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.

Jersey Cru - Sent Ones

The last Friday of each month, students from
around the state gather to connect with God through song, storytelling, and Bible. The last Friday in April, I was privileged to address the future leaders of New Jersey about how they can influence their peers, family & professors for Christ.

Listen to it on our website: www.jerseymetro.com or just click here.

Sent!

100% Sent

One of our goals as a ministry nationwide is that 100% of our students would know that they are “sent” by God to help fulfill the great commission in Matthew 28:18-20.  Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, had a desire to see our generation bring the Good News to everyone, everywhere. To do this, we need to be faithful 2 Timothy 2:2, where Paul entreats Timothy to teach what he’s learned to faithful men who will pass it on. We call that multiplication!

Since 2010, I’ve been full-time at Kean working with several young men and women who led the Cru movement there and now it is time to say goodbye to a strong few. I’m confident as these students move on to new areas to which God has called them, that they will seek the Lord diligently and learn how to serve Him in any area they are placed. But I’m sad to see them leave.

I’m especially sad to let go of some of the women I discipled: Sharon Hawkins - former president of Cru, Liscet Duran - a motivator and encourager of the movement at Kean, and Christa Diaz - a leader on campus who many followed and looked up to. I had the privilege of mentoring these women and seeing God transform them into His image to be a servant of the King. I will miss seeing them on the campus regularly although I’m sure our friendship will not cease.

 

Although sad to let some go, I am also proud to announce that Laura Fairchild (pictured right), who I’ve also disciple for two years now has just been voted in as president of Cru for next year. Please keep her in prayer as the Lord continues to mold her as His servant.

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! :)

Every Student Sent

"And that's what we want to see: every student to be transformed into lifetime laborers for Christ." In a training webinar today, this was one of the opening statements by a leader in the "Every Student Sent" (ESS) movement of Campus Crusade for Christ. This webinar affirmed my calling to help encourage students to walk intimately with the Lord as they learn to live a life that will have an eternal impact on God's kingdom now (in college) & throughout their lifetime. It also brought me back to the website allcallings.com and it's purpose. AllCallings.com connects you with like-minded friends who want to live out their faith in Christ.
Saturday a group of my friends from church and 3000 other New Yorkers partnered with "New York Cares", a community volunteer organization, in an effort to revitalize the public schools around the 5 boroughs of New York. We painted murals, planted flowers, clean and cleared libraries & so much more! 


During NY Cares Day, we worked alongside many people motivated by the simple desire to "do good".This got me thinking: How often do we, as Christians, come together in similar efforts to help our communities with their physical & spiritual needs? Sure, we join other efforts to do such things, but when are we leading in this manner as Christ has called us to? How often do we sacrificially love people in simple gratitude of God's love for us? And how do we organize those ideas?! If it's happening, how do I find out about it. I've seen this happen often through Christian ministries like GAIN partnering with our college students to reach the victims of National Disasters. But how do I ensure that my students recognize they can be lifetime laborers for Christ without being a full-time missionary or minister AFTER COLLEGE?

I encourage you to be part of a church community that will hopefully be an active lead in this role in your communities. But I also encourage you to visit www.allcallings.com and join a community network. We're created for community... to live out the gospel in the context of relationships. AllCallings.com connects you with like-minded friends who want to live out their faith in Christ. Find a real community where you can connect with others to combine the Good News with Good Deeds. Join a team to reach students, professionals, the underprivileged, or to cross cultures bringing hope as the hands and feet of Christ.


I love how my church does such a great job of being involved in reaching the community! With this website, now I can tell people in my church about things happening all across NYC or even an event I want to plan by posting it here. I have so many Christian friends (20's and 30's) tell me how they wish they knew more Christians their age and had a stronger community. Here's a start! Create a profile and connect with the many from around the WORLD!