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

Back to campus life...

Hey friends!
I hope your summers have been just as rejuvenating as mine has! I’ve been praying about what to tell you in this newsletter since summers are so unique on staff with Cru. If I’m not on a mission trip (summer project) or taking classes, most of the summer consists of planning and preparing for the new academic year, connecting with students, and encouraging them to walk closely with Jesus. As you already know, this summer consisted of classes at the Institute of Biblical Studies in Orlando. August however, was very strategic.

  Just two weeks ago, I finished my New Staff Development Curriculum and then went to the Jersey Metro staff retreat. This year we have one new intern coming to Kean University, Joel Aponte (pictured right with Jon & Mario - Kean Cru student leaders), and two part-time female staff for the North and the South parts of the Jersey Metro team. Please pray for Joey & Jenn Sforza (pictured left) who have been raising their financial support for two years and have not yet reported to full-time campus work. We need them in the Urban region, especially at Jersey City University and Kean! Just following the retreat, we had one full week of staff meetings 10-4 everyday to pray, strategically plan, have devotions, and set goals for the entire state. I’m so excited to see what God is going to do at Kean University!

This week is already the first week at Kean University for incoming freshmen. Upperclassmen move in on Friday and classes start on Tuesday, Sept. 4th.  Please pray for the Kean Cru leaders to continue to prioritize their relationships with Jesus as the semester begins to unravel and that be an overflow of their service to the King. These leaders truly love Jesus and want to see His kingdom expanded here, but it can be often difficult to keep that a priority when there are so many other things fighting for their attention as students with jobs other responsibilities. Please pray for me as well as I take on more responsibility with multiple students and ministries in the Urban section of New Jersey, that I may keep Jesus as the focus of my time and affection. :)

These leaders will be coming together on September 14th with Christian student leaders from around the state ministry. Please pray that God will give them wisdom to learn what to do at Kean to reach their community here with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thanks for your prayers and financial support, which encourages us all as we prepare! :)

Working alongside Christ,

 Tabitha Morales

May Updates

Thirsty Ladies

2012 Keeping Tabs with Campus Ministry

Kean Cru - Hungry Men and Thirsty Women

It all started with a hungry man. The men from Kean Cru began to eat together on various days simply because... Well in the words of our Kean Cru student prayer leader, Mario: "Yo. I'm hungry man, let's get some something to eat!" While they unintentionally bonded over their common physical hunger, these twenty-something year old men began to recognize a spiritual hunger within themselves to be encouraged by other godly men. So in response to the Holy Spirit's lead, they started to have a regular men's time Tuesday nights over dinner. Just recently, Jon Lopez (weekly meetings leader), announced that they would go through a Bible study series called "Courageous", based off of the hit Christian song and recent movie. Please pray that these men would not lose hope but continue to edify one another as they regularly meet.

Slowly, but surely the women started to catch on. Last semester, they made random efforts to eat together and form deep, meaningful relationships amongst those who attended Fall Retreat. This semester the women have just started to intentionally meet together on Monday nights at the Starbucks located in the annex of the library on campus. Our first time meeting together (pictured right) we talked about the constant temptation to quench our "thirst", like the Samaritan woman in John 4, through things that won't ultimately satisfy. We watched a spoken word interpretation of the passage and talked for two hours about how we each related to this woman! God's starting to move in new ways through these ladies lives. Please pray they continue to trust God and go to Him to be fulfilled in life as opposed to the temporary pleasures of this world that don't ultimately satisfy. (Tasha, bottom right, gave her testimony at our annual fellowship dinner.)

Set in the city

Set in the City M5.14

Last nights inspiration to paint was Matthew 5:14 and "learning to be the light" by New World Son.

We, as believers, are called to be the light of the world. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden" - Matthew 5:14 I can talk about this a lot but basically there are people who's hearts are like an ice cold night towards God. We can't melt their hearts with advice and a list of things they shouldn't do (New World Son). The only way to really shine some warmth into their lives is to set ourselves in them where they can see our day to day reflections of Christ's love in our own lives. It may not happen overnight but we need to set ourselves still in the lives of people God has given us so that we may properly reflect the Son, just as the moon is set in a position where it will properly reflect the sun's light to a dark night.

Whose life are you setting yourself in? Is your light noticeable?

Picture story! :)

I've not posted in a long time... But here's the short, picture version of why:

This Friday is our second Jersey Cru of the semester! Last month we had nearly 200 students!

Kean is really working on reaching out to their campus this week. (Quest week is a statewide student/staff effort to take the initiative to share the Gospel with students, faculty and staff on the 30/60 campuses we are on.)

Kean Cru doesn't just give out free pizza! We really want people to come talk about God. So we are providing home-made empanadas! :)

Fall Retreat was terrific! Students truly encountered Jesus Christ!

11 women represented KeanCru at this years Fall Retreat. Harvey (right) is joined by 2 NJCU men pictured above.

Discipleship was beautiful by the beach @ Harvey Cedars Bible Conference.

Although a D3 University, Kean Cru even represented at the tailgate festival this year and cheered on Liscet (2nd from right) as she represented Christ, running for home-coming queen!)

Just cuz we were at homecoming, doesn't mean we weren't going to make an effort to start spiritual conversations! Underneath the castle the students built, they laid sand with "Soularium" cards dug in them. :)

Last Thursday, in an effort to reach students who may not have attended the homecoming concert, Kean Cru played short films produced by the Global Shortfilm Network to promote spiritual conversation.

Before that, Kean Cru had a difficult time booking a room to have Bible Study in, so we did a few community building events like bowling! Here are some of our senior women involved in the ministry. (From left to right: Liscet, Sindy, Jahtasia, Sharon)

It was a fun time for everyone!

Even a silly time for newbies to get to know and love us! :)

Friends with Freshmen!

Classes have just started but freshmen have already met the people they will be friends with for the next 4-5 years of their college careers.

Due to the Hurricane, Kean University postponed move-ins til Monday, August 29th. But that didn't change any other activities for the week! Tuesday, the freshmen were oriented to "all things Kean", including Kean cru! Many colleges believe that freshmen need to learn how to survive college, but we believe they also need to be equipped to thrive in life. At a club awareness fair, I was able to set up a table and hand out "freshmen survival kits" (Bibles, water bottles, fliers & "Jesus Without Religion" books by Rick James) to over 100 new freshmen! Within an hour of the first group of freshmen, we had given nearly everything away. And the only reason I believe we still had Bibles was because we had extra donated by a local church.

Answered prayer: KU Cru men leaders! Joe, Harvey, Karl, Jon, Joe

Before anything else happened, I met with all the Kean cru leaders (men pictured right) to divide the 115 surveys so that we could each follow them up. On a survey from 1-10, nearly 30 students marked a 10 to answer the question "rate your desire to know God personally"! Tuesday night, after the fair, students were invited to meet in front of a freshmen residence hall to go out for a photo scavenger hunt! Wednesday, our Kean cru student leaders met over lunch to follow up with more surveys! Thursday, they were all invited to our "meet & greet" in the New Freshmen Residence Hall. About 10 students who attended were freshmen who desired to strengthen their walk with Jesus! Praise the Lord!

Three of these freshmen stated in their intros that they went on mission trips this summer with their churches! I have a great feeling that this year we will see strong freshmen believers sent as missionaries from their local churches to our college campus to share Christ and help transform lives through the power of the Holy Spirit!