Our God is bigger

Right, have texted some people about this already today, but ongoing prayers are appreciated.

Basically, as a CU we've got our mission week next week and at the end of the week we are having an evangelistic carol concert of sorts 'supposedly' in the chapel at uni.

Chaplincy became aware that we'd booked this event yesterday (all our room bookings have to go through them) and kicked up a fuss because they're having a carol concert on the thursday afternoon. There are usually two concerts, ours being more evangelistic and aimed at students, the chaplincy one being attended more by staff. This year the Dean has asked the chaplincy to make theirs more student orientated as well, so chaplincy see ours as in competition with theirs.

This is not our perspective at all, as we are not only going to chaplincy's concert, but actually helping take part in it. To us the events are completely different. Theirs is a carol concert, ours is an evangelistic events.

Anyway, this means that the chaplincy feel betrayed by us, so yesterday told us we couldn't have it, even saying that someone else was using the chapel. In visiting room bookings we discovered that this is not the case, and they let us book it.

Chaplincy discovered this, this morning, so our president went for a meeting, where she was greeted by chaplincy and room bookings saying that we cannot hold the event anywhere on campus. They've spoken to security, and student services and informed them that this event cannot take place on campus under any cirmcumstances. We are dumbstruck by this. Why are they doing this? All we want is to spread God's word and love. We're not bothered about who gets the most people to their service or whatever.

We were then thrown into crisis because we've got a speaker coming from down south who's paid for, we've got fliers and posters and cards printed and made etc etc. It's all planned for. So one of the presidents and I spent the rest of the morning running round York trying to find and alternative venue, feeling like Mary and Joseph trying to find and room and failing.

Our hopes were raised a little after speaking to the Students Union, and our UCCF rep, both saying that chaplincy have no right to ban us from booking a room, and that we can as students book rooms, but it's transpired since then that we can't. The event is still banned from campus.

What gets me is that it's not uni that we're fighting against (I don't think they'd be too bothered) it's chaplincy. Somehow a relationship that has been good until now has been almost destroyed. There's hurt, bitterness and confusion.

Therefore we are working hard to respond with love and how Jesus would. The devil hits where it hurts the most, and we're not letting him win. He wants us to respond out of hurt and lash back at chaplincy, but we won't. We pray for that relationship to be restored.

So yeah, please pray along those lines, and also that the right venue is found and God's will is done. This is also a distraction from Jesus and our mission. But praise the Lord for this amazing opportunity for His glory to shine!

Thank you