Jersey Metro Cru is Unique

Students who are and alumni who were involved in the Cru movements of New Jersey (known as Jersey Metro Cru) are unique. These young Christian leaders have been exposed to the Good News of Jesus as expressed through a variety of people and cultures.

Kean University Cru @ Fall Retreat 2014

A DIFFERENT WORLD
Not many college campus movements are made up of such an ethnically diverse group. Being involved in Cru at just one campus, you can befriend someone from Singapore, dorm with a Filipino American, meet African-Americans, Chinese Americans, first generation Haitians, second generation Dominicans or Puerto Ricans, Portuguese students and even 7th generation Germans. It's not uncommon to see this group having dinner, fellowshipping in the game lounge or going on mission trips together - especially in the northeast parts of New Jersey.

In fact, Steve Douglass, president of Campus Crusade for Christ - the worldwide non-churched based organization to which Cru belongs, spoke at Jersey Cru (our statewide Cru meeting) just two years ago. He told stories of people from around the world coming to know Jesus and then looked at the crowd and pointed out the reality of the amazing diversity in the room. We once asked how many people spoke a second-language and 2/3 students stood up. Darryl Smith, president of the high school ministry of Cru also came to speak at this meeting and noted feeling like it was heaven but without the amazing food.

STEP BY STEP
This type of environment didn't just happen overnight. 
A few students had to make a decision to be uncomfortable in a setting that was for the majority different than what they were used to. These students challenged the band to learn new music for worship, gave the staff different background music to play before and after the meetings, and introduced various Pastors and speakers to the team. Each individual student engaged with as many of the majority culture in the room as possible so that each person they met would know that not all stereotypes are correct and crossing culture isn't so scary. When other ethnic minorities came, they felt more comfortable seeing people who looked like them and sounded like them. This initial group stayed and created space for others to come and continue to create space. The ministry in New Jersey isn't perfect but also hasn't lost it's core values to glorify God but now expresses them through a variety of ways.

OUR VISION
Empowered and led by the Holy Spirit, each staff and student strive to advance God's kingdom by making Jesus Christ known in whatever way possible to whomever possible for the sake of influencing the state and the world. These staff and students recognize that there are students attending college on U.S. soil who are citizens of countries in which Christians are not allowed. They also see and seize opportunities to create communities that are ethnically diverse and reflective of their state.

SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? 
Students, staff and alumni of New Jersey have a unique perspective of the body of Christ. 

• We can more easily connect with others across cultures unlike many in our nation.
• So we can share the Good News of Jesus with MORE people.

• We see the spiritual depravity first-hand as we engage in spiritual conversations across ethnic barriers on campus.
• So we can step up in leadership within and outside of our ethnic cultures to bring about positive change.

• We have seen and acknowledged the racism within our own hearts and the relational divide within the body of Christ nationwide.
• So we can challenge our brothers and sisters in Christ here and around the U.S. to grow in building relationships and loving others across cultures.

#GETOUTTHERE

God didn't just place you in the Jersey Metro ministry of Cru for no reason. Our nation is currently suffering from the lack of knowledge and love for each other that comes with the experiences we've had living here. You know this breaks God's heart. So Have His Heart for our nation.

Could God want you to go somewhere, say something, do something, or give something that can be a small step towards the healing of our nation? 

Ethnic Diversity Matters

You may have read in my last letter about my trip to headquarters in Orlando, Florida back in August. I went to help the national direction team create a strategic plan for our national priorities and it was an honor to have been invited into that conversation.

I’ve been invited into several projects over the past few months with Cru. Although my new role title is female director for Jersey Metro Cru, I have been invited into several other conversations by some of its national directors that will help change the outlook of our organization as a whole.

Diverse group @ Jersey Cru

Around the nation, Cru campus movements are led and filled with majority White staff and students. Jersey Metro Cru is a rare community with various ethnic backgrounds and cultures represented. Some of this could be attributed to the make-up of the campus or the students’ rare ability to integrate with one another. Sadly, another reason could be the fear and uneasiness in presenting the Gospel to students of a different culture or ethnicity.

My long-term goal is to help Cru campus movements across the nation reflect its scope ethnically. God recently provided an opportunity for me to put these thoughts into a video presentation (visit my blog to view video) that was presented to our national campus direction team at headquarters by the Mid- Atlantic national director and a few others.

God is already moving in the hearts of so many staff, faculty and students to go in this direction. I am excited to see how God will use students from New Jersey to help transform Sunday morning experiences and encourage love and unity throughout our country during this very difficult time. Thanks for being part of this.

“And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common.”

(Acts 2:43-44)

1. Students leaders are preparing for finals and the holidays. Please pray they are able to set their eyes on Jesus.

2. Jersey Metro Cru staff are preparing for next semester and for RADIATE in our nations capitol. Please pray for this.

3. Personally I’m tired. Please pray I rest well in Jesus and His word.

www.JerseyMetro.com

Tabbystab.blogspot.com

September is OVER!

New "Jersey Metro" Mission Statement

God is doing SO much! How is it already October?!

First of all, I am so sorry for getting this letter out so late! This new job is very time-consuming.

Second, thank you SO much for praying for me throughout the beginning of the school year! I have felt God's power in me through your prayers!

Our staff are already prepared for Fall Retreat coming up NEXT WEEKEND! We only have about 60 students from New Jersey Colleges and Universities attending the $100 weekend retreat, but we hope many more sign up this week!

We don't just want students there for the sake of numbers! In our experience, college students have been transformed by God because they are surrounded by peers who are also seeking God, they are being poured into through multiple biblical talks, and they can experience being still through something we call a "Prayer Journey." This all combined over two nights and five meals! That's a LOT of JESUS! :) Please pray for the Lord to connect with students at Fall Retreat.

Another super exciting thing that has already happened is JERSEY CRU! This year I actually got a chance to speak at our statewide student meeting, where a third of the room was filled with NEW students! This is very exciting for us as a Jersey Metro team. We have been praying for the 550 students involved across the state to attend the monthly gathering and almost 200 have come! I was able to speak about the very real spiritual war we are in as Christians and challenge our students to persevere when our enemies: our flesh, the world, and Satan attack.

One of the ways we hope they go on the offense in this war is by taking something the world says to use for our own glory and use it for God's! 

Social Media is on the rise.... still. Why not use your Facebook page, Twitter post, or your Instagram picture to advance God's kingdom and His GOOD NEWS?! We've been encouraging our students to do this and use the hashtag, #GOSPELGOESVIRAL so that we can track how many people are reading what we post on social media about Jesus! Join us and let's see what happens! 

I'll be posting on my blog, facebook and twitter. Feel free to simply "share" or copy and paste what I'm posting. Be sure to #GOSPELGOESVIRAL :)

Transition Transition Transition… oh, and Transition

May is all about transition. The sun transitions to a more visible position. Seniors say their final words of wisdom to the underclassmen before they head out to the real world. Staff families take off to lead in their summer mission assignments known as Summer Projects. Students transition out of their regular schedules. And I… well… I have just been announced as the Jersey Metro Cru female director!

One thing that is not changing this season is my location! This summer I will be working alongside Mark Scott, Jersey Metro male director, to plan how we will help guide the team for next year. I am also coaching new and returning interns on how to raise up their ministry team so that they can be fully supported as they enter into the full-time mission field. Please pray that I grow in discipline with my time and my relationship with the Lord as I lead in these new roles.

Tab, Laura, Nicole, Lakesha (new Kean Cru pres), Kassy, Sarah

I’m excited to announce that Laura Fairchild, former president of Kean Cru who I discipled from her freshman year, is now raising support to intern with our Mid-Atlantic regional office! She will be using her degree in accounting to be a support and resource to our staff across the region. 
I’m so proud of her willingness to take such a large step of faith to raise her salary for the next year as she surrenders her “American Dream” to serve her King full-time for a year. Especially as the first African-American woman to serve in that office! Please pray for her to meet those who God is calling to financially support her so that she can report in August.

Please also keep in prayer our Jersey Metro staff team who are serving this summer in the Dominican Republic, Hampton Beach in New Hampshire, and those staying in New Jersey. Many of our team needs more financial support in order to stay full-time campus ministers. Some have yet to even report because of this.  Please continue to pray as we trust the Lord with all these things this summer.