Intentional Efforts

It's easy to make the mistake of thinking that all the events we do and Cru meetings we have at the beginning of the year are geared toward gathering Christians and getting them plugged in.  This is part of it, but we can't neglect the thousands of non-Christians starting their college career, entering a new phase of life, looking for friendship and a place to fit in.  Many will seek that place in the party scene, but what hope, joy, and transformation there is in store for those who connect to the body of Christ!

Community is powerful, and our community can be the main influence God uses to bring someone into relationship with Himself.  Gathering Christians into this community is important, and helps them continue growing in their faith and being built up to reach others, but connecting with non-believers is just as important.

So let's commit to doing 2 things as we start the year and do all kinds of random events:

1.) Let's not assume that everyone who shows up to Cru or to one of our events is a Christian.

2.) Let's make an intentional effort to meet new people, get to know them, love them, and in whatever way is relevant, point them to Christ.  

We don't need to be overt in forcing the Gospel into every conversation, but what we can do is take genuine interest in people (not making them a ministry project), find out what their background is, and lovingly show them Jesus.  It will be easy to spend all our time catching up with friends, asking how everyone's summer was, and enjoying being back together.  But we'd miss out on so much if we left it at that.  I want to be specifically focused on finding and connecting with the new people who come around, and I hope you'll join me.

- Jason