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!

God’s NOT Dead

“Son of God”, “Noah”, “Heaven is For Real”, and “God’s Not Dead” - Seems as though the month of April is Christian month for the American theaters.

I work with college students. College is a time where young people are searching for truth and clarity about themselves and what they grew up learning… sometimes that includes truth about who God is. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of taking a few students to see the movie “God’s NOT Dead”. This film is a good example of an experience many students (including myself) have had as Christians in secular schools. This is one reason Cru exists – to help build the young Christian in their faith.

*We also hope to train students to share the reason for their faith (Jesus) with their professors and peers with uncompromising truth and loving respect.

Once a month on a Friday night, we gather students together for some praise and worship, a little spiritual jump-start, and a chance to hear what God is doing on these campuses through these students.We call it Jersey Cru.

At this month’s Jersey Cru, I will be announced as the female director of Jersey Metro. This is such a unique ministry with over 22 campus movements and about 20 staff spread across the state. 

Each movement and its staff coach are unique in geography, ethnic make-up, socio-economic status, and spiritual health. Some of these campus movements only have a part-time staff person who coaches the student leaders to share their faith and build Christ-centered movements at their university. Some of these movements are not yet officially recognized by the administration at their school. Jersey Metro is definitely a complex ministry.

 

With this new role, I get the honor to serve the staff persons who coach these students. Along with Mark Scott (current male area director pictured right), some of my new responsibilities will be to care for staff, cast vision for the purpose of the ministry and motivate the team and students to go wherever God calls us to go.

Thank God, these movements are all led by a God who pursued us to the point of becoming man who lived a life we couldn't, suffered a death we should have died so that we can live a life we don't deserve.

Please pray that I will be sensitive and obedient to the guiding of the Holy Spirit as He leads me to take part in leading this team.

In Awe!... of cities?

Last month, at RADIATE-In Awe, I had the opportunity to join Pastor Rich Perez from Christ Crucified Fellowship and director, Andy Young, of the Cru Philly team in a couch discussion in front of 1000 students.

Here is that interview following a great talk called "cities" by Pastor Rich. (starting at minute 53)
http://vimeo.com/83794784

Surviving VS Thriving

WE SURVIVED! 

...AND THRIVED!

It's been an extremely DIFFICULT and yet EXCITING month! 

I expected to do a lot of planning for the Fall and I knew my role on staff would be different but I didn't expect to have so much more responsibility. My new role as the Missional Team Leader (MTL) in the Urban area in New Jersey expands my responsibility to coach a team of student leaders to include staff and intern leaders as well!

To the left is a collage of pictures of my coaching group this Summer on our trip to go white-water rafting. Being a city girl, I didn't often enter into nature's uncontrollable scene. That was God's work and I typically appreciated it from afar with my paint brush and canvas but this time God had something else in mind! I was SO nervous to head into the unfamiliar and basically learn through experience and yet, none of us fell out or were injured! Our guide was younger than us and had only a High School education but he was the expert and knew how to correct our mistakes if and when we did!

Similarly, I know the Holy Spirit is an expert (at the very least) in winning people to Himself! He controls the waves of the sea and he reigns over the waves of ministry! 

Just as the guide taught us how to row correctly, my job now calls me to be a guide and coach the staff, interns & student leaders in how to lead others to Christ, build them up & send them into mission. As their team leader, I will have to be the example but I can't do it alone. I need the help of my team to maneuver through the waves of ministry and I especially need the leading of the Holy Spirit to show us where to go.

• Please take a moment to stop and pray for the Holy Spirit to move before us in the lives of students who don't yet know Christ and those who know Him but don't know how to serve yet.
• Please also pray that God will remove all obstacles that can cause our team to row out of sync and any obstacles that may not allow us to report to campus full-time. (ie: financial support) Pray that we may thrive in His power!

Missional Team Leader (MTL)

This summer I’ll be getting trained for my new role as the female Missional Team Leader (MTL) of the North Urban area of NJ. J

I’m so excited to take on this role where I will coach and train staff to lead diverse movements on several campuses in the urban area of New Jersey!

There are 106,000 college students in the Hudson County and surrounding urban areas of New Jersey. I pray the Holy Spirit will work through me as I co-lead with Mark Scott (the Jersey Metro Cru director) to direct several new interns and staff whom God has called, to reach each of these campuses with the knowledge of Jesus Christ, for the glory of God! There is so much untapped potential in this community and I can’t wait to see what God does!

            This summer is very important for me to spend time listening to God’s voice as He guides me to set goals and make plans to reach every future leader on the urban college campus.  I trust the Lord to teach me new strategies this summer through the Spirit-led training given by senior Cru staff in Colorado. I also trust He will raise the financial support that my team and I need to implement those plans this upcoming new school year.

            Please pray for me as I hope to incorporate all three reasons God has called me to staff in these plans. Those are: to help Christian minority students make their faith personal; to build up young women in Christ so that their hearts would be set on Him; and to bridge the gap between the majority and minority cultures in the Christian world.

            Please also pray that the Holy Spirit will lead His children to give to this purpose so that every college student will know somebody who truly follows Jesus Christ. I imagine a day where young minorities are working as missionaries alongside the majority culture to advance God’s kingdom everywhere. Will you help in making this possible this year? Will you consider giving a one-time $100 gift or making a monthly pledge?

In order to reach college students (like Sharon pictured left) with the life-transforming truth of the Gospel, I need be fully funded by supporters like you. My monthly support is currently 30% shy of where it should be to receive full paychecks and when retreats, conferences, or training occur, those funds are depleted even more for payment of these events.

Would you consider helping meet my one-time needs for this summer or beginning your monthly gift today?

Visit give.ccci.org/0597677 for more details on how to give or email me at edithann.morales@cru.org