You may have heard about Campus Crusade for Christ changing its name, after 60 years, to Cru. Since we are part of Campus Crusade staff, we wanted you to know the "real truth" behind the name change. Below is a letter we sent out to our Ministry Partners. If you have questions, please contact us!
In the U.S., Campus Crusade for Christ is becoming Cru. We know you care about this ministry and we want you to be among the first to know. We’re announcing it now, but we’ll adopt the new name early in 2012.
This change is being made in order to be more effective in sharing the gospel and to see even more people come to faith in Christ. It’s been a two-year process, but ultimately we have come to this decision through much prayer and with a deep sense of dependence on God.
Words Matter
Although our name for the last 60 years is well respected in Christian ministry and missions, the word “Crusade” now carries serious negative associations. Also, the word “Campus” actually hinders people who are not students from engaging in our broad range of ministries. Research has shown that 20% of the people in the U.S. willing to have a conversation about Jesus are less interested when they hear the name Campus Crusade for Christ. Words may take on new meaning over time, but our calling never changes. We are committed to give every person around the world an opportunity to hear the gospel and a chance to say YES to Jesus. That’s what makes a name change necessary.
Field Tested
Cru has been used for over 15 years by a number of our local college ministries. It has a track record of success in evangelism and discipleship. To those who are familiar with us, it connects with our past and yet is forward looking. For those that we will connect with in the future, the name will be filled with all of the experiences and meaning of who we are and what we have to offer. The name was selected from a pool of 1,600 potential names.
Changing Our Name Will Help…
• Increase evangelism as more people are willing to engage with us in discussions about Christ.
• Involve more people who want to make a difference in their world for Christ.
• Improve synergy between all our ministries. They will benefit from a more cohesive connection while still maintaining their individual ministry’s identity.
In the months ahead, there will be a period of transition where you will see both names used. For more information, please visit www.ccci.org/cru to see a brief video, graphics and answers to the most frequently asked questions.
You can be sure that our calling and mission have not changed. Our heart remains the same— to help fulfill the Great Commission by winning people to Christ, building them in their faith to see their lives transformed, and sending them out to reach others for Christ.
Media Reaction
Although many folks have shared their enthusiasm over this change, you may have heard some misinformation in the media about the motivation behind the name change. Just in case these reports have caused any concern I want to let you know, first hand, what is truth.
1. Campus Crusade for Christ is unswervingly committed to lifting up and proclaiming the name of Jesus. We were founded with a commitment to the centrality of the cross, the truth of the word, the power of the Holy Spirit and the global scope of the Great Commission. Nothing has changed.
2. The problematic words in the name were Campus and Crusade. The term "Campus" has not represented the full scope of our mission for many years. The word "Crusade" carries negative connotations that serve as barriers to connecting people with the heart of Jesus.
3. The majority of Christian mission organizations and most local churches do not have the name Jesus or Christ in their name. This doesn’t lessen their devotion to Christ or their effectiveness. We want everyone to be more concerned with our mission than the name of our organization.
4. Our mission remains the same: To help fulfill the Great Commission by winning, building and sending Christ-centered multiplying disciples and to give every person a chance to say YES to Jesus. It’s the same mission that God gave to Bill and Vonette Bright in 1951. We believe that our new name will help us more effectively accomplish that mission.
Vonette Bright and Leadership
"From the beginning, Bill (Bright) was open to changing our name. He never felt it was set in stone. In fact, he actually considered changing the name 20 or 25 years ago," said Vonette Bright, who co-founded Campus Crusade for Christ with her husband. "We want to remove any obstacle to people hearing about the most important person who ever lived—Jesus Christ."
“Our leadership team and board of directors are united in their belief that this is the right time to embrace a new name, and that this name meets our objective of achieving a greater level of effectiveness in ministry,” said Steve Douglass, president of Campus Crusade for Christ. “This decision has been saturated with prayer. We only want what God wants for us. And while we are excited about this name, we are even more excited about our renewed commitment to our mission. We believe this new name will position us to connect better with the next generation.”
“We believe wholeheartedly that God has given us this new name,” said Steve Sellers, vice president for the U.S. for Campus Crusade for Christ. “Our team understands that our name is really for the benefit of others. Ultimately, it’s not about our name, but how we live out our mission every day.”
Request for Prayer and Final Words
Please pray with us that many more people will come to Christ as we take this step of faith together as a world-wide ministry. We know there will be opposition, but we pray that God will USE the opposition and media attention to further His Kingdom. Thanks for praying!
Finally, Shawn and I want to say THANK YOU for linking arms with us to lift up the name of Jesus. We thank God for you as our Ministry Partner Team and count it a privilege to partner with you. Because of you the Gospel and God’s plan for marriage and family are being proclaimed. Your partnership is appreciated more than you know.
This change is being made in order to be more effective in sharing the gospel and to see even more people come to faith in Christ. It’s been a two-year process, but ultimately we have come to this decision through much prayer and with a deep sense of dependence on God.
Words Matter
Although our name for the last 60 years is well respected in Christian ministry and missions, the word “Crusade” now carries serious negative associations. Also, the word “Campus” actually hinders people who are not students from engaging in our broad range of ministries. Research has shown that 20% of the people in the U.S. willing to have a conversation about Jesus are less interested when they hear the name Campus Crusade for Christ. Words may take on new meaning over time, but our calling never changes. We are committed to give every person around the world an opportunity to hear the gospel and a chance to say YES to Jesus. That’s what makes a name change necessary.
Field Tested
Cru has been used for over 15 years by a number of our local college ministries. It has a track record of success in evangelism and discipleship. To those who are familiar with us, it connects with our past and yet is forward looking. For those that we will connect with in the future, the name will be filled with all of the experiences and meaning of who we are and what we have to offer. The name was selected from a pool of 1,600 potential names.
Changing Our Name Will Help…
• Increase evangelism as more people are willing to engage with us in discussions about Christ.
• Involve more people who want to make a difference in their world for Christ.
• Improve synergy between all our ministries. They will benefit from a more cohesive connection while still maintaining their individual ministry’s identity.
In the months ahead, there will be a period of transition where you will see both names used. For more information, please visit www.ccci.org/cru to see a brief video, graphics and answers to the most frequently asked questions.
You can be sure that our calling and mission have not changed. Our heart remains the same— to help fulfill the Great Commission by winning people to Christ, building them in their faith to see their lives transformed, and sending them out to reach others for Christ.
Media Reaction
Although many folks have shared their enthusiasm over this change, you may have heard some misinformation in the media about the motivation behind the name change. Just in case these reports have caused any concern I want to let you know, first hand, what is truth.
1. Campus Crusade for Christ is unswervingly committed to lifting up and proclaiming the name of Jesus. We were founded with a commitment to the centrality of the cross, the truth of the word, the power of the Holy Spirit and the global scope of the Great Commission. Nothing has changed.
2. The problematic words in the name were Campus and Crusade. The term "Campus" has not represented the full scope of our mission for many years. The word "Crusade" carries negative connotations that serve as barriers to connecting people with the heart of Jesus.
3. The majority of Christian mission organizations and most local churches do not have the name Jesus or Christ in their name. This doesn’t lessen their devotion to Christ or their effectiveness. We want everyone to be more concerned with our mission than the name of our organization.
4. Our mission remains the same: To help fulfill the Great Commission by winning, building and sending Christ-centered multiplying disciples and to give every person a chance to say YES to Jesus. It’s the same mission that God gave to Bill and Vonette Bright in 1951. We believe that our new name will help us more effectively accomplish that mission.
Vonette Bright and Leadership
"From the beginning, Bill (Bright) was open to changing our name. He never felt it was set in stone. In fact, he actually considered changing the name 20 or 25 years ago," said Vonette Bright, who co-founded Campus Crusade for Christ with her husband. "We want to remove any obstacle to people hearing about the most important person who ever lived—Jesus Christ."
“Our leadership team and board of directors are united in their belief that this is the right time to embrace a new name, and that this name meets our objective of achieving a greater level of effectiveness in ministry,” said Steve Douglass, president of Campus Crusade for Christ. “This decision has been saturated with prayer. We only want what God wants for us. And while we are excited about this name, we are even more excited about our renewed commitment to our mission. We believe this new name will position us to connect better with the next generation.”
“We believe wholeheartedly that God has given us this new name,” said Steve Sellers, vice president for the U.S. for Campus Crusade for Christ. “Our team understands that our name is really for the benefit of others. Ultimately, it’s not about our name, but how we live out our mission every day.”
Request for Prayer and Final Words
Please pray with us that many more people will come to Christ as we take this step of faith together as a world-wide ministry. We know there will be opposition, but we pray that God will USE the opposition and media attention to further His Kingdom. Thanks for praying!
Finally, Shawn and I want to say THANK YOU for linking arms with us to lift up the name of Jesus. We thank God for you as our Ministry Partner Team and count it a privilege to partner with you. Because of you the Gospel and God’s plan for marriage and family are being proclaimed. Your partnership is appreciated more than you know.
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