This prayer and praise event was first conceived during the Christmas
break when I was thinking up ideas for the CU for next term.  The idea
of filling our main hall on campus with 900 students all praising God 
seemed like an ideal way for us to begin our mission.  At this stage I 
hadn’t begun to think about details such as where to get 900 students 
and whether or not our college would allow us to stage such an event.
However, I started discussing the idea with people around me at home 
and the idea seemed to gain some substance.

When I got back to uni after the Christmas break my fellow exec. 
members were sceptical but humoured my wild ravings.  Our college and
CU is small in comparison to our larger neighbours.  There are 4500 
students here and 20 people regularly at the CU so the idea of hosting
900 students from around the UK appeared daunting if not impossible.  
Added to that was the fact that the last time the CU attempted to book 
this hall we were told very bluntly ‘no’.

Certain things stuck in my mind from the Christmas break that kept the
vision going, most importantly a bible verse given, by God, to a group 
of students praying in Bristol; 

‘Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For 
 I am going to do something in your days that you would not 
 believe even if you were told.’  
                                Habakkuk 1:5
                                                                      
God is moving on this campus and we have heard reports of other signs 
across the student body.  The hall was booked for this night in the 
simplest of meetings.  A security team of non Christians have also 
consented to give up their evening to work for us.  The band has been 
arranged in the easiest of ways.  We have encountered some apathy from
some people forcing us back to our knees.  God answered this call by 
giving me a dream.  I was standing on stage in the hall with 
about 250 people in front of me, the time was 9:30.  All I could think 
of was how God had let us down.  Here we were with the hall, band and 
invitations sent out and our God had abandoned us.  As soon I thought 
that I looked up to see crowds of people coming into the hall until 
the whole place was filled.  I felt suitably chastised. 

Many people have spoken of revival coming and we can testify that God
is moving in a way never felt before by us or the people around us.  
Churches in Crewe from all denominations are coming together to pray 
and worship the same God and this feeling of unity is being echoed 
across the nation.  Martin Smith sings:

‘ Can you feel the darkness tremble,
  when all the saints join in one song.’

This is the unity that will occur when 900 students form every 
country, denomination, university, college and CU in the UK join 
together to pray and worship our great and awesome God.

The name ‘White Ribbon Day’ was taken from the Delirious track and 
from the Northern Ireland Peace Campaign.  The divisions of hate in 
Northern Ireland are so ingrained that a thousand conferences chaired 
by a million Mo Mowlam’s will not heal the divisions.  Only the love 
of Jesus can achieve that.  The same is true on our campuses.  When we 
look at the broken lives of our friends and peers the harsh reality of 
their death is brought to light and  so is their need for Jesus’ love.  
Hence the white ribbon, a symbol for the students of the UK to take 
the love of Jesus Christ into every lecture hall, bar and halls of 
residence in this country.  

Remember we can do all things through him who gives us strength.