Why Should I Volunteer with Cru?

I was just out of college and looking for a place to serve. I found myself at a ministry fair where different ministries were sharing about their missions. I stumbled across a table that was for a Cru ministry reaching high school students and I asked, “Can high school students really become multiplying disciples?”

Their answer was a resounding, “Yes!” And in front of me stood living proof, a young lady named Beth. She had just graduated from high school in Phoenix, AZ, and was enrolled in some ministry training classes. As we talked, her spiritual maturity and love for Jesus were evident.

I came away from that encounter wondering what would have happened if someone had discipled me in high school? I surely would have avoided a lot of sin and heartache and maybe made an impact for Christ on my friends.

So, I joined Cru in reaching teenagers. It has been an exciting and inspiring journey to work with high school students. It did not take me long to learn these three things about high school students: they are HUNGRY, NEEDY, and INFLUENTIAL.

Teenagers Are HUNGRY

Whether working with students in the suburbs of Orange County or the inner city of Long Beach, I have observed teenagers really want to know God. They may not know that they want to know God, as they search for meaning in relationships, achievement, sports, and other activities. But when they hear a clear gospel presentation, many are eager to say “Yes” to Jesus.

Sadly, this hunger does not last their whole life. The Barna Association continues to report that 75% of all people who choose to follow Jesus, do so before age 18. As youth leaders have been saying for years, “Teenagers are like wet cement, waiting for someone to come and make an impression on them.” For many, the cement hardens soon after their high school years, adding great urgency to our calling. Teenagers need trusted adults and caring peers to enter into their lives while they are still hungry for what the gospel offers. Who will tell them about Jesus?

Teenagers Are NEEDY

Teenagers were searching for love and acceptance when Cru was founded in 1951, and they are still doing so today. They are entering an age when they are beginning to be influenced less by their parents and more by their peers and the world around them. They are looking for a place to belong and are trying to figure out who they are in a world that is more than happy to answer that question for them.

Teens desperately seek acceptance through social media, and they despair when their peers do not affirm them — or worse, mock and bully them. Fewer and fewer young people grow up in stable homes or have healthy adults in their lives who will guide them and encourage them. This generation is experiencing a mental health crisis with no end in sight.

On top of all that, teenagers know less and less about Jesus and the Bible than any generation in American history. The very person they most need (Jesus) is the One they know the least about. They are dying of thirst while the Source of living water is right next to them. They need someone to tell them the good news. Who will tell them?

Teenagers need trusted adults and caring peers to enter into their lives while they are still hungry for what the gospel offers. Who will tell them about Jesus?

Teenagers Are INFLUENTIAL

Although the world is still largely run by adults, we see teens and young adults in places of surprising influence:

Greta Thunberg
Swedish environmental activist who appeared on the cover of “Time Magazine” as its “Person of the Year” — at age 16
Billie Eilish
Singer who has sold 41.5 million digital singles and 5 million albums, according to RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America)
Amanda Gordon
National Youth Poet Laureate, who spoke so eloquently at the inauguration of President Biden, has become a social justice advocate ,and has already announced her plans to run for president in 2036 (the first year she’ll be eligible)

Chances are, the young men and women we meet will not become as famous as these young superstars. But when we reach them and disciple them to “do all that (Jesus) has commanded,” they can reach others and have an influence that echoes throughout eternity.

Students today are sharing the gospel with their friends in person and on social media. They are leading, teaching, and serving in ways that draw anyone watching to take a second look at Jesus and His claims. They are leading small group Bible studies, doing outreaches with their friends, and going on international mission trips to tell others about Jesus. But they need guidance and encouragement. Who will come alongside them to help them direct their influence toward Christ?

So teenagers are hungry, needy, and influential. They need caring adults and peers to step into their lives, love them, and show them the hope that Jesus offers. On the public high school campus, we have an amazing opportunity to see almost all (92%) of the teenagers in any community in the same place for four years of their lives. There is no other place in society where every person in a community of a certain age group is in the same place. And it happens to be when they are also the most spiritually open in their lives. This is a sweet spot of opportunity that we cannot ignore. Who will enter their world?

One of America’s greatest evangelists, named Dwight L. Moody, recognized the importance of investing in the younger generation. He once said, “If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God!” It is too late for him to do that, but we invite you to join us and invest your time in reaching teenagers near you. It is an investment you will never regret and it will pay dividends throughout eternity.

“If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God!”

-Dwight L. Moody

If God has placed America’s 15 million high school students on your heart, I urge you to pursue that interest and experience for yourself the great joy and eternal reward of winning, building, and sending teenagers for Christ.

Learn about working with Cru

Next Step

Want to learn more? Check out the article Different Ways to Serve with Cru or our website to explore how you can join us in reaching middle and high school students with the gospel.

Different Ways to Serve with Cru our website

5 Key Features of the Claim Your Campus App

Pray Now:
This section is designed to lead any student through a daily 15-minute prayer time for their school. The format is simple: Listen, Thank, Ask. Each day students read a passage of scripture, thank God for something specific He is doing in their school, and ask Him for help at their school and schools across the country.

21-Day Challenge:
Habits take time to build. The 21-Day Challenge can help you and your students build the habit of praying together daily.

Share Your Story:
Students from all over the country are using Claim Your Campus at their schools. This video feature gives students one minute to capture what God is doing at their school and then share it.

Groups:
Use the Groups section to form your own prayer group and/or join other groups. Students praying together in community for their school(s) is the foundation of CYC. The group feature keeps students connected, motivated, and encouraged to keep pressing on!

Prayer Walk Your Campus:
This feature describes how to prayer walk a campus in three easy steps. Invite. Pray. Report. It includes a brief tutorial and a downloadable prayer walk guide.

Social Media:
Stay connected through Tik Tok, Instagram, and Youtube pages; News and Updates can also be found in the app.

Cast the Vision: Prayer Equals Change

Use these videos to get excited about how God could change your campus through prayer and how He could use you to build a prayer movement at your school.
General Promo video
Marion School video

Invite Students to Be One in the Million

Students download the app using the QR code graphic & claim their campus!

We encourage all campus movements to emphasize prayer and the Claim Your Campus app is a great way to engage students in prayer.

4 Different Ways Students Can Claim Their Campus

Start a Weekly Prayer Group. The CYC app provides prompts that change weekly.
Host a prayer walk around your campus. The CYC app features a Prayer Walk Guide.
Embed 5-10 minutes of Prayer into Your Weekly Cru Club Meeting. Build a CULTURE of prayer. CYC has done all the work for you. Click here for the Leader’s Guide and here for premade slides for up to 20 weeks. That is enough for an entire school year. CYC’s GRAB-N-GO resources make praying EASY.
Participate in Annual National Events such as SYATP.

Invite the adults in your community to support SYATP by signing up for The Prayer Walk Project. This project offers a way for caring adults to join hands in prayer on the Saturdays before and after SYATP.

Prayer is the real power in any campus movement. Make it a non-negotiable in your ministry to emphasize prayer with adults and students and see how God moves.

Next Step

Download the Claim Your Campus app and consider how you could use it on your campus today. Do you have a prayer strategy for your plans? If not, send the app to a few student leaders and invite them to start praying for their campus!

DOWNLOAD THE APP

4 Ways to Prepare for a Prayer Walk

Prepare Your Heart

Surrender the Prayer Walk to the Lord. Ask the Lord for one or two scriptures to help prepare your heart. Jot them down. If you like, use them to inspire the people you invite, or share them with your team the day you meet to prayer walk. Pray for:

Divine appointments with people.
Connections with insiders at the school who are like-minded and willing to help.
God to guide your steps.
Open eyes to see the spiritual needs of the campus.

Prepare Your Team

Pray for Names. Ask the Lord to bring to mind specific names of students, volunteers, parents, pastors, and/or faculty you can ask to join your prayer walk. Keep in mind, this is not about numbers. Even one prayer partner is enough. Matthew 18:20 says, “Where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.”

Invite the People that He brought to mind. Decide what mode of communication is best: text? social media? phone call? Give them a brief description of what a prayer walk is and what they can expect that day. Share what has motivated you to gather a team to pray. Be sure to tell them the date, the start and end times, and the location. Give them an RSVP date.

Send them any final details on the day before. Remind your team what time you will begin and end and the location to meet. Let them know what to bring and any adjustments needed due to weather or other factors.

(During a Prayer Walk) Pray for: Divine appointments with people. Connections with insiders at the school who are like-minded and willing to help. God to guide your steps. Open eyes to see the spiritual needs of the campus.

Prepare Your Campus

Check with an Insider at Your School. Once you choose your campus and gather your team, you may want to check with an insider at the school to see if there is anyone you need to notify ahead of time. Most likely, it will not be an issue if you are prayer walking after school or over the weekend on the parts of the campus that are open to the public. Avoid prayer walking on campus during school hours without permission.

Prepare Your Details

“WHO” DETAILS: By now, you know WHO is coming. But here are some other “WHO” questions to think about if you have a larger group. Who will…

begin the prayer walk (introduce/explain it)?
end the prayer walk?
lead smaller groups (if your team is large)?

“WHAT TO BRING” DETAILS: You may want to bring copies of the Prayer Guide and the Leader Guide.

“WHERE/WHEN” DETAILS: Make sure everyone knows the date and time you will meet. Include starting point (address of meeting spot) and ending point (time and meeting spot).

“HOW” DETAILS: For your convenience, this Campus Prayer Walk Leader’s Guide provides a general flow and includes sample scripts of what to say from start to finish. If you can read it, you can lead it. But you may need to think through the unique needs of your prayer walk.

Would you like the prayer walk to be more casual or more organized? Do you have people who are comfortable prayer walking or more new people who may need more instruction?

You have prepared your part. Time to grab your walking shoes. Let’s do this!

Next Step

It is time to get on the campus to pray. Text one friend today and ask them if they would be willing to go to the school to prayer walk with you this week. Get your feet on the campus and pray together. Once you have done it yourself, it will be a lot easier to gather others to do it with you.

Prayer Walking

After the Israelites wandered for 40 years in the desert, God called Joshua to bring His people into the land He had promised them. The commander of the army of the Lord appeared to Joshua with instructions essentially for a prayer walk around the city of Jericho. And let’s just say the Israelites’ obedience to his words, made history. (If you are unfamiliar with this incredible story, you can read the whole story here.)

What is Prayer Walking?

Prayer walking is just what it sounds like—praying as you walk. And you can do it anywhere: around your neighborhood, through your city, or even on your daily commute. Invite others to join you! As you walk together, let the Spirit of God use what you see to guide your prayers. Then, trust God to respond in His perfect way and timing.

One of the most impactful places for a prayer walk is around a school campus that means something to you. It puts you right where the students are—like God’s boots on the ground—allowing you to connect your heart to that specific location as you pray. And who knows? It might even lead to a chance meeting with a key person on campus. Many ministries have started with a simple “Hey there!” to a student or administrator during a prayer walk. A casual stroll can open unexpected doors!

If you have never done this before, no worries! Joshua—the young leader from the Bible—had not done it before either. It was his willingness and availability to God that mattered most. And the same goes for you—no experience required!

Prayer walking is just what it sounds like—praying as you walk.

Prayer Walk in Three Easy Steps

Meet Up (5 minutes)

Grab a friend or two and meet on campus- ideally after school or on the weekend. Select and read a meaningful passage from the Bible together. Take a minute to pray a blessing over this time, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your prayers.

Walk & Pray (10-20 minutes)

Start walking the perimeter of the campus and let the Holy Spirit use who/what you see guide your prayers. Here are 5 ways you could begin praying:

Ask God to move by His Spirit on this campus and be glorified.
Pray people here would hunger and thirst for God.
Pray for the believers here to live wholeheartedly for Jesus and make others feel seen, known, and loved by God.
Pray for leaders in this school’s community (students, parents, administration, faculty, coaches, etc.)

Wrap It Up (5 minutes)

Select a spot to close your time together. Talk about how it went. Was there anything that stood out as significant or meaningful? Take a few minutes to thank God for this time. Express your love for Him and your confidence that He will respond to the prayers He heard today.

Other Prayer Walking Guides

If you would rather have a more specific guide to help you in your prayer walk, try one below:

CYC Prayer Walk Guide
Locations on Campus Prayer Walking Guide
The Launchbox Prayer Walking Guide
Make a list of prayer requests to pray about your specific campus
Just invite people to pray for things that come to mind as they walk

One of the most impactful places for a prayer walk is around a school campus that means something to you.

Why Do It?

Prayer Walking Knocks Down Walls

What effect did Joshua’s and the Israelites’ obedience have on the fortified and powerful ancient city of Jericho? Well, the God of the Universe infused their faith-filled feet with power, causing the otherwise insurmountable walls of the city to collapse. That’s how they fought and won the battle of Jericho—without ever throwing a punch!

Now, maybe you are not planning to tear down any physical walls around your school—in fact, let’s definitely avoid that! But in the spiritual realm, every school is a battlefield for souls. On every campus, there are barriers to the gospel that need to be broken down. Inside every person, there are walls that separate us from God or keep us from fully experiencing the abundant life He wants for us.

Looking for a more current example of a battle fought and won with prayer? Check out this powerful story of what happened when a group of students in Marion, Indiana consistently and prayerfully put feet to their faith and watched God win the battle for their campus. If you want to read about more victories won with praying feet, check out Exodus 14 and 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.

Some Other Great Reasons to Prayer Walk Your Campus

It is a place to gather other believers who have a heart for the campus.
It is a way to be on campus with a purpose.
Sometimes God uses these times to introduce us to key gatekeepers on campus.
It might surface some needs on the campus with which you could help.
It helps your team become more familiar with the campus and less fearful of going there.
It is better than doing nothing. Sometimes God moves when we take action.

Within the campus ministry of Cru, prayer walking has actually been shown to be the single most effective strategy in seeing new gospel movements started.
– Dan Allen, Director of Mission Expansion

The powerful presence of God always has and STILL does mix with our prayers and supernaturally connects us more deeply to God, ourselves, and others. Prayer breaks down barriers that lie between us and wins the battle for souls.

Prayer walking can be your lead foot on any campus. Ready to grab a friend and step into the unknown with Him? Prayer walking is something anyone can do.

Next Step

Plan 15 minutes this week to stop at your local high school, walk around, and pray for the school. Bring a friend or do it alone; just get your feet on the campus and pray. Ask God to show you what next steps He would like you to take.