Making Progress!

Last Thursday,   we opened another Wing of Cru's Lake Hart headquarters.  You can see the video I made of the dedication and ribbon cutting.  This space has neighborhoods for our campus ministry and Unto, Cru's humanitarian arm.  It also has the largest "Bigger Room" (where the food was laid out) and an Innovation Lab.  See if you can spot me in my red shirt.

This video is one I made for fun before the space is finished to help build anticipation.

I recently had a question from a leader who said, "How do I answer people who ask why we are spending so much money on our headquarters?"  It's a good question.

At the beginning of 2020, our headquarters was at capacity, and 150 more FamilyLife staff were moving to Orlando to join us.  Cru's board had approved building another building on the campus and plans were moving forward.  However, in March 2020, as Covid was just starting, Cru decided to rethink how we use our current space, which was largely untouched over the last 24 years.

As a result, we are able to update the headquarters, create the work environment that supports the way staff actually work, and create a more collaborative and innovative space that communicates value to our staff and their calling.  And all of this can be done for far less money than a new building.  And honestly, we would have had to update the old offices spaces as well.

So, why do I make fun videos like this? It's part of the change management process of building awareness and desire for the change.  Not everyone adapts to change like this easily, so these can add a little sweetness to a difficult change for some.

I have also been working on projects for the Jesus Film Project, Human Resources, and our StoryRunners team.  I'll share more about those in the future.

Thank you for investing in us as we invest our lives in the many ways Cru is reaching the world.  It is an honor to partner with you.

Love,

P.S. We invited my wonderful aunt Carol Anne Harvey from Chicago for a week and took a visit to Krispy Kreme to remember my Dad on his birthday.  He loved those donuts!  Carol Anne has been a faithful partner with our ministry for  37 years, and she held me on the day I was born!

Merry Christmas 2022!

 Our 2022 Christmas Family Update

This year people in our family started college, finished college, became empty nesters, and the girls (minus Cara) took a trip to Prince Edward Island.

Catelin, Barrett, Dayna, Macy, Luke, Aubrey, Bowen, Perry, Zeke, Cara, Titus

Macy is a freshman at the University of Florida and has made lots of friends, in enjoying classes, and has joined the Club Softball team.

Luke finished his PhD from UVA in Materials Science and is now working at Northrup Grumman in Melbourne, FL, one hour away.  He has already joined a baseball league!

Aubrey and Catelin love their sister!

Aubrey is working at Cru in compensation and recruiting and has picked up more responsibility as her boss has taken time away.  She loves to travel and has a busy social life.

Cara & Perry Johnson are in Irvine, CA.  Perry works at UCI and Cara has been home full time since Bowen was born.  Zeke (4), Titus (3), and Bowen (1) are so cute!  We visit them as much as we can.

Catelin has a new position with the Talent Development team at Orlando Health and lives just dow the street.  She enjoys her team.

Dayna loves volunteering two days a week at Shepherd's Hope as a nurse and served as a nurse at Cru22, Cru's staff conference this past summer.

Barrett had a great weekend in Ohio this fall taking in a Buckeye game with his friends Don and Mike.  He is still leading Cru's HQ renovation, which he thought would be done last June!

June 2022

Thank you for all you do.

This story illustrates why we serve with Cru.

"Solomon dd not have money for transportation, so he went to the roadside to ask if a good Samaritan could help him get to university.  This is how he stopped Monique, who agreed to carry him on her motorcycle for the ten-minute ride.

A day before, Monique had prayed, asking God to give her an opportunity to share the gospel with anyone she would meet on the road.  When she gave Solomon a ride, she said to herself, "This is the opportunity I requested from God."  She asked Solomon, "how is your relationship with God?"  Solomon said that he was from God and was willing to know more.

He told Monique, "It was God who sent you to me.  Yesterday I was talking with friends and we said to each other if we were to die, we would all go to hell."  When they arrived at the university, Monique gave him her family's address so they could continue the conversation later.

The next day, Solomon knocked on the door at 7 a.m., saying without hesitation, "I need Jesus in my life."  Monique shared with him and Solomon prayed and received Christ as his personal Savior.  He decided to go to church the following Sunday and committed to talking about Jesus with his friends."

Monique knew how to  share the gospel, and was praying for opportunities to share.  All we do with Cru is to support these kinds of encounters.  I have been struck time and time again how significant the work we do is to help Monique and so many others be equipped  to introduce people like Solomon to Jesus.

Thank you for partnering with us.  It is our honor to work with you to see people know God.

Like you, we have been impacted by inflation and other increased like insurance.  Will you consider a special gift at the end of this year to help supply the additional support we need next year?  Many people like to make additional gifts in December, and it would e a great blessing if the Lord leads you to help with a special gift.

You can give online here, by calling 888-278-7233, or by mailing a check to our home address:  4126 Stonewall Drive, Orlando, FL  32812

Thank you for being a part of what we do with your support ad prayers.  We can't express how much we appreciate your partnership with us.  Please let us know how we can pray for you!

With love and thanks,