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. 

CHANGE IS NOT EASY

In my last letter, I talked about how New Jersey is a “different world”… but really, it’s more like college life is a different world.

When a freshman walks onto the college campus, he/she is very aware of the differences from home life. Sometimes these differences stem from their ethnic cultures. Often students will start to feel alone, misunderstood, and frustrated by the second month of the semester… unless they meet a friend… someone else who may feel alone or scared but chooses to smile and say “hello”.

Beyond college life, many people are scared of what they do not know or understand and often that leads to assimilation or isolation. However, when someone is bold enough to engage with another person made in the likeness of God, they choose freedom over the bondage of fear.

A friend of mine gave her 3-year old daughter advice for whenever she would meet someone new at our biennial staff conference in July of this year. After her daughter greeted me, Sarah said “Pheobe, do you have a question for Ms. Tabitha?” “Oh yes…. Ummm…. What’s one good thing that happened to you today?” Pheobe would reply. Sarah is teaching her young daughter to not live in fear of the unknown when it comes to relationships but to engage in conversation that leads to freedom over fear.

At Cru15, I witnessed God do something with the fear once in our leaders hearts that was passed on to the 5,000 staff in the room.

Steve Sellers and the national leadership team began to look around and truly SEE who was and who was NOT yet in the room and then they encouraged us to wrestle with the question “why”...Why were there so few ethnic minorities on staff with the ministries of Cru in the United States?

I believe this year's national staff conference was the visible beginning of change for Cru in the U.S. and may even impact Christian evangelicals in America for the next decade. For forty days before the conference, staffs were invited to fast and pray for the Lord's hand in and through Cru15. The staff at Cru15 engaged in difficult conversations, many of which helped bring up some underlying racism they didn't know existed. We did this so that we can move to expand in our diversity ethnically as staff in order to show God’s love in our unity to a dividing nation. We were also challenged to grow in our commitment to share the Good news, move forward in building partnerships with the body of Christ, and take the good news beyond our borders so that everyone may have the opportunity to know God personally.

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

Making Christ Fully Known, we are ...

...Jersey Metro Cru

I just finished submitting the Evangelism Plan for this school year to the National Directors of the Campus Field Ministry with Cru. It was exciting to write down all the many different ways our movements in the Urban area of New Jersey are seeking to advance God's kingdom on the college campuses of New Jersey.


One way is through the offer of FREE COFFEE! Click here to read about it on the web blog of one of my staff friends. We are blessed to see the positive feedback as we engage with students who don't often encounter Christians, especially ones willing to randomly give them coffee for their opinion. So far, three students have prayed to receive Christ and one to re-dedicate her life to Christ.

Another effort we are making as a statewide ministry is to use social media to MAKE HIS NAME KNOWN! So often Christians are known for what they're against. This is an opportunity for our students to tell their hundreds of Twitter & Facebook friends what/Who we as Christians are for! 

All students have to do is SHARE the bi-weekly video sent by our very own intern, Christine, and ask their friends for their opinions. Here is an example:

Hey FB friends and family, this is a summary of what I believe as a Christian. What do you think? Comments? #getoutthere #TheGospel #jerseymetrocru

Do You Agree?

Acting Kean Cru President)

This past week, the student leaders at Kean University put together an outreach event called "Do You Agree?"with the help of staff and a good Christian friend in faculty.

The idea for the outreach was initially developed at Humboldt State University (see below for details) but at Kean, it was led by Sharon Hawkins (pictured left) and a faculty friend at Kean.

“I Agree with” weeks began sweeping across college campuses in fall 1999 beginning at Humboldt State University, and then University of Arizona, stretching throughout the west coast, and east as far as Penn State University. The concept was born when Humboldt State decided to change a traditional Christmas ad, which they ran every year. The ad concludes with “If you have any questions about this incredible event, please ask one of us.” And then typically, it’s followed with the names of Christian students and faculty. Amidst much laughter, they decided to really get peoples attention with the ad that year, and listed just one name …Tom. No last name.

Kean University holds a lottery each year for non-funded groups and we just so happen to win! That means Kean funds an event of our choice for the student population and purchases whatever we need for it! We were able to order free shirts that said "Do You Agree?", free food for the night, a Cru table cloth for our info table, and money for souvenirs! We even got a few shirts for the night of that say "I Agree!" across the front. :)

With a background band, three testimonies, and about 5 musical selections, 75 students packed in the Cougar's Den (a popular cafe on campus) to hear what Cru believes is the best way to live life on campus in New Jersey, home to the National Atheist Society. Students sat at round tables of 4-8 people, discussing their opinions on God and spiritual things after a short video of student interviews. At the very end, about 50 people were still there to hear and see, through our testimonies & talents, what we all agree is the best way to live life on purpose.

Praise God for how He is moving at Kean in our Christian students' lives to impact the rest of campus! Please pray these students come visit us during our weekly meeting at some point as well!

Caring Community

Jersey Metro Cru: A caring community passionate about connecting people to Jesus Christ.
Last month, I told you about a conversation Maria Yousef & I had using the “perspective cards” with two Muslim women, Oraib and Saeeda, the president of the Kean Muslim Student Association. Since I met these women, we’ve had multiple conversations on campus practically every week and they’ve met nearly every female student leader in Cru! Visit my blog: tabbystab@blogspot.com to read more about our encounters. Another fun adventure with Maria (pictured left, next to me) was our trip to Mt. Vernon Alliance Church in Mt. Vernon, NY. Using the materials I mentioned in my last letter and a “prezi” I created, I trained six young seminary students from Nyack College in evangelism and then went out sharing our faith with High School students at the local park. We prayed with 3 young girls who weren’t sure of their salvation to be sure and encouraged them to talk to their youth pastors or visit the local church!

"I'm Muslim & we believe Jesus is alive!"

You must think I've twisted someone's words, but I promise you this was said in a conversation on campus with two Muslim student women.

Maria (far left) and I also took a tool called “perspective cards” and walked up to two young women sitting at the Starbucks on campus to initiate spiritual conversation. The purpose of Perspective is to ask the person surveyed to choose the cards that best represents what he/she believes about the following: Nature of God, Human Nature, Meaning and Purpose of Life, Identity of Jesus Christ,  & Source of Spiritual Truth.  

This step of faith led to a 2 hour conversation with Oraib, a Muslim student originally from Jordan, and Saeeda, the president of the Kean Muslim Student Association. Maria, being from Egypt, immediately related to them on a language level. And I connected with them, even more than we already were, after learning in the conversation that they both studied sign language! These new relationships support the importance of listening to others in the midst of evangelism.

For details of my conversation with Saeeda and Oraib, read below! :)

Quest Week - Spring 2012

Jersey Metro Cru: A caring community passionate about connecting people to Jesus Christ.
Across the state, students are intentionally starting conversations and taking steps in their relationships to sharing Jesus Christ.

Quest Week: At Kean, we'd like to start spiritual conversations with students and faculty to get a better perspective of their views on life, love, God, and spiritual things. Join us in prayer as students start enlightening conversations, play games, and having lunch on the lawn for the sake of an opportunity to change a life with GOOD NEWS!

Week Schedule @ Kean:

Souls on the Green

Kean Cru students at "Souls on the Green"

• What? Have lunch together on the lawn daily. (Acts 2:42-47) Use tools like Soularium and Perspective Cards to start spiritual conversation & pray for the campus (an evangelism tool using pictures).
• When? 2-4pm(ish)
• Where? On grass in front of University Center (center of campus)

3:15-4:30pm daily activities:
Monday - Sports Outreach/ Evangelism using Perspective Cards
Tuesday - Prayer table and Soularium in the UC
Wednesday - Extended Souls on the Green
Thursday - Easter Egg Hunt (meet at UC clock tower)

Regularly Scheduled Other:
Prayer Walk - Monday 6:30pm - Clock tower
Women's time - Mon. 8pm - Library
Men's Time - Tues. 7pm - Basketball Court
Cru weekly mtg Bible Study- 8pm Hennings Hall Room 113 Thursday

Prayer Request:
Please continue to pray that the Kean leadership team endures, not giving up in helping make Christ fully known at Kean University!

Kean Cru Light Sounds

So excited to see Kean Cru in the Kean University Cougar's Byte (weekly newspaper) and on their social media blog-site, KeanXchange. Click here to watch the video. My job at Kean University is basically three-fold; I share my faith with students who don't know Jesus, disciple women who do know Jesus (teaching them to walk with God at the center of their lives), and to coach/train Christian leaders to do the same after they graduate. 

Throughout the past year and a half, I have re-gathered and aligned the Cru student leaders at Kean University who have a heart to reach the campus as though they were missionaries sent to it. These are mature believers in Christ, passionate about seeing God's kingdom come. Last year we prayed for men leaders and this year, God provided six men who have stepped up to leadership. We also prayed for more students to come hear about God's love during our Bible Studies and 50 students showed up regularly during our Thursday night Bible studies last semester (including someone practicing Islam and another struggling with homosexuality). Last semester we prayed that God would make His name known at Kean; so that Jesus' name would no longer be common as a swear word but as legitimate conversation about who He was and why we live like He is! This semester the student leaders at Kean Cru planned how they can effectively reach their campus for Christ. After they won the "Special Projects" award (a grant for any event a non-funded group wants to put on), they used the money to plan a jazz music/spoken-word night called "light sounds". The outreach was fully funded by Kean University Student Org! The intention of the night was to show how college students who enjoy music, poetry, and FREE FOOD can also love and live for Jesus Christ. This wonderful event made the Cougar's Byte (pictured above) the following week and even the social media site, KeanXchange.

Praise God! His name is being made famous! :)

October 2011 - News Report

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” - 2 Corinthians 4:18

By mid-October, students are trying to balance school, friends, family, work, ministry, and their relationships with God. Sometimes things slip out of perspective and start to get fuzzy. Fall retreat is a time where students can get away for a weekend of worship, teaching, relaxing, and connecting with others. This year we had over 110 students from NJ join with a group of 60 from Westchester, PA to learn to focus their attention on Jesus through it all.
 
During women’s time, the women were especially challenged in their relationships with one another by guest speaker, Sarah Evers, who spoke about what it means to be an “ezer”. Although I was privileged to lead a seminar on evangelism and train students to uniquely initiate conversation with friends, family and peers, my favorite aspect of the retreat was following up with these Kean women (pictured left). Raised Catholic, Dailyn Santana (sitting in front of me), prayed to enter into an intimate relationship with Jesus at FR2011 and attends Bible Studies & women’s fellowship regularly! :) “You girls have NO idea, this weekend was like ‘answered prayers weekend’! I told God I wanted to really know Him at Fall retreat and I did, then I wanted female friends and you’re here!”

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Christa, Victoria, Maria, Sindy, Liscet, Alison

Homecoming Festivities!

Aside from bowling nights, Pizza & God, and Bible study, another way Kean thought to reach their campus was to participate in the annual Homecoming festivities! This year student organizations were given a "Jersey Shore" theme to promote their group at the tailgate festival. Families came to support our winning football team and enjoy the free games and food. Kean Cru leader and senior, Liscet Duran (second from right), ran for homecoming queen and told the voting committee it was for the sake of bringing MORE glory to God who's brought her through these last years! :)

Joe Ro, Harvey Minano, Joe Celentano

Please continue to pray that the Kean leadership team wisely decides how to reach their campus for God’s glory!

Thanks for helping make this happen!

Sharing your faith through Pictures!

Check out this Prezi I have prepared for tomorrow morning's training!
http://prezi.com/pnbr80-fmdvr/soularium-training/

Missions Trips?

In his Introduction to the New Testament Epistles, J. B. Phillips writes:

There is a vast difference between the Christianity of the first century and the [Christianity of today]. To us, Christianity is all too often a code of ethics, a philosophy of life, a standard of performance, but to those first-century Christians, it was a new quality of life altogether, and they did not hesitate to describe this as Christ living in them. Perhaps if we believed what they believed, we could achieve what they achieved.

Bill Bright writes:

The first-century church rocked their world. Filled with the Spirit and compelled by the love of God, the early church took the Good News of God's love and forgiveness to the entire known world. Never before had any small body of ordinary men and women made such an impact on the world. Those Christians were a group of ordinary people, like you and me, who knew the love and forgiveness of God. Controlled and empowered by God's Holy Spirit, they reached out in love to people living under the tyranny of an evil empire.

This Saturday:
Some of the NJMetro staff team will be joined by 40 students from around the state to take a 20 hour bus ride to Daytona, Florida.  
Why? 2 words every college student loves to hear: "Spring Break".
Every year the US National Campus Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ puts on a weekly conference for students from around the country in Panama City Beach, Florida. This isn't just a vacation though; This trip has purpose. Hundreds of students each week in March are trained to shrewdly and un-apologetically share their faith with college students who've come down to Florida to find life in things of this world that are fleeting and not fulfilling.

Prayer walking the beach in PCB, FL -2008

So why not join the National Conference? This year there were so many Christian college students excited to share their faith on the beach for Spring break that the conference registration had to close early! There was no more available housing. Having had already gathered 40+ NJ students ready and excited to go and preach the Good News, the Jersey Metro staff team PRAYED and listened carefully for the Lord's leading. Through lots of prayer and internet searches, we found a great deal at a hotel in Daytona, Florida. So this year, we will have our own training conference and time to share our faith with "Cru" movements from across the state of NJ on the Dayona beach. Some students from Kean University started to call this trip "DAY-Break" in reference to a "Reilly Band" song called "Sunlight" and of course it's also a pun for being in  DAYtona on Spring BREAK. :)

Please be praying for us as we prepare to take this trip this Saturday March, 12th. Pray that our staff and students would be motivated by love and compassion for the many seeking a fulfilling love and purpose in this life. Pray that this compassion motivates them to be bold for Christ! Pray that our students would make this a way of life and not just something to do on a trip.

Evangelism Tip

"Don't confuse bad behavior with spiritual disinterest."

Jesus was rightly accused of being a friend of sinners. In Luke 19:10 he says he came to "seek and save the lost". He knew that the most spiritually thirsty people were not the religious people but rather those who made the religious people uncomfortable. He is the only one who can quench their thirst with an eternal water (John 4:14) and being that they are not religious (or Christian), they most likely won't know to come to seek to quench their thirst in Him. That's why Jesus came to seek and save and that's why He spent time with the "sinners" because he loved them with an uncompromising sincere love. We can't wait for the lost to enter the church or attend an outreach we put on.

"At times, being like Christ involves being a friend to those least like Christ."

When we judge a person by their behavior and choose not to dine with them or love them like Christ would, we are living like the Pharisees. We ought to see every person we encounter how Christ sees them. We were put into this world for a purpose, not to just pass by those who are lost and thirsty, but rather to befriend them and love them as Christ did in Luke 19.

Who have you taken notice of today? Whose lifestyle makes you most uncomfortable to get to know them and share your faith with? I have a few cousins I can think of... I think I'll show them love and explore their spiritual position.
What about you?