“I’ve never evangelized before in public. Before I went, I prayed for a divine appointment.” shared Shania, a college student from Texas. She met K during the orientation scavenger hunt at the beginning of the Cru City Church Movements Summer Mission in Kansas City.
K is an artist who sells portraits in a park. Shania was able to share the gospel with K several times. “I showed her the Knowing God Personally booklet,” Shania said, “I asked if I could pray for her. K said it scares her when I pray for her because she gets a strong internal feeling. You could just feel the Holy Spirit in the moment. K was crying.”
This was the eighth Summer Mission partnership between Cru Campus and Cru City but the first time they partnered with four local church plants. About seven Cru staff and college students were assigned to each church to help with maintenance or remodeling work in the morning. In the afternoon, they would go to neighborhoods around the churches to knock on doors and invite people to the events the churches were holding.
Mark Sanders, Cru City staff with Church Movements in Kansas City who led the Summer Mission, says the goal is to help students gain a vision for what life could look like after college. “We’re connecting them to the local church as a vital lifeline after they graduate,” Mark said. “The students really appreciated the times with the pastors. Hearing their heart for ministry, what it means to practice hospitality, and how they’re training people to build disciples and share their faith. The pastors want people like these students to come alongside them and minister with them.”
On last night of the Summer Mission, K came with Shania to a party in the park (right) organized by Neighborhood Church. While there, K shared that she wanted to make a decision to follow Jesus. Shania said, “I’d never seen someone come to Christ. That was just beautiful for me. Before I do anything now, I pray. Before I have conversations, I pray. All day long, that’s what guides me in the right direction.”
Pastor Dave Partin of Neighborhood Church said, “We desired to reach people who had no connection to our church or ministry in the entire one-mile area around our church. Families came because a friendly student came to their door and invited them to church. Because Cru students and staff were willing to walk up to doors in our neighborhood, neighborhood children and families were invited to hear the gospel.”
Thank you for your prayer for and commitment to our ministry with Cru. Because of you, people’s lives are changed by the gospel through outreaches in parks and partnerships with local churches.
Yours in Christ,
Steve & Robin