Here is a short video showing and showing and telling more about what we are doing in Buffalo NY with Buffalo CRU. It even shows the house we are currently renting! Let me know if you have any other questions about NY or what we are doing!
02/17/2012
02/16/2012
Why We Moved From CA to NY
After literally years of prayer, God has called us to pack up our lives here in San Luis Obispo, CA, and head to Buffalo, NY, to help start a Campus Crusade for Christ ministry there. (Yes we know it is cold and snows a lot there :) It is hard to leave a place that the Lord has graciously allowed us to be a part of which bears so much fruit. We have an amazing team, we have seen hundreds of changed lives, and have been a part of sending dozens and dozens of well-trained missionaries to other colleges all over the USA and all over the world. This year alone Cal Poly is sending 17 students for at least a year to places like East Asia, El Salvador, and the Middle East. But we are so excited to now besent again!
WHY GO?
God continues to put the question on our hearts, what if the same thing that is happening in SLO could happen somewhere else? We are at unrest thinking, what about giving other unreached students the same chance to hear about Jesus and grow in their relationship with Him as SLO Crusade students? This has been why Jenn and I have naturally gravitated towards pioneering ministries like Cuesta Community College and Epic (Asian American) ministries.
Thanks to the Lord we have been able to see both of those ministries grow from about 4 students to around 100.
SO WHY BUFFALO?
- In a 15 mile radius there are 7 colleges and 67,000 students.
Almost no college ministry going on in the Buffalo area, there is only 1 Crusade movement with fewer than 20 students. - Much like Cal Poly we believe it can be a sending ground to that region since Buffalo students are smart, have more time, and don’t leave college with much debt.
- We hope to send students to schools like Yale, Brown, Columbia University, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Harvard, which is where much of our government leaders and US presidents have graduated from.
- The northeast is a very unreached part of the US and becoming more & more like Europe (hardened to the Gospel).
- There is a large ethnic and international student population.
- On top of Buffalo being very strategic, it will also be a blessing that we will be moving close to Jenn’s parents. We are not only excited for our kids to grow up knowing their grandparents, but we also hope that their involvement will increase Jenn’s ability to do ministry.
PLEASE KEEP US IN PRAYER, THERE HAS BEEN LOTS OF TEARS FROM BOTH OF US!
12/19/2011
09/29/2011
07/21/2011
Campus Crusade For Christ Has Offically Changed It's Name!
This years Bi-annual Campus Crusade For Christ staff Conference is significant for two reasons. Firstly, this year marks 60 years since Bill and Vonette Bright started bringing the Gospel to students at UCLA. The other part (which you may have heard about through any number of news outlets) is the announcement of our new name on Tuesday night. Starting in early 2012 Campus Crusade for Christ will be known simply as “Cru.” I think this is a good choice and will serve to make our ministry of lifting up Jesus Christ and His Gospel even more effective.
I’d like to take a moment to assure you that we have not lost our commitment to Christ or to the Gospel even one iota. We live and breathe the Gospel, everything we do is so that people will respond to the Gospel and Christ will be glorified through their belief and worship.
Especially the “Crusade” in the name has been a significant hindrance to the Gospel. As CCC looked into the possibility of changing our name over the past three years, there was one fact that stood out that made us know that we had to change it – of people who said they were willing to have a conversation about Jesus 20% said they would no longer be interested when they heard the name “Campus Crusade for Christ.” That means that 1-in-5 people who might be open to the Gospel became closed to the Gospel when they heard our name. That is an incredible loss in effectiveness.
Personally, every year I have increasingly noticed people wanting to argue with me about the "Crusade" in our name and not wanting to have anything to do with us because of that one word.
All of this is to assure you – we have not changed who we are. Language changes over time, and words that meant one thing in 1951 carry very different baggage 60 years later. We have to be shrewd enough to know that changing our language does not mean changing what we’re about. As a matter of fact, sometimes we have to change our language to continue to be who we’ve always been.
This is not about political correctness, it’s not about hiding who we are and who we’re about; it’s about people hearing about Jesus in a way that they will respond to it. I personally agree with Francis Chan who spoke at our staff conference "Whatever the new name is doesn't really matter it is about God moving in people and changing people."
I'd love to know what you think, or answer any questions you may have. Official answers to your questions and videos can be found at www.ccci.org/cru
Also, thank you Jayson and Carrie Whelpley who I took most this blog post from check out their ministry blog at http://www.whelpley.org/
07/19/2011
1st week in Buffalo
7/12/11 We have officially been in Buffalo for a week now, which has mostly consisted of unpacking into the house we are renting, getting utilities set up, and figuring out where everything is. You have to buy your own trash cans here so it took about a half day to figure that whole deal. Since real estate is so much cheaper here we are considering buying a house, which has helped us get to know the area a bit better.
It has also been nice to have the kids around Jenn's parents and brother. Both kids just light up whenever we meet up with them. We still feel like we are just here for a visit. Would you pray for our transition as it is not easy, we left so many blessings but we truly believe this is where God wants us.
Now we head to Fort Collins CO for a week and a half for a nationwide Campus Crusade staff conference, I'll let you know more about that later!
(Dave with Grandpa Marotta)
07/17/2011
07/05/2011
06/27/2011
Bonus Material: New Ways To Talk To People About Jesus
99 WONDERING QUESTIONS
----99 Wondering Questions These questions are thanks to Doug Pollock's Book "God Space", check out his website at http://www.godsgps.com/. Many times we are never more than a few wondering questions away from a good spiritual conversation. With the right attitude and atmosphere, any of the following 99 questions can be powerful tools. Remember, how- ever, that the best questions always come from the wondering that the Holy Spirit is stirring inside of you as you listen to others. Listening leads to wondering, and wondering provides more opportunities to listen. As you grow in your ability to harmoniously balance God’s teeter-totter, spiritual conversations will flow more naturally in your day-to-day life.
If you want to hear my whole talk on the "New Ways To Talk To People About Jesus" you can do so here: Kevin's well talk 10-14-10
06/21/2011
New Ways To Talk To People About Jesus #3
Short Films:
The average college student watches 120 movies a year. – Barna Research Group
Short films are a strategy that you can use for outreach in many types of settings and with various group sizes. Whether used one-on-one, in a small-group, or a large-group setting, this resource gives you a platform to start spiritual conversations with others. We’ve seen everything from an iPod on campus, to a TV and apartment packed with people, to a big screen and a whole dorm. You know your audience and what may be the best environment for them to engage with you.
I usually use the short film by going up to students on campus with my Ipod a laptop works too and saying something like “I am Kevin and this is Kyle we are trying to see what people think about spiritual things here at Cal Poly by using a short film to guide the conversation do you have sometime to help us out?”
I have tried several videos but these are the two that seem to work the best:
----La Busqueda- The Search (My Favorite)
Here are the Questions I use:
La Búsqueda (The Search) - Questions
1. “OK, first impressions. Initial reactions. What did you think? How did this film make you feel?”
2. “What was your favorite scene in the film?”
3. “What does the can represent?”
4. “How does the father feel about his daughter?”
5. “What does the daughter long for? What’s getting in her way? What’s at stake if she doesn’t get it?”.
6.“How do you identify with this film?”
7. “What does this film say about the needs or longings of people?”
8. “What does the father represent?”
9. “So, why doesn’t she get off the bus?”
10. “If you were the daughter, how would you respond to the father? Would you get off the bus?”
11. Can I tell you the actual story the person who wrote and produced the movie was trying to tell? (The Prodigal Son Luke 15:11-31)
1) First impressions? What did you think?
2) Do you have control of your schedule
3) Do you feel like your life is making a difference in your sphere of influence?
4) What changes would you make to see that your schedule reflects your passions and goals in life?
5) Are you able to say I love life and all that is required of me with the time I have?
6) Do you feel it is important to have a purpose in life? Do you have one?
7) You told me your purpose in life, would you like to hear mine?
Many times the discussion of the film will turn into a discussion about our own lives, which will sometimes turn into a philosophical/spiritual discussion about God’s relationship with us. The films themselves do not explain the gospel (though facets of the gospel are portrayed in the films). That’s why passing out the films is not enough. Rather than being presented, the gospel is discovered, or even stumbled upon, through discussion. The discussion is key to the gospel, and it happens best through self-discovery.
Download short films - for $2 @ http://www.globalshortfilmnetwork.com they go right on to your computer or IPod, then burn it onto a DVD and use it anywhere.
