The WHOLE campus to the WHOLE world! This vision of Cru involves mobilizing both students and faculty to share the good news about Jesus. This last month at Sac State, we had a taste of that through our “Professor, What’s Your Story?” event.  

Three Christian professors (pictured above) from different departments (criminal justice, physics/astronomy, and philosophy) all shared their testimonies to an audience of students. They highlighted how they came to know Christ, following Jesus as college students, and how their faith interacts with their fields of scholarship. The program ended with Q&A from students. 

In preparation for the event, we encouraged all our students to invite their non-Christian friends. One Cru freshman, Noah, brought his dorm mate, Michael, who has some familiarity with Christianity but isn’t walking with the Lord. 

Students were so encouraged by the chance to engage with the professors about faith that many stayed after the program ended to have coffee, snacks, and talk with the professors personally. Some even stayed an extra 30-40 minutes!

One student who came, Leila, told the faculty, “As a first year student, I felt comforted hearing your stories, knowing that I could relate.” Praise God for teachers willing to live out their faith on campus! Please pray for the message they shared to bear fruit in students’ lives! 

Thank you for partnering with us and investing in the message of Christ reaching the whole campus, whole city, and whole world! We are so grateful for you! 

PRAYER REQUESTS

Praise God for students hearing the gospel from their professors!

Pray for follow-up conversations with students like Michael. 

Pray for our spring planning times as we prepare to welcome new students in the fall. Pray for our student leaders as they transition into their new roles.

“Can I read your Bible?” Josue asked Tyler just before Tyler left their dorm room. 

Tyler (pictured middle in glasses), a junior transfer studying English at Sac State, has been attending Cameron’s Bible study in the dorms all year. He has actively sought opportunities to grow in his walk with Jesus and in ministry while in Sacramento. Among things like learning how to share his faith, being trained in leading a Bible study, and participating in a discipleship group with Cru, Tyler has been engaging in “Prayer, Care, Share”, our most recent initiative to open doors for the gospel to reach friends and classmates. The intention of these 6 weeks is to actively pray for the people in our daily spheres, noticing where God might be at work in our lives and how he might use us. Then, we start looking for ways to serve and meet tangible needs of those same people, with the hope of loving as Jesus loves. Finally, we seek opportunities to share Jesus’ love by being curious, asking good questions, and engaging in spiritual conversations with our friends. Prayer, Care, Share will end with an event that students can invite their non-Christian friends to where four Christian professors at Sac State will be sharing about their faith in Christ. While these weeks tend to be broken up into each category, praying, caring and sharing often overlap as students engage with their friends.  

So, when Tyler’s roommate asked him for a Bible during the “prayer” portion, Tyler was eager and prepared to engage more! After handing over his Bible, Tyler suggested that Josue start reading in the book of John. When Tyler got back and asked him about his time, Josue mentioned that the passage he read related to his life and he felt a conviction to turn away from sin. Tyler has since been able to have more conversations about how to read the Bible and about what it means to follow Jesus with Josue. Pray for Josue, Tyler and all of our students engaging in Prayer, Care, Share! 

We are praising God for how he is working to reach the students at Sac State and our surrounding campuses. THANK YOU for your being a part of what God is doing in Sacramento and around the world. We are grateful for you!

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Praise God for pursuing Josue and for the interest he is showing in reading the Bible! 
• Pray for all of our students to be bold and full of love as they enter the share portion of this outreach! Praise God for growing the hearts of students like Tyler who long for others to know Jesus.
• Pray for our “What’s Your Story, Prof?” event on March 13th at noon.
• Pray for our family’s health. We’ve had some random illnesses that have left us tired. 

“So why did you fill out our survey?” I (Cameron) asked. “For the Otter Pop!” responded Ava with a smile.

At the end of August, a couple thousand students moved into the residence halls at Sac State for the new school year. These dorms house mostly freshmen or junior transfers who are new to the area. While their primary reason for coming to Sac State is to learn academically, they are also looking for friends, community, and purpose in life.  

Each day during the first week of school as students passed by on their way to class, Cru staff, students, and volunteers gave out Otter Pops (popsicles) to students who took our spiritual interest survey. Some of the students we met were already Christians and are looking for a place to continue to grow in their faith while in college. Many students, like Ava, don’t yet know Jesus and are interested in exploring faith.  

After that first week, we got in touch with interested students and invited them to check out our weekly Bible studies (like Cam’s study above) at Sac State. We also do this at other colleges in the area, like Folsom Lake College, Consumes River College, and Sierra College. Praise God for Otter Pops and the opportunities that are opened up because of them!  

The culmination of our Fall Launch season is a weekend getaway where students can grow in their relationships with the Lord and community as they hear from a speaker, worship together, and meet students from other campuses. The first weekend of October, 75+ students from our Sacramento campuses (below), Chico, and San Fransisco gathered for Fall Retreat in Redding. 

During a reflection time, Ainslie, a Sac State freshman, shared with our group that she realized that God is always pursuing us, and she just needed to pursue Him back! Another Sac State student, Tyler, is excited to return to campus and share his faith with his friends and classmates! We are excited to come alongside these students as they walk with Jesus, and grow in living out their faith! Thank you for partnering with us and praying for students like Ava, Ainslie, and Tyler as they take the next step in their faith journeys with Jesus!

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Praise God for a great start to fall! It’s been so encouraging and fun to meet lots of new and interested students! 
• Pray for students to want to learn how to read the Bible and follow Jesus with their whole lives. Pray for them to connect to a Bible study. 
• Pray for evangelism trainings starting this week. 
• Pray for our family as we steward our schedules and energy levels. Pray for our health as we get further into fall. 

successful evangelism noun

1. taking the initiative to share the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God. 

Our family spent 3 beautiful days in Tahoe last month while I (Cameron) got to train 47 students from all over the U.S. in how to love your neighbor and live missionally after college. While attending the Lake Tahoe Summer Mission, students get jobs locally or take classes at the community college, and use their evenings and weekends to participate in trainings, outreaches, community, and discipleship geared towards growing them in their walks with Jesus during and after college. Essentially, students are given opportunities to see how God can use their everyday moments for His glory! This summer, students and staff in Tahoe were able to share the gospel with 328 people (co-workers, locals, tourists, etc), and saw 17 people place their faith in Jesus through their outreaches and the relationships students built with co-workers.

After finishing one of my trainings, Suzannah (left of Cameron above), who had just finished her freshman year at Boise State, asked me to get coffee. Suzannah shared how God had been working in her life this summer and showing her that He has been leading her, even through disappointments and struggles, to a place of knowing His love more deeply and trusting Him with her future. Being a part of a community of so many different types of people collectively desiring to know Jesus and make Him known has made her eager to keep growing when she returns to her campus. Also, participating in successful evangelism (see definition above) has grown her in her intentionally and authenticity in sharing Jesus with others. This summer has confirmed in her a desire to return to Idaho and eventually Germany (where she recently studied abroad), to share the grace, joy, and peace of the gospel with her friends.

Praise God for Suzannah and the other 46 students from all over the U.S. (Florida, Alaska, Arizona, Montana, California, etc.) who took the initiative to use their summers in this way! Pray that God would bless and use them to share His love as they return to their campuses. Thank you for praying for and investing in these students’ lives and partnering with us in this ministry! We’re grateful for you! 

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Pray for the start of the school year!  All of our Sacramento campuses begin the week of August 26!  Pray for Cameron and the staff to have energy as they meet students and have spiritual conversations during fall launch.
• Pray for all of the students stepping on campus! Pray they would see their need for Jesus and experience the good news of hope and life in the gospel. 
• Pray for the start of Cameron’s dorm Bible Study. Pray that many students would come and learn to study God’s word and discover Jesus. 
• Please pray for energy, health, and grace for our family! Pray for each of us as we settle into rhythms of work, play, and rest Pray that we would point each other to Jesus daily! 

Kaitlyn (fourth from the left in front row, and shown with Cam below) didn’t expect to go back overseas with Cru. She had gone to Central Asia in 2022 for a summer mission, but the rest of her summers have been slotted for taking classes and nursing school applications. However, at Cru’s Winter Conference this January, Kaitlyn felt like God was calling her to go again this summer.

In May, Kaitlyn joined with 13 other college students from around the US to go to Kyoto, Japan for 5 weeks.  While there, Kaitlyn’s team went to Japanese Universities, built friendships with students, and had intentional spiritual conversations with them. Below is Kaitlyn’s description of one such conversation: 

“I had sukiyaki for dinner with another friend this week! Even though her English was not as advanced, we had a fun time getting to know each other through broken English and Google translate. We had a great conversation as to what the true meaning of Christmas and Easter is and I was able to share the gospel with her!! She became super curious to learn more and wanted to come visit Student Impact [Cru’s name in Japan], but she is scared to become a believer because of persecution here in Japan.”

Kaitlyn has returned already, but she is continuing to learn from her experience: 

“My trip to Japan has been such an amazing experience where I saw God work in the hearts of Japanese students along with transforming my heart to grow more compassionate for the unreached. I was reminded that He is a God of all nations and that He isn’t just working in the lives of people in America but also in the lives of people in Japan. Though there are few Christians in Japan He is still working to open their eyes to see who He is and I hope that He continues to send me out into the plentiful harvest. It has been so inspiring to see how Christians in Japan are ministering to students and it has encouraged me to be more bold and courageous to spread the gospel to people in America.”

I am so grateful for Kaitlyn and the privilege it is to walk alongside her during her college years.  She has helped lead Bible studies at Sac State, helped launch Epic (a Cru ministry to Asian-American students), gone on mission trips, and learned to share her faith.

Thank you for investing in students like her and the impact she will make for Christ at Sac State and beyond!

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Pray for Kaitlyn and the other students who went to Japan this summer. Pray God would continue to work in and through them as they return to their campuses!
• Pray for the students they met, that God would water the seeds planted!
• Pray for Jeff and his team as they do the hard work necessary to make Cru’s apps, websites, and platforms function well.  
• Pray for our family to savor the summer and the change in rhythms.  
• Pray for Cameron’s trainings at the Lake Tahoe Summer Mission. She will be training around 50 students July 18-19.

“ I enjoy making a difference in the lives of the students who will be the spiritual leaders of tomorrow, whether that be within their families, in the workplace, at their church, or perhaps even in ministries like Cru.” — Michael (third from the right above)

Preparing students to live life on mission wherever God leads them is one of our greatest joys as Cru staff. Michael got involved with Cru at UC Berkeley while studying Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. After graduating last year, he went on a summer mission with Cru before returning home to Folsom. During the summer, God put it on Michael’s heart to find ways to continue to minister to college students in his free time. 

Michael joined our team as a volunteer in the fall and jumped in to help lead students in our Epic Movement at Sac State (a ministry focused on reaching Asian-American students) and our newly re-started movement at Folsom Lake College.  

Last month, Michael took two students, Maclainey and Gabe, out on the FLC campus and modeled how to ask questions, listen, and walk someone through the gospel message.  When they finished, Maclainey and Gabe grabbed their friends, Emily, Judah, and Sarah, and showed them how to do what Michael had just taught them! This group ended up sharing the message of Jesus with 6 students that afternoon! 

After seeing these gospel conversations modeled and put into practice, the students came away confident that God could use them and excited to engage with more people! 

Thank you for partnering in this ministry of multiplying faith!

PRAYER REQUESTS

Praise God for working in Michael’s life while at UC Berkeley, and using him to reach this generation of college students with the gospel! 

Praise God for the students who are being equipped to have spiritual conversations wherever they are! Pray that God would use them!

Pray for students as they transition to their summers. Pray that God would use them in their homes and workplaces. Pray for students who are going on summer missions to be used mightily as they share the gospel. 

Pray for Cameron’s preparation as she gets to spend a couple of days training the 47 students at the Lake Tahoe Summer Mission.

Pray for our family to enjoy the change of pace over summer and to use our time well! 

Spring time on college campuses often means two things: nicer weather and more conversations about Jesus! Our students took advantage of this by giving away free cups of milk tea and inviting students to talk about Easter/Jesus.  

Epic Movement (our ministry to Asian-American students at Sac State) gave away gallons of tea during Easter week (pictured above). One of the cups went to a Filipino student named Zoilo, with a quick conversation before he headed off to his next commitment.

The following week, Zoilo ran into two of our staff who got to sit down with him and share the whole gospel message. After talking a while, Zoilo decided to pray to receive Christ!  

Praise God for how he pursues students like Zoilo! Pray for him as he connects with our students in Epic and learns how to walk in his new relationship with God. 

Our Cru movement at American River College hosted a similar table this month. One student we met, Nikhil, grew up with Hindu parents, but he now calls himself an atheist. While chatting over a cup of tea, he shared about his studies and the stress/anxiety he feels. 

Two of our students took the opportunity to share with him about why Jesus is such good news and how he can give peace. Nikhil wasn’t ready to trust in Jesus, but after talking, he gave us his number and was interested in talking more! 

Pray that God would help us to continue these gospel conversations with students like Zoilo and Nikhil! Pray that He would continue to draw them to himself. 

PRAYER REQUESTS

Praise God for His continual work in students’ lives! 

Pray for Zoilo and Nikhil to get connected with other believers in our Cru and Epic Movements and to learn how Jesus can be their source of life and truth! 

Pray for our time with students to be fruitful as we wrap up the semester. Pray for God to use ours and our students summers for His glory! 

Pray for us to point our children daily to the Lord and pray for him to give them faith in Him! 

Joaquin grew up in a nominally Catholic home, but his family didn’t really go to church or talk about faith.  It wasn’t until college, through his science classes, that he saw how creation points to a Creator, and he began to wonder what God might be like. However, at this point, these were just unanswered questions in his mind. 

This fall, some of our Cru staff ran into Joaquin during our weekly evangelism hour. They shared with him about who this Creator God is, and even more importantly, how we can know him through Christ. Joaquin decided then and there that he wanted to follow Jesus and begin a new relationship with this God!

Since then, Joaquin has been participating in our Sac State small group on Tuesday nights, learning more about the amazing good news of Jesus through the book of Ephesians. He meets up regularly with our staff to learn how to grow in his new faith through prayer, reading the Word, confessing sin, and sharing his faith. 

Recently, Joaquin shared his faith for the first time, helping to pass on that same good new to others! Praise God for his work in Joaquin’s life, and this example of how God takes lost students and turns them in into multiplying disciples! Pray for more students in Davis and Sacramento to come to know God and be sent out into the harvest fields!

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Praise God for Joaquin’s new faith and growth in Christ! 
• Pray for our students to draw closer to the Lord over Winter Break. 
• Pray for our Winter Conference in January. Pray that many students will come and encounter the love, truth, and power of the gospel for themselves and others around them! 
• Pray for our family to depend fully on Christ and seek him!  Please pray for our kids to grow up knowing the grace and truth of Jesus. 
• Please pray for Jeff and Cam both to be learners in their roles as they navigate new technology, strategies, generations, and cultures to see the gospel go forth.