Every Cru missionary gets “basic training” for the first two years they work with us.  In NorCal, our director of training holds a “Bay Area Training Day” for all the new missionaries in the Bay Area.  On April 11th,  I (Scott) flew up for the day to attend the training and get to know our Bay Area staff and interns better.

We met in the student union of San Francisco State University and worked on their training as a group.  We learned about the campus from the Cru missionaries on the ground, then we prayer-walked and ate together.  I had some good time getting to know the interns, team leader, and staff up in the Bay Area better.  So much is gained in those precious few hours of personal contact, that helps me to better care for our missionaries throughout the year.

Summer Missions Team Leader Training was a huge success, training 130 men and women to lead the 60 US Summer Missions around the country.  Thank you for praying for Scott as he led the conference, and for the leaders as they begin to prepare, plan for, and trust the Lord for those summer missions.

Cru Winter Conference Los Angeles brought together over 1200 college students from all over the west coast for 72 hours of spirit-filled worship, intentional community, challenging talks, educational seminars, and lots and lots of prayer.

In the midst of all this incredible content, students participated in a “day of faith” and were encouraged to take a variety of steps of faith across Los Angeles. Some students initiated spiritual conversations at the beach, on college campuses, and even outside a Clippers game. Others invited people to a new church plant, and other students stayed at the hotel and initiated spiritual conversations with friends and family using social media.

Praise & Prayer Requests!

• Praise God for a successful Summer Missions Leader Training at the beginning of the month! 
• Praise God for the 1,200 students who attended Cru’s Winter Conference LA!  Pray that those students will go back to their campuses on fire for the Lord and to share their faith.
• Pray for Scott’s academic and spiritual growth through his seminary coursework over the next several years.
• Pray for us a we prepare to lead a summer mission to East Asia this summer!  More on this  next month.

Thank you for partnering with us to train leaders to reach every college student!

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:15

The summer of 1998 was a huge turning point in my (Scott’s) life.  I went on a summer mission with Cru just two days after I graduated from college.  It was the first time I was a part of leading someone to Christ, and the summer I sensed God’s call into full-time ministry! 

At that time, I would not have believed you if you told me one day I would be training the “giants of the faith” leading me that summer!  But last month I was honored to be asked to lead the training of all Cru stateside summer missions leaders nationally!  I humbly accepted the offer, am excited (a little intimidated), and hard at work planning the program for the conference in Dallas, in January.

The US Summer Missions Team Leader Training comprises about 150 leaders each year.  Last year they led over 1,600 students on 59 different summer missions, from Hampton Beach to Miami, and San Diego to Anchorage.  Over 52,000 people heard the gospel through stateside summer missions last summer, and 1,300 received Jesus Christ!  1,600 college students were equipped to be spiritual leaders on their campuses, trained in evangelism, the Spirit-filled life, leading Bible studies, and much more.

Praise & Prayer Requests!

• Praise God for the lives he changed during Fall Retreats. At Cal Poly SLO, over 20 students received Christ at their Fall Retreat!
• Pray for Scott as he leads the design of the US Summer Missions Leader Training.
• Pray for well-trained Summer Mission Leaders.
• Pray for Scott to find the last few summer mission leaders here in the West, and coordinate summer assignments for the 230 staff.
• Pray for our family to have a restful and worshipful Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

“…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

Thank you for partnering with us to train leaders to reach every college student!

Students were streaming out of the chapel when Ariel stopped in front of me.  “So, when you have those dry, silent times in your relationship with the Lord, what do you do?” she wondered.

I (Scott) had just finished my final talk at Sacramento Cru’s Fall Retreat, when God provided this mini-discipleship opportunity.  I spoke four times over the weekend on the topics of the gospel, the Spirit-filled life, passing on the gospel, and the significance of the word of God in our lives.  It was a wonderful time to get to know and pour God’s word into 41 students from four different colleges in the Sacramento area.

The weekend was full of teaching, small group processing and connecting, fun outdoor activities, eating together, and worshipping together.  Just about every Cru movement around the country has a Fall Retreat.  It’s a key component of forming community and fostering spiritual growth in local movements.

I sympathized with Ariel, and told her she’s not alone.  I encouraged her to persevere, and to try to mix up her times with the Lord.  Work in some times of listening to worship music, sitting quietly, taking a walk, reading a good Christian book, along with her times of Bible reading and prayer.  And I gave her Psalm 13 to look at, to encourage her that even King David experienced times of feeling far from the Lord.  Staying in community and sharing with others about how you’re doing, is also important in those times.

I received some encouraging feedback from the weekend just recently.  Here are some things students said:

“God taught me that guilt and shame are not of Him and that we can be confident because of His love and grace and Jesus’ sacrifice.”

“His [Scott’s] last talk really stood out to me, however, when he asked us who our Paul was and who was going to be our Timothy that we would train up to take our torch. It really made me stop and evaluate “what is my torch? What do I contribute besides just my role and who is God wanting me to walk along side of to speak truth into their life and point them to Christ as they grow?””

“To rely on the holy spirit and that God loves me unconditionally”

“I liked the last few talks about having the courage to share the gospel, and how important it is.”

Praise & Prayer Requests!

• Praise God that the Middle East Stint team Scott coached in August is safely in country!
• Pray for strong, healthy, spiritual community to grow on campuses all over the West.
• Pray for Fall Retreats going on now around the West. That students would bond deeply and grow in their faith.
• Praise God and pray for Becky & the kids as they are in full swing of their homeschool year!

“…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

Thank you for partnering with us to build spiritually into the lives of college students!

“God is already at work where you are going.”

These words encouraged 405 young men and women sitting in a hotel ballroom near Chicago last week. In just a few weeks (days for some!) they would go to 88 locations, in 40 countries around the world to bring the gospel of Jesus to college students!  This was Cru’s Global Stint Briefing.

In the Middle East alone this past year, God has done unprecedented things.  One Cru staff member in the area reported that in his first 7 years of ministry, he only saw one person place their faith in Jesus.  But just this last year, in the span of only 3 months, he saw a third generation believer!  That’s one person placing their faith in Jesus, who shared with a friend who placed her faith inJesus, who in turn shared their faith with another friend who placed his faith in Jesus.  And all this in just 3 months!  God is on the move!

Scott had the joy and privilege of coaching a team of 6 from our region, heading to the Middle East this year.  They will spend their year focusing on 4 goals:  “Love the Lord, Love Their Team, Learn a New World, and Launch a Movement”.

Please pray with us for these new missionaries as they arrive in country this month (see sidebar).

Praise & Prayer Requests!

• Praise God for a safe and successful Stint Briefing trip for Scott and all 405 new Stinters!
• Pray for the safety of these new Stint teams as they travel to their locations around the globe this month.
• Pray for these Stinters to raise the remainder of their financial support before they leave for the year.
• Pray for boldness and clarity as these teams share the gospel with college students all over the world!  And for God to save many!
• Pray for our family as we begin a new homeschooling year.

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.”

Psalm 67:1-2

Thank you for partnering with us to send a new generation of campus missionaries!

July 2017 Cru 17 postcard

School’s out and summer is underway!  We know that phrase elicits a multitude of feelings.  But for us it means a change in ministry from the rest of the year.  We work in and with the colleges and universities, so we function on an academic schedule as well.  So in the summers Cru staff mostly do something different from their academic year ministry. 

This year we are in Fort Collins, Colorado for Cru training.  Becky is taking four of the graduate level Bible and Theology courses Cru requires of all their staff; Biblical Interpretation, Biblical Communication, Old Testament Survey, and God, Bible, Holy Spirit (a systematic theology course on those topics from the Bible).  Becky’s already begun those courses and is up to her neck in learning!

At the end of those four intensive weeks, we will both attend Cru’s biennial US Staff Conference for eight days, right here in Fort Collins. 

Lastly, this summer Scott has been asked to coach a group of Stinters (recent college grads going overseas to minister with Cru) in Chicago at Stint Briefing in mid-August. 

We’re excited for what the Lord will do in and through us as a result of our summer ministry!  Would you please pray for us and with us for these opportunities this summer?  Thanks a ton!

Praise & Prayer Requests!

• Praise God that we had a safe trip out to Fort Collins, CO for our summer ministry!
• Pray for Becky to learn tons, enjoy the Lord, and become more equipped through her Bible and Theology courses.
• Pray for us to gain great vision, training, and encouragement in ministry during out US Staff Conference, July 15-23.
• Pray for Scott to minister to and coach the Stint team he is assigned, effectively for the year of cross-cultural ministry ahead.

Make me to know your ways O Lord; teach me your paths.  Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Ps. 25:4-5

Thank you for partnering with us to prepare a new generation of campus missionaries!

One of the greatest joys in college ministry, after seeing a young man or woman receive Christ, is to see God call them in to vocational ministry for a season!  With Cru, we have year-long internships on local and international campuses.  This year, we’ve had just over 100 students apply for an Internship with Cru after graduation!  And 36 interns from last year, apply for a second year!

Right now, our team is heading up the evaluation process for each of these young men and women.  Carefully getting to know them and determining whether or not an internship would be best for them this coming academic year.  Evaluating many areas of their life such as personal maturity, ability to resolve conflict, spiritual life, theology, sexual wholeness, debt, ministry experience, and much more!  We count it a privilege to enter into this significant season of their lives and it is a joy to know that the Lord is raising up more laborers to reach students because the harvest is plentiful!

Becky spent 4 days in Texas with the Cru Mom’s Guild. They care for and resource the staff moms around the country as they seek to be families on mission.  These 10 women represent 271 years of serving with Cru.  They are a wealth of wisdom, experience, and joy!

Praise & Prayer Requests!

• Praise God that we found a male leader for the Santa Monica Summer Mission!
• Pray for our team to lead well in evaluating each of these young college grads, as they trust the Lord to give a year of their lives in vocational ministry.
• Pray for Big Break LA!  A Spring Break outreach Cru is leading at UNLV this week.  About 100 students from outside the Pacific Southwest will attend.
• Pray for Scott’s family as they grieve the passing of his grandmother.
• Pray for structural changes in our campus ministry to allow us to reach even more students with the gospel, more effectively.

Thank you for partnering with us to prepare a new generation of campus missionaries!

“Your most important responsibility as a Cru missionary, is keeping a healthy personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” 

I announced to the small ballroom containing 30 new Cru missionaries.  This is my (Scott) favorite thing to share with new missionaries!  It’s relieving and sobering all at the same time. 

These new missionaries work on a dozen campus teams throughout the Pacific Southwest.  Our team hosts this four-day training and development conference every year.  Basic training after your first semester on campus.  We call it First Year Field Training (FYFT).  I was the emcee, guiding them through our week in Santa Barbara.

After an exciting and frenzied first semester on campus, they are tired, excited, and hungry to gain more skill.  This conference is always a welcome change of pace.  A time to learn new skills, but also to rest and deepen their relationship with God.

We introduce some new tools like the “Thank-a-Prof” outreach, a new Ethnic Diversity survey, and how to transition a conversation to the gospel.  They get to experience “cross-pollination” with a different team and campus culture. And we also spend time emphasizing personal and spiritual growth.  Because “The essence of the Christian life is what God does in and through us, not what we do for God.” (from Cru’s booklet called Satisfied.  See also John 15:5)

Fun Fact!  Isla Vista (IV) is the dense community immediately adjacent to UC Santa Barbara.  It’s populated almost exclusively by students and young adults.

Praise & Prayer Requests!

• Praise God that a new staff woman named Sarah will be joining our LD Team when she reports!
• Praise God for providing a male leader for our Santa Monica Summer Mission!
• Praise God that Scott’s dad came through hip surgery well!  Pray for a good recovery.
• Pray for students making decisions about how to spend their summer.  That many would join a Cru Summer Mission.
• Pray for structural changes in our campus ministry to allow us to reach even more students with the gospel, more effectively.

Thank you for partnering with us to equip a new generation of campus missionaries!

“Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5