Encounter Conference

Right now there are close to 1000 college students here in Greensboro for the encounter conference.  It is an amazing four-day event that began last night and will wrap up on Saturday night as the whole group prays in the New Year.

Seeing this many young people eagerly taking in the Word, taking the challenge to share their faith, worshiping God together - it is awe-inspiring sight.  Days like these remind me that God has power in this world.  HE is changing lives and what an awesome privilege it is to be on the front row.

Pete and I and the rest of our team are handling a chunk of local coordination (childcare for staff and the community outreach day).  Appreciate your prayers!

Love,
Pete and Carra

Thank you!!!

As we reflect on the ultimate gift Christ has given us, we just wanted to say thank you for your partnership!




Love, Pete and Carra

Fall Kickoff Monday!

Here are some of the students and staff praying for the outreaches and Gospel conversations we anticipate next week. Monday and Tuesday at UNCG students will be giving away tacky sunglasses (yes that is a desirable gift LOL!), sports bags and this year...even homemade cookies! Our church has partnered with UNCG to provide a little homemade love (cookies) to draw students over to our tables.

We just returned from a three day training retreat where UNCG students learned how to initiate Gospel conversations, lead Bible studies and trust in Christ for the movement. They have a huge passion for reaching their campus! We can hardly wait to see what God is going to do this fall!

On the campus, for the campus
Pete & Carra

BSaLT tomorrow

Well we love a good acronym don't we?

BSaLT is the name of our Bible Study (a) Leader Training.  It is of course a double meaning to subtly imply that our Bible study leaders be the salt and light that Christ calls us to be.  I (Carra) am currently preparing to lead a session on explaining the Gospel and how to follow up with a student who is interested in spiritual things.

If I could pick any topic to train right now, it would be that topic!  As I am preparing my session, one premise I am operating under is that they just don't know...... When we dialog with unbelieving students, they typically know a lot of peripheral information about Jesus.  But they most often do not know what it really means to follow Christ and give your life to Him.

So here I am - it's almost midnight and we leave at 9:00 a.m.  I've been pondering this topic for more than a week but just now getting down to the typing.  Please pray that our student leaders would be filled with the Holy Spirit, filled with passion to reach the lost and prepared for the battle that wages over the hearts of men and women.

That all would know Him,
Every campus, every person,
Carra

Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) in the Media

Since we sat in the auditorium Tuesday night and heard the new name, we have watched the public response unfold with fascination.  To be an "insider" of the ministry - it is hard to grasp that we would be called politically correct!  We share the most dangerous message in all the world - Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected

This morning Steve Sellers, head of the US ministry was interviewed on Fox and Friends Weekend. We have served under Steve for over seven years.  He is a leader of deep conviction and a servant heart.  He has taken the brunt of the heat about the name change.  We are grateful to have him.

ABC News had a pretty decent article as well.  We are trusting God that He will use this to further His kingdom.  If Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru Global) must be misunderstood in order for people to understand Christ and their need for Him...well that's great with us!

That Christ may be known on the campus and the world,
Pete and Carra

Continuing the conversation...

So tonight in Fort Collins, exactly eight years from when the founder, Bill Bright went home to Jesus, Campus Crusade for Christ officially changed it's name.  It really happened - just a few hours ago.  Then we (all 5000+ staff in attendance) sang "How Great Thou Art."

Pete and I have been in training these last several weeks for a new leadership role he is going to be taking. During that time we talked about how students involved in the ministry go from "they do stuff" to "we do stuff."  It's interesting that as I ponder that - even in the last few hours I have moved from "they changed the name" to "we changed our name."

There was a ton of research and lots of input from staff, donors, general population, etc. This certainly was not a decision that was taken lightly. I appreciate all the efforts to seek God and really hear His voice about the whole thing.

To boil it all down....the main thing we get out of the name change is.....the opportunity to continue the conversation. When we say "I'm with Campus Crusade for Christ,"  we knew that for many people - that shut down the conversation. The researchers found more specifically one in five people will end a conversation upon hearing the name of the organization.  ....sad.  But that is the reality.

I love Campus Crusade for Christ.  I learned about what it meant to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit through this organization.  I have some of my best friends in the world (especially Pete :-) from connections with CCC.  The awesome thing about this name change ---- it's just a name. Just a word.  The "real name" we are under is the name of Jesus Christ.  The ministry is named "Cru" now.  How cool is that?  When I say I work with "cru" or "cru global" - it invites more questions.  It allows the conversation to continue. ...and that can lead to more people to follow Christ.

For many more conversations about Christ and HIS name with the students of the Triad and the world....
Carra

Gratitude

At the last student leader team meeting of the semester, we took a little time to pause and reflect on all God has done over this year.  We asked students to write down a few things that they are grateful for.   We pray you will join us in celebrating and praising God for his goodness.

• "Our worship team was awesome."
• "Growth"
• "Weekly prayer meetings"
• "Community groups are alive and well"
• "Big Break!"
• "Prayer ministry officially established"
• "God's fingerprints all over the Easter Egg Hunt" (outreach)
• "Salvations through outreach events"
• "Presence of prayer movement around campus"
• "Salvation in my Bible study"
• "Diversity of students"
• "My wonderful Bible study girls most of whom I would have never gotten to know elsewhere"
• "My relationship with my great guys" (in Bible study)
• "The many spiritual conversations opened through Table Tuesdays" (outreach)
• "Becoming comfortable with sharing my faith and becoming more open"

On the campus, for the campus,
Pete and Carra

Winding Down, Looking Forward

The college semester is winding down.  UNC Greensboro's final Cru meeting was last Tuesday and most of the campuses will begin their exams sometime this week. 

As our seniors are preparing for graduation, students and staff are preparing for the freshmen who are headed to the Triad in the fall.

Budget planning, strategic outreaches and allocation of staff as well as how to reach specific student populations are topics we will be digging into.  Three days straight beginning Monday our staff team will be doing strategic planning how to reach the 70,000 college students in our region. (and probably eating a lot of chocolate, LOL!)

Pray for wisdom and discernment as we come together as a staff team to make plans that will honor Christ and do the work He has called us to do.


On the campus, for the campus,
Pete & Carra

A prayer for Japan

One of the ladies on our staff team is from Japan.  Her parents and family are there and gratefully they live in the south part of Japan and are okay. Sadly, there are so many, many people who are not okay.  Kimi (our Japanese staff member here in the Triad) shared this prayer that she found on John Piper's website.  I really liked it and prayed it with Gracie after watching some of the video of the devastation.

Click here for the link to

A prayer for Japan

Right now, Campus Crusade for Christ Japan staff are at a conference with 120 students.  The campus ministry staff are talking with staff from Japan about how we as a US ministry can come alongside CCC Japan.  For now, please join us in prayer for Japan and how we can show love through the ministry.


On the campus, for the campus,
Pete and Carra

Our Staff Co-workers in Egypt

http://give3.ccci.org/egypt/view/Egypt-Crisis

We just wanted to let you know that Campus Crusade for Christ has set up a website to keep everyone up-to-date about how the situation in Egypt is affecting the over 150 staff in that country.  Please join us as we pray for the country and that the Gospel can continue to be proclaimed.

Baby Boy has Arrived!

We hope you enjoyed a very merry Christmas.  We were anticipating the arrival of our child sometime about a week before Christmas.  We had a lovely Christmas as a family of four since our latest arrival decided to be fashionably late.

At 9:31 a.m. December 28, we welcomed Zadok Anthony Carl into the world.  It was a tough birth, but he was a healthy baby boy weighing 8 lbs, 4 ounces and was 21 inches long.  If you want the details of the birth, Carra has shared the birth story on her blog.

We have dreamed of naming our son (should we have one) Zadok for many years.  He was a courageous priest and servant of King David.  He is among the most faithful of the priests and his name means righteous and just.  We pray that Zadok will make wise, courageous choices even in the face of difficulty - that he will walk righteously and honorably depending on God for his strength.


Anthony is a family name from Pete's mom's side. Anthony was Pete's great-grandfather. He took his family to live in Indonesia from Holland to work as an engineer. His 18 children lived exotic lives with pet orangutans who stayed in the house.  He must have been bold and adventurous. No matter where or to what God calls our son, we pray he will do so boldly, for the glory of God.

Carl is a family name from Carra's mom's side.  Carl had a hard, painful childhood, was illiterate but ran a successful milk and egg business, worked in a mill and farmed.  He donated the land for Midway Baptist Church that Carra's grandfather founded.  His work ethic was phenomenal and his gentleness and love for his wife and children is something we desire to see in our son.