Running for Jesus

Posted on April 23, 2025 by Nate Miller
The Cornell Running Club gathers for a daily jog.

Finn is a student leader in Cornell University’s Cru ministry. He loves Jesus and he loves running. Joining the Cornell Running Club allows him to combine both his loves.

Finn runs hundreds of miles a month. He could run alone, focusing on his own running goals. But he wants to build relationships with other students. He wants to know them and share the gospel.

Running with others in the Cornell Running Club enables Finn to spend hours with people. A 10-mile run provides space for spiritual conversation.

A few weeks ago, Finn was running and having an extended conversation with his friends. Because he’s built substantial trust and is very open about his faith, some of the runners started to ask about Christianity. At one point a fellow runner asked, “So what is the main message of Christianity?”

What a set up! Finn had the opportunity to share the whole gospel using the classic Cru four-point outline. He articulated the good news with Scripture all while keeping pace with the squad. What a run!

No one stopped to pray a salvation prayer, and the interactions are ongoing.

Finn recently arranged for a few of his running friends, including the Club president, to have lunch with the Cornell Cru staff team leader. They talked about the impact of grace on leadership and conflict management.

Finn also brought four of his running club friends to a Cru weekly meeting to hear the gospel in the context of a worshipping community.

 Combining his loves of Jesus and running allows Finn to build trust with those who would not otherwise be interested in Jesus.

Thank you for partnering with us as we enable evangelism and discipleship. We are grateful to be a part of what God is doing.

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Finding Peace

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Nate Miller
Tom and Jen connect between meetings.

Jen, a lawyer in Florida, stared at the assessment in front of her. Reflecting on each question, she identified herself on a scale of one to 15.

“How well are you able to handle anxiety, stress and fear?” 8 — I’m productive, but it affects my well-being.

“How would you describe your work/life balance?” 5 — Not great.

“How would you describe your spiritual life/health at this point?” 7 —  I wish I felt more connected to God.

When John Westmoreland, executive director of Cru’s Faith and Law Around the Globe® (FLAG), invited Jen to join a biweekly virtual FLAG group three years ago, he asked if she wanted to grow personally, professionally and spiritually. John begins new groups with a 32-question assessment. Jen thought she’d score highly in the personal and professional categories, but her results were sobering. 

Jen’s life revolved around billable hours and an endless to-do list.

Most nights she lay wide awake consumed by client problems.

She was burned out and ready for a change when her colleague Tom introduced her to a virtual FLAG group. She realized this was an invitation to live differently.

“I was super, super nervous because I thought it was going to be people quoting Scripture, and I was just going to feel like I don’t fit in at all,” Jen says. Instead, the other lawyers had a surprising peace. Their secret? A relationship with Jesus.

Soon after joining her first FLAG group, Jen and her husband started reading through the Bible together from start to finish — a first for both of them.

Three years after joining FLAG, Jen no longer wakes up in the middle of the night stressed about work. She has found the rest she longed for in Jesus.

Thank you for partnering with us as we enable evangelism and discipleship. We are grateful to be a part of what God is doing.

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From Theft to Jesus

Posted on February 19, 2025 by Nate Miller

Wanting to watch the JESUS film in the local language, Jemal* borrowed his friend’s tablet which contained downloads of Jesus Film Project® resources.

He eagerly anticipated watching the JESUS film later that night, and he promised to return the tablet the following day. But Abera*, a young man from the same village, stole the tablet from Jemal’s bag, intending to immediately sell it.

However, Abera decided to see what was on the device first. He saw the JESUS film downloaded in his language and decided to watch it. Convicted by what he saw, he accepted Christ and repented of his sins!

Meanwhile Jemal discovered the tablet was missing. Shocked and troubled by the loss, he experienced a sleepless night.

Early the next morning, Abera decided to return the tablet. When it came time to meet with Jemal, Abera was eager to tell him how God had changed his life.

Instead of gaining financially by his theft, Abera was spiritually transformed.

Now Abera is growing in his new faith!

Nate’s team is helping JESUS film staff members improve the process of translating the JESUS film into additional languages. These improvements will help the JESUS film to be translated more rapidly and accurately into even more languages around the world.

Thank you for partnering with us as we enable evangelism and discipleship. We are grateful to be a part of what God is doing.

* Names changed for privacy.

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