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. 

conversations

Seton Hall student, Damaris, who I disciple, 

with me just before sharing our faith at campus blitz

Much of my life consists of conversations with college students. I even live with one!

Most of these conversations are simple “get to know you” types but there are also the very specific interactions I plan with students for the sake of their spiritual and professional development.

As the female team leader in New Jersey, I also have many conversations with national Cru leaders whose concern is to reach these students for Christ, build them in their faith and send them to reach the lost.

Cru has set a goal to send 1 million “multipliers” (people who know & share their faith in Jesus) into the world by 2020.

During Spring break many students stay home to catch up with their shows on Netflix, visit family out of town, or simply sleep all day. This year, our staff planned another option for the students to consider spending 2/7 days they have off.

Jersey schools are split over which week to have spring break, so for each week, our staff planned to reach those campuses not on break. This past Monday & Tuesday, we trained students who participated in different methods and tools for evangelism.

We prayed and shared the Gospel with 13 different people, initiated spiritual conversation with 65 more people and led one person to Christ.

 

New Jersey is very diverse. At Rutgers Camden, day two, we wrote the words “Only Jesus Saves” in chalk on the ground in front of the student center in over 15 different languages. The spelling was acquired through random students on campus who spoke those languages. Many stopped to watch and take pictures with their primary language.

God is reaching students of every nation in very unique ways!

Follow @JerseyMetro on Twitter or Instagram to see more photos & celebrate more good news!

Happy End of the Year!

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family! Of course, my friend having an asthma attack Friday night after my mom fell down the stairs and dislocated her elbow wasn't fun. But all are well and healing slowly as they trust the Lord, their Raffa. As I reflect over this past semester, I can't help but think of blessing after blessing after pain. Makes me think of that verse "goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life".

Just before Thanksgiving, I went away for a staff conference where the Lord challenged me through our regional directors to REST in Him! Not just escape via movies, television and friendly conversation, but spend time in His lap listening to His soothing words. I would consider myself an introverted extravert; I really enjoy spending time with people or sitting alone in my room as I video chat with them or read about them on Facebook or Twitter. The cyber interaction isn't as overwhelming as face to face interaction all week long, but it's also not very restful. Being the good New Yorker that I am, I'm constantly in motion and the idea of spending the entire week of Thanksgiving at REST at home caused me stress.

So I decided to spend as much time on campus as possible before "leaving" for a week of rest. Just before the staff conference I spent nearly 40 hours working in just a 4 day period and although in retrospect it wasn't the wisest thing to do, it was SO worth it!
 

Sharon, Christa & Coral

• Monday night, Kean Cru organized a party to pack shoe boxes that they would later donate with sororities & other social  groups from Kean University to Operation Christmas Child via the ministry of Samaritan's Purse. We were able to pack and wrap around 15 boxes from Kean Cru alone! :) Praise God, Jehova-Jireh, our provider!

•  Wednesday night I knew God was laying it on my heart to talk to the best friend of one of the student leaders from Kean Cru. After a long day of meetings and discipleship, I went to visit Jenny in her dorm. Through a 4 1/2 hour conversation full of random stories and the Gospel, we called Christa (center above), to experience the joy of watching her best friend pray to enter into a relationship with Christ! :) Praise God, loving Father.

• After an initial failed attempt to visit the gay pride group on campus, Kean Cru was invited to attend their weekly meeting. Kean Cru leaders prayed all week long as a few well-spoken seniors and grad students from the Christian group represented the ministry by apologizing for the general actions of hateful Christians towards homosexuals. Soaked in love and prayer, these students delivered an authentic and unapologetic message to the gay community at Kean University. "We serve a God of love, not hate. He created you and us for relationship with Him and we know that He sent us here to Kean to tell you that He loves you." Cru students reported that the members of the gay group were in awe and nearly moved to tears at the thought that God would love them. At the end of their truthful and loving message, a student responded "I have something to say to you on behalf of the gay community..." At this point, the Kean Cru student leaders nervously began to try to recall scripture that they may need for the anticipated debate. The student continues "...we are sorry for avoiding you and treating you differently simply for what you believe. You may be different from us, but we can treat you with love." Mouths dropped as they thanked one another for their time and left in peace! :) Our God is loving and sovereign! In His time, we pray He will cause that planted seed to grow!
• Thursday afternoon, I met with a student who prayed a year ago to receive Christ but has been struggling with figuring out how that changes her life. Later that night at our weekly meeting Bible study, guest Pastor Peter Torres spoke on "Love and Forgiveness". Taking us to the garden of Eden and through a detailed meaning of the cross of Christ, Peter challenged those who know and don't know God to have a deeper understanding of His relentless love. This challenge pierced the heart of the young lady I met with earlier that day and she re-dedicated her life to the Lord and set up accountability to walking with Him right then and there. :) Praise God, omniscient King!

Ministry Tools

Did you hear about the earthquake on the east coast? 

Have you noticed it's been raining way more than typical for this time of year? 

Have you heard what's happening in Texas? 

Who's your favorite NFL/MLB team? 

Although there is nothing wrong with asking these questions in everyday conversations, have you ever wondered how to get into a deeper, more meaningful conversation with your neighbor, friend, peer or co-worker? Well here is an online video tool to help:

 
crupressgreen.com

.... offers evangelism tools and training for engaging people in meaningful conversations.

Colossians 4:5,6 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

What is CoJourners?
Click here to see a video about an evangelism tool called "CoJourners" which helps you enter into spiritual conversations with friends, family & peers who may not yet know Jesus.

1. Learn how to be a brighter light to those around you by becoming the "explorer", the "guide", the "builder", and the "mentor". 
2. Be aware of barriers that may inhibit this person in your life from hearing about Jesus.
3. Understand how to engage in conversation with each individual person and where that person is.
4. Do it.

There are 5 videos in this series. 

Attached is just the first one, but feel free to look through the website for the rest! Enjoy!

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 

"Break-tona" 2011- Spring Break at Daytona

What can God possibly do with 34 Christian students on the beach in Daytona, FL?
(Here are some Twitter updates...+ pictures) 

Rob challenging our students to jump off the cliffs of fear in faith to share the only hope. (Rom.15:13)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Day 1, Rob Mittuch prays with two guys on Daytona beach to receive Christ! Praise God!
• Maria talkied bout how to have a conversation with someone who's a Christian but not walking with the Spirit. "satisfied training"(picture right)
• Community night for day 1???...Men's & Women's Times! Wahoo! Bring your nail polish ladies!
• Day 2 Jersey is out and about having a scavenger hunt at the Ocean Walk mall for the purpose of striking conversation with people for Jesus. (picture below)
• We have scavenger hunt winners!- Jen, Fitz, Sarah, Ben congrats! But even better, Mike and his group were able to pray with people to come to Christ.
• 4 guys came to Christ during the Scavenger Hunt. The student who led them was in awe (for an hour) of seeing God's hand move before his very eyes - #lifetransformed
• Day 3- This morning we stop to pray for those who came to know Christ and for those who want to come to know Christ that we will minister to this week. 
• Esther leads an awesome devotional about the need for community for the sake of the Gospel being shared in a visible way.
• "People belong before they believe...Maybe all we need to do is help people see Jesus." - @Mittuch on evangelism (John 3:14,15) 
• Tomorrow a team from our National Office is coming to spend the day with us and hear good stories.

CoJourners - C4:5,6

How do I train students to share their faith?

This is typically my role and has recently been made easier through this video. Below is an intro to an evangelism paradigm of how to share ones faith in a practical way with people you cross paths with daily. Evangelism and "witnessing" tends to inhibit many Christians, but this opens our eyes to how simple it can be.

Click here to view the 6 minute intro to a wonderful tool to encourage you toward this mission.