More information about first year students at WSU

Campus Crusade staff and student leaders were encouraged at the findings of what WSU students are willing to share on the campus of WSU. Many people think that spirituality is on the decline and that students simply aren't willing to talk about spiritual things. The data actually shows very differently.

Some can argue that the data is a bit skewed, because students had to be willing to fill out a survey that most likely involved questions about spiritual things. But, we believe that it is a fairly accurate representation of students at our major University.

The survey was 'incentivized' by a chance to win 'whatever you want' (with stipulations, of course) up to $100. We collected the surveys, and put up our 'posts' at each of the 3 dining halls around the WSU campus.

Here were the questions we asked on the survey:

Which of the following is most important to you?
- Success - Fulfillment - Security - Happiness - Love

Do you believe there is a higher power?
- Yes - No - Maybe

Would you be willing to take 20 minutes this semester to give your input on Spiritual things?
- Yes - No - Maybe

Would you like to know more about Campus Crusade for Christ's weekly meeting, Cru?
- Yes - No - Maybe

Name / Res. Hall & Room # / Phone

We were encouraged by how many students said they would be willing to talk with someone about spiritual things - and not even knowing who that person might be! Just think of how willing people might be willing to talk with someone about spiritual things if they had a relationship with that person!

One thing that was striking to us, was what students said was most important to them. The most common answer by far was 'happiness.' See the breakdown below of males vs. females:





How might we consider this as we approach sharing the gospel with students at WSU? What do you think? Do you have any ideas for how to talk with students who say that 'happiness' is their ultimate goal in life?

We would love to hear your thoughts...

What our Cru friends down in Gator land have been up to...

You may have seen this floating around facebook recently. Someone had a vision for an impressive video to start the year at UF Cru...

Any creative ideas out there, WSU Cru?

Event calendar now on Cru blog...so hot right now

We've been doing some work getting our online resources up to date. Erin D. has done a great job getting some useful small group info up on our wsucru.org site, our various wsucru profile pics (fb, twitter) now reflect our updated meeting situation (Thursdays at Emmanuel Baptist Church at 715 pm), and the wsucru blog now has an event calendar and facebook fan page feed (as well as a couple other fun widgets).

What could you contribute to help our online community go from lukewarm to fall retreat bonfire hot? Stay tuned...

Lost and Found - Luke 15 at Cru

Last Thursday, we heard from Darren Holland about what it means to be lost. Here are some notes from the talk...

Have you ever been lost? When did you realize you were lost, and how did it make you feel when it dawned on you?

Our mission is to "turn lost students and faculty into Christ-centered lifetime laborers." With this as our mission, it is imperative that we understand what it means to be lost. Luke 15 has three different parables that help us understand what it means to be spiritually lost. We want to look at the middle parable, the story of the woman with the lost coin.

A few observations:

• Woman loses a coin – worth a day’s wage for a laborer.
  
• She has nine others. However, the 9:1 found to lost ratio doesn’t keep her from looking for the lost one.
• Searches diligently. Doesn’t rely on the coin just “turning up” in front of her.
• Finds it – this must be celebrated!
• Her community is part of the find – calls together friends and neighbors
• Jesus compares this to angels rejoicing when a sinner repents. Clearly, someone being “found” is cosmically huge.
• Jesus compares a coin being found to repentance (?!?)

 Some application...

• From these parables, it seems to be lost is to reside outside of the relationship you were designed for. When people live outside of the relationship with God they were designed for, they are lost.
• The lost can’t save themselves. Finding the lost is a work of the seeker, Jesus, who came "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10).
  
• There is very little to be said about how they got lost. Little in the way of moral judgment. The main thrust is how the lost get found…by God.
• Have you been found by God? “Lord, you’ve found me.” This is repentance! We were lost, but someone found us. Since Jesus sent out the 12, Jesus has been using the found (fishermen) to find (fish).
  
• A story that illustrates the darkness of being lost, the celebration of being found, and the burden of seekers to find the lost.

Like the story immediately above, Jesus doesn't stop seeking the lost because they are too valuable to give  up searching for.

Are there lost people around you that God may be uniquely calling you to help find?

"...and I'll make you become fishers of men."

Some notes from Darren Holland's talk at the Cru large group meeting earlier tonight. Darren is the Missional Team Leader with Cru at WSU:

Last week we talked about the invitation Jesus gives to "follow me." But what comes after that? Jesus says, "Follow me and I'll make you become fishers of men." This is a small window in to what the future holds, though those fishermen being called could not imagine all the ramifications.

Jesus starts with average men. They were what amounts to commercial fishermen. Not highly educated religious leaders, but rather men that were teachable, would work hard and get things done, and most importantly, would follow Jesus no matter the cost.

Jesus promises to change these average men into something new. He will do it. It will be a process that is not completed overnight, but he promises these men are going to change others. The followers will fish, and they will fish alongside others. As commercial fishing was a team endeavor, fishing for men would be a community endeavor.

What if we all went fishing? Is it worth the cost, effort, and sacrifice to fish for men and women? If we are followers, are we not called to fish? And as former fish ourselves, don't we know how good it is to be "caught" by the gospel?

Perhaps Mark 1:17 could be summarized as "changed lives, changing lives". Is your life being changed as you follow Jesus? Who's life will be changed because of you?

An Invitation

Some notes from Darren Holland's talk at Cru's first large group meeting of the semester: 

Jesus' invitation to "follow me" in Mark 1:17...

• ...centers on him. He doesn't give details, just himself. It doesn't involve religion or "to do's."
  
• ...involves others. It's not just one person, it's a team of 12 that end up being called to follow him.
• ...does not reveal the destination, just the path. If Jesus is worthy to be followed, he is worthy to be trusted. In effect, Jesus is saying "I'll worry about where we're going. You just follow...and trust me."

This invitation doesn't have a when, a what, or even a where. It only has a "who". The invitation Jesus gives is to follow the person of Jesus. We need not know everything about him, only that he can be trusted.

Will you follow him tonight? Will you follow him forever?