GCF Newsflash! Praise and Worship Night | Friday 3/21 @ 7:30pm | Mezz. Lounge

Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

This Friday will be filled with voices lifted high as we worship our God together as a community.  Come join your fellow brothers and sisters for a praise and worship night you won't want to miss!  There might even be ukelele :)

Topic:          Praise and Worship Night

Where:        W20-307 (Mezzanine Lounge, Student Center)

When:         Friday March 21st @ 7:30pm

Contact:      David Miculescu

Announcements

• NEXT WEEK: There is no scheduled large group because of spring break.  Enjoy!  If you're around campus, feel free to plan your own activities and email GCF-Fun.
  
• GIG (Groups Investigating God) is a series of bi-weekly group discussions.  It's a great opportunity for non-Christian/seeker friends to learn more about God.  If you or a friend are interested, please contact Sam Perli.
• Park Street Church is hosting "Faith in a Secular City," an apologetics conference on Saturday April 5th.  Come be equipped on how to interact with skeptics and seekers on questions of faith!  British apologist Alister McGrath and physicist Dr. Gerald Gabrielse will be speaking, among other guests.  For schedule and to register (only required for seminars; plenaries are FREE), visit the website.

Prayer Square

• Pray for safety for those traveling over spring break.
• Pray that during the Lenten season, we would draw closer to God and align our hearts and wills with His.
• In the ongoing case on the freedom for students to innovate (learn more here and here), pray for the students who are currently being subpoenaed, for whom this can't be an easy situation.  Pray also for the MIT administration as they put together plans for the creation of student legal services.
• Pray for the continued investigation of the Malaysian Airlines plane that disappeared one week ago.  Pray that the victims' families will have comfort and closure.
  

Community Corner

Last week, Justin Ruddy of CityLife Church came to speak on the difficult and often-controversial topic of hell: a "life or death and life after death question."  He comprehensively addressed the topic - in the little time he had! - by going over what the Bible has to say about hell, how church doctrine has developed over time, and what we as Christians can do today in light of society's perception of hell.  Check out the recording of his talk here.

Plus, it was Pi Day!  (Photo courtesy of McCormick Hall)

All Things Considered

Making space in our lives during Lent  |  The difference between mastery and perfection, a blank slate and failure  |  Increasing our will power while understanding our brains (neuroscientists, weigh in!)

Verse of the Week

"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;

     let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
     that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O Lord;

     you cover him with favor as with a shield."

_ Psalm 5:11-12


For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website:
http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/

GCF Newsflash! HELL? | Friday 3/14 @7:30pm | Mezz Lounge

Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

What do the Old and New Testaments have to say about the topic of God's judgment and the doctrine of hell? Has the Christian tradition faithfully preserved the Biblical perspective? How can modern day Christians make sense of this difficult doctrine? And (how) should it be utilized in apologetic/evangelistic conversations? Join us for a cordial discussion of this thorny theological issue with speaker Justin Ruddy from CityLife Church. 

Topic:            Hell?
Where:         W20-307 (Student Center Mezz. Lounge)
When:           Friday, March 3/14 @ 7:30pm | Dinner with Justin Ruddy at 6pm (Meet at Kendall; RSVP with Eric)
Contact:       Eric Jones

Announcements

• Park Street Church is hosting an apologetics conference "Faith in a Secular City" from April 5-7. Come to be equipped on how to interact with skeptics and seekers about questions of faith.  Register online here.
• GIG (Groups Investigating God) is beginning! GIG is a series of bi-weekly group discussions relating to questions of faith etc, and a great opportunity for non-Christian/seeker friends to learn more about God. If you are interested, please contact Sam Perli .There will be a kick-off dinner this Sunday March 16 from 7-8pm in Tang Hall 10B.
  
  

Prayer Square

• Pray for opportunities to start spiritual conversations with friends and colleagues after the Veritas Forum
• Pray for daily joy and strength in our classes, research, thesis.
  
• Pray for Hadi Kasab's family and friends, that they may receive comfort through this difficult time
• Pray for the families of the victims on the Malaysia Airlines flight that suddenly disappeared

Community Corner

This year's Veritas was full of laughs as speakers George Varghese and Hari Balakrishnan shared their journeys and lessons learned through entrepreneurship, academia, and personal perspectives.  George structured his presentation around the idea that life is an adventure meant to be lived out equally in the intellectual, entrepreneurial, and spiritual realms. Hari, meanwhile, gave a thorough overview of his research in network building while emphasizing how valuable skills like listening and focusing on the work have been in his career and life.  Thanks Sam E. and everyone else who was involved for all your hard work!

Verse of the Week

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. Deut 7:9 

 

For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website: http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/

GCF Newsflash! March 7 | Veritas Forum and Dinner @ 6pm

Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

It's that exciting time of year again and the Veritas Forum is here! Some of your very own GCF'ers are heavily involved in organizing one of the largest student-led events at MIT. The theme is "What Drives You" with an entrepreneurship edge to it. Looking forward to it! Show some love for the event by RSVP'in on Facebook.

Before Veritas, Annie is organizing a Pre-Veritas Dinner at 6pm! Yum.

What:            Pre-Veritas Dinner and Veritas Fourm
Where:         Dinner at W20-307 (student center) | Veritas Forum at 10-250
When:           Friday, March 7th | Dinner at 6pm, Veritas Forum at 7:30pm
Contact:       Sam Elder, Keith Leung and Annie Chen

Announcements

• We are still looking for a few more volunteers for the Veritas Forum! Check out this Google Doc to see how you can help!
• If you are interested in discussing GCF vision and direction next year, and brainstorm ways to deal with challenges, come to the dinner Peng is hosting this Sunday March 9th 6:30pm-8:30pm at SP 3rd floor kitchen.
  

Prayer Square

• Pray for peace to prevail in Ukraine.
• Pray for the volunteers and leaders of the Veritas forum - for God to provide energy and focus to those working on the event.

Community Corner

Bad ideas turn out to be fun...most of the time. GCF Winter Retreat 2014 @ Toah Nipi. Nice photo, Charis!

Verse of the Week

"Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men."

_ Proverbs 22:29

For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website: http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/

[MIT-GCF] GCF Newsflash! Evolution | Friday 2/28 @ 7:30pm | Mezz. Lounge

Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

Evolution. As Christians at MIT, the conflict is hard to miss. While evolution is the dominant theory of origins in academia, a straightforward literal reading of Genesis seems to say something very different. In this political atmosphere, a real conversation about the origin is often not easy, even though we all need it as honest truth-seekers. Come to LG this Friday where our brothers Sam Elder and Adam Hannon will share insights from both the Bible and the science of origins, followed by a group discussion on questions people have and how we can grow as Christians in exploring these issues. May the conversation begin here.

What:            "A Creation and Evolution Discussion: Perspectives from Science and the Bible"
Where:          Mezzanine Lounge (W20 Student Center, Room 307)
When:           Friday, February 28th | 7:30 p.m. 
Speakers: Sam Elder and Adam Hannon
Contact:       Sam Elder

Announcements

- Save the date! The MIT Veritas Forum will be held on Fri. March 7th at 7:30pm.  It's a great way to start spiritual conversations with friends, and we hope many of you can join us.  If you'd like to help with preparations or on the day of, email Sam Elder.

- We need your feedback to make GCF a better nurturing ground for MIT grad students! Fill out the anonymous feedback survey and give us your thoughts on how our fellowship is doing and what we can do to help MIT grad students become more like Christ in every way. 

- If you are interested in thinking more closely about the challenges we face or contributing to shaping our vision (i.e. serve on steering committee next year), Peng is hosting a discussion dinner.  Please help decide time by completing this doodle. (No commitment is needed for attending the dinner.)

- The Fellowship of Churches is sponsoring an Evangelism Workshop at the Northeastern University (Rm 135, Schuman Building) on March 8, 9:00a.m. - 4:00p.m. No registration is required, but if you are interested in more details, please contact Christina Lee

Prayer Square

- Lent begins next week on March 5, 2014! Pray that God help us remember the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and that the same grace will help us through the challenge of each day.

- Pray for the Veritas Forum, that non-Christians will be intrigued by the forum and that Christians will be emboldened to share their faith.  Pray that there will be enough volunteers and that the planning team will be strengthened but also find rest in serving the Lord!

Community Corner

- Last Friday Amanda Swenson shared with us  how to pray with different materials, in different postures and for different purposes. As we continue to practice lifting all things up to God, would this be the people you want to be praying for?

- Hilltop Church is co-hosting a free public screening of Nefarious: Merchant of Souls on global human sex-trafficking at Harvard's Science Center Hall C. Doors open at 6:30pm. If you are interested going as a group, please contact Alice Kao

All Things Considered

Treasure on earth getting harder to understand? Read about Facebook's high-profile acquisition of Whatsapp, and how some people think the math behind justifies. And to re-focus our perspectives, consider the verse below.

Verse of the Week

"Jesus answered, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me' " - Matthew 19:21

For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website: http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/

 

GCF Newsflash! Interactive Prayer Workshop | Friday 2/21 @ 7:30pm | Mezz. Lounge

Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

Do you desire to reinvigorate your prayer life?  Are you looking for new ideas for connecting with God?  This Friday, we'll be exploring some of these ideas with an interactive prayer workshop lead by our own GCF Prayer coordinator, Amanda Swenson.  Come learn about different ideas to practically integrate prayer into your daily life, and try them out at your own pace.  You might be surprised what you discover about yourself and about God!

 

What:            Interactive Prayer Workshop
Where:          Mezzanine Lounge (W20 Student Center, Room 307)
When:           Friday, February 21st | 7:30 p.m.
Contact:       Amanda Swenson

Announcements

• Save the date! The MIT Veritas Forum will be held on Fri. March 7th at 7:30pm.  It's a great way to start spiritual conversations with friends, and we hope many of you can join us.  If you'd like to help with preparations or on the day of, email Sam E.
• The GSC has a new fund to cover Public Service events. If anyone has a community service activity they'd like to run as a GCF event between March 14 - June 14, email mit-gcf-steer@mit.edu by Weds. 2/26.
• Fill out the anonymous feedback survey to give us your thoughts on how our fellowship is doing and what we can do to better achieve our vision of helping MIT grad students become more like Christ in every way. 
• If you are interested in thinking more closely about the challenges we face or to contribute in shaping our vision (i.e. serve on steering committee next year), Peng is hosting a discussion dinner.  Please help decide time by completing this doodle. (No commitment is needed by attending the dinner.)
  

Prayer Square

• Praise for recent engagements and upcoming weddings in our community!
• Pray that we'll each have an opportunity in this coming week to convey God's love to someone in our lives.  Pray that we'll each have brothers and sisters who can keep us accountable.
• Pray for the Veritas Forum, that non-Christians will be intrigued by the forum and that Christians will be emboldened to share their faith.  Pray that there will be enough volunteers and that the planning team will be strengthened and find rest.

Community Corner

This past weekend, many GCFers escaped city life to enjoy the snow wonders of Toah Nipi in New Hampshire.  We meditated on the question, "how do I better love God in graduate school?" and guest speaker, Nathan Rittenhouse (related to the namesake of Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia!), shared thoughts on receiving and abiding in God's love.  Kevin also gave us some food for thought in thinking more about how we steward our time and how we can give God our "first fruits" each day.

We also had a lot of fun with epic snow tubing, board games, and chatting by the fire.  There was even a surprise marriage proposal in the falling snow!

All Things Considered
Olympic fever, anyone?  If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have Sir David Attenborough (voice of Planet Earth) give commentary on an Olympic sport, look no further than this.

Verse of the Week
"But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine."
_ Isaiah 43:1

For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website: http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/

GCF Newsflash! Winter Retreat/No Large Group

Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

 

Hi friends! The GCF Winter Retreat is this weekend 2/14-2/16 (woohoo!), so large group is cancelled this Friday. Hope everyone enjoys the 3-day weekend!

Announcements

• The MIT Veritas Forum is still looking for volunteers! Areas to help include: Content, Logistics, Marketing, and Outreach. Contact Sam E. for more info.
  
• Mark Manuscript studies have started!  If you are interested in the Mark I or Mark II streams, you can still catch up (before next Monday). Contact Kevin for more info.
  

Prayer Square

• As this Friday is Valentine's Day, pray for those who are not in relationships to be showered with God's love, and those who are in relationships would draw God closer in to them.
• In light of recent campus events, pray that the Christian community will be a support for those who have been sexually assaulted and play an active part in "breaking the silence".
  
• Pray for the start of the semester, that this would be a new beginning for those who have been exhausted, frustrated, hurting, or in need of inspiration.
  
• Pray that our campus would open up to God's word and influence, in preparation for the Veritas Forum and other outreach activities.  Pray that His love would be tangibly felt in ever corner.

Community Corner

Last Friday, MIT alumni Phil and Heidi Litle, who moved to Israel 25 years ago for school and missions work, shared about their ministry and how to endure in faith.

Several GCFers attended the "Speaking About Jesus" event last Saturday, and learned a neat way to quickly explain the gospel. Check it out: The Big Story Pt 1 and The Big Story Pt 2 .  From Kevin Ford: After the evangelism training, on the faculty member present had 2 chances to share the Gospel with the 4 worlds--one person committed to following Jesus!  Those of you who went, practice and teach your friends in GCF the drawing!

Verse of the Week

Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

 

For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website: http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/

Thanks for reading! If you have announcements/prayer requests, etc please send them to alicekao@mit.edu.

GCF Newsflash! Endurance in the Faith in Israel | Friday 2/7 @ 7:30pm | W20-306

Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

We have speakers from abroad this week!  MIT alumni Phil and Heidi Litle, who moved to Israel 25 years ago for school and missions work, will be joining us.  They are visiting and will share with us based on their own experience abroad and on Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas' message to young churches they had planted.

Also, if you're curious about missions in Israel or what it's like to be Christians there, come meet and chat with the Litles over DINNER before large group!  We will be meeting at 6pm in the Sidney-Pacific 3F kitchen (estimated cost $10 per person). Please RSVP here if you'd like to attend, so we know how much food to order.

 

What:            Endurance in the Faith with the Litles
Where:          Twenty Chimneys (W20 Student Center, Room 306)
When:           Friday, February 7th | 7:30 p.m.
Contact:       Annie Chen

Announcements

• The MIT Veritas Forum is having a kickoff meeting this Friday 2/7 to share this year's theme, vision, and speakers.  Bring your lunch and come hear how God will use this event to ignite our campus!  The meeting is from 12:15pm -1pm in Twenty Chimneys (rm. 306, Student Center).  Contact Sam E. for more info.
  
• Sign up!: GCF Winter Retreat will be Fri. 2/14 to Sun. 2/16.  There is still plenty of space to join us for fellowship and refreshment, so sign up here.  The cost is $50/person.  Contact Peng if you have questions or want to help.
  
• Mark Manuscript studies are starting up soon.  If you are interested in the Mark I or Mark II streams, contact Kevin.
  

Prayer Square

• Pray for small groups: that they would thrive this semester and grow in deeper understanding of God and of its members.  Pray that those who are looking for a small group will find a "home."
• Pray for the start of the semester, that this would be a new beginning for those who have been exhausted, frustrated, hurting, or in need of inspiration.
  
• Pray that our campus would open up to God's word and influence, in preparation for the Veritas Forum and other outreach activities.  Pray that His love would be tangibly felt in ever corner.

Community Corner

Last week, Victoria Jones gave an awesome overview of crucifixion art, which opened our eyes to the beauty, wonder, and symbolism in the many paintings we saw.  We learned that visual art can be truly worshipful and that artists act as theologians in their interpretation of scripture.  Great job, Victoria!

And for this past Sunday's Super Bowl, viewing parties were tense for Seattle and Denver fans while others just showed up for the food and company.  A glimpse of the gathering at Tang 10B:

Thanks, Weishan, for the photos and Adam for the stitching action!

Verse of the Week
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit."

_ 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website: http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/