THE SLAMERS

Click on the image below for our October video update, or see the previous post to read our print version.

Cru’s Global Student Led Movements department has a goal of establishing a presence in every nation by the end of 2020.  Most of the remaining nations without a presence are island nations.  Earlier this month, Scott was approached by a staff member in our Global Leadership Office about starting a mission trip in our “Oceania” area of the world, to help reach that goal.  Oceania encompasses Australia, New Zealand, and all of the islands of the South Pacific.  

Scott was on a call last week with Andrew from Cru’s Global Leadership Office, and Matt, the area leader for New Zealand and French-speaking Polynesia.  With these two men, Scott will begin coordinating a new summer mission trip to one of the island nations in this area next summer.  

The Lord is moving in powerful ways in this part of the world.  Grace and her husband (from New Zealand) were recently leading a new staff vision trip to New Caledonia, a French speaking island nation northeast of Australia.  They were attempting to surface key volunteers and launch a campus ministry.  When the team arrived, they went to the small evangelical church (30 – 40 people) they were to partner with.  Grace, who spoke French, began to share a little about their team with the church.  Afterward, a college student named Esther approached Grace and said, “I know you!”  Esther shared how Facebook had “suggested” Grace as a “friend” for Esther!   With no mutual Facebook friends, Grace and Esther determined that there were no factors they had in common that would otherwise have caused Facebook to suggest their friendship!  Esther is now the newest key volunteer starting a movement at her university in New Caledonia.

God is truly at work in the hearts of college students around the world!  Thanks for joining with us in this great work! 

Praise & Prayer Requests!

• Praise God for a successful launch to our summer allocation season!
• Pray for our summer allocation leaders as they are selecting leaders now for next summer’s mission trips.
• Pray for many college students to connect with their Cru movements  through Fall Retreats this month.

Family Requests: 

• Pray for our family to be refreshed in the Lord as we serve and lead in Cru and our community

Click on the image below for our September video update. We have not posted our written letter this month, due to the sensitive nature of the stories in it.

Click on the image below for our July video update, or see the previous post to read our print version.

We just returned from Cru’s national staff conference called Cru19.  It is held biennially in Fort Collins, CO, at Colorado State University.  5,000 US staff and their families gathered together for a full week of worship, teaching, direction, vision, and community.  It was a great time for us.  Becky said it best, when she said that, “this week has really drawn our eyes upward, to see Jesus again as our center and source for life and ministry, and to see how God is using Cru globally.”

Below are a few of the things we heard from the speakers and Cru leaders last week.

“The most effective thing we can do in our evangelism, is grow in our Holy Spirit sensitivity.”  – Shaila Visser,  National Director, Alpha Canada

“Our biases keep us from going after the “every”.”  – Darryl Smith, Director or Oneness & Diversity, Cru’s Campus Ministry

“Our calling is to help fulfill the Great Commission by winning, building, and sending, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and helping the body of Christ do evangelism and discipleship.”  – Steve Sellers, US National Director, Cru

“As I get older, I don’t need a lot of new teachings…I need to decide if I really believe what Jesus says.” – Gary Haugen, Founder, International Justice Mission

Recent Statistics:

• The Jesus Film has been translated into 1,768 languages to date!
• Cru’s digital strategies platforms have seen 162 million unique users in the past 365 days!
• Cru’s Global Church Movements have planted church movements in over 150 countries!

Praise & Prayer Requests!

Praise God for the incredible work he’s doing through Cru globally!

Pray for Scott to learn and function in the new role effectively.

Pray for many college students to encounter Jesus on campus as they begin classes this month.

Family Requests: 

Praise God that Sarah had a fruitful and safe mission trip to Peru last month!

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

Click on the image below for our June video update, or see the previous post to read our print version.

Over 50 years ago, Cru launched their first summer mission trip on the Jersey shore, at the bidding of the local Baptist church pastor.  The Ocean City, NJ (OC) summer mission trip continues to this day, and the impact has been phenomenal!  Here are two recent stories of how the Lord has used this single summer mission trip.

Carol recently wrote a letter to Cru:  “I thought it would be fun for you to know that I was one of the students who went to the first OC outreach the summer of 1967, and then 1968 (see photo), from Houghton College…Working with CCC that summer, which was a very short-term experience in many ways, showed me I wanted a long-term missions assignment…I joined Wycliffe in 1970 and went to Ivory Coast and then Togo (once I married), West Africa, working in Bible translation. The whole Lama Bible (Togo) should be completed within 2-3 years.”  Carol just retired from Wycliffe after 48 years!

Amy is a Cru staff member who grew up in NJ, but now serves in Central Asia.  Being on furlough this summer, she encountered the summer mission students out on the boardwalk in Ocean City.  She was so encouraged by their presence and ministry, that she wrote a letter to Cru and shared that her country director back in Central Asia is an OC alum from 1989!  Amy recounts, “He participated in 1989 and it changed his life!! You never know what God is going to do!!! We have been praying for you! May God do more than we could ever ask or imagine!”

Think of how many students have been launched into a lifetime on mission as a result, and OC is just one of over 200 mission trips Cru sends each summer!  We’re excited to be a part of leading this supernatural endeavor in our new role!  Thanks for being a vital part of this work as you partner with us!

Praise & Prayer Requests!

• Praise God for the incredible work he’s doing through Cru’s short-term mission trips!

• Pray for the Kingdom success of the over 200 summer mission trips that are currently going on this summer.

• Pray for safe travel to our National Staff Conf. in Colorado, July 15-26

• Pray for Scott to learn and function in the new role effectively.

Family Requests: 

• Pray for Sarah who will be on our church high school mission trip in Peru, from June 22 through July1!

“and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”

2 Timothy 2:2

Click on the image below for our May video update, or see the previous post to read our print version.

Short-term mission trips are one of the best things Cru does in mobilizing college students to make an impact for Christ for the rest of their lives.  Cru’s campus ministry sends over 200 mission trips around the world each summer, consisting of over 3,000 college students.  Not only does the gospel go out to tens of thousands of people,  but college students gain training and experience in personal evangelism, Bible study, crossing cultures, Christian leadership, and community.

“My life was totally changed through the growth I experienced at Summer Missions. I went into it without much expectation or maturity, but coming out of each Summer Missions experience I had greater faith and confidence, more impact on people around me, and greater vision for the body of Christ. My heart for both believers and unbelievers was ignited through my Summer Missions experiences, and those revelations still drive me to this day as I seek God’s will in my own life, in my family, at work, and in ministry opportunities.”  – Josh (Ocean City, NJ ’98 & ’99, North Africa ’00)

This is why we’re excited to announce that Scott recently accepted the national role of Mission Trip Coordinator for Cru’s campus ministry!  He will be on a small team of four that evaluates all of our mission trip opportunities.  Specifically, Scott will oversee the development of the people systems and processes which comprise our mission trips.  Those systems include allocation of staff leaders, selection of trip participants, team leader training, recruiting, and crisis care.  We’re also excited to focus on the same area of ministry again, as Becky comes alongside Scott to help him administratively, and with special projects.

This new team will coordinate all of our mission trips, and tackle challenges of short-term missions in order to increase the number of college students sent.  Challenges of cost, partnership across ministries, accessibility for ethnic and cultural minorities, and offering internships alongside mission are at the top of the list.

Thanks for partnering with us to equip college students to be lifetime disciples of Jesus!

Praise & Prayer Requests!

• Praise God for the opportunity for us to serve in Cru’s Mission Trip leadership!
• Pray for the remainder of the Mission Trip Team to be hired this summer.
• Pray for Scott to learn and function in the new role effectively.

Family Requests: 

• Pray for Becky, Sarah, and Ethan to finish the school year strong!

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who published peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Isaiah 52:7

This month we’re beginning to post video updates in addition to our written one.   The previous post is the written version.  Just click on the picture below to watch the video!