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!

A whole NEW Jersey Cru

Cru in New Jersey is very different from the rest of the country. We are the most densely populated state sitting outside of modern-day Rome (AKA - NYC). We are extremely diverse in our cities and yet still somewhat separate in our suburban farm areas. We are called the "Garden State" because we produce so much and yet we are known as the armpit of the U.S. because we have lots of factories up North, and let's face it, it can smell sometimes. Newark, NJ is constantly on the top 5 for being the most dangerous city in America and I live 15 minutes away, in Jersey City. :) It's been said that there are less churches in one of our counties than in a certain East Asian country. I'd believe it because we are the home to the National Atheists Society. It's also been said that we are also one of the top 2 richest states in the country, yet I drive by the homeless daily.

Here, in this often disrespected state, students are worshiping God!
http://vimeo.com/35523580

This video is not something you would expect to see happen in the state of New Jersey. Especially by 200 college students and especially on the last Friday of each month. We simply call it Jersey Cru. :)
Praise God!

Video promo of our monthly meeting created by a student from New Jersey City University! :)

Felix Rodriguez

D-Ship....AKA Discipleship

Make Disciples...

The last Friday in April, the Jersey Metro team was able to send off our seniors as lifetime laborers for Christ at our last Jersey Cru (monthly statewide meeting) of the semester. It was a great honor to see three of the women I discipled this past year give their bit of wisdom to the student body and praise God for what He’s done in their lives.

 

Ash Bivins (pictured left) is one of the wonderful students I was able to work with this past year. As lead singer in the JCru worship band and a student leader in the Cru ministry at her school (Jersey City University),  Ashley was under a lot of pressure to get many "things done" this year. Early in the semester, Ashley realized that amidst all the craziness she was beginning to lose an eternal perspective on the relationships God had placed her in. She immediately prayed about this and brought it to my attention. As her discipler, there were only two things I could do: point her to what God has to say and pray for her as she follows Him. As Ashley continued to seek God throughout the year, her eyes were immediately opened to those with whom God had been calling her to enter into relationship with. Now as she prepares for Grad school, Ashley is readying her heart for ministry with the young women at NJCU. She plans to pour into other young women while she pursues a masters degree in music education at Jersey City University.

Jenn Lee (pictured right), who I discipled at Montclair State University my internship year and this past year, is graduating and preparing to help lead the Botswana Summer Project. Last year Jenn went to Botswana as a student on a 5 week Summer Missions Project to work with orphaned children. Here is a video link to show you more what she did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbYRkSzWwPY At the end of this past semester, Jenn Lee met with me to tell me her full testimony of how God pursued her heart in the midst of what felt like emotional chaos. Jenn Lee always knew her relationship with God could not depend upon that of others and now she's helping teach that to the youth in her church. I’m so proud of the woman of God she’s become. If you'd like to support Jenn in her trip to Botswana you can email her at: imjenniferxp@yahoo.com

 

Rachel Wallner (pictured right) is one of two student women at the New Jersey Institute of Technology  involved in Campus Crusade for Christ. This past year I’ve had the honor of getting to know her the final year of her undergraduate degree. Rachel is graduating and moving to Virginia for a job this June and one of her highest values before graduating was to learn how to walk with Jesus away from family and “Cru”. Rachel has such a sweet thirst for Jesus in her life and makes sure to pursue Him at every new turn. She’s learned how to study the Word, be vulnerable in community and grow in fellowship. I am confident that Rachel will continue to pursue God anywhere He may bring her.

On some occasions, I have the privilege of helping the student president of a ministry walk with Jesus for a lifetime. Although Sharon is just a junior at Kean, I thought you'd like to hear a bit about her story. This past year I was able to coach and disciple Sharon Hawkins, the student president of Campus Crusade for Christ at Kean University. Sharon has grown in her ability to share her faith shrewdly with grace and truth. She even had the opportunity to train others on how to share their faith on our Spring Break missions trip to Daytona, Fl. She is truly growing into a woman after God's own heart.

Happy “month to celebrate the love of God”! :o)

Thanks again for all that you have done to partner with this ministry!

CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST

- JERSEY METRO -

February, 2010 - Volume 3, Issue 2

As most of you know, during my intern year with the Jersey Metro Campus Ministry, I worked at New Jersey City University (NJCU). Aside from helping train students to develop a firm foundation & knowledge of their faith, part of my job is to disciple students in small groups or one-on-one on a regular bases. Contrary to my other campuses, NJCU had more male students excited to lead the ministry. Coming from a student ministry where I had to take a lot of leadership responsibility, I was very encouraged to meet young men like Joey Sforza (pictured below). Joey is a student I knew should be invested into, but there was just one problem: as a woman, I would have no idea how to encourage him in becoming a man of God! Some of you have previously read in my letters about Joey & how one of my director’s, Mark Scott, has been able to come along side him & build into his life. Now hear what Joey has to say:

"To say CCC has helped me would be a major understatement. To put it visually, CCC is an anchor, a hook really, upon which Jesus keeps me steady in His love, along with the many other support hooks He has casted into my life's waters. I'm convinced that there is never a day in which staff overlook the Kingdom, with respect to outsiders as well as, and more centrally, those inside, training the daylights out of them (or me, really) so they're equipped and ready for a Jesus-oriented life, which must have a firm discipleship-anchor in the bed of Christian experience, or else the slightest wind will sweep it into unsafe waters. Anyway, Cru has helped me immensely."

Last year I spoke to a young lady from NJCU who was praying about God’s calling on her life in regards to staff and her boyfriend. Joey is now engaged to that young lady, Jennifer, and they have both felt the Lord calling them to join staff this summer! Praise God!


TABBIE's TAB
This past month I have been praying a lot about whether God will have me stay in NJ or move back home with my parent’s in the Bronx. I am currently at 72% of my monthly support goal and am running out of ideas. The house I currently live in is up for sale & I need to be able to move into a new place when it is sold, which means pay a deposit. I will most likely be moving back to the Bronx to save money since I don’t get full checks at 72%. Please pray for this process to go smoothly!

Prayer Closet:

*Please pray that I reach 100% soon so that I can return to my mission field!
*Pray for Joey and Jen as they prepare for marriage, to graduate NJCU and to apply for staff!
*Our Spring Break Conference for Students

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

Visiting Students for Referrals....hmmmm to do or Not to DO?

This past month, I saw God amazingly bring in 64% of my monthly support goal! He is really speaking to the hearts of friends and family and they are joining my team! Most recently, I've seen a passion in my students to live a life pleasing to God.

The last Friday of September was the first Jersey Cru of the semester. This is a gathering of about 200 students who are involved in Campus Crusade for Christ across the state at different campuses. They come together to fellowship, learn about new ways to grow in the Lord, and hear what's happening on other campuses. Not to mention the awesome band, diverse in appearance and sound! Who said we couldn't do it?! Pah!

Anyway, at this meeting I set up two other meetings at Montclair State University (MSU) & New Jersey City University (NJCU). I met with the student leaders at MSU to discuss referrals to their parents and church leaders. The next day, I went to NJCU an talked to the entire group. (Pic. R. NJCU Praying for my ministry).

I was so proud to hear good NEWS from both of these campuses! As an intern, I coached both campuses and encountered heresy trying to slip through and then struggled with small groups of students who just wanted to be that. A year later and into the Fall semester, the groups are not just growing in number, but in passion! Students are sharing their faith and living their lives out loud as Christians!

(Pictured below are NJCU students who attended our Christmas Conference Dec. 08)

I even have two ladies as me to return as soon as possible because they are thirsty for discipleship! Please pray the Lord will use me in that capacity soon at 100% support or bring someone into their lives for them!