Cru Unites 16,000 Staff and National Ministry Partners for Worldwide Day of Prayer
April 28: Global Ministry Gathers Christian College Chaplains, Central Florida Pastors, and Christian Leaders from More than 100 Organizations to Pray for Next Generation and Global Missions.
ORLANDO, Fla., April 23, 2026—On April 28, Cru, one of the world’s largest Christian ministries, will join 16,000 staff and ministry partners in 190 countries for a Worldwide Day of Prayer. Held twice a year for 53 years, this spring’s observance coincides with a major convergence of national Christian leaders gathering at Cru’s international headquarters in Orlando.
Cru will welcome chaplains, campus pastors and ministry representatives, including more than 100 leaders from 50 ministry organizations attending the EveryCampus National Summit, 19 university chaplains from 12 Christian colleges partnering with The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and The Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, and more than 100 local Central Florida pastors from more than 50 churches in partnership with Vision Orlando.
“The Worldwide Day of Prayer is one of the most meaningful traditions in our ministry,” said David Robbins, president of Cru. “It is a joy across our global movement to know that the one consistent, shared experience among all staff is the commitment to praying for one another. To physically host so many partner ministries and leaders this year makes that shared experience even more powerful as we unite in prayer for the next generation.”
As part of the Orlando gathering, Cru invites Central Florida local pastors to a luncheon, which will feature remarks from Robbins, as well as Cru’s U.S. national director, Mark Gauthier, and the executive director of Cru’s U.S. Campus Ministry, Shannon Compere.
Every country where Cru has a ministry presence will participate in the Worldwide Day of Prayer. Cru observes this dedicated day of prayer twice a year, every spring and fall. While each country and city plans its own expression of the day, ranging from student-led worship to fasting and self-guided prayer, all will follow one common unifying theme. This April’s Worldwide Day of Prayer will be anchored in the theme “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances,” drawn from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
As Cru marks 75 years since its founding in 1951, the ministry remains committed to reaching every community so that everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus.
Media Opportunity: While the Worldwide Day of Prayer is designed primarily for Cru staff and ministry leaders, credentialed members of the media are welcome to attend and observe. Media representatives interested in covering the event should RSVP by contacting cru@guardian.agency.
For more information, visit Worldwide Day of Prayer.
About Cru
Cru is a Christian evangelism and discipleship ministry passionate about connecting people to Jesus Christ. Cru has a campus ministry presence in 152 countries and actively engages more than 53,600 students and faculty on more than 750 U.S. high school and college campuses. Cru’s city ministries serve in more than 362 cities, partnering with churches and organizations to mobilize Christ followers who share God’s love throughout their communities. The JESUS film has been shown in every country around the world and translated into more than 2,249 languages. To date, Jesus Film Project has contributed to more than 600 million estimated decisions for Christ.
For a complete list of Cru’s ministries, visit cru.org.
