See The Campus

Since 1967 our staff, volunteers and interns have seen the local high school and middle school campus as a mission field, the best place in the world to reach teens.

Many of them fly under the radar, with administrators knowing why they are there, and silently cheering. Others, have a visible presence as volunteers, or can visit students at lunch hour. Still others discover it’s a “closed campus”, meaning no outside influences allowed, and yet, even here they work through student leaders to reach the school.

Only one thing is certain, there are no cookie cutter approaches to gaining access to a public school campus. However, there are time-tested principles that can guide your steps.

The first and most important?

1. The Authority of Jesus Christ…

If God has called us to reach this generation, we must go where they spend most of their time, in schools. It’s He who points us to the specific campus, and He who will connect us to advocates like teachers, coaches or principals, and it’s He who prepares the hearts of students. Without Him we fail.

2. God has new relationships waiting inside the school.

Every campus has gatekeepers, people God has placed there, who will join us in opening doors that would normally stay closed.

3. On some campuses access to students by adults is more difficult,

so students step up and lead, with your coaching.

4. Prayer will prepare the hearts

of all to join with us in God’s design to see a spiritual movement raised up on the campus.

If you’re ready to walk on the campus closest to you, keep the following in mind.

• Do your homework. Ask in churches and around school events who are the teachers, administrators or coaches who might want to talk about the spiritual development of students.

• If you discover the school is “closed” to outside influence, work to surface Christian students in local churches. In this case you will help coach them to see their campus as a mission field.

• When God surfaces a gatekeeper, such as a coach, administrator, custodian or student, go to them without delay. In explaining Cru, you can say something like this:

“Hi, I’m Shawn, and I work for a faith based youth organization called Cru. We come along side schools to help students learn how to be leaders, by offering resources for their personal and spiritual development.”

• Volunteer for activities at the school. Being around students will allow you to run into Christian students, and let others see you are part of their world.

• Set up a 24 hour prayer chain and ask community people to sign up.

• Finally, when we see the campus the way God does, it will give you confidence to take steps of faith, necessary in order to surface and coach a spiritual movement. Are you ready? What are you waiting for, let’s go the campus!