Snippets of Last Year

It's been a while since I updated you on what's happening on the campuses of New Jersey with Cru, so here are some short snippets from my monthly prayer letter. If you ever wanted to sign up to receive these letters via email, click here.

November

YOU'RE INVITED
The month of November was full of invitations for students. The Jersey Metro staff team invited students to Jersey Cru (pictured above) where students heard invitations to our winter conference called “RADIATE”, and to Summer Mission with Cru.

 Every year, we invite students to these conferences to give them opportunities to grow in their faith with other students in similar life stages and college circumstances. One of these students, Kassy Martinez (pictured left), is an emcee at our statewide meeting who’s been involved in the ministry at Kean University for three years. Last year, both emcees were our student representatives for RADIATE encouraging other students to attend the 4-day conference in DC. 

For the last two summers, Jeffery has participated and some form of summer mission but Kassy confessed she’s avoided it. Before an audience of her peers, Kassy confessed her selfishness and fear that prevented her from living on mission for God during her summers. At that moment, she declared that before graduation in May, she would apply for a summer mission trip with Cru. She’s not yet sure if she will go to the Dominican Republic or our stateside partnership – Hampton Beach, NH so please continue to keep her in your prayers as she prepares to raise the funds necessary to go. 

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December

Luis & Chris-John at Fall Retreat in October 

As our new staff, Joel Aponte, continues to raise his support away from campus activities, I’ve had the privilege of stepping in to coach the NJIT Cru ministry.  The New Jersey Institute of Technology is full of aspiring engineers who enjoy math, science & strategic planning.

Several of these fun & intelligent young men lead the movement of 10 students. Please pray for Chris-John, Luis, Nick & Tyler as they help lead their campus to Christ. March 2^nd, they will have an outreach called Pizza & God. 

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January

All throughout Scripture, God promises to be with his people. From the pillar of cloud in Exodus, to the Great Commission in Matthew, God assures his people over and over again that he will be with them wherever they go.

WITH US

This year, speakers at our winter conference (RADIATE) taught on this life-giving truth, and the implications it has for us today. 1,228 students from New York to Virginia packed into a DC hotel for four days to learn more about the great God we serve. Almost 100 students from New Jersey took this opportunity to grow in their faith and in community with other college students.

 

622 students signed this pledge: "Lord Jesus, I submit to you and in the power of your Spirit, I will...go where you want me to go, do what you want me to do, say what you want me to say, and give what you want me to give." Of those who signed the pledge, 29 trusted Christ as their Savior, 110 committed to spending at least a year of their life in full-time vocational ministry and 283 committed to going on a Summer Mission with Cru! 

Last letter, I told you about Kassy  (pictured right of me) who made a pledge before 200 of her peers at Jersey Cru to go on a Summer Mission Trip. I’m happy to report that she has just been accepted to the two-week missions trip to the Dominican Republic! Please pray for her and the other Jersey students who will begin raising the financial support necessary to go this summer!

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New Beginnings

        It’s a new year but I feel like God’s been making things new for a while now. Usually campus ministry can often feel new because there are always new freshmen and new leaders leading the ministry, and even sometimes new staff.  This year there seems to be more of a spiritual renewal. In 2012 God was working the same thing in my personal life and ministry life as He was with my church (Calvary Baptist Church in NYC). There seemed to be a Spirit-led call in 2012 to focus on prayer. I often prayed that God would not let my students feel complacent in their walks with Jesus and that students who don’t know Him personally would have a hunger to know Him.

This past semester, two students prayed to receive Christ at Kean’s weekly Bible study meetings called Cru.  Throughout the semester, two Muslim student women attended Cru on three separate occasions and invited us to their Muslim Student Association (MSA) meetings.  My attendance to two of their meetings caused the rest of the Muslim students to inquire more about Christianity, its differences from Islam, and its origin! I’m happy to say that as a result of God’s response to our prayers, there are five newly involved leaders who are soon to be spiritual multipliers and are currently ready to be discipled and trained to help lead a small movement, share their faith boldly and build into others. Another answered prayer is Joel Aponte (pictured kneeling), this year’s intern who is working at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and Kean University. Joel has been a positive influence on some of the men at Kean, the ministry at NJIT and with students across the state. Please pray for him as he follows God’s lead in choosing his new career path, whether with Cru full-time or something else.