Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union

The Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, usually known as CICCU, was the first university Christian Union and is the University of Cambridge's most prominent student Christian organisation. It was formed in 1877, but can trace its origins back to the formation of the Jesus Lane Sunday School in 1827 and the Cambridge Prayer Union in 1848. The organisation's stated purpose is "to make Jesus Christ known to students in Cambridge".

Currently 'CICCU' runs two main outreach activities - the 'Main Event' in the middle of every academic year, and 'Big Questions' lunches on Fridays with short talks and Q&As about questions of life and faith - along with a variety of occasional events, and smaller activities in colleges.

Students in many other universities followed Cambridge's lead in forming their own Christian Unions, beginning with OICCU (Oxford) in 1879. Initially CICCU became part of the Student Christian Movement, formed in 1889; however, the two organisations clashed in 1910, and CICCU left the SCM in order to provide a specifically evangelical ministry in the University of Cambridge. Again, OICCU and other Unions followed them in this split, and together they founded the Inter Varsity Fellowship of Evangelical Unions (now UCCF, Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship) in 1928, which spread to Canada in the same year and later to the United States, Australia (Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students) and New Zealand (Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship).

Students who become members of CICCU are asked to sign the following statement, "I desire in joining this Union to declare my faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour, my Lord and my God". This was one of the issues in the dispute with the SCM. However, this declaration is not necessary to attend any events, or become involved with helping.

CICCU is led by Christian students from a wide variety of backgrounds, united in a common desire to "make Jesus Christ known to students in Cambridge." Past CICCU members have included Josh Moody, Basil Atkinson, Helen Roseveare, John F. Wenham, John Stott and Vaughan Roberts. The leadership operates on two levels - university wide and within colleges. A committee of eight students, known as the Exec organise CICCU. Two reps in each college lead college events and meetings.

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