Greek Life at UC Davis

Some of the 13 staff and students helping pass out snacks to women looking for a sorority house to join.

Some of the 13 staff and students helping pass out snacks to women looking for a sorority house to join.

Every year hundreds of UC Davis students participate in Rush Week, a week full of meet and greets, interviews, selection processes, and finally, induction ceremonies for each sorority house.  This process usually includes girls walking from house to house in fancy outfits from early morning to late evening with few breaks for food or water!

This year, Cru wanted to bless these ladies who were searching for a community in Davis.  We had about 13 Cru staff and students (above) help pass out snacks, mini water bottles, and a flyers letting the girls know that we were praying for them. The girls we met were so thankful for the goodies, and we loved being able to bless this group of women with whom we generally don’t get to interact because of their schedules!

Another aspect of Cru’s outreach to the Greek community has been to start a weekly gathering called Greek Life.   I (Cameron) have been meeting with 5 women who are, will be, have been, or have close friends in a sorority on Wednesdays to study the Word, pray for their communities, and think through how to love their sorority sisters with the gospel.

It is so exciting to see how God has grown this ministry from last year’s weekly prayer time with one student into a budding ministry.

Thank you for partnering with us as we work to see Jesus known in all pockets of campus!

Prayer Requests

Please pray that God would grow Greek Life and our ministry to the Greek Community at UC Davis.  Pray that many men and women would find life in Christ.

Please pray for our growing family!  Pray that God would bless our marriage, baby’s growth, and all of our preparations!  Please also pray that God would give us energy and leading in ministry.

Fall Beginnings

Brian's freshman year was greatly important for his faith

Brian’s freshman year was greatly important for his faith

Freshmen move in at UC Davis on September 19-20.  We will be intensely reaching out to them in the following weeks.  To give you an idea of how influential freshman year can be and what God can do, we thought it would be best for you to hear the story of a former freshman, Brian (above), in his own words:

“Growing up, I was very lucky to have a wonderful mother who raised me in the church despite the fact that my father was not, and still is not to this day, a Christian. But as I grew older, life changed.  All of a sudden, the story of Jesus [and living as a Christian] didn’t seem so sweet. Too often it seemed like a long list of rules, which wasn’t very appealing. Instead, I choose to prioritize being the top of my class and relationships with others over my faith.

“Entering college after a senior year mostly spent backpedaling in my faith, I was very unsure of the direction my spiritual life was going to take. At the recommendation of a friend of my older brother, I decided to show up at Cru’s first weekly meeting of the year. The highlight of the meeting came at the end when I was introduced to the two upperclassmen, named Tyler and Andrew, who would be leading the Bible study in my dorm area. Although I proceeded to go to a party immediately following the meeting, I was left thinking about the enthusiasm and care that seemed to emulate not only from Tyler and Andrew, but from everyone else back at the weekly meeting.

“Over the next year, Tyler and Andrew taught me how the Christian life is a conscious decision to make every day to submit myself before our eternal king Jesus and trust that the path he has prepared for me is for my good. As I began to surrender things that I had long held onto, I was amazed to see how Jesus began molding me into a new person. I had a purpose like none before, and all of a sudden, asking my floor mates and friends about their spiritual beliefs and sharing with them what I believed, while still scary, was something that actually happened and I even looked forward to!”

Brian led a small group bible study in the dorms last year and was able to mentor two men who lived in the dorms.  He says, “I see in their eyes a desire to experience our Savior in new and deeper ways, and I absolutely love helping them take steps in that direction.”  After coming with us to South Africa this summer, he is ready to reach out to more freshmen and strengthen them in their faith, like Tyler and Andrew did for him.

Thanks for being part of reaching this year’s incoming freshmen!  We’re so grateful for your partnership!

Prayer Requests

Thank God for the work he has done in Brian’s life and how he is using him.

Pray for the incoming freshmen.  Pray that Christians would get connected to a church or campus fellowship so that college can be a time where they thrive in their faith.  Pray for non-Christians, that they would meet Jesus have their lives changed.

Pray for energy and dependence on the Spirit as our staff and students reach out.

Orchestrated Moments

Frank (left) with Brian, a first-year student at Rhodes University

Frank (left) with Brian, a first-year student at Rhodes University

God often orchestrates divine appointments when you aren’t looking for them.  Even on mission trips!

A huge goal of our trip to South Africa this summer was to surface Christ-centered leaders at Rhodes University who would be willing help lead a student-led movement of Christ followers that want to reach their campus after our team left.  One day, Ashley was taking a lunch break after a morning of evangelism on campus.  Waiting in line in the cafeteria, she struck up a conversation with Brian (above, right), a first year student from Johannesburg.  It was just chit-chat, but little did Ashley know that her conversation would set the stage for a deeper conversation.

Ashley paired up with Frank (above, left) after lunch for more evangelism.   Recognizing Brian, Ashley approached him.  After eventually presenting the gospel, they found out that Brian was a Christian and looking for a Christian group to be part of.  Frank and Brian started to meet up regularly to go over four basic bible studies that ground Christians in their faith.  Brian was a faithful and eager learner.  Just a few months after getting involved in Cru at Rhodes University, he is now ready and excited to lead a discipleship group in which he can communicate the truths that he learned to his fellow students.  Praise the Lord!

The Lord did so much in our time in South Africa.  Leaders were raised up and are continuing to be raised up through currently involved students.  Additionally, there are now at least eight discipleship groups happening at Rhodes University, seven of which are led by Rhodes students.  Brian and the other involved students are eager to reach their campus.

Thanks for partnering with us in this mission to the world!

Prayer Requests

Thank God for the 13 South Africans who began relationships with Jesus!

Pray for a strong student movement that lasts for decades to come.

Pray for the students as they seek to reach their campus.

Praise God for the work he did through and in our team of Americans!

Meet Our South Africa Team

South Africa Summer Mission 2015

South Africa Summer Mission 2015

Front Row, Left to Right:
Ashley – 3rd year, UC Davis
Hannah – 4th year, UC Santa Barbara
Emiley – 4th year, UC Davis
Cameron – Cru Staff at UC Davis
Kelsey – 3rd year, UC Davis
Rosie – 3rd year, UC Davis
Back Row, Left to Right:
Kaitlin – 4th year, UC Davis
Frank – 5th year, Cal Poly Pomona
Adam – 5th year, UC Davis
Michael – 4th year, Chico State
Brian – 4th year, UC Davis
Jeff – Cru Staff at UC Davis

As you read this, we are most likely flying to or have just arrived in South Africa!  We will spend about 28 hours traveling before we land.

For the next six weeks, Cameron and I are leading a team of ten American students to help launch a Cru movement at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, near Port Elizabeth.  We will come alongside the Cru students already there and the small team of long-term staff coaching them.  Rhodes is considered one of the top ten universities is all of Africa (not just South Africa).  Students come from all over Africa to attend this prestigious university.  What if their lives could be forever changed because of their involvement in Cru at Rhodes University?  A great missionary force, both in full-time vocational Christian work and in the marketplace, would be raised up to point the continent of Africa to Jesus.  This is our hope for the long-term Cru movement at Rhodes University.

The ten American college students that we are taking with us have all seen their lives change drastically while they have been involved with Cru in college.  They desire to obey God’s command to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).  They want to see the Lord use them to make an impact in the lives of those who don’t know him yet.  They want to be equipped in how to be life-long laborers that point people to Jesus wherever they go.

Thanks for investing in the lives of students both in the US and in South Africa!  We’re grateful for your partnership!

Prayer Requests

TEAM:

Please pray for our team of 12!
Praise God that he provided a team and the funds for the team to go to South Africa!
Please pray for growth, effectiveness, and unity in our team.
Pray that God would prepare the students at Rhodes to hear the gospel, believe, and become life-long disciples of Jesus.
Pray that God would raise up Christ-centered student leaders at Rhodes.
Pray that God would use this summer to have a long-lasting impact at Rhodes and beyond for his kingdom!

PERSONAL:

Jeff usually can’t sleep on planes.  Pray for sleep (both to and from South Africa).
Pray for energy as we lead our team for the next 6 weeks.
Pray for unity in our marriage as we lead together.

Acting on Perspectives

Ashley, a sophomore, used an outreach taking place at UC Davis to reach out to her brother!

Ashley, a sophomore, used an outreach taking place at UC Davis to reach out to her brother!

Like many Christians who come to college and are faced with an array of temptations and pressures, Ashley (pictured left) spent her first year at Davis navigating how to be a Christian in the midst of college.  Having tested the waters of the party scene, and weary from the world’s empty pursuits, Ashley entered her sophomore year hungry for something more—a deeper dependence and faith in Jesus.  She knew what she’d been doing wasn’t working.  So, looking to take her faith seriously and grow in her relationship with God, she immersed herself in the Cru community at Davis.  She began attending a Bible study for her major, joining the weekly prayer times held on campus, and learning how to engage in spiritual conversations and share her faith with students on campus.

In February, our ministry hosted an outreach using Perspective Cards (an evangelism tool highlighted in our previous letter) to surface students’ worldviews and share the gospel.  One aspect of the outreach was a challenge to our students to prayerfully consider trusting the Lord to try Perspectives with three of their friends over the course of two weeks.  Ashley was one of the 50+ students to participate in the outreach, and she took it a step closer to home:

“I have been praying for my brother to be saved for around 5 years now but I rarely ever talk to him about God.  We were challenged in the outreach to do Perspective Cards, so I decided to do them with my brother… He was curious to know more and came to church with me the next day where he prayed to receive Christ!  Not only did that transform my brother’s life, but my faith was radically changed as well.  God blessed me in my small step of faith, which has given me boldness and courage to keep taking bigger steps of faith.”

One of Ashley’s next steps is to go on a Summer Mission with Cru to South Africa.  Thanks for helping students like Ashley embark on the journey that is faith in Christ!

Clay Update

We are excited to share that this summer we will be leading Ashley and 9 other students on a Summer Mission to Grahamstown, South Africa!

In 2010, we were part of the first summer mission team from the US to the Eastern Cape of South Africa.  Our goal was to start an evangelistic movement on Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (1.5 hours from Rhodes Univ. in Grahamstown).

Since then, God has used teams like ours and year-long teams to bring hundreds of students to trust in him for the first time. Because of their desire to see the good news of Jesus spread as far as possible, many of these NMMU Cru students are now reaching out to other campuses in the region. There are currently 40 South African students involved in the ministry across four different campuses.

This summer our team hopes to come alongside these students to help launch an evangelistic movement at Rhodes University.  We’re trusting that the Lord will use our summer to help launch a healthy self-sustaining movement that will affect South African lives for years to come!

Prayer Requests

Praise God for Gabby who has begun a relationship with Jesus! Pray that she would stay connected to community and grow in her faith this summer.

Please pray for our students as they prepare for finals and head  into summer. Pray that they would be intentional with their faith and their time.

Pray for our team and us as leaders as we plan and prepare for our trip to SA. Pray that God would work in our hearts and the hearts of those we’ll meet.

What’s Your Perspective?

PerspectiveMany people’s worldviews are becoming increasingly diverse.  And for many, the Christian worldview is becoming increasingly strange and hard to believe.  This is especially true on college campuses like UC Davis.

Even if students wanted to believe the gospel, most just can’t accept it because it goes against what they “know” to be true of the world.  And, what they “know” to be true has to be discussed before they can even come close to a point where they can fully entrust their lives to the biblical Jesus.

Because of this, we’ve been using a conversation starter on campus called “Perspective Cards”.  With the look of a deck of playing cards, this tool allows us to respectfully and casually dialogue with students on issues such as:

What is the nature of God?
What is the meaning and purpose of life?
What is human nature?
Who is/was Jesus?
What is the source of spiritual truth?

Cameron and I love using these cards because it allows us to diagnose where any student is at spiritually.  We get to listen respectfully, ask questions that help them consider what is true, and then present the Christian worldview.  Because a framework has been laid, they are usually able to listen, understand, and consider the message of Jesus in a way that they wouldn’t have been able to had their worldview and the Christian worldview not been discussed.  In addition, a conversation like this begins to establish a jumping-off point for many conversations in the future.  (Coming to faith is often a long process for today’s college students.)

Our students in Cru at UC Davis love using these cards too!  We had an outreach a few weeks ago where we challenged students to prayerfully consider trusting the Lord to try Perspectives with three of their friends over the course of two weeks.  In total, students decided to trust the Lord to have over 150 conversations with their friends who may or may not know Jesus!  It’s so cool to see our students taking steps of faith to trust the Lord to have spiritual conversations!

We are so thankful for innovative tools that foster meaningful conversations with today’s generation of college students.  In the coming months, we’ll give you some stories about how students have used these cards to reach out to those around them.

Grateful for your investment in our ministry,
Jeff and Cameron

P.S. If you want to hear how you might be able to get a deck yourself and how you could use these cards, visit jeffandcam.com/perspectives

Prayer Requests

Thank you for praying for Gabby! And, please continue to do so. God is doing some cool things in her life.

Pray that our students would continue to have a heart to reach out to their friends.

Please pray for our Easter Outreach on March 31 – April 2. Pray for openness and lots of gospel conversations.

Please pray that God would give us and our staff team rest and rejuvenation over spring break and as we head into spring quarter.

Seeking Greek

gab

Gabby, a transfer student in Chi Omega

Nearly 1 in 10 students at UC Davis is involved in a fraternity or sorority.  With roughly 10% of the student population identifying as “Greek,” Cru has a heart to serve the Greek community and reach them with the gospel.  One of the ways we have decided to come alongside the Greek community is through prayer.

Coming into this quarter, I (Cameron) was slightly nervous about starting a prayer group. Out of 25 students from sororities and fraternities who showed initial interest in the prayer group, only 3 actually signed up to attend.  Thoughts like “I have no idea what those Greek letters say”, “what is the horse-shoe looking letter, again?” and “What if no one shows up” definitely went through my mind.  But, I realized that if I was the only one praying, there was still more prayer for the Greek Community than before.

So, at the first prayer meeting, when no students showed, a woman on my staff team and I decided to walk around and pray for the Greek system and for each Greek house we passed.  We also prayed for the 3 girls who had signed up to meet with us.  We prayed that God would raise up strong Christians in each house and that these 3 girls would reflect Jesus to those around them.

At the next prayer time, I walked up to the meeting place, and Gabby, a transfer student and pledge in Chi Omega was waiting.  After I asked about her spiritual background, Gabby shared that she has been spiritually searching.  She grew up in a religious home but went her own way in middle and high school, a path that led to disconnectedness and suicide attempts.  Now, she believes that there is something out there and is longing for connectedness.

I asked Gabby if I could share what I know about God, and she was eager to listen.  I was able to share my own story as well as some of the Knowing God Personally booklet.  Because of time constraints, I was only able to share the first point, that God loves Gabby, that he created her to know him personally, and that he has a plan for her.  Gabby seemed open to talking more, so I sent her home with the booklet and set up a time to meet again.

At our next meeting, I asked Gabby if she’d read the rest of the book.  She had, and she had also shared it with her roommate who is in a similar place spiritually.  She said that when she finished it, she was crying, and that if this is true, this is what she wants. What holds Gabby back, however, is that she’s been so inundated with anti-God thinking from the world and community around her; so it’s difficult for her to simply believe that it is in fact true.  Like many students at Davis, Gabby has barriers and a worldview that stand in the way of Jesus, which need to be addressed before she can see him as her Savior and Lord.

Please pray for Gabby! She is searching and so open to talking about God. I was able to give her a book about the things that are holding her back, which she’s started reading, and she has attended another prayer meeting. Last week she also got connected to a Chi Omega sorority sister who is also in Cru. We are praying that God would draw her to himself and break down the barriers that stand in her way. Thank you for investing in the lives of these students! We are so thankful for your partnership and prayers.

Prayer requests

Please continue to pray for Gabby and the Greek Community at UC Davis!  Pray that God would open doors for us, and that we would see fraternities reached as well.

Pray that our students would have a heart to reach out to their friends.

Please pray for our Men’s and Women’s Retreats coming up in mid-February.

Pray for continued energy and strength for us and our staff team.

Students Reaching Students

Amy decided to place her trust in Jesus!

“My friends all grew up Christian, but I didn’t know anything about it,” said Amy (left), a bubbly 2nd year student.  Curious, because of conversations with a friend named Kenny who had begun to explore Christianity this past summer, Amy followed Kenny to a bible study that I (Jeff) am helping lead this year.

Afterward, Brittany (below, right), a 3rd year animal science major who is co-leading the study, met with Amy to follow up her experience.  Brittany had been a bit nervous to lead Bible study this year, but has been trusting that the Lord will use her.  During their meeting, Brittany explained the big picture of the Bible.  But, after discussing Amy’s spiritual background, they quickly ran out of time, and Amy eagerly agreed to meet up again.

This time, Brittany invited a Cru staff member named Anna to accompany her for their second meeting.  It was Brittany, however, who eagerly shared the gospel with Amy while Anna listened joyfully.  Asked if she had ever let Jesus into her life, Amy responded, “I feel like I’ve been interacting with Jesus, but I’ve never actually prayed.”  After a few more questions, Amy was ready to surrender her life to Jesus, and prayed quietly to receive him into her life.

It was Brittany's first time seeing God use her to bring someone to faith!

It was Brittany’s first time seeing God use her to bring someone to faith!

By this time, both Brittany and Amy had to leave for class.  Brittany, however, had a huge smile on her face; this was the first time she had seen the Lord use her to bring someone to faith in Christ!

Brittany and Amy plan on meeting up regularly to help ground her in her new faith in Christ with some of the basics.  Yet, we can already see evidence of how God is moving in Amy.  Just a few days after Amy decided to trust Jesus, she attended our bible study, where some of the students were discussing fear that keeps them from sharing their faith with those around them.  After listening for a while, Amy piped up.

“If Brittany and Anna hadn’t explained the gospel to me last week, I wouldn’t have a relationship with God!  I was just waiting to know.”  She then proceeded for the next five minutes to exhort the other students to share their faith!

How amazing!  Thank you so much for helping enable students to reach their fellow students!

Clay Update

This quarter has been a busy one!  Between Fall Launch, helping follow-up 1400 students who filled out contact cards in exchange for free water bottles, helping lead our separate Bible Studies, and the many conferences and retreats that happen in the fall, our weeks have been full of intense ministry!  It has been fun, busy, exhausting, and fruitful!

Jeff has loved getting to teach at our Cru weekly meetings, which he will do more of in winter quarter.  He’s also enjoyed the work involved in his seminary class that develops him further for his work on campus.

Cameron has started meeting with 3 groups of girls weekly to help them grow in being disciples of Christ.  She has also spoken in front of 4 sororities and 1 fraternity about a prayer group that we’re starting to serve the Greek Community at Davis.  19 students have indicated an interest in the group!

We are looking forward to what this year has in store for us, both personally and in ministry!

Prayer Requests

Pray for Amy, that she would grow in knowledge of and relationship with Christ.

Pray for continued energy for us to finish the quarter well, refreshment over holiday breaks, and for our momentum for the start of winter quarter.

Praise God for the access He’s given us to the fraternities and sororities! Pray that many students would join our Greek Community prayer group and be strengthened in their witness to their fraternities and sororities.

Pray for God to raise up male leaders.

Praise God (and pray) for the 10 students who have placed their trust in Christ this quarter!

Pray for the Fall

Rico came to Christ last year through Cru at UC Davis

Rico came to Christ last year through Cru at UC Davis

Thousands of freshmen will flood the UC Davis campus in the coming weeks.  As they step foot on campus, they come to a crossroads.  Will they continue to follow Jesus, or go another way?  If they’re not a Christian, will they be open to exploring who Jesus is, or will they remain closed off?  We’ve found that many college students are the most open to life change during the first few weeks of their freshman year.  What type of life change will that be though?

Rico (pictured above) is a great example of a student whose openness during the first few weeks of his freshman year completely changed his life.

We encountered Rico during his first week on campus last September.  In exchange for a free water bottle, he filled out one of our spiritual interest surveys.  Although he didn’t really have any history in church or spirituality, Rico indicated on his survey that he was interested in talking to someone about God.

On top of regularly talking with one of our staff members, Rico began to get involved with our ministry.  He attended our events, found a community in which to belong, and was challenged to consider the person of Jesus.

Seven months after his first week on campus, Rico decided to surrender his life to Jesus. He is being equipped in the basics of the Christian faith, involved in a church, and is even preparing to help lead the same freshman bible study through which he came to faith last year for this year’s incoming freshmen.

It all started because of his openness during his first week.

Freshmen move into the dorms September 27-28.  Though we always desire you to pray for our ministry, we especially covet your prayers for these first few weeks on campus.

We’re super grateful for you!

Prayer Requests

Update: Praise God for the 70 people who indicated decisions to trust Christ during the duration of the missions trip in Santa Monica!

Please pray for the freshmen and new students arriving in Davis the weekend of Sept 27-28. Pray that God would draw them to Himself.

Pray that men without church backgrounds would place their trust in Christ and get involved with our ministry.

Please pray for us, our staff team, and our servant team during the next few weeks. Pray for energy and refreshment in the midst of such a busy schedule!

A Ready Recipient

80 students and 24 staff attended our mission trip in Santa Monica

80 students and 24 staff attended our mission trip in Santa Monica

On top of seeking to reach out to the entire community of Santa Monica during our summer mission, we also seek to regularly engage with students at Santa Monica College. This year, we also decided to send a team of 15 of our 80 students to reach out to the UCLA campus.

During their second day at UCLA, two students from our group, Frank and Grace, approached a UCLA student named Luis.  Midway through the conversation, Frank and Grace shared that they are with a group called Cru.  Luis exclaimed, “I’ve been looking for Cru!”  He then shared that for the last year he’s been doing research and that he now believes that there is a God and that He is the God of the Bible.  Luis was interested in knowing more about this God.

So, Frank and Grace shared a booklet that they had been trained in this summer called “Would You Like to Know God Personally?.”  The booklet gives a basic outline of the gospel: that God loves you and created you for relationship with Him, that we are separated from God by our sin, that Jesus bridged the gap created by our sin, and that through our faith in Jesus alone we can be restored into relationship with God.  Luis was super engaged in the conversation and decided on the spot to place his faith in Jesus.  Frank and Grace called Alexis, one of the 15 students of the UCLA team who is also a UCLA student during the year.  Alexis and Luis connected, and Luis now intends to be part of UCLA Cru in the fall.

Luis’ story is an amazing story of new life in Christ, but it became that much more exciting for Frank and Grace (and the rest of our summer team) when Luis shared that last year he had worked with a UCLA student named Trevor who attended the 2013 summer mission in Santa Monica.  Trevor reached out to Luis, met up with him twice, and engaged in some spiritual conversations.  At the end of the summer, however, the two ended up going their separate ways.

Cameron mentored the above girls this summer: (L to R) Megan, Taylor, Lydia, Jocelyn, and Veronika. Jeff helped give leadership to the entire trip, especially with financial logistics.

Cameron mentored the above girls this summer: (L to R) Megan, Taylor, Lydia, Jocelyn, and Veronika. Jeff helped give leadership to the entire trip, especially with financial logistics.

One of the other UCLA students on the team quickly called Trevor to share the good news: Luis was a new brother in Christ and Trevor had been a part of that!  Overwhelmed with joy, Trevor, who had been praying for Luis all year, broke down in tears.

As members and staff of a summer trip like this, we pray for changed lives, lasting fruit, and that our students would experience God’s power and perfect plan.  Luis is an answer to this prayer!  Thank you for helping us and our students reach those like Luis with the gospel.

Prayer Requests

Praise God for Luis and his decision to surrender his life to Christ. Praise God for using Trevor and this year’s students!

Praise God for the 1,111 spiritual conversations, 343 gospel presentations, and 58 indicated decisions for Christ over the first 6 weeks in Santa Monica.

Please pray for the students as they finish out their summer in Santa Monica. Pray that God would continue to grow and use them!