What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Must you become a better person so that God will accept you? Learn how you can know God personally.
Learn the basics of what Christians believe.
Get the answers to frequently asked questions on Christian beliefs and practices.
Explore answers to life's biggest questions.
We all have a story. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith.
Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth.
Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God.
Find resources for personal or group Bible study.
Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus.
Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring.
Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are.
View our top Cru resources in more than 20 languages.
Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others.
Volunteer abroad this year on a short term global missions trip offered by one of the best, most-reliable Christian missions organizations in the world.
Internship opportunities with Cru's ministries.
If you're looking for the best Christian jobs and careers, check out Cru's ministry job openings for full- and part-time missionaries and professionals.
Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact.
Would you like to give your time to work with Cru? We need you.
Find a Cru event near you.
Use your hobbies and interests to find the best place for you to serve.
Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others.
Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city.
Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs.
Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation.
Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage.
Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school.
Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide.
How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus.
Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Cru’s annual report and more.
What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation.
Learn about Cru's global leadership team.
When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen.
Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit.
Because ethnicity is part of the good of creation, we seek to honor and celebrate the ethnic identity of those with whom we serve as well as those we seek to reach.
Today we encounter a wide variety of questions related to sexuality and gender. As followers of Christ, we want to navigate LGBT+ questions in a way that is compassionate to people and faithful to scripture.
Showing God in action in and through His people.
Hear what others are saying about Cru.
Only until Dec 31 - your impact will be doubled, up to $550,000 total, to reach even more students.
You may not know this, but the best seat for a 6-foot-5-inch man like myself in a cramped lecture hall is down in the front row.
I learned that when I walked into my first 250-person class my freshman year at Vanderbilt. In that row, I won’t block the board for anyone, and more importantly, I have more legroom than I would in an exit row.
I have proof that it’s comfortable because, very regularly, during 9 a.m. general chemistry, I found myself sliding lower and lower in my seat and dozing off with my head lolling to the side. I didn’t realize it then (probably because I was busy falling asleep), but my choice of seating reflected my view of others and myself.
While I eventually got the hang of staying awake in class, getting decent grades and cramming my way through a challenging program, there was something about my attitude that never changed: my pride. Whenever I tell that story of falling asleep in the front row, there’s a part of me that is unashamedly proud of my laid-back attitude.
Throughout college, I tried to hold on to my carefree attitude that made me a foil for the typical Vanderbilt student. I was surrounded by overachievers — incredible students who found ways to work harder and smarter and get the best grades. The irony is that being less hardworking made me feel better than everyone else. I felt better about myself because I wasn’t living at their frenetic pace. I had balance. It’s ironic but not surprising.
It’s not surprising because, throughout my life, the way I’ve found my identity has been in relation to those around me. It’s crazy to see the way that the pride in my heart could take an area of potential insecurity and fuel a haughty sense of superiority over my peers. But pride and insecurity are two trees that grow from the same root and obscure our perspectives on others as we grow up.
Discussing our growth toward adulthood, Henry Cloud writes, “Becoming an adult is the process of moving out of a ‘one-up/one-down’ relationship and into a peer relationship to other adults.”
“Becoming an adult is the process of moving out of a ‘one-up/one-down’ relationship and into a peer relationship to other adults.”
My issue was that I looked for a “one-up” position over others and was unsure how to connect with them when I couldn’t establish this superiority. Others deal with the challenge of seeing themselves as “less than” their peers. But both of these perspectives deny the equal status that God gives us, and both reject the relationships we could have as equals.
Nothing is wrong with being confident in my ability to rest and find balance, and so much of our temperaments come from our personalities. But an unhealthy pattern can form when I feel good about my own habits by continually putting others down.
Adulthood involves growing into a place of relating to others on a mutual level and not needing to determine whether I stand above them or below them.
It’s been a while since my freshman year with those chemistry classes and those early morning naps with my legs stretched out. Thankfully, I don’t fall asleep like that anymore. And, thankfully, I can continue to grow in knowing who I am without having to constantly measure myself against those around me. God is the One who has the last word on who I am and where I stand, and He’s told me that my height has nothing to do with it.
About the Author: Paul Snider is a missionary kid from Jamaica. He got involved with Cru while attending Vanderbilt University, and now serves with the mk2mk team in Orlando. This summer he will be leading a project to Chiang Mai, Thailand.
We are assured of our future life with Christ, but still here on earth. How one believer has decided to wait in joy.
How can Christians make a genuine impact on the culture around them? Andy Crouch, former editor of Christianity Today, shares his thoughts in his book Culture Making.
©1994-2023 Cru. All Rights Reserved.