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When Bill and Vonette Bright first launched Campus Crusade for Christ as a
campus ministry in 1951, the underlying concept was to "win the campus today and
change the world tomorrow." More than 50 years later, the mission remains the
same.
Today, the campus ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ is a network of vibrant,
growing movements on 1,029 campuses in the United States and beyond. Proven and
diverse outreach strategies expose millions of students to the gospel each year.
Over the past five years, more than 37,900 students made a decision to become a
Christian.
The college campus provides a pool of worldviews that leave many students actively searching for some absolute truth. This generation was raised in a society where situational ethics and relative morality have softened the spiritual foundation that was secure for past generations. Today's students are eagerly seeking genuine spiritual truth. Once they embrace a faith in Christ, they are burdened to share that hope with others in creative and relevant ways.
The mission of Campus Crusade for Christ is to turn lost students into Christ-centered laborers. Our spiritual mandate is found in Matthew 28:18-20.
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age."
We believe that a relationship with God through Jesus Christ provides the hope and purpose in life that people are seeking. College students often find themselves in an environment that is tearing away at their moral and spiritual stability. They can feel trapped by the pressures of academic life and the deep need to be accepted by their peers. All of this can add up to a college career filled with anxiety, superficial relationships and fear of the future.
Jesus offers today's students something different. In the Bible, Jesus says, "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly." (John 10:10). When students begin a relationship with God, they find purpose and meaning, and they experience life the way that God intended.
Being a Christian is not about practicing a religion or fulfilling a duty. Being a Christian is about having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Every person has a story. The gospel is really about our personal stories fitting into the larger story of God's creation and purpose.
Being Christ-centered means allowing God to shape our lives around His eternal purpose. It means evaluating our life's direction and decisions in light of God's Word. Being a laborer refers to God's call for our lives to have great significance and eternal impact. We can serve God in many ways, such as sharing the gospel with others, going on a short-term missions trip, or joining a ministry full-time to help reach others for Christ.
Imagine the changes the world would see if every one of the 110 million college students had an opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel every year. Our goal is to see as many students go from a place of unbelief to a place of belief in God. We want to see students embrace the purpose, love and forgiveness that God offers them in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
By 2010, we are working to...
Increase evangelistic exposures to
25 million worldwide annually, trusting God for 350,000 evangelistic
decisions annually.
Equip 200,000 involved students each
year to share their faith and disciple others on campus, in the community
and around the world.
Plant 3,770 new ministries where lost students are turned into Christ-centered laborers.