Evangelism on Your Phone

Do you remember when everyone kept saying "There's an App for That!"? 

Well, now Christians have a wider variety of apps to use. Not only do we have various Bible apps to study and learn the word of God, but we even have tools to help us share our faith directly from our phone! Many of which are accessible with any phone and can display in multiple languages, including American Sign Language!

One of the things I love about Cru is the opportunity for outreach innovation. 

Here are a few by Cru that I love.

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A Safe Place to Explore Questions About Life and God

Cru started with a passion to reach every student with the message of Jesus Christ. Students are the future leaders of governments, companies and communities. Students are influencers, activists, and often-passionate people.

This website was created to help students learn who God is and develop their faith by facing some challenging questions. Millions of people have visited this website because it answers the tough questions students face everyday. The website is in multiple languages and now available as an app!

In 10 months, there were 53,645 visits to the website from New Jersey alone! 473 people indicated decisions for Christ after reading an article on the website and 158 people signed up for the Spiritual Starter Kit! Praise God!

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Another one of those innovations is an app called “Perspective Cards," a free evangelism app designed by Cru to help you ask good questions and share the love of Christ.

Many people’s worldviews are becoming increasingly eclectic, while the Christian worldview is becoming increasingly irrelevant and confusing. This can be huge barrier to understanding spiritual reality and knowing God. How can we help those we care for?

Imagine a deck of cards, or a smartphone app, which can guide you through an enjoyable and deeply revealing spiritual conversation.Perspective Cards allows people to share what they believe, explore the Christian worldview, and take the next step on their spiritual journey in an environment where they feel safe. This is the beauty of Perspective.

The app has been carefully designed to faithfully reproduce the Perspective Cards experience, moderating great, face to face, spiritual conversations. As a smartphone app the cards can always be with you…and it’s free!
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Jesus Film Media is the digital expression of Jesus Film Project®. The entire Jesus Film Project library can be accessed directly from your smart phone or tablet.

Through the robust search feature users have the ability to find resources by country, language name, and title of the film. You will have access to films in more than 1,300 languages!

Featuring the films "JESUS," "Magdalena," "The Story of Jesus for Children" in full length and segments; the series "Following Jesus" and "Walking with Jesus" and catalog of short films like "My Last Day."

This app has A LOT and so you definitely need storage to keep it on your phone, but it's such a great tool when you are planning to go out sharing with your church friends or on a missions trip. The Jesus Film Project is a ministry of Cru and our students use their Global Short Films to start spiritual conversations or to attract people to their weekly meetings. 

Our Aim

“Marksmen, fire when ready.”

I recently watched a show on Netflix called “Top Shot”. The contestants have to prove their marksmanship to be the best out of 16 who were chosen for a chance to win $100,000!

Paul speaks several times in the New Testament about his aim & what the aim of the church ought to be. Most believers immediately think of our aim to be: to please God, which is clearly true in 2 Corinthians 5:9.

Even so, I get excited to read Paul’s motivation for making His aim to please God. In 1 Timothy 1:5, we see his motivation is love!

“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

It’s encouraging to imagine a perfect community or a family of God whose individual and corporate aims are one. Paul writes about this unified aim to the church in Corinth & in his second letter to Timothy. (2 Tim. 2:4, 3:10; 2 Cor. 8:21, & 13:11)

THE DANGER:

Picture an army whose aim is clear: to defeat the enemy & protect its’ own. If individual soldiers became distracted with personal problems, strategy disagreements or even the desire for comfort, the enemy could easily get a foothold.

I have never fought in a physical battle, but my friend (former National Guard & Iraq veteran) has told me much about her time in war. Distractions or selfish desires can completely ruin a unit of soldiers & give the enemy the advantage!

I saw this on “Top Shot”, when contestants became distracted, complained about the discomfort with a weapon, or lost focus, they missed the target & were voted off the show.

The Application:

This made me think. How often are we distracted from our aim to please God? Do the comforts of our lives, desire to spend our paychecks how we want, and disagreements with each other prevent us from our aim to please God? How often do we forget why this is our aim in the first place?

We aim to please Him because:

He loved us SO much & made His aim to redeem a fallen people so that we may know Him & love others as we share this GOOD NEWS! (Watch what Felicia has discovered to be her aim in the video the below.)

Are you ready marksman? … to live out your aim? Don't overthink it soldier. Use the resources & talents God’s given you and simply:  Fire when ready!

God’s NOT Dead

“Son of God”, “Noah”, “Heaven is For Real”, and “God’s Not Dead” - Seems as though the month of April is Christian month for the American theaters.

I work with college students. College is a time where young people are searching for truth and clarity about themselves and what they grew up learning… sometimes that includes truth about who God is. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of taking a few students to see the movie “God’s NOT Dead”. This film is a good example of an experience many students (including myself) have had as Christians in secular schools. This is one reason Cru exists – to help build the young Christian in their faith.

*We also hope to train students to share the reason for their faith (Jesus) with their professors and peers with uncompromising truth and loving respect.

Once a month on a Friday night, we gather students together for some praise and worship, a little spiritual jump-start, and a chance to hear what God is doing on these campuses through these students.We call it Jersey Cru.

At this month’s Jersey Cru, I will be announced as the female director of Jersey Metro. This is such a unique ministry with over 22 campus movements and about 20 staff spread across the state. 

Each movement and its staff coach are unique in geography, ethnic make-up, socio-economic status, and spiritual health. Some of these campus movements only have a part-time staff person who coaches the student leaders to share their faith and build Christ-centered movements at their university. Some of these movements are not yet officially recognized by the administration at their school. Jersey Metro is definitely a complex ministry.

 

With this new role, I get the honor to serve the staff persons who coach these students. Along with Mark Scott (current male area director pictured right), some of my new responsibilities will be to care for staff, cast vision for the purpose of the ministry and motivate the team and students to go wherever God calls us to go.

Thank God, these movements are all led by a God who pursued us to the point of becoming man who lived a life we couldn't, suffered a death we should have died so that we can live a life we don't deserve.

Please pray that I will be sensitive and obedient to the guiding of the Holy Spirit as He leads me to take part in leading this team.

In Awe!... of cities?

Last month, at RADIATE-In Awe, I had the opportunity to join Pastor Rich Perez from Christ Crucified Fellowship and director, Andy Young, of the Cru Philly team in a couch discussion in front of 1000 students.

Here is that interview following a great talk called "cities" by Pastor Rich. (starting at minute 53)
http://vimeo.com/83794784

Making Christ Fully Known, we are ...

...Jersey Metro Cru

I just finished submitting the Evangelism Plan for this school year to the National Directors of the Campus Field Ministry with Cru. It was exciting to write down all the many different ways our movements in the Urban area of New Jersey are seeking to advance God's kingdom on the college campuses of New Jersey.


One way is through the offer of FREE COFFEE! Click here to read about it on the web blog of one of my staff friends. We are blessed to see the positive feedback as we engage with students who don't often encounter Christians, especially ones willing to randomly give them coffee for their opinion. So far, three students have prayed to receive Christ and one to re-dedicate her life to Christ.

Another effort we are making as a statewide ministry is to use social media to MAKE HIS NAME KNOWN! So often Christians are known for what they're against. This is an opportunity for our students to tell their hundreds of Twitter & Facebook friends what/Who we as Christians are for! 

All students have to do is SHARE the bi-weekly video sent by our very own intern, Christine, and ask their friends for their opinions. Here is an example:

Hey FB friends and family, this is a summary of what I believe as a Christian. What do you think? Comments? #getoutthere #TheGospel #jerseymetrocru

Do You Agree?

Acting Kean Cru President)

This past week, the student leaders at Kean University put together an outreach event called "Do You Agree?"with the help of staff and a good Christian friend in faculty.

The idea for the outreach was initially developed at Humboldt State University (see below for details) but at Kean, it was led by Sharon Hawkins (pictured left) and a faculty friend at Kean.

“I Agree with” weeks began sweeping across college campuses in fall 1999 beginning at Humboldt State University, and then University of Arizona, stretching throughout the west coast, and east as far as Penn State University. The concept was born when Humboldt State decided to change a traditional Christmas ad, which they ran every year. The ad concludes with “If you have any questions about this incredible event, please ask one of us.” And then typically, it’s followed with the names of Christian students and faculty. Amidst much laughter, they decided to really get peoples attention with the ad that year, and listed just one name …Tom. No last name.

Kean University holds a lottery each year for non-funded groups and we just so happen to win! That means Kean funds an event of our choice for the student population and purchases whatever we need for it! We were able to order free shirts that said "Do You Agree?", free food for the night, a Cru table cloth for our info table, and money for souvenirs! We even got a few shirts for the night of that say "I Agree!" across the front. :)

With a background band, three testimonies, and about 5 musical selections, 75 students packed in the Cougar's Den (a popular cafe on campus) to hear what Cru believes is the best way to live life on campus in New Jersey, home to the National Atheist Society. Students sat at round tables of 4-8 people, discussing their opinions on God and spiritual things after a short video of student interviews. At the very end, about 50 people were still there to hear and see, through our testimonies & talents, what we all agree is the best way to live life on purpose.

Praise God for how He is moving at Kean in our Christian students' lives to impact the rest of campus! Please pray these students come visit us during our weekly meeting at some point as well!

Quest Week - Spring 2012

Jersey Metro Cru: A caring community passionate about connecting people to Jesus Christ.
Across the state, students are intentionally starting conversations and taking steps in their relationships to sharing Jesus Christ.

Quest Week: At Kean, we'd like to start spiritual conversations with students and faculty to get a better perspective of their views on life, love, God, and spiritual things. Join us in prayer as students start enlightening conversations, play games, and having lunch on the lawn for the sake of an opportunity to change a life with GOOD NEWS!

Week Schedule @ Kean:

Souls on the Green

Kean Cru students at "Souls on the Green"

• What? Have lunch together on the lawn daily. (Acts 2:42-47) Use tools like Soularium and Perspective Cards to start spiritual conversation & pray for the campus (an evangelism tool using pictures).
• When? 2-4pm(ish)
• Where? On grass in front of University Center (center of campus)

3:15-4:30pm daily activities:
Monday - Sports Outreach/ Evangelism using Perspective Cards
Tuesday - Prayer table and Soularium in the UC
Wednesday - Extended Souls on the Green
Thursday - Easter Egg Hunt (meet at UC clock tower)

Regularly Scheduled Other:
Prayer Walk - Monday 6:30pm - Clock tower
Women's time - Mon. 8pm - Library
Men's Time - Tues. 7pm - Basketball Court
Cru weekly mtg Bible Study- 8pm Hennings Hall Room 113 Thursday

Prayer Request:
Please continue to pray that the Kean leadership team endures, not giving up in helping make Christ fully known at Kean University!

March Ministry MADNESS!

Kean leader, Maria, and I

“Breaktona” Praise!
469 initiated conversations 

309 spiritual surveys 

233 Gospel presentations
32 Holy Spirit conversations
43 decisions for Christ & 16 rededications 

The Evangelism Model

"If we pursue knowing the many cultures on campus, and, in a sense, seek to learn their language and try to understand life from their worldview, then we will be moving effectively in the direction of true communication of the gospel."

http://crupress.campuscrusadeforchrist.com/green/index.php/resources/the_evangelism_model

This week was called "QuEST" week, where all the students across the state of NJ take the initiative to step out in faith to share the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God. Our goal this year is to have 2000 Gospel conversations! Last year we had over 1200! At Kean University, the students had several events planned to reach the campus.

• Monday they had a prayer walk through the campus.
• Tuesday they did 5-question spiritual surveys call QuEST with several students around campus. 
• Wednesday they took out the trash of residents on their dorm floors simply out of love.
• Thursday they set up a table in the University Center to share their faith through a picture survey called "soularium" with 50 pictures. This day, I was with them and able to get into quite a few gospel conversations. One daughter of a local Pastor plans to rededicate her life to the Lord after straying away.

Praise God for the things He is doing in and through these students who will ultimately return to their churches, trained to share their faith through various methods! Christa & Liscet (pictured right) are Kean Resident Hall Assistants and are already starting multiple conversations with students in their buildings! Now their students know where they can turn to when they simply need prayer! :0)

Special Praises

God is moving AROUND THE WORLD!

Did You Know?
There is a biography of Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ International, entitled Amazing Faith. Here’s an excerpt from it by Michael Richardson: “As the confession and prayer continued, Bill pointed them to the purpose of it all: Loving the world with the message of Christ and seeing the fulfillment of the Great Commission in this generation.”

Do you recall the US National Staff Conference for all Campus Crusade staff that I attended this past summer? This conference occurs every two years not only to develop our staff with new methods to reach the world for Jesus Christ but to give God all the glory and honor for the great things He’s done around the world. I wanted to encourage you with some of the stories that were shared in Colorado.

GOD HAS BEEN DOING AMAZING THINGS around the world!
The church should know & praise him!

The NJ Metro Director, Rob Mittuch (left with son, Trey), enthusiastically reports: “We heard story upon story of how God has been at work not only around our nation but around the world. Dr. Steve Douglass, the current president of Campus Crusade for Christ, told stories of how God has been working more dramatically around the world than he has ever seen or heard of in his 40+ years of ministry. In the last 10 years for instance there has been 100 million people baptized in the country of India, and in Ethiopia the population has gone from 10% to 20% Christian! The church in China has grown 100 fold in the last 60 years, and that is under intense persecution. Churches and missionary organizations are working together to reach the world for Christ in amazing ways! They are sharing training and resources and coming together to reach parts of the world which have the least Christian presence. At one point CCC went to the leadership of Wycliffe Bible Translators and asked if they would be able to switch from translating the Gospel of John first to translating Luke because it would go along with the Jesus film, and they eagerly agreed upon it. Wycliffe’s ability to translate the Bible has increased so rapidly that they will have a translation of the Bible into every known language by the year 2025. We heard story upon story of God showing up around the world; Muslims having dreams, churches being planted in places that traditionally never saw any fruit, foreign leadership being open to the Gospel and a tremendous amount of people turning their lives over to Christ!

In fact, we’ve seen God show up here in NJ in much the same way. We tallied up how many students here in NJ placed their faith in Christ through our ministry last year and it came to 106!” – Rob Mittuch Although we strongly believe numbers are not important, knowing them brings glory to God as they display the works that He is doing through His fruitful servants. Another opportunity we were given to reach students for Christ in New Jersey took place at a Christian concert geared towards teenagers and young adults. Rob Mittuch (above) was given the opportunity to speak for a few minutes to a crowd of thousands of students at “Revelation Generation” encouraging them to seek the Lord. Praise God!

Thank you for being part of fulfilling the Great Commission in this generation