Prepare the seniors in your life

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Nate Miller
2017.04 Freshmen Bible Study

Students gather for a freshmen Bible study.

Although 80% of Christian high school seniors intend to follow Jesus in college, by the end of their first year 70% are no longer walking with Jesus. They miss out on the opportunity to grow in relationship with Jesus and to introduce other future leaders to Jesus.

Many times incoming Christian freshmen simply aren’t aware of a few key realities when they step on their new college campus.

They don’t know that the friendships and choices they make in the first 72 hours (3 days!) on campus drive their decisions for the rest of college.

And they don’t know the Christian groups on their college campus.

Cru has partnered with Campus Ministry Link and other national Christian college ministries to help incoming Christian freshmen find friends on campus quickly.

CampusMinistryLink.org will go fully live later this spring. It will then allow incoming freshmen to find and connect with Christian groups on their campus before they even leave home for college.

Imagine what would happen if Christian high school students arrived at college having already connected with other Christians. These students would be in a position to bring the students on their dorm floor to Jesus rather than being influenced away from Him.

Help students walk with Jesus in college—share this with parents, pastors and youth leaders. And remind Christian high school seniors to look for Cru on campus, because Cru would love to provide them a home away from home.

 

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Sometimes they come to us

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Nate Miller
2017.03 International Students

A Cru student meets an international student at the University of New Hampshire.

“You are loved, no matter where you’re from,” was the theme of the International Student Appreciation night Cru students hosted recently at the University of New Hampshire.

Jesus has invited us to take the gospel to the nations! One of many ways we can do that is by befriending and loving international students who come to the US to study.

About 180 international students joined those UNH students for games and conversation and food.

One woman said, “This is the first time an American has spoken to me all year!”

Relationships have continued as they have met on campus for coffee and dinner.

Please join us in praying that these friendships will continue and that students will learn that God loves them no matter where they are from!

Across the country in Champaign, Illinois, Cru staff are befriending international students, too.

Lauren chatted with Ann, a student from China. She invited Ann to come for dinner at her house that night even though she expected excuses. However Ann came! She met other international students and then joined them in their weekly Bible study.

They gather on Tuesday evenings to investigate Jesus together. There are 5 girls who come regularly and another 5 girls and a couple guys who sometimes come.

Please join us in praying that each would come to know Jesus personally!

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God Protects and Provides

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Nate Miller
van

Because of your generosity, this was not catastrophic!

 

Have you ever known that you just experienced God’s protection and provision?

This past Christmas, we invited you to partner with Jesus in providing a new minivan for our family. Many of you very generously did so. In fact, Jesus provided more than we even imagined that he would. Although Ephesians 3:20 speaks specifically about Jesus’ ability to transform our hearts in light of his love, we experienced this verse to be true in this situation as well. And you were a big part of that.

Our old minivan had hit the 200,000 mile mark a while back. Many little things were going wrong with it. The front passenger wheel began sounding like the CV joint was going bad—again… We began the hunt for a new van in earnest.

We found a few possibilities, but then a decision was forced on us. After looking at a van, Nate and the boys were driving back home when the wheel began to feel really loose. Nate pulled into a parking spot just as the wheel broke off the car and rolled away!

Jesus protected and provided for us in so many ways that day:

  • The wheel broke off in a parking lot, instead of on the highway while heading home at 70 miles per hour.
  • The breakdown occurred just half a mile from a co-worker’s house. Nate and the boys had a place to go while they waited for Kim to get them.
  • Through you, Jesus provided the purchase price of a solid used van, which our mechanic says may last another 150 -200 thousand miles.
  • Insurance provided nearly free towing of our old van.

Thank you so much for partnering with Jesus in changing the lives of people around the world and in providing for our family’s well-being!

 

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