Student Missions Impact World

Posted on August 23, 2023 by Nate Miller
A Cru Summer Mission team poses at the Lanyon Building at Queen’s University in Belfast, Ireland.

They traveled to Panama; Osaka, Japan; Traverse City, Michigan; North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and hundreds of other locations around the world. They are high school and college students sharing the gospel on Cru Summer Mission trips.

Forty-four Cru college students spent the summer in North Myrtle Beach and saw 164 people trust Jesus.

Drew, a Cru student at North Myrtle Beach, approached a couple sitting at a picnic bench. It soon became clear that neither had a spiritual background. Nevertheless, they wanted to hear what Drew believed. Drew explained the gospel and they both decided to follow Jesus!

Meanwhile, in the difficult gospel soil of Japan, God worked miracles. During lunch on the team’s first day at Kansai University Yuri, a student asked, “Are you foreigners?” He was the president of the 400-member international club on campus. Through Yuri, the team met and shared the gospel with over fifty students. Yuri never expressed interest in Jesus. Nevertheless, Jesus used him. Jesus can use anyone and anything for His purposes, even among the second largest unreached people group in the world!

Cru college students on the Traverse City Summer Mission created a July 4th outreach event. This event was planned by two of the youngest believers on the mission trip. Young believers leading others to reach people for Jesus!

Fifteen high school students traveled to Panama. In one week, they shared the gospel with over 140 Panamanian students in three high schools. They also led two college students to Jesus.

Cru Summer Mission Trips changed lives around the world this past summer. You helped make this possible. We are grateful for you!

Posted in Campus, Discipleship, Evangelism, high school, international, Summer Mission Trip | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Not just for students—website changes lives

Posted on August 2, 2023 by Nate Miller

I’m struggling in my relationship with god. I keep sinning and trying to stop but something keeps telling me god is done with me and can’t forgive me. I’m destined for hell no matter what and I don’t want that.

This comment was recently sent to EveryStudent.com, a Cru evangelistic website. It was originally designed for college students, but today even more non-students visit the site than students.

EveryStudent.com allows people to explore faith in the privacy of their own homes. They can ask questions and receive live responses via chat. This is especially helpful for those living in countries where exploring Christianity might put their lives in danger.

We can use this site in conversations. We might say, “EveryStudent.com is a great site that takes on tough questions about life and God. Have you heard of it?”

Recent EveryStudent.com visitors have said:

You’ve made me spiritually rich and aware. As a former Muslim, I’ve learned many things. Thanks for your endeavor to reach me. ~Yasin (Germany)

Thank you for the message that reached out to me as I was wandering in the wilderness of pornography. The simple prayers of repentance I prayed that day was my beginning of a great and blissful relationship with Christ. ~Ajayi (Nigeria)

I am very grateful that God led me to you. I wanted to have a relationship with God. Your emails [the Spiritual Starter Kit] are so very helpful to me and I’m getting so much out of them. ~Helen (UK)

EveryStudent.com is a ministry Nate serves behind the scenes. You help make this possible. We are grateful for you!

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From reading to Jesus

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Nate Miller

Jerry and Regina were determined their two daughters would learn to read, but it was clear they were struggling. They feared what it might mean for their daughters’ futures.

Then Jerry and Regina heard about a Feed and Read summer outreach. At Feed and Read, volunteers from a nearby church and Cru Inner City work with kids for 30 minutes over lunch Monday through Friday. They read Bible stories to improve the students’ skills.

“Do you read anything other than the Bible?” Jerry asked. “We’re not into this Jesus thing.”

“No, we’re a church and that’s the book we’re reading,” the pastor responded kindly but firmly.

Despite their initial reservations, Jerry and Regina wanted academic help. Regina came every day with her daughters.

The reading program ended after six weeks, but Jerry, Regina, and the girls have continued to attend church.

They joined a small group. Eventually, the group learned that Jerry and Regina had been together for 15 years but were not married. Their extended family attended church to witness the wedding. Many family members said, “We didn’t expect this day.”

Regina now volunteers with Feed and Read. She has also helped the church distribute PowerPacks (backpacks and school supplies) to families in need.

Jerry and Regina gained more than academic help. Their family has been transformed.

This is one of many ways Cru Inner City is changing lives. This Cru ministry partners with urban churches to help people know Jesus. It’s one ministry Nate serves behind the scenes. You help make this possible. We are grateful for you!

Posted in Evangelism, Family, Inner City, Poor & Needy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment