that God will really put pressure on our resources as students continue to ask more and more questions! Café – All the logistics went well (with a minor hiccup with a hole in a teapot!) but from what I hear it was a real success with many people coming into the marquee for the talks and to just chill out. May God continue to work through the hospitality of the café team and that people will feel so welcomed when they come into that environment. Outreach yesterday was amazing. People all over campus were hearing the Good News and finding out about the events we have this week through flyering and the Question sofa. Pray that this will continue to grow and that conversations about Jesus may be happening all over campus. May God give us the right words and timing when talking to both our friends and people we may not know. The events at NOC were a little quiet so please pray for publicity and that God will be working on people’s hearts there, that they will want to ask questions and find out more. Hall Events went well and long conversations were had in many of the events. Please pray particularly for people who still have questions – that they will feel able to come to the marquee and the talks there to find out the truth. Finally, let’s pray for today. That it will be even better than yesterday! That the marquee will be packed out with people during the lunchtime and evening talks. That the people on teams and on the committee will find the energy and motivation to work throughout the day. That conversations will flow and that ultimately, people will hear and accept the Good News of our God! Any more prayer requests, or anything that God has been doing so far this week, let us know through email or text so we can get praying :D God Bless! EW Team

Praise God, the marquee has now gone up on campus! Please keep praying for all those setting up, they are a bit behind schedule but getting there!

Hey, please can you pray now as the university have just said that we can't have a marquee on campus. Tables and chairs are due to arrive and the team are trying to get a meeting with the uni to work it out. Please pray that this would be resolved as soon as possible and that God's amazing peace would be on all those trying to deal with the university. We are under spiritual attack as the devil is afraid of what God's people can do in Southampton, so please pray against his work. Jesus has the victory!

Dear all, I know that this week has been pretty stressful for many but the end is in sight, as is the start of what looks to be an amazing events week! Once again, God has sorted things out (as we knew he would!) and we now have 200 chairs for the marquee, and all the organisation for the Mark Drama sorted. Praise his name for his ongoing faithfulness and provision in all things. Tables are almost sorted, but we are still waiting from a few churches about that, so please pray for that to all be completed smoothly and quickly. Other practical prayer points; The Monty Hall event on Monday and Banana mic news - a few problems with those, so pray for people involved and that God will just take control. Other than that, the logistics of things seem to be coming together and God has been working amazingly this last week. Other prayer requests brought to my attention – Expectancy; that God will be there throughout the week and for us to expect him to work in amazing ways. If we expect great things, he will do great things for we know that he favours the faithful! Also please pray that people’s efforts will be matched by their faith - that all we do is done for God’s glory alone, and that we will make him the centre of everything during the week. Finally, we need to pray for opportunities for talking about Jesus to spring up everywhere – I’m already seeing signs of this and it’s just so exciting!! And for all those feeling dragged under right now; Events week is one mega opportunity for God to be shown and glorified; of course the enemy is not going to like that! He'll try and upset us and stress us out so that we forget what it is that we're doing here. So, please. Pray. At all times. Be praying for each other. Wear the armour that God has given us and let's fight the fight that He has called us to. (Eph 6vs10-19.) May God Bless you this coming week – it’s gonna be great! EW Team

Hi guys, I've noticed over the last few days that the excited for events week is growing, and that is just brill and how it should be. However, I've also become aware of a lot of spiritual attack on people and on the general preparations for EW. The devil cannot defeat God's spirit in his people, but I feel he has therefore been aiming at many of the logistics of things. The fact that we are preparing to save souls over the next few weeks must be really shaking him, so we must stand firm against this attack and pray into all we do. Firstly, please pray A LOT this weekend for tables and chairs for the marquee, the result of which we shall find out on Monday. Also, the Mark Drama has been struggling with finding people to be involved, and for rehearsal locations. Please pray for God’s peace to reign over all of this and in all our hearts. Whatever happens, we know that God’s presence is with us and that everything is totally in his hands. He is a faithful God and true to his word. May we remember this is this last week of preparation, no matter what it throws at us! God Bless. EW Team.

Just think. This time next week...Exams over, coursework handed in, and an amazing events week about to begin! Everyone’s getting just a tad excited, and so they should be! God is Great, and our campus is about to find that out. May God be preparing us right now to spread his good news to all our friends and coursemates. Be praying that he will give you the right words to say at the right time, (Matt 10:20). The Lord has not only provided us with a marquee, locations for international meals, a prayer room and a bunch of amazing speakers, but has allowed us to sort out all publicity things; posters, leaflets, hoodies in such good time. Praise his holy name in his faithfulness in all these matters! We are still encountering problems with table and chair hire and storage spaces for them though. So big prayers up for these things which are to the stage of overtaking revision worries! Also, considering recent weather, and last year’s floating marquee, please pray for sunshine for the week! Finally, be praying for guidance as to where you should each help out during the week. You may feel a passion for international students and volunteering at the evening meals. Or you may feel you are needed to speak directly to people on campus whilst reclining on a comfy sofa, so check out the question sofa. Signup sheets after Unite tomorrow. Seek God’s guidance in where you can be of most use to bring Him glory on this campus! Happy praying and God Bless! EW Team

Hey everyone, Well, Events week is nearly upon us and it seems like there's still so much to do! God has truly been providing for us over the last few weeks and so we must thank Him for his faithfulness in so many matters and trust in Him for all things to come; There are still many things that need doing and which we need Gods help for! Firstly, as many of you may know our location for evening international meals has fallen through, meaning we have nowhere to presently host dinners for around 200 people! Also, we are encountering problems with hiring out tables and chairs for the marquee, with the uni saying they're all being used for exam purposes. Please pray that God will provide in these matters, and that solutions will be found quickly. Other practical points include the final printing of posters, banners, leaflets, hoodies, etc. These may seem a fairly small and irrelevant component of the whole week, but it's what brings in all the advertising, the people and essentially how we get to spread the good news! Finally, I'm requesting prayer for all students on campus - this is such a stressful time for everyone and I know a lot of us are drowning in work right now. May God's peace be upon everyone in exam season, and may hearts and minds be calmed at this time. Remeber to set your sights on God, for He is our strength and refuge. All things are done through Him and He can do all things. Many thanks for all your continued prayer support for Events Week and God Bless! EW Team

Christmas greetings - Hope you had a brilliant Christmas and a happy new year to you! As you can probably guess there's a lot going on in the new year what with exams and the start of a whole new decade! It's been hard trying to organise EW things via email and so we have a lot of work to do when we get back after New Year. I know it's sometimes easy to get distracted by the practical side of things. So please pray that we stay God focused and continually searching for his will in all that we do. Otherwise all that we do is pointless. An issue that's been brought to my attention with regards to Mark Drama - we are still one guy short. Please please if you know any guy who may be vaguely interested or if you yourself would be up for it, contact any of us asap. It's not too hard and you don't have to be good at drama, just a have a passion for spreading the gospel, which of course we all do. Prayers up for finding someone soon! January is such a busy time and there's so much going on so we really do appreciate your prayers for everything. With exams looming and deadlines to meet, it's going to be a hectic few weeks for everyone. We pray that God will take worries from our hearts and give us a real sense of his peace in all situations. A thought to takeaway therefore; Remember, there's nothing that you will face today that together, you and God cannot handle. All the best for exam prep and God Bless! EW Team

Hi all! God is good, all the time! We have a LOT to thank God for since the last blog, namely that the university has allowed us to have a marquee on campus for Events Week this year!! This is all very exciting and a real answer to our prayers so we really need to thank God for his provision and faithfulness in this matter. God encourages persistent prayer and promises to listen to his people, (2 Chron 7: 14) so thank you all as well for praying into this; it really has made a difference! So, now that we have a marquee for definite, we’re not going to need to book out loads of different lecture theatres. However, we do need to book out venues like the Bridge Bar and SUSU cafe for evening events. So please pray that this happen smoothly and that any clashes of bookings will be resolved quickly and efficiently. A final prayer request at this time is the possibility of including ‘Social Action’ in events week. Although events week is majorly about making the gospel known to the students of the campus, the fact that Jesus himself promotes ‘social action’ and love for all peoples is very important. We do have an action packed week planned already, but if it’s Gods will for that to include Social Action, then it needs to happen! Please pray that God will make this clear to us as to whether to include it in the week or whether it should happen at other times, and also for it to be organised well and speedily if it’s part of God’s plan for this week. Remember, we can never pray too much if our prayers are honest and sincere. God Bless! EW Team

Welcome to the first of the Events week prayer blogs, designed to keep you up to speed with what's going on and what you can be praying for with regards to Events Week! Our main aim for EW is to spread the good news of Jesus across campus and to ultimately see our friends saved! God has an amazing plan for this uni and we want to see it fulfilled, so let the prayers begin... At the mo, our main prayer request is our location - we're not sure if we'll be able to have a marquee on campus as previously done, and so are in the process of appealing to the uni. So please really pray that God will make our paths straight in this matter and that he will guide us to his plans for this. Also, that if we cannot have a marquee, that a viable alternative be provided. We need to remember that it's his will and not ours we are seeking here though! At this stage we're also praying that relationships with our non Christian friends are being built up. So please pray for any friends you may have who you want to spread the good news to.. Now's the time to get people interested and excited! There will be many more prayer requests to come but we're still in early stages at the mo. Ultimately we should praise God for the resources we have to put on EW and just continue to trust in him in all we do for this week. He is faithful. He is true. He is good. All the glory goes to Him. Until next blog, God Bless! EW Team