Information for Parents

We know that sending your son/daughter to on a Summer Mission - to a new location with people you don't know - can be a huge step of faith for you as well! We want to help answer questions you may have and provide information that is helpful for you.

Feel free to browse this website, especially the Logistics tab, to find more information.

This Cru site lays out more information for parents on the bigger picture aspects of Summer Missions with Cru.

What is a “Cru Summer Mission”?

A summer mission is a multi-week leadership and spiritual development program for college students sponsored by Cru (the U.S. ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ). The first summer mission was organized in 1965 in Ocean City, New Jersey. It began after a local pastor, along with the Mayor and city officials, invited staff and students involved with Campus Crusade to come to Ocean City. They wanted Campus Crusade students to be a positive influence on the many college students who came to Ocean City for fun and work each summer.

What started in 1965 has since spread to dozens of different locations around the country, and many more overseas. Summer missions have been a very effective way to develop students as leaders back on campus, and for the rest of their lives. During the summer, students receive practical training in communicating and living out their faith. The schedule includes small group Bible study and discussion, large-group teaching, and one-on-one mentoring. 

Who is running the summer mission?

Three Cru staff will give leadership to the summer mission. 

Katie Smith will be the operations team leader for this summer. She graduated from Iowa State in 2003 & served with Cru on campus for 18 years in Iowa, Minnesota, and France. She currently serves with Cru on our Leadership Development & HR team for 8 states. This will be her sixth time heading to the Jersey Shore for a summer mission!

Hilary Mlsna will be one of the team leaders for this summer. She currently serves as a Team Leader in Milwaukee on the Metro Team.  She went to UW-Eau Claire and has been on staff with Cru for 19.  She has been married to Jake for 18 years and they have 2 kids - Elijah (12) and Kate (10). Summer Missions are one of her favorite things that Cru offers for college students, so she's excited to see what God does this summer on the Jersey Shore Summer Mission! 

Paul Runnoe will be one of the team leaders this summer. He serves on the Milwaukee Metro Team with his wife, Jenn. Paul & Jenn have been on staff with Cru for 19 years. They have 6 kids (ages 1 - 11) who will be joining them on Summer Mission this summer. Paul loves Summer Missions and has led several other Summer Mission trips in the US and internationally. He highly values the team feeling like a family. He enjoyed exploring new places and excited to get to know Seaside Heights and the staff and students joining us this summer.  

We will be joined by 6 (or more) additional full-time Cru staff who will assist in making this a great summer for your student. Our leadership team as well as our staff have had extensive experience on these summer missions.

All of our staff hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and have gone through a rigorous screening process before being accepted for full-time Cru staff.

What is the community’s response to the summer mission?

This is an area of which we are very proud. Our summer missions are one of the most positive influences in the communities in which we serve. Students and staff with Cru have been coming to this area of the country since the summer of 1965. Civic and church leaders are very pleased with the missions’ presence and influence. This particular summer mission is entering its 10th year. We have a great local church partner, and the response we’ve seen from the community so far has been overwhelming, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

What is the atmosphere of the city?

Seaside Heights is a resort community, with a beach, an amusement-oriented boardwalk, and numerous other clubs and restaurants making it a popular destination.  Seaside Heights calls itself, “Your Home For Family Fun Since 1913!”  Seaside Heights became nationally famous for the former MTV Reality show: Jersey Shore, making it an increasingly popular vacation destination for high school and college age young people.

Seaside Heights and the surrounding area is a well-kept, clean beach community.  It attracts a number of college students for the summer to work in the many seasonal shops, restaurants, and hotels. At night the city is well lit and well policed. We will set some basic norms and guidelines this summer (curfew, staying on the boardwalk, not being out alone at night, etc), that will help ensure that it's safe and enjoyable for everyone.

We want to provide the nicest housing that we can at an affordable price. We lease multi-unit apartments for our summer mission. Each apartment contains a kitchen and laundry is available on the property. 

Where will my child be staying on the Summer Mission?

We have 2 rental houses for students that share a backyard. Each rental has 2 apartments. Each apartment has 3 bedrooms and a 3 season porch with beds. (We do not allow students to use the door from the porch with beds so that it doesn't accidentally get left unlocked.) Each student will have their own bed. In the picture at the top of this page you can see the two housing towards the bottom of the picture - they're the cream one. You can see how close we are to the beach! We have been using these houses for students since the first Summer Mission in 2013. They are close to the beach and boardwalk and have a shared backyard which is great to hanging out and meetings. Here is the rental listing if you want to know more about the housing.

Also, the 2 staff families will be living in the house right next door to the student housing. And the other staff are staying across the street and down 2 houses, so we are all very close. 

Are students allowed to leave during the trip?

We ask that all students who have been accepted to be a part of the Summer Mission make themselves available for the entire length of the trip. We generally do not allow students to leave the Summer Mission for overnight trips due to safety concerns and the fact that it is only 2 weeks, so missing even a couple days is really significant.

If you have any questions about this Summer Mission or the experience your child will have, please feel free to contact Katie, Hilary, or Paul.