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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.

Mission Trips

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.

1-Year Full-Time Internships

Internship opportunities with Cru's ministries.

Careers

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.

Go International

Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact.

Volunteer Opportunities

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Events

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Explore Your Interests

Use your hobbies and interests to find the best place for you to serve.

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

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For Parents

Few life experiences approach the emotional intensity of a child’s transition out of your home and away to college. We understand how much you want to see your child survive, and even thrive, spiritually as he or she passes through this milestone.

It’s true your child will face some very real challenges in their transition. They will navigate through loneliness, newfound freedom, academic stress, social pressure, and the natural human inclination to try new things. They will encounter new temptations in the arenas of sex and alcohol.

On secular colleges, it’s very likely they’ll hear a professor challenge the authority of the Bible. In order to withstand these spiritual dangers, it’s imperative that your child gets connected to a Christian community at their new school. We’re here to help with that.

Your child is heading out on an exciting journey, but they’ll be making the journey without you. How can you advocate for them as they head out and you stay behind? There are at least 4 key things you can do in the last 6 months leading up to the day you drop your child off at college.

1. Spend time together. Grab as much time as you can with your child before they head to college. Have lots of fun together and build memories that you and your child will look back on for years to come.

2. Express to them the importance of college community. Along with parental counsel on choosing a major, and tips on how to do laundry in a dorm, let the greatest concern you express to your child center on finding a place of like-minded others for encouragement, support, and a sense of belonging in their new environment.

Help your child locate Christian ministries on their new college campus through the school website. Here's how:

Then help them narrow the list down to three Christian communities on campus. Help them locate a contact person to reach out to later in the summer for the details on Freshmen welcome events and other first week events each ministry will be hosting. Offer encouragement that if your child connects with any of these groups in the fall, or better still, over the summer, they’ll be headed towards spiritual success.

3. Pray. Pray often with your child and for your child. Ask God to give them (and you) confident trust that he will direct them in this new chapter of life and provide a caring community for them to connect with at college.

4. Relax. God is in control and any anxiety we carry can be picked up by our kids. They need our steady confidence in God for them as they make this big transition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cru?
Cru is a caring community, passionate about connecting people to Jesus Christ. For over 60 years, we have been a ministry on college campuses around the world helping students come to know Jesus, grow in their faith, and then go to the world around them sharing God’s love with others.

Will my child fit in with Cru if they grew up in the Christian faith but aren’t following Jesus right now?
Cru is a safe place for students to explore their faith no matter what spiritual background they are from. Often Cru at a college is made up of students who are committed to following Jesus, students who are exploring what it means to follow Jesus, and students who have no background with Jesus or Christianity. All students are welcome.

How can my child find a church at their new college? Does Cru help with that?
We believe it is vital for college students to be connected to a local church. For purely practical reasons, we suggest finding an on-campus ministry first and view it as a base. Through that base ministry, your child can get church suggestions from older students and ministry leaders who are already plugged in to different local churches. Often older students can help coordinate rides and accompany new students to church when they first visit. At the beginning of the school year, many Cru groups will also announce church options at their meetings and on social media to help new students get quickly established at a church.

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.