The Next Cycle

It's the first day of October and Fall Retreat starts tomorrow, which means we're at a transition point in the semester. The first 4-6 weeks are all about gathering contacts, meeting new people, sharing the Gospel, and advertising for Cru far and wide on our campuses. For the staff, it's been all about launching and attempting to launch new ministries. Praise God, we've been able to have some point of contact on 14 Pittsburgh area campuses and been able to give out over 7,000 Cru cards!

There's a thing we talk about in Crusade called "Cycles of Momentum" - just a way of looking at the campus ministry year. It's far from biblical truth or anything, but it's a helpful tool in planning when to do what on campus. I think it can help you as student-leaders, or just involved students, too. You can check out an article on the subject here, and I'm going to take a few minutes to describe it briefly and point out what's next, so to speak, for our semester.

If you've been involved in Cru for long enough, you know by heart the adage "Win, Build, Send", or at least you should. In fact, if you don't - why not? It's three words! It's a brief and memorable way to summarize our mission and vision - we want to win students to Christ, build them in their faith, and send them to reach the world. Very Great Commission focused and biblically rooted. You can view the cycles of momentum in the campus ministry year in these broad terms too.

Phase one of the semester - roughly the first 6 weeks - are a sort of "Win" phase. We're focused on interacting with as many students as we can, sharing the Gospel with as many as will hear, following up new contacts and generally focusing on reaching out. The next month or so - October, where we're entering now - is a "Build" phase. Our focus shifts to consolidating these newly involved people and any new believers, helping them plug in by getting more involved in Cru, leading in some way, getting into a small group or discipleship setting. This begins with Fall Retreat, as it's a tremendous way to help new people, especially freshmen, get plugged in. Then the rest of the semester is a "Send" phase, particularly focusing on sending to Radiate. There people can learn about summer project opportunities, grow deeper in their walk with God, and learn more how they can get involved and minister to others on campus. And that builds momentum moving into the spring semester, which opens with another "Win" phase.

This isn't to say we never do evangelism in a Build or Send phase - in actuality October and November are great times to do a larger, more focused outreach, such as the David Williams event coming up on October 14. Part of building is helping someone learn how to share his faith, encouraging them to take a step of faith to invite a friend to an outreach-type event or Cru. Or that we never seek to be building or sending during a win phase, or vice versa. You get the picture. It's just that the general focus of our ministry is on one of those things in a stronger way than on the others.

So, in thinking about these things, I have a few questions for you to consider as you think and pray through and plan the next month of your ministry.

• What new people have we connected with, and how can we best help them get more plugged in?
• What are the things already established that are natural "building" events or activities?
• What is an outreach we can plan for the next month? How can we encourage some of the younger students to be involved in it?
• What are the greatest ministry training needs the people involved in Cru have? How can we meet those needs?
• What are some ways to help build community among the people involved?
• How can we keep the ministry, or give the ministry, outward focus, on evangelism and reaching the campus?

I encourage you as leaders on your campus together to process and pray about these things, and let them help you make some plans for the next month or so. I hope it helps! We're praying for you.

-Jason

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

The Beginning...

The first 2 weeks of school are absolutely crucial for incoming freshmen.  Research shows that it is during this time that students create their social life for the coming year and often for the next four.  It's become the cultural norm that the party scene is the social scene - it's what's portrayed in movies and other media, and even on the news as what "college life" is.  So thousands of Christians who were involved in church or youth group through high school bury their faith in the closet and run into the party lifestyle, many thinking that it's just what everyone does.  And lots of non-Christians students dive into the party life too, even though many (most? all?) are dissatisfied with their choices and empty inside.

So where does that leave us, people involved with Cru?  It means that the first 2 weeks back are the time for ministry, the most important 2 weeks of the year.  We have the opportunity to help Christians find true meaning and purpose for their college years, and help non-Christians see that there is a meaning beyond the emptiness of the party scene.  This is why we have so many events through the first 2 weeks - we're seeking to connect with as many people as we can.

What we offer Christians is an opportunity to be a part of an authentic community of believers, growing together and impacting the lives of other students for eternity; a college career full of meaning and growth.  Some of the freshmen we meet may become missionaries, Christian leaders in government or business, or someone who influences thousands in some way for Christ.  Connecting with a body of believers at the start of college is a huge step in whatever path God may have for them.

What we offer non-believers is an opportunity to escape the empty, depressing, dissatisfying life of partying, broken relationships, and addiction.  We offer them hope for their souls, forgiveness, and eternal life.

Our influence and opportunity is huge!  It's corny, I know, but that quote from Gladiator, "What we do in life echoes in eternity", comes to my mind when I think about this stuff.  And it's true.  

So, my encouragement to you as you get ready to come back to school is this: be ready.  Spend some time with God, ask Him to fill you up and prepare you to be used by Him on the frontlines of the first 2 weeks.  Pray for the freshman coming to school.  Dream big and think about what an amazing impact you can have in people's lives.  And when you get to school, make the most of those 2 weeks.  Meet people, love them, build friendships with them.  People on your floor, in your classes, in the cafeteria, wherever.  Invite people to come with you to Cru stuff.  And take opportunities to tell them about the hope you have in Jesus.  I'm convinced that if people see the quality of the relationships we have in the body of Christ, they'll desire more, and God will use it to draw them to Jesus.  Isn't it cool that we can be a part of it?!

I'm excited, and getting prepared.  How 'bout you?

Can't wait for school to start,

Jason