October 2015 Short Stories

It’s not always easy being on mission for the LORD all the time. Andy Mineo, a Christian rap artist, has released music that I think communicates the feelings, dangers and blessings of being on mission with God. A busy lifestyle, even for the LORD, can be the downfall of a Christian. If we don’t stay focused, we can lose sight of the vision and of God’s heart. My life has been busy, but God is still working on me. Thank God! ;)

NEW YORK CITY (Oct. 5^th – 8^th)

Rockefeller Center, NYC

The first week of October, I spent four days learning first-hand about the mission and vision of the campus ministry of Cru in NYC. Many of you know I am from New York originally and only came to NJ to study Deaf education. As a native New Yorker, Puerto Rican woman, and trained leader with Cru I can be an asset to the team of 30 working to reach 1 million students for Christ.

On Tuesday, the Worldwide Day of Prayer, we prayed at Brooklyn College (historically difficult to access) and the next day prayed for the entire city at “Top of the Rock” in Manhattan. Please pray with me as I careful consider this option for my future with Cru.

NJ-NY CRU FALL RETREAT (Oct. 9^th – 11^th)

Fall Retreat with Staff Women

The weekend following, I gave leadership to the New Jersey / New York City Fall Retreat with the theme “Community”. We had ministries from New York City with the Campus Ministry of Cru, Epic (reaching the campus through Asian-Americans), & Destino (reaching the campus through Hispanics & Latinos) join the New Jersey Campus ministries of Cru and they definitely put the word “community” to action.

Cru is a caring community, passionate about connecting people to Jesus Christ. It was beautiful to see all these communities with individual stories from various ethnicities & cultures come together to share in the great story of Jesus’ life and death that makes us into one community. Praise God for 150 in attendance!

ORLANDO, FL (Oct.11^th – 17^th)

SLI6 Participants

The second week of October, I spent 50 hours with the participants of the 6^th Senior Leadership Institute (SLI). We discussed the importance of a strong spiritual foundation to our leadership, cultural intelligence of a leader, the roles & responsibilities within the framework of a leader, the growth model, & how to coach students and teams. We also worked on a team to interview a Christian chief investment officer (CIO) to learn about his leadership style.

One thing I am excited for is that I get a coach who is Christian and who doesn’t work with Cru but will pour into my leadership development for the next two years.  I am also part of a small process group with whom I’ll work with to help bring improvements to Cru.

NJ #LIGHTUPJERSEY Evangelism Week (Oct. 19^th – 23^rd)

Large Jersey Light Brite
(Each Gospel conversation is a light)

The third week of October, New Jersey students canvased their campuses, spreading the Good News of Jesus to all who would hear! One day, I got to go to the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) to train three students involved with Cru in how to share their faith. These days, technology is key to communicating with this younger generation and even more so at an institute of technology like NJIT.

After teaching these three young men how to use the “Perspectives” app, “God Tools” app, and “The Jesus Film” app, we walked onto campus and shared the Gospel with 5 different students.  Although none of the students put their trust in Christ, they all were intrigued with the subject of Christianity and indicated an interest to continue learning about who Jesus is. J The conversations also inspired those three young Christian men to continue to share their faith with peers and family as well as train others to do the same!

Kean Homecoming (Oct.24^th)

That following Saturday, I attended the Kean homecoming event where our student leaders set up a table where families of faculty, staff & students could make masks & get to know more about Cru.

The student president of Cru at Kean decided to keep her brother entertained by playing a picture survey called “Soularium” where she asked him questions about God and his spiritual journey.  At the end of this Gospel conversation, Brandon gave his life to Christ!

Mid-Atlantic Team Leaders Conference (Oct. 26^th – 29^th)

The following week I attended a Team Leaders conference in Winchester, Virginia with staff like myself. There were about 50 team directors in the room and I was the only one who was an ethnic minority.

Sometimes this particular conference gets me down because I feel so alone but this year I grew even more passionate about what could happen if the demographics of the room changed to more accurately reflect the scope we are hoping to reach.

"Okay, I'm a college student... Now where are all the Christians?"

Kean Cru Core Group

Can you remember your first day? Of school, work, college? Do you remember walking into a room of people you didn't know in an environment you were unfamiliar with?

I do. I remember thinking that all I had to do was make sure I was invisible to everyone but the professor and if anyone were to see me, they would see my dedication to school work and only talk about that... Or so I hoped.

I remember the first day someone at my college talked to me about Jesus.  I had not yet found a Christian community on campus to connect with because the campus felt HUGE and the environment felt lonely. One day in the University Center, a woman behind a table with books and surveys asked me if I was interested in getting involved in something called "Campus Crusade for Christ". It seemed invasive honestly... I mean "crusade?!”...really? Unsure of their mission or doctrine, I did what my daddy taught me. I started grilling this woman with questions. "What do you do?" "Do you believe in the authority of scriptures?" "What do you believe about Jesus?"  The woman I spoke to saw my passion and recognized I had a Christian history. She calmed my worries of doctrinal issues (something every college student thinks about... not) and invited me to coffee. That interaction changed the path of the rest of my life.

Do you have a moment like that? Bethany does. Bethany is the student vice president of Cru at Kean University.

Bethany learned about a relationship with Jesus Christ her freshman year at a Cru table full of water bottles. Since then, Bethany has attended Bible studies, women's time, Jersey Cru, Fall Retreat and RADIATE, our winter conference. She even took the step of faith to raise her own financial support (coming from a Catholic Church) so that she can go on a Summer Mission with Cru to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. Today Bethany is still learning to walk in her faith and multiply her faith by sharing with others. Watch her video testimony here: https://youtu.be/gWJhdwZmm4g

Just before speaking at Jersey Cru

The start of the new academic year includes hundreds of these life-changing encounters. Many students encounter a Christian for the first time within the first 6 weeks of school. Jersey Cru, our statewide Cru meeting is the first time they witness 200 believers from 20 or so college movements across the state in one room worshipping God together! Soon after Jersey Cru is Fall Retreat, where many first time students solidify new Christian friendships, grow in their understanding of scripture, and get trained to engage in spiritual conversations just like that initial one they had with a random Christian. Please pray for these weeks!

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.

March Madness – Missions Style

All month long, students in the Jersey Metro ministry of Cru have been making famous the story behind the name, the man, the living – Jesus Christ!

Big-Break (Panama City, FL)

While students from around the nation made their way toward the sun for Spring break, our students looked for ways to connect them to the Son for every season that may come their way.

Gas for 1250 miles - $650, sitting in a minivan with 6 other women - 0 leg room, caravanning with another minivan of 6 women - 10 pit stops, sharing the Gospel with over 2000 students  --- priceless.

I had the privilege of accompanying 12 student women to join about 1200 others in Panama City Beach, FL to share the good news of Jesus. We started conversations with over 5000 people and it led to over 2000 Gospel presentations, which then led to 157 beach goers indicating decisions for Christ!! 
The week was long and I am still recovering, but God is so great!

BigBlitz (Ramapo, Rutgers, Stockton, Montclair - NJ)

Students preparing at MSU to share

During the same week, the students who were on Spring Break but couldn’t go to Florida went to blitz two campuses who were not on break. The following week (Spring break for the other ten campuses we work on) the other students blitzed two new campuses! 

Campus Blitz - Where a large group of people post flyers, take spiritual surveys, prayer walk, and start spiritual conversations with as many as possible within a day!

Staff and about 20 students who participated visited a total of four universities and had 158 spiritual conversations that led to 68 Gospel presentations and 1 decision for Christ!

Quest Week - #getoutthere (NJ)

Soularium, a picture survey used to
start spiritual conversation

Just before Spring Break, an alumni panel came to Kean Cru to share how they live out their vocation (to know, enjoy & share God) through their current occupations (what occupies their time). 

During that week many students were challenged and made efforts to start spiritual conversations despite what occupied their time – midterms!

Although there are many obstacles to living out our vocation, we must keep intimate connection with the King who calls us and has gone before us into the field.

8PM Midnight Prayer

This is happening tonight! Shining a light at Rutgers University in New Brunswick only a week away from Halloween! Please cover us in your prayers team!

#GetOutThere

#GetOutThere

Most students are distracted by classes, campus activities and jobs and can easily forget about their role as missionaries to their campus. One of the ways we are hoping to encourage them to remember to reach the state for Christ is to encourage students to use #GetOutThere whenever they do an activity that brings more attention to the name and character of Jesus Christ.

 

#Kean Cru leaders planning to #GetOutThere #ForChrist

A hash tag (#) before a comment is a huge way this generation communicates their true feelings, thoughts or opinions about a subject or picture. It also helps categorize all of the pictures or comments referring to that (similar to storing in a folder).

*see example on right

To be all things to all people, the Jersey Metro Cru staff team decided to use #GetOutThere to celebrate God’s work through the steps of faith students are taking. We will know when they take steps of faith to share the Gospel, pray or have an outreach because it will be under the category #GetOutThere and then we can share stories at our statewide meeting, Jersey Cru.