Close

How to Know God

Do you ever wonder what Christians believe? Who Jesus is, what he did and why it matters? Get answers to these questions and more.

Spiritual Growth

Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth.

Life & Relationships

Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God.

Bible Studies

Find resources for personal or group Bible study.

Share the Gospel

Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus.

Help Others Grow

Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring.

Leadership Training

Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are.

Video

Browse videos designed to help you grow spiritually, share your faith, and lead others well.

Language Resources

View our top Cru resources in more than 20 languages.

Quizzes & Assessments

Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others.

Campus

Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others.

City

Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city.

Inner City

Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs.

Athletes

Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation.

Families

Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage.

High School

Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school.

Military

Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide.

Locate Cru Near You

Explore Cru's global presence and discover how you can get involved in communities worldwide.

Events

Whether you're interested in conferences or local gatherings, there's an opportunity for you. Explore upcoming events and find your place to serve and grow.

Mission Trips

Explore domestic and global mission trips with Cru—serve, grow, and make an eternal impact. Opportunities for students, families, and professionals.

Internships

Explore Cru's internship opportunities—serve globally or locally, develop your skills, and make an eternal impact. Apply today!

Careers

Explore full- and part-time ministry careers with Cru—use your skills to impact eternity. Apply today!

Volunteer

Explore volunteer opportunities with Cru and use your skills to impact lives for eternity.

International

Explore global mission opportunities with Cru—serve, grow, and make an eternal impact.

What We Do

How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus.

Donor Relations

Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Cru’s annual report and more.

Our Leadership

Learn about Cru's global leadership team.

Cru Partnerships

When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen.

Storylines

Showing God in action in and through His people.

Press

Access Cru's latest news releases, media contacts, and background information on our global ministries and leadership.

0

Summer is The Best Time to Mentor Men

There are moments in life that redefine who you are from who you were.

John Oliver saw the beauty of such a moment unfold between two high school students from Detroit, Michigan. One stood up to share his experience with his peers and mentors during J.A.M., a summer sports program that combines faith, leadership and manhood.

His peers picked him to lead them during a game earlier in the week, but he didn’t see himself as a leader and felt uncomfortable. A friend from his high school football team challenged him to influence his teammates when he returned home.

“We really need you to be a leader ‘cause we really wanna follow you. You need to step up,” he said.

That challenge to step up and lead is what J.A.M. is all about. It’s an innovative week-long strategy that focuses on Jesus, athletics and manhood. The intensive program developed from Athletes in Action's summer sports experience for college athletes.

J.A.M., based in Xenia, Ohio, at the Athletes in Action (AIA) Sports Complex, helps high school male athletes and their male mentors encounter God in fresh ways. For the students, it’s a chance to learn how to make Christ the primary audience in their sport and personal endeavors. They engage in performance agility drills, leadership activities and personal mentoring.

John Oliver, a retired U.S. Air Force serviceman from Beaver Creek, Ohio, will serve in his second year as the program’s director this summer. His experience as a mentor during the inaugural camp in 2015 deeply affected him. John knew he wanted to help more young men grow spiritually and become stronger leaders. He understands the strategic opportunity he has to place these young men in relationships with older ones who can help them develop into godly men.

The first summer, 104 students from Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan attended the camp, and 90 percent were African American. This year, John expects 75 student athletes and plans to recruit from Minnesota, New Jersey and New York. He wants to reach out to local churches that have Spanish-speaking congregations, to give more students the chance to go.

“It isn’t limited by race, it’s really driven by location,” he says. “The numbers have been really high from African Americans, and I’m encouraged because I’ve been trying to get more African American mentors.”

J.A.M. became a reality through a partnership with AIA and John’s church connections in his local area. They are working together to create a gospel-centered environment for these young men to thrive in where they can learn how to put God at the center of their passion for sports so He’s their primary audience.

But it can be difficult to stay focused on Him while also becoming a man in a world that seeks to manipulate your manhood. John feels a unique responsibility to cultivate and invite more men in local communities to stand in the gap and offer these high school students support and mentoring. John knows these young men are important to God. He mentored five students during his first summer and one young man from Louisville, Kentucky deeply affected him.

“Last year, [the young man] came back and who was beside him? His brother. That was really encouraging.”

Their mother recently told John that J.A.M. brought the two brothers closer together. She plans to send them back to camp this summer, along with their youngest brother.

J.A.M. is helping these young athletes see how they can connect with God through one of the most beloved parts of their lives – sports – and keep Him at the center of this passion.

As he encourages and develops these young men, John also keeps God at the center of his passion. What is your passion and how can you connect with God in it?

Are there partnership opportunities in your local community you want to serve with? Let us know in the comments section below.

Read More:

Since 1951, Cru has helped individuals who grapple with integrating faith into daily life by offering practical steps and community support. As a result, countless people in over 190 countries have been empowered to move from passive belief to active faith.