One friend expressed disbelief that Bill was “throwing himself away as a missionary.” In response, Borden wrote two words in the back of his Bible: “No reserves.”

Even though young Borden was wealthy, he arrived on the campus of Yale University in 1905 trying to look like just one more freshman. Very quickly, however, Borden’s classmates noticed something unusual about him and it wasn’t that he had lots of money. One of them wrote: “He came to college far ahead, spiritually, of any of us. He had already given his heart in full surrender to Christ and had really done it. We who were his classmates learned to lean on him and find in him a strength that was solid as a rock, just because of this settled purpose and consecration.”2

During his college years, Bill Borden made an entry in his personal journal that defined what his classmates were seeing in him. That entry said simply: “Say ‘no’ to self and ‘yes’ to Jesus every time.”3

Borden’s first disappointment at Yale came when the university president spoke in a convocation about the students’ need of “having a fixed purpose.” After that speech, Borden wrote: “He neglected to say what our purpose should be, and where we should get the ability to persevere and the strength to resist temptations.”4  Surveying the Yale faculty and much of the student body, Borden lamented what he saw as the end result of an empty, humanistic philosophy: moral weakness and sin-ruined lives.

Transforming the Campus

During his first semester at Yale, Borden started something that would transform campus life. One of his friends described how it began: “It was well on in the first term when Bill and I began to pray together in the morning before breakfast. I cannot say positively whose suggestion it was, but I feel sure it must have originated with Bill. We had been meeting only a short time when a third student joined us and soon after a fourth. The time was spent in prayer after a brief reading of Scripture. Bill’s handling of Scripture was helpful . . .  He would read to us from the Bible, show us something that God had promised and then proceed to claim the promise with assurance.”5

Borden’s small morning prayer group gave birth to a movement that soon spread across the campus. By the end of his first year, 150 freshman were meeting weekly for Bible study and prayer. By the time Bill Borden was a senior, one thousand of Yale’s 1,300 students were meeting in such groups.

Borden made it his habit to seek out the most “incorrigible” students and try to bring them to salvation. “In his sophomore year we organized Bible study groups and divided up the class of 300 or more, each man interested taking a certain number, so that all might, if possible, be reached. The names were gone over one by one, and the question asked, ‘Who will take this person?’ When it came to someone thought to be a hard proposition, there would be an ominous pause. Nobody wanted the responsibility. Then Bill’s voice would be heard, ‘Put him down to me.’”6

Borden’s outreach ministry was not confined to the Yale campus. He cared about widows and orphans and the disabled. He rescued drunks from the streets of New Haven. To try to rehabilitate them, he founded the Yale Hope Mission. One of Bill Borden’s friends wrote that he “might often be found in the lower parts of the city at night, on the street, in a cheap lodging house or some restaurant to which he had taken a poor hungry fellow to feed him, seeking to lead men to Christ.”7

Focused on the Goal

Borden’s missionary call narrowed to the Muslim Kansu people in China. Once he fixed his eyes on that goal, Borden never wavered. He also challenged his classmates to consider missionary service. One of them said of him: “He certainly was one of the strongest characters I have ever known, and he put backbone into the rest of us at college. There was real iron in him, and I always felt he was of the stuff martyrs were made of, and heroic missionaries of more modern times.”8

Although he was a millionaire, Bill seemed to “realize always that he must be about his Father’s business, and not wasting time in the pursuit of amusement.”9 Although Borden refused to join a fraternity, “he did more with his classmates in his senior year than ever before.” He presided over the huge student missionary conference held at Yale and served as president of the honor society Phi Beta Kappa.

Upon graduation from Yale, Borden turned down some high-paying job offers. In his Bible, he wrote two more words: “No retreats.”

William Borden went on to do graduate work at Princeton Seminary in New Jersey. When he finished his studies at Princeton, he sailed for China. Because he was hoping to work with Muslims, he stopped first in Egypt to study Arabic. While there, he contracted spinal meningitis. Within a month, 25-year-old William Borden was dead.

When the news of William Whiting Borden’s death was cabled back to the U.S., the story was carried by nearly every American newspaper. “A wave of sorrow went round the world . . . Borden not only gave (away) his wealth, but himself, in a way so joyous and natural that it (seemed) a privilege rather than a sacrifice” wrote Mary Taylor in her introduction to his biography.10

Was Borden’s untimely death a waste? Not in God’s perspective. Prior to his death, Borden had written two more words in his Bible. Underneath the words “No reserves” and “No retreats,” he had written: “No regrets.”

William Borden’s Epitaph (American Cemetery, Cairo)

A man in Christ
He arose and forsook all and followed Him
Kindly affectioned with brotherly love
Fervent in spirit serving the Lord
Rejoicing in hope, Patient in tribulation, Instant in prayer
Communicating to the necessity of saints
In honour preferring others
Apart from faith in Christ,
There is no explanation for such a life

Timeline of William Borden’s Life

November 1, 1887 — birth
1904 — High school graduation (Chicago)
1905 — Round-the-world trip
1909 — Yale graduation
December 17, 1912 — Sails for Egypt on way to China
April 9, 1913 — Death in Egypt

Endnotes

Taylor, Mrs. Howard. Borden of Yale ’09. Philadelphia: China Inland Mission, 1926, page 75.

²Ibid., page 98.

³Ibid., page 122.

⁴Ibid., page 90.

⁵Ibid., page 97.

⁶Ibid., page 150.

⁷Ibid., page 148.

⁸Ibid., page 149.

⁹Ibid., page 149.

¹⁰Ibid., page ix.

* Portions based on material in Daily Bread, December 31, 1988, and The Yale Standard, Fall 1970 edition.

* For more original content like this, visit: http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert

The next day, I fought crazed shoppers scavenging for Black Friday deals to get a different size. I found another pair, tried them on in the dressing room and then made the exchange.

That scenario reminded me of a passage I’ve been meditating on recently.  In it, the Apostle Paul tells the Colossians to put off their old sinful nature characterized by greed, sexual immorality, and anger. But then he also tells them to put on some things.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14, emphasis mine.) 

Paul explained that their old sinful nature no longer fit them. It wasn’t designed for them. Their new nature, by contrast, was tailor made for them. As a result they are to “clothe” themselves with “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” The new fashion they sport has a unique signature. I call it the “One Another Look.” According to Colossians 3, the new nature causes them to bear with one another, forgive one another and admonish one another. These are just a few of the many “one another” outfits that we are told to wear throughout the New Testament.

Sadly, in our society, Christians are not often associated with these fashionable expressions. It hurts our witness, and doesn’t demonstrate the beauty of the gospel well, either. Too often in my own life, I find myself putting on anger instead of patience, and judgment instead of compassion. I need to go back to the dressing room and try on something else because those old clothes don’t fit anymore.

Check out Colossians 3 for yourself. Look at the list. What do you need to put off? What ‘clothes’ do you need to put on? Is it humility headwear? What about forgiveness footwear? These fashion trends never go out of style and are always flattering to our figure. They also are amazing gifts to share with others.

The Express jeans I received in exchange for the first pair were the perfect fit. I really like wearing them. Make sure that wherever you go, you show up with the right look too – inside and out!

* Photo courtesy of terodactila (Flickr Creative Commons).

By Kristina Middendorf

Since we began working at St. Cloud State in 2010, we have often heard about the men’s and women’s hockey programs being the highest profile sport, yet some of the most closed off to spiritual activity. They are the only Division 1 programs at SCSU and are the most looked up to and idolized students on campus. No hockey players were involved with Cru or Athletes in Action in 2010, and so we began to pray for God to open a door for the gospel to go forth.

Three years later, God is now opening a door into both programs and the gospel is moving forward. One example of this is the story of a freshmen hockey player named Ivy. I received a text from Ivy just one week after I first met her in September. Ivy asked if we could meet up, but she didn’t say why. Soon after that, we met and Ivy told me that she had attended church with family members growing up but was unsure of what it meant and how to become a Christian. Since coming to college, she’s had a growing interest in knowing God. “I have been to more Christian events in the last two weeks than I have in my entire life,” Ivy told me that morning.

Ivy said that at Cru meetings and church she heard about the importance of having a relationship with God. She explained that she wanted to know God, but just needed someone to tell her how. As I began to share with Ivy, I could tell that God had been preparing her for this moment as the Gospel clicked for her. Ivy looked me in the eye and said, “Do you mean that I could invite Christ into my life right now and start a relationship with God?” I smiled and said, “That’s exactly what I’m saying!” All Ivy needed was someone to clearly explain the gospel to her, and she was ready to respond.

Between the two of us, we are now meeting with 4-5 hockey players each week to help them grow in their faith and 5 of them have come to church with us. Thank God for this opportunity!

*Photo courtesy of Guy Gerrard

Leaders are Learners. 

So whenever you have access to great Leaders, take advantage of it by grabbing time with them and taking copious notes.

Cru staff: this summer you will be surrounded by staff who are experts on reaching athletes, Hispanic students, International students, Greeks, Faculty, and Asian students. You will be around professionals who specialize in launching new campuses, reaching cities, multiplying discipleship, support raising, using social media for ministry, and building huge movements of college students.

The only question is: will you take advantage of this incredible access to some of the world’s best thinkers and practitioners of College Ministry?

Where will these “world’s best” be? On your summer project, in your IBS class, and certainly at the national Cru Staff Conference in Ft Collins.

Last summer I was on Summer Project in San Diego. On our team we had staff who launched (and maintain) Cru movements on over 30 campuses across the state of Nebraska. We had men who had considerable experience in helping guys deal with pornography and homosexuality. There were staff who excelled in discipleship and developing life-changing small group content. I was exposed to a whole new way of doing college ministry and rapid multiplication. The only limit on my learning was my initiation to ask questions and be a learner.

And your ability to grow this summer is not limited by geographic proximity.

Figure out what you want to grow in and start asking around to see who excels in that area. In the summer of 2011 I called the directors of the 8 Largest Cru movements in the nation. Those conversations dramatically accelerated our ministry on campus. AND It started relationships with guys whom I continue to go back to and ask questions (via email/phone).

Earlier this month I got a Facebook message from a Canadian staff with Cru:

I love my job and I am passionate about evangelism. I would love to take advantage of this summer to pursue further development in evangelism.

I have a lot of training and experience thanks to Power to Change, but I definitely believe in being a life-long learner. I’m looking for something that would inspire new ideas and resource me. People in business are always taking other courses to update their skills and so I thought, why not me too.

What organizations or leaders would you recommend I talk to in order grow in the area of evangelism?

I recognize that growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum and I’m not vain enough to think I can come up with new ideas all by myself.

That’s leadership. Taking the initiative. Asking around to find who’s doing it best.

So how are you going to use your summer to learn and grow in a new area?

Ask questions. Be intentional to set up appointments. Take copious notes.

And as you learn, be sure to share the wealth:

- Start a blog (or contact me – you can post your learnings on my blog!)

- Share what you are learning on Twitter

I’d love to hear from you: In the comments, share what areas you hope to grow in this summer.

photo courtesy of dcJohn

By Tara Denton
Rogers State University

At age 15 I moved in with my father full-time because my stepdad had physically abused me one night and he had also been verbally abusive for years. My anger issues (which I still battle) are a direct result of how I was treated in these early years of my life. At the time, it felt like God was nowhere to be found.

Instead of feeling sad and hopeless, I got mad. I pushed my way through problems with aggression and sarcasm and hateful words.  I made very bad choices — drugs, alcohol, sex — because I had no one holding me accountable for my decisions.  I was a great student who got a full academic scholarship to college and who also got whatever she wanted.  Life was good, I thought. So what was missing? What was I still searching for?

Then religion really punched me in the face. I met a girl my freshman year named Shanell Shoop who was also getting a degree in Medical/Molecular Biology. We instantly connected and I had NO idea why because we are complete opposites. She’s a country girl, I’m a city girl; she is sweet and polite and compassionate and I’m, well, not. We hung out every day for three years.  Something pulled me towards her. The more I got to know her, the more her faith came spilling out. The more her faith came spilling out, the more I hated it.

I wanted no part of the hypocritical organized religions. My heart actually progressively hardened to the point where I became a vocal, active atheist.  Any time religion or God was brought up I would immediately laugh at the idiocy and the naive beliefs of these people. I thought only weak people needed God as their band-aid in order to get up every morning . . . and I would often tell them that to their faces.

The sad part about this all is, I gave Shanell, my sweet friend, such a hard time so frequently. My responses to her were all out of frustration. But you know, Shanell never lashed out and she always sat and listened to my entire point, making an effort to try to relate with me. She never shoved God in my face and she never ever told me I was a bad person for the way I felt.

Her response was always one of love and understanding. Shanell is that person who showed me what a life with God looked like and what a heart looked like with God in it. She was an exemplary, active Christian.  She sinned and she messed up, but she lived every day asking for forgiveness, with God guiding her steps to lead her to do better. She was living in the reality of sin, but at the same time always humbly looking to God to grow.

Once I entered my senior year, she had left to go work with Cru at Oklahoma State University.  I had reluctantly come to accept that there probably was a higher power, but in my world, it definitely wasn’t God.  Life was good: I was preparing to enter the Doctor of Dental Surgery Program, I had a wonderful family, a wonderful man who I wanted to make my husband, and all in all, a great attitude.  Yet something in my heart was still aching. But why? I was at the top of my game!

At the end of my first semester of my senior year, I had no idea why, but I texted Shanell and shared this information with her. I told her, “I feel like God is finally punishing me.”

I hadn’t heard back from dental school yet regarding my glowing application for their program. Also, I was really battling my ability to form relationships. I felt like no one really liked me. Although I have a tough exterior, ultimately I am caring and kind and I was just confused why people seemed distant from me and too scared or intimidated to ever approach me.

That night I was home alone.  In texting Shanell, I asked her why there was still a hole in my heart.  Why was I still incomplete?  She immediately called me and I poured my heart out to her. She directed me to Cru.org and over the phone we went through what I now know as the KGP, and I accepted Christ that night.

The consistency in faith from the followers of Christ is what caught my eye. That consistency in His power made me realize the reality of Him. From then on,  I experienced an overwhelming enlightenment in my life and of the world. I had a spark for God; I wanted to know more.

Looking back, even when I completely turned my back on God, He was there the entire time, watching over me and protecting me and loving me when I didn’t deserve that at all. He saw me as I was. I was not worthy of this grace and I will forever spend my life spreading his wonderful news and expressing gratitude for the wonderful, fulfilling life he has given me.

Some decisions are small and seem less significant. What book should I read this month? Do we want Mexican? Chinese? Burgers? Italian?

Other questions involve large, life-altering decisions. Should I date? If so, whom should I date? Should I go to college? If so, where? What should I major in? What career path should I choose? Should I marry? If so, whom should I marry? Should we have kids? If so, how many kids? Where should I live? How should I live?

We find ourselves buried under questions and decisions, and in the middle of it all we keep coming back to one question: What is God’s will for my life? What does God want me to do? How do I find God’s will for my life?

We operate as if God’s will were lost. And we’ve devised an assortment of methods for finding it.

There’s the “Random Finger Method.” Whenever you need to know God’s will, close your eyes, open your Bible at random, put your finger down on a verse and then open your eyes to discover His will for your life. Then there’s “Astonishing Miracle Method.” Look for a burning bush like Moses found or a blinding light like Paul experienced, and there you will find the will of God. The list goes on. We have the “Cast the Fleece Method,” which requires testing God to see what he wants us to do. We have the “Still Small Voice Method,” which advocates waiting for God to speak in a still, small way. Then we have the “Open Door Method,” which says that if God opens up an opportunity, it is obviously His will for us to take it. Another version of this one is the “Closed Door Method”: if a decision seems difficult, it’s obviously not God’s will for us to make it (for He would never want us to do anything difficult).

With good intentions, we try hard to use various methods to find God’s will. But what if God’s will was never intended to be found? In fact, what if it was never hidden from us in the first place? What if God the Father has not sent his children on a cosmic Easter egg hunt to discover his will while he sits back in heaven saying, “You’re getting colder … warmer … colder … ”? And what if searching for God’s will like this actually misses the entire point of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus?

Such questions lead us to realize that far more important than looking and searching for God’s will is simply knowing and trusting God. We yearn for mechanical formulas. We want to find shortcuts to the mind of God. But this is not God’s design—or should I say, this is not God’s will. His ultimate concern is not to get you or me from point A to point B along the quickest, easiest, smoothest, clearest route possible. Instead, His ultimate concern is that you and I would know Him more deeply as we trust Him more completely.

After writing Radical, I received all kinds of questions and comments about specific facets of the Christian life in America. People would ask me, “What does a radical lifestyle look like? What kind of car should I drive, or should I even drive a car? What kind of house should I live in? Am I supposed to adopt? Am I supposed to move overseas to a foreign mission field?”

I found these questions, though sincere and honest, to be a bit troubling. It felt like people were looking for a box to check or a criterion to follow that would ensure they were obeying God. But such questions, if we’re not careful, bypass the core of what it means to follow Jesus. Outside of the commands of Christ in Scripture, we have no specific set of rules or regulations regarding how the radical commands of Christ apply to our lives. Instead, we have a relationship with Jesus.

So we go to Him. We spend time with Him. We sincerely listen to His Word as we walk in obedience to it. As we do these things, God leads and guide us according to His will, and suddenly we realize that the will of God is not a road map just waiting to be unearthed somewhere. Instead, it’s a relationship that God wants us to experience every day. The goal of the disciple of Jesus, then, is not to answer the question, “What is God’s will for my life?” The goal, instead, is to walk in God’s will on a moment-by-moment, day-by-day basis.

The will of God is clear from cover to cover in Scripture.

From beginning to end, God wills to be worshiped. He wills for all people to hear, receive, embrace and respond to the gospel of His grace for the sake of His glory all over the globe.

Therefore, it’s not shocking for Jesus’ first words to His disciples in the book of Matthew to be, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In the days that followed, He taught them that He “came to seek and to save what was lost,” and He told them that just as the Father had sent Him into the world, He would send them into the world. Subsequently, we are not surprised when the last words of Jesus to His disciples are, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.”

This is God’s will in the world: to create, call, save and bless His people for the spread of His grace and glory among all peoples. This will is not intended to be found; it is intended to be followed. We don’t have to wonder about God’s will when we’ve been created to walk in it. We have no need to ask God to reveal His will for our lives; instead, we each ask God to align our lives with the will He has already revealed.

God’s will for us as disciples of Jesus is to make disciples of Jesus in all nations. Therefore, the question every disciple asks is, “How can I best make disciples of all nations?” And once we ask this question, we realize that God wants us to experience His will so much that he actually live in us to accomplish it.

Taken from Follow Me: A Call to Die. A Call to Live by David Platt. © 2013 by David Platt. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

This blog post first appeared at RelevantMagazine.com (February 28th, 2013). Used with permission.

Here’s a constructive icebreaker to do with small groups. It will help people:

• • Connect and get to know each other
• • Reflect on their own faith journey
• • Become comfortable talking about their story with others
• • Find connections between their personal faith stories and the stories of others

WHAT DO I DO?

INTRODUCE THE QUESTIONS:

“In a moment, you will be reflecting on four questions. Three of these questions are designed to help you tell the story of your faith journey using Soularium™.”

“Consider the following way of thinking about your story. Imagine your life right now as the final scene of a movie. If you were to choose three frames from this movie (known as your life) to summarize what has brought you to where you are spiritually, which three frames would you choose?”

ASK THE THREE SOULARIUM™ QUESTIONS:

1. Which image represents the turning point in your life when you really began to follow Christ?

2. Which image represents what led up to that? (What was true of your life before then?)

3. Things are different after a turning point; which image represents a part of your life you’ve seen change as a result? (So what’s different?)

ASK THE ONE NON-SOULARIUM™ QUESTION:

4. As you think about your spiritual journey, what Scripture has meant the most to you? Why?

INVITE PARTICIPANTS TO SHARE THEIR STORIES

Give your group time to think about these questions, select images, and recall a meaningful verse.

Here are a couple of options:

Set aside 15 minutes of your group time over several weeks. Each week have one or two people tell their story using the Soularium™ images and their scripture passage. OR, have everyone tell their stories during one meeting. (As the facilitator, you may want to consider sharing your story first.)

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

Ideally, one Soularium™ deck for every two or three participants, but at minimum provide one.

Find more Soularium™ resources here at crupressgreen.com/soularium

©2013 CruPress. All rights reserved.

“Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.” Acts 17:22b

The Apostle Paul spoke these words to Greeks atop the Areopagus, more commonly known today as Mars Hill.

Sitting atop this rocky hill, looking over the remains of the ancient Athenian marketplace and with the ruins of the Parthenon a few hundred yards behind me, I thought about my week in Greece.

I was there learning about STINT, or “Short Term International,” a year-long assignment with Cru to introduce college students in other countries to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

In Greece, almost everyone claims to be an Orthodox Christian because that is the country’s official religion. Yet few people would say they have a relationship with Christ.

“One in 1,000 Greeks would have a faith of religion similar to what we would describe a personal relationship to Christ would be like,” said Jeff Burgess, STINT director in Athens.

Despite the need for a clear picture of the gospel, very few Greeks are open to hearing religious thoughts from non-Orthodox Christians. The STINT team in Athens works hard to build friendships with students on campus. They are hopeful that the friendships will lead to more conversations about Christ.

Three of the STINT team members (Greg Huenergardt, Chris Bostic, and Ryan Taylor) have all been meeting with a Greek student named Matin. All three meet with him at different times and have formed a friendship strong enough to discuss religious differences between them. They are encouraged that Matin continues to ask about their beliefs.

Another college student, Stella, previously gave her contact info to an American student on Summer Project and STINTer Katie Brown contacted her this year. Stella didn’t remember giving out her information, but she was willing to meet Katie and has since has become good friends with the entire team.

Learning about STINT was encouraging, but looking out on the beautiful sprawling city, I also noted that everything the ancient Greeks constructed has fallen into ruin. The Parthenon is covered in scaffolding, the theaters are closed and the marketplaces are nothing but rubble.

I was struck with a depressing feeling of inevitable destruction. The ancient Greeks constructed immaculate marble temples and I had spent all morning walking over piles of their remains. What’s the point?, I thought. Why try if everything will crumble?

Then I looked down at my Bible and the Lord comforted me with a hopeful realization. Not everything that occurred here was lost.

I had Paul’s words sitting in my lap preserved in a brown leather-bound English translation. Unlike these stone monuments, the words Paul spoke on the hill in the shadow of the Parthenon are having the most impact today. Those words, along with the rest preserved in the Bible are still affecting lives far more than anything else I was seeing.

This realization gave me a new heart for the city of Athens. Paul felt it centuries ago, and the Greeks are just as in need of a savior today as they were then. I am thankful for the STINT team serving here and I pray that others will follow their lead and take up where they leave off at the end of the year.

Learn more about STINT

“I can’t go with y’all; I don’t have any money right now.”

“Does someone want to give me a ticket to this game? Because I’m broke, but I really want to go.”

“I hope a ministry partner will donate a car to me because mine is falling apart, and I  don’t have the money to buy a new one.”

“I’d rather just eat Raman noodles and peanut butter and  jelly than have to work on  support.”

“I’m letting my hair grow long for now because I don’t have money for a haircut.”

One of the biggest hurdles that college students face when thinking about joining staff is the reality that they will need to trust God to raise their own financial support. Sadly, we as staff members make this hurdle taller for college students (or anyone for that matter) by the way we talk about our finances and financial support in  front of them.  I’ve heard many of those statements listed above from the mouths of staff in front of students or via Facebook comments/statuses. How sad.

Money may be tight at times, and you may go through seasons of short paychecks or choose to not go to a movie because of the lack of cash flow. What we need to consider is how we talk about those things in front of students. We need to stop having a “poor  me”  mentality and avoid dropping comments here and there to get free stuff. Sure, it’s great  to have a ministry partner who’s a dentist on your team and treats you for free, or a couple who wants to give you their car. But we don’t need to have the “poor  me”  mentality with the hope/expectation that we will get some free stuff thrown our way. It comes across negatively to partners and students. The message we send is, “I’m  a  loser.”

Instead of talking about the negative aspects of finances in front of students, let’s share great examples of how God IS providing! Don’t hide that you enjoyed a nice dinner out with family, or that you had a great singles vacation for which you saved regularly.

 Here are a few suggestions that can help change a student’s view about staff who live on support:

1. Cover the bill! When with a small group of students, spring for all of their lunches or buy an appetizer for the table. It helps them see that we have money and aren’t pinching pennies all the time. I  bought all of my table’s shakes at Steak & Shake on a summer project one night, and a student shared later that summer with me about how significant that was for her to see that God provided money for staff, even to a point where they could bless others.

2. Don’t  dress like a slob, and stay somewhat current with fashion trends. In some places this really communicates to students.

3. Offer to drive when possible instead of always hopping into a car with a student.  If  you can’t drive, give the student driver some cash! A staff friend of mine, Lori Joiner, got new car from a ministry partner (a total surprise and shock), and she loved packing her car full of students for retreats, etc. She used this as an opportunity to share how God provides for us through ministry partners in amazing ways!

4. Generously support students to go on Summer Projects or scholarship them to Winter Conference. Often they are afraid to ask staff because they think we don’t have money.  Help to change their perspective.

5. Be intentional about mentioning positive support stories around students.

Let’s make a concentrated effort around the nation in how we talk about money and support, knowing that this mindset shift could help more and more students want to consider laboring full time with us in helping to fulfill the Great Commission!

* Photo courtesy of the National Library of Wales (Flickr Creative Commons).

It is our privilege to lead summer projects that directly connect with God’s profound love for the fatherless and motherless. Students love having a humanitarian aid component to their summer projects. The statistics and stories we gather indicate that a significant number of students go on summer projects primarily because of the orphan care component or that it was what confirmed their desire to join a particular project.  Also, some students not previously involved with Cru are drawn to come with us because they desire expressing both Good News and Good Deeds.  And, what a tremendous joy it is that several orphans give their lives to Christ each year!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find an orphanage in the city I’m going to?

Check out this list of orphanages around the world that Cru has partnered with in previous years. If your city is not on this list, email dawn.little@cru.org. She can contact the Christian Alliance for Orphans to see if they know of an orphanage in your city. If they don’t know of one, you can Google “[Your City] Orphanage” (If you find a new orphanage, please send the information about to dawn.little@cru.org so we can add it to the list.)

Does the orphanage need to be Christian-based?

Although it would be nice if the orphanage is Christian-based, it is not necessary. The main benefit of it being Christian is that your students would have more freedom to have Gospel conversations with the children.

How should I get in contact with the orphanage?

Once you’ve found an orphanage, it would be best to begin an email correspondence with the director of the orphanage before you go on your project.  At the end of this document there are some email templates you can use to initiate with the orphanage.

When and how often should our team go to the orphanage while on project?

Depending on how long you’ll be in country, you should plan to go to the orphanage 1-3 times. It is best to plan these visits at strategic times in the project’s cycle of momentum. The main caution is that you want to avoid creating a dynamic where serving at the orphanage competes with doing evangelism on campus. Serving at the orphanage should support (not compete with) the primary missional objective of your project, which is to develop a spiritual movement on campus.

Should we invite students we meet on campus to come with us to the orphanage?

Yes. Involving students you meet on campus is a critical component of incorporating orphan care (and other Gospel demonstration activities) into your project. Not involving students increases the likelihood that serving at the orphanage will become an activity that is detached from (and possibly competes with) your project’s primary missional objective.

As project students meet students on campus, they could extend this simple invitation, “One of the things our group is doing this summer is volunteering at the Hope Orphanage. We’re going there this Saturday. Would you like to join us?”

Inviting students to join you in serving at the orphanage becomes a convenient (and meaningful) way to meet again and continue the conversation—especially with students who may otherwise not be interested in meeting again (e.g., for follow-up, Bible study, etc.)

Should we bring supplies/gifts from America to give to the orphanage/orphans?

When you are corresponding with the director of the orphanage prior to your trip, ask them to identify the orphanage’s greatest needs and ask them what (if anything) would be helpful to bring from the U.S. (e.g., school supplies, books, toiletries, toys, etc.).

How can we use the orphan care experience to teach students about God’s heart for orphans, widows, and outcasts?

It would be beneficial to have a briefing time where you can discuss God’s heart for the poor and how serving at the orphanage is a way to demonstrate the Gospel. You can find several teaching resources at http://crupressgreen.com/action/

Another strategic resource we encourage all teams doing orphan care to invest in is SENT – an interactive devotional & journal created by Cru. Find more information and audio talks at the Hope For Orphans website. To order, email jweber@familylife.com (Note: This link and email are for 2013, but may not be up to date for future years).

What are some evangelistic resources we can share with the children?

• Discover God 4 Kids  - Spanish version is coming soon.
• The Greatest Promise – Multiple languages available.

How can I help my students use this service opportunity as an occasion to initiate Gospel conversations with the students they invite?

You will need to coach them in the art of relational evangelism—teaching them how to draw on the experiences at the orphanage to transition into Gospel conversations. This is one of the best ways you can equip your students for a lifetime of ministry. Here are a few resources that may spark your coaching:

• Show and Tell
• CoJourners Transferable Concept
• Transitions to the Gospel

How can we debrief the experience and cast vision for adopting a missional lifestyle that integrates proclaiming and demonstrating the Gospel?

God often works in powerful ways through these experiences and simply asking students to share what they observed and experienced can generate fruitful insights. You can also give them resources for further reading which can be found at CruPressGreen.com/action

See the Live It & Tell It sections in the SENT guidebook for other questions you can use to generate discussion after the orphan care experiences. You also can find multiple articles about debriefing at the Summer Project Debrief on the Wiki. Many of these articles highlight how to incorporate the Word, story-telling, evaluation, celebration and steps to take after the experience.

Potential Summer Project Resources

Website/Video

• Together For Adoption – powerful sermons in the resource section
• Hope For Orphans – a ministry of Cru
• Christian Alliance For Orphans - Cru is a member of CAFO, most of the book resources below came from this website.
• Piper Video – John Piper shares about the richness of the theology and practice of adoption

Books about orphans and orphan care – all can be found on Amazon, unless noted.

1. Orphanology: Awakening Gospel-Centered Adoption and Orphan Care by Tony Merida and Rick Morton.
2. Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage by Kay Bratt.
3. Dangerous Surrender: What Happens When You Say Yes to God by Kay Warren.
4. Three Names of Me (a children’s book) by Mary Cummings.
5. The Christians Response to the Fatherless (DVD). Find in the FamilyLife.com store.
6. Rainbows of Hope – resource website

Books about the theology of our adoption by God

1. Adopted by God: From Wayward Sinners to Cherished Children by Robert A. Peterson.
2.  Reclaiming Adoption. Articles by John Piper, Scotty Smith, Richard Phillips, Jason Kovacs. Compiled by Dan Cruver, founder of Together for Adoption

Concrete steps people can take to care for orphans

1. Next Steps Booklet
2. Ten Ways Poster

Quotes From Students

“I loved it. I thought it was good to be able to not only help people in a spiritual way but also in a physical way. We were able to play with the kids and clean up a hospital and do some good along with sharing the Gospel.” Sophomore; Ghana 2012

“We had the opportunity to see the true poverty that exists in Nairobi, which gave all of us new perspective.” Sophomore; Kenya (Student Venture) 2012

“I worked in an NGO (non-governmental organization) that worked with women and children in the brothels. It showed me how much love the women and children have despite what they have to experience in a day to day basis, and how much they need Jesus. I learned why it’s important not only to incorporate service into your life, but also active ministry and faith-sharing with college students and future leaders.” Sophomore; Gateway Project (Great Lakes) 2012

“Teaching/Tutoring taught me so much about life and learning.  It was a crucial part to the growth I had on the trip.” Sophomore; South Africa: Pretoria (Northeast region) 2012

“It was a challenge to connect with children that did not share any our language. It taught us to share Christ’s LOVE, which requires no words.” Junior; Sam’s Place 2012

“I 100% would not have considered this project if children would not have been involved in it.” Senior; Pretoria, South Africa Summer Project 2009

Email templates for initiating with orphanages

For a Christian orphanage:

Hi

My name is Monica Montoya I work with Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) in the United States and this summer (May 10th – June 22nd) I’m bringing a group of Christian college students to Addis Ababa to help establish/build a Christian ministry at the University of Addis Ababa.

As part of our mission trip, we would like to spend a few days serving at an orphanage near the campus.  I found out about your orphanage from the Christian Alliance for Orphans.

Could you please tell me about your orphanage, its greatest needs, and whether you’d be open to having us volunteer at your orphanage while we’re in Addis Ababa this summer?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Monica

For a secular orphanage:

Hi

My name is Monica Montoya I work with Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) in the United States and this summer (May 10th – June 22nd) I’m bringing a group of college students to Bogota to partner with students at the University of Colombia in their efforts to serve the campus and surrounding community.

As part of our program, we would like to spend a few days serving at an orphanage in Bogota.

Could you please tell me about your orphanage, its greatest needs, and whether you’d be open to having us volunteer at your orphanage while we’re in Bogota this summer?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Monica

For a secular orphanage in a closed country:

Hi

My name is Monica Montoya and this summer (May 10th – June 22nd) I’ll be in Jinan with a group of U.S. college students participating in a language and cultural immersion program.

As part of our program, we would like to spend a few days serving at an orphanage in Jinan.

Could you please tell me about your orphanage, its greatest needs, and whether you’d be open to having us volunteer at your orphanage while we’re in Jinan this summer?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Monica

I’m brought to a complete stop. And then I back up my cart and peer in.

A yellow tray holding rows of purplish, pinkish somethings. I read the sign, part Arabic, part English.

Lamb tongues.

Whoa. I’ve never seen that before. Then again, probably 40% of the stuff in the store would fit in that category.

I love this little store. Persian music playing overhead, stacks of Iranian phone books outside, a hefty bunch of red leaf lettuce sells for 59 cents, Arabic pita bread for 75 cents. The produce is fresh and the prices unmatched. But what I love most is hearing the different languages and seeing people from different cultures. A woman from a South American country picked up a bag of dried brown oval-shaped things and asked me, “What do you think this is used for?” I read the bag, part Arabic, part English: Dried Lemons. “I really don’t know. But it looks interesting.”

Here in the aisles of this little grocery store I find packages of things unfamiliar. But for most of the patrons, these same packages and smells bring memories of home and comfort food.

And I think about the smell of the pantry in my parents house and it’s the same as the aisles of the Asian markets I visit. These markets have huge tanks of live fish in the back of the store, and duck tongues and chicken feet in styrofoam trays and plastic wrap, placed right next to the drum sticks and chicken thighs.

I grew up eating roasted watermelon seeds, the cheek meat of fish, sea cucumber, and not only the sweet meat of the blue crab but also the green pasty eggs of the female crabs. These were delicacies we enjoyed on special occasions.

And I wonder if lamb tongues would hold the same place of honor in a meal shared by a Middle Eastern family.

Like snails and frog legs in France or sheep brain in Central Asia or raw fish in Japan.

I marvel at the variety of food and languages and cultures and it comes to me all over again: God is not an American.

Sometimes I forget this fact and think that God only hears prayers in English or that it’s the original Hebrew and Greek and then the English translation of the Bible. I read my Bible with American lenses, but the details that stand out to me as I read are often from a woman’s perspective. And I wonder how the same passages would be understood by the people from different cultures different or from a different time period. Or how their lenses would help me understand more richly and deeply the Word of God.

Darrin and I teach from the Bible in different contexts–Bible studies, retreats, conferences, Sunday school classes, etc. and I can tend to come across kind of dogmatic and black & white. But I have come to appreciate and respect Darrin’s humble posture. He says, “The Bible has been around for thousands of years, translated, studied, and taught by godly people through the ages. Who am I to say so emphatically what a particular passage says or means?” I don’t think this means that we have a wishy-washy approach to Scripture, but I am challenged to continue to grow and evaluate how I read the Bible in light of culture and context.

I love how God displays His beauty and creativity through different languages and peoples. And as His image bearers, we reflect who God is through who we are and how we live. I think that it is through bringing together all nations, ethnic groups, and tongues that we are able to see Him reflected fully.

What an amazing God and what an amazing, diverse, wonderful and tasty world we live in.

* Photo courtesy of David Woo (Flickr Creative Commons).