Learning from Large Cru Movements

Last summer I researched the largest Cru movements in America. I narrowed the list down to 8 schools and I called the directors of these movements. In a 30-45 minute phone call I picked their brains on how they operate as a large movement, what elements played into their growth, how they lead as directors, etc.

Talking to the directors of the largest Cru movements was one of THE most beneficial things I’ve ever done for my growth as a Director and for our movement at the University of Arkansas.

Let’s be clear from the start: Ministry size does not equal ministry success nor determine our worth. BUT, as Cru staff Tim Norman has said, “There are good reasons why these movements are successful. Some of which others can principally embrace.” AND, like many of you, we want to get the gospel to every single student on our campus.This is something we are not just hoping to do, but planning to do.Here’s what we figure: it will take about 100 trained, motivated, gospel-sharing Bible study leaders to have a shot at reaching the freshman class on our campus (around 4,000 freshmen = 40 freshmen to 1 Bible study leader).In other words, we’re going to need to build a big enough movement to realistically be able to get the gospel to every student.It’s not going to happen overnight but, for us, gleaning ideas from other (larger) movements has been the biggest accelerator of growth.

I encourage you to read about each of the 8 Large Cru Movements profiled:

• University of Florida
• Montana State
• Michigan State
• Cal Poly- San Luis Obispo
• Miami of Ohio
• NC State
• Ole Miss
• Penn State

These Cru ministries have anywhere from 400-1200 students involved.

Many of these directors have seen their movements grow from 50 to over 500 in the past decade.

These are not necessarily the 8 biggest Cru movements in the nation (but they’re probably in the top 15).

I tried to pick schools from across the U.S. – usually choosing the largest Cru movements from each geographical region.

I focused on traditional staffed campuses (no catalytic or city-wide movements). But since we’re all trying to build movements I think the learnings will be helpful for anyone in college ministry.

Here are my Top 10 Takeaways

1. The Critical Event - Montana State
   • A trained person taking a non-trained person to share their faith
   • How to share your faith can’t be learned in a classroom. The campus whose staff do more evangelism than any campus I’ve ever heard of – Montana State - hardly does any classroom training in evangelism. They just go out and do it (modeling it).
2. It’s a longer process to take a carnal, nominal, youth group kid to Christ centered than it is to take a lost student to Christ-centered laborer - Miami
   • We want to reach the unbelievers, but we have a ton of students who come as self-centered Christians and we trust God to scrub them down and start following God passionately
3. Start the way you want to finish - Michigan State
   • If you want students who are engaged with the Lord, sharing their faith as seniors, you need to start doing that with them as freshmen
4. Emotionally unhealthy staff like to do everything themselves because they feel better about themselves – they feel productive - Miami
   • If you’re movement is led by students, there’s not much you need to cover in a staff meeting
   • Do staff say “Man, Mark runs ragged. He’s exhausted”?
   • I look at staff who are running crazy and I think; “I don’t think a student would want to be like you”
5. We work really hard to make sure we have a meeting that people want to bring their friends to (feel comfortable with / not embarrassing) - Penn State
6. We had created an [unhealthy] culture of discipleship = “deep conversations at coffee houses” - Cal Poly- SLO
   • I heard some of our students saying “I guess I'd better start liking coffee because I’m going to start discipling guys”
7. If we were a factory, what is the widget we would produce? - Penn State
   • If we were a tree, what would be our fruit?
   • We produce Laborers!
8. Everything we do is designed to move students toward becoming: “independent, capable, Christ-centered laborers equipped and motivated to continue their own development
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   and influence the world for Christ” - Penn State

9. Parents Weekend - Florida
   • Parents come to weekly meeting on Friday night
   • Do a Giving Brunch next morning
10. Florida ’s streamlined ministry structure. Everything is built around Community Groups.
    • How do they do evangelism? Thru Community Groups.
    • How do staff spend their time? Pouring into Community Group Leaders.
    • I’m especially intrigued by how their studies are multi-generational (freshmen thru senior in the same group)