Our Partnerships
Jesus’ final words to his disciples are recorded in Matthew 28:18-20: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'”
Cru in Southeast Ohio is committed to making disciples of all nations. While that effort begins in Southeast Ohio, it expands beyond state and national borders. Since 2010, we have been sending short-term, year-long, and long-term teams to two global partnerships. These are two locations that we have prayerfully chosen to commit to. We are trusting God to do in these two locations the very things that we are seeing him do in Southeast Ohio–win students to Christ, build them up in their faith, and send them out to reach others.
Gateway
In a city where over half of the population lives in poverty and where thousands are entrapped in human trafficking lies an untapped group of influencers—college students. Join us as we trust God to reach some of the most influential college students in a prominent South Asian city, which is marked by tradition and injustice. If you would step onto any campus in the Gateway city you would not find anything resembling a Christian ministry or movement of students who follow Jesus. Our hope is that God will use us to plant the seeds of future movements of college students who turn to Christ and lead others to follow Him. By reaching these university students, who are the future leaders and influencers, they can reach the rest of their country with the good news of Jesus Christ!
For more information on how you can go with us to Gateway, e-mail Jason[dot]Hoffman[at]cru[dot]org.
Slovenia
Most students in Slovenia identify with Roman Catholicism, atheism or new age beliefs. Slovenia is traditionally Catholic, but few talk about their religion or spirituality, and many young people deeply distrust the church. This has made Slovenia very hard soil for the seeds of the gospel. However college students, like most Slovenes, are friendly and willing to talk, and are open to discussions about spiritual things. Cru’s campus ministry in Ljubljana, Vsak Študent, has been at the university since 2010. Currently there is a local team of Americans who engage daily with Slovene students in spiritual and gospel conversations, while also discipling Christian students who are dedicated to see their friends and classmates changed by the gospel. Right now there are 50-70 Slovenes connected to the ministry, and a handful are Christian students who help lead the ministry. Slovenia has a unique opportunity to make significant and strategic contributions to the Great Commission. Its unique position between eastern and western Europe make it a gateway location and may open up doors in either direction.
For more information on how you can go with us to Slovenia, e-mail emily[dot]selway[at]cru[dot]org.