For over a decade we have met every week with our student leaders. We meet to cast vision, share what God is doing and equip them in ministry skills (how to share their faith, disciple, lead a Bible study, etc).
This spring we decided to just meet every other week (I know many of you gather all your leaders once a month or less so our move may not seem revolutionary. But it was a BIG change for us).
Our fear in changing it: that in losing that weekly touch point student leaders would
1) Feel less connected with each other
2) Lose vision for reaching the campus
One thing we did to bridge the gap and to keep communication/vision going in that space, we created a “Cru Leadership” private Facebook group where students could share stories of what God is doing and communicate with one another.
An amazing thing happened:
Students started filling that “open week” and the Facebook Wall with incredible student-initiated efforts.
A few examples:
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A group of students started meeting on the off week to “discuss how to spread the gospel across this campus and learn how to and practice telling the good news of what Jesus has done for us to everyone we meet”
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One week a group of guy leaders got together to challenge younger guys to deal seriously with fighting pornography addiction
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Another group started meeting to pray together for the campus
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One week a freshmen got students together to organize a 5k run to raise awareness and support for sex-trafficking.
The Facebook Group has also taken off with students casting vision to each other and challenging each other. Some quotes from students’ posts:
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This Friday we are having a girls night to reach out to international girls and all girls are invited!!
We will be making cute crafts, maybe something from pinterest. Our goal is for all the CRU girls who come to get the phone number of one or two international girls so we can invite them to hang out again ( :
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Hey guys. The Quads pizza party went very well last night! We have lots of spiritual interest cards that need following up so if you lead a Bible study there let me know and I can get the contacts to you! Thanks!
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Hey everyone!! I have a huge praise!! So a student athlete that I had sent a fb message during the social media thing at Winter Conference and started a convo and set up a time to meet with her . . . well long story short she is applying for a Athletes in Action summer project!!!!! It has been so awesome to see the change in her life in just a month! The Lord is working in athletes on campus and this is just one story.
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Great opportunity to get involved with international students next year! Click the link to apply now to be a cross cultural mentor (=
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Hey all my cru leadership sistas!
THIS Saturday morning, we are having Mug and Muffin discipleship training at Hannah’s house! Bring girls in your bible study, bring girls you know interested in discipling others, but..don’t bring any boys.
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If there is any Community Group leader that needs help with snacks for their bible studies I am the one to call! I love to bake sweets so I am open to help you out. I know leading a bible study is stressful sometimes so maybe some of you all could use the help! [I LOVE this one - love that she’s using her gifting to benefit the body!]
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Hey guys, as you well know Arkansas Cru is going on project in Thailand this summer! Our biggest need right now is for a few ladies to step up and say, “I’ll go.” If you have ANY amount of interest at all feel free to contact me!
[And a few weeks later] I shared a few weeks ago about how desperately we needed girls to go on the Thailand summer project! Well, currently the women outnumber the men 9 to 2! Think about it boys.. There are 9 girls going!!!
contact me if you are interested! Girls, feel free to inquire further as well!
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Dear Community Group leaders, you will be getting a phone call from me sometime today or tomorrow about challenging your CG to go to summer project.
We are praying for about 40 more people to apply. If anyone in your CG is interested, message me their name and we can follow up with them. Thanks for your help!
It seems that the less staff-organized stuff we do, the more students step up to lead in bigger and better ways than we could have ever planned.
I would love to hear from you: what is working on your campus? What are some ways you have created space (and platforms) for students to lead?
