Partnering to Build Spiritual Movements Everywhere so that Everyone Knows Someone who Truly Follows Jesus

This is Cru’s vision. It’s what we are trusting God to do by the power of His Holy Spirit as we make Jesus known, multiply the Church, and serve the city.

Some have said that the early Church was a movement that over time became an organization and in some cases turned into an institution. So, it’s a great thing that the Body of Christ is being re-envisioned today by this word “movement,” as the Church renews her passion to follow Jesus and make much of Him.

There are many social movements making noise in the world today, but a spiritual movement must have a transcendent vision of Jesus. I like what Ken Boa once said “For the first three centuries, the idea and person of Jesus transcended all other rivals of the era.” Spiritual movements trumpet the vision of God’s goodness and gladly announce that Jesus’ way is greater than anyone can possibly imagine. His love and Gospel changes everything and everyone.

Among other things, spiritual movements connect lost people to Jesus and radically change lives, all while maintaining a certain amount of messiness in the process!

(Some ideas and quotes in this section are taken from the article, Jesus-Led Movements, by David Robinson)

Connecting Lost People to Jesus

Willy* is a young adult whose mom needed help from an urban community assistance program. Willy came along to interpret for her. She is from Haiti and speaks Creole.

Nerry is a Church Movements staff member who partners with this community ministry to share her faith and establish new believers in a disciple-making  Pursue group.

Through their conversation, Nerry learned that the mother is a believer,  Willy admitted that he did not know what would happen if he were to die today – and he wanted to know! She shared the gospel with him and he prayed to receive Jesus! She gave him a gospel tract and an EveryPerson.comcard. He immediately requested tracts and cards to share with his two sisters!

*Names altered for privacy

Movements are Messy 

Rudy* participated in The Changing Face of Evangelism & the Wellbeing of the City (CFE) hosted by a friend’s church in a nearby state. He was so envisioned by the practical tools he was introduced to there, that he went home and began inviting others to the follow-up training for trainers, hosted a week later. These new participants missed basic training, but caught a vision for the Life in the City questionnaire– a tool that Rudy brought home from the first evangelism workshop.

They have plans to equip and mobilize believers from 7 local churches through hosting their own CFE and partnering with their city police department at a community event to better understand and serve their city– using the Life in the City questionnaire to discover volunteers for city wellbeing initiatives and to initiate spiritual conversations. 

In a movement, people are there for different reasons. Some who run with us may say things like, “You met a need! (They feel cared for.) Others may say, “You all are making an impact and going somewhere. I want to help change the world!” (They love our cause.) Others may say, “I am needed.” (They grow confident that they can make a contribution.)

We love that there are second and third generations of churches that have received a tool, strategy, or idea at just the right time for God to use in their own context– even if the process was a little messy.

*Names altered for privacy

Sent 6:7 Editing for Effectiveness Retreat

For our disciple-making material to be ready by the fall, we hosted a small group of diverse leaders who gave input for a final edit before we publish Sent 6:7, and put it on video and in e-learning platforms. This diverse team of 16  live and minister in different settings – planting multi-ethnic or urban churches, or working among traditional churches that want to love their neighbors better and multiply – from Wisconsin Dells to Atlanta, from LA to KC, from Orlando to St. Louis, from southern Minnesota to Raleigh-Durham. 

At the end of the retreat, Robert, a new partner from Elevate Orlando, said, “Before, I had concepts (for launching a missional community– now I have a pathway!”