Milestones

 

Macy’s Graduation

Earlier this month we celebrated with Macy as she graduated from the University of Florida!  She graduated with degrees in Psychology and Criminology, and will be headed to Auburn University to get a Masters in Behavioral Analysis.  We are very proud of her!

Macy set a goal to graduate with the highest GPA of all her siblings.  Unfortunately for them, she did it!

We visited Auburn after she accepted their offer and she has already found a place to live with two other students!

Cru Mission Trips

When Covid hit in 2020-2021, Cru’s mission trips numbers dropped to zero!.  The numbers are coming back with a flourish.

This Spring Break Cru also sent almost 2400 students on 75 short Filters of Hope trips. Click here to read the official report with stories.

We sent students to another 60 locations around the world for other short spring break trips, and 800 students and staff met in Daytona Beach for evangelism and training. Stateside and International summer missions will be launching in June!  These are life changing experiences for students.

Have you ever seen Cru's annual report?  If you love details, you'll love it, and if you love stories, you'll love it.  Take a look at it by clicking on this image.

Thank you for being a part of it all! 

With love,

Guess where we are?  See below

A new HR function for Cru

For the past year I have been helping the process of “re-imagining” how HR works in Cru.  It involves three big changes: a new human capital management (HCM) system, a new job architecture, and a new operating model.  We just hired seven new leaders and our HCM system launches on July 1.

I have been leading the change management process which involves communication and training for our HR staff and all of our staff related to the HCM system.

What’s in a name?

In Cru we have called the HR function “Leadership Development & Human Resources,” or “People & Culture,” depending on which part of Cru it was.  It was an attempt to communicate more of what the function was about.  A year ago there  was also an attempt to rename the new function “People Experience,” but there were some concerns with that name. So, I was asked to run a process to recommend the name for this function. There was a lot of strong feelings around what this re-envisioned function would be called.

We established criteria for the name.  We conducted a survey of over 180 HR & Field staff.  I conducted 5 focus groups to talk about names.  After hours and hours of work, there was one very obvious name.   75% of staff felt favorably about this name, compared to the other options. The winner?

The bottom line is that a name doesn’t determine how people experience the function.  Perception is defined by people’s experience.  What people love is the clarity…”I know what that means.” It removes the necessity of translating another name back to HR. Not everyone loves it, but for most staff, it's simple and makes sense.

This change aims to support the calling of each staff member and the mission of every ministry of Cru more consistently and comprehensively. You can continue to pray for this project because the changes will continue to take place over the next year!

A big trip!

We are thinking of updating our hallway like this.

At the Musee d'0rsay

Our kids helped us take an anniversary trip to Paris in early March to celebrate our 40th anniversary!  It was fun and exciting, but we were challenged!  We walked so much, and we had to deal with some health challenges. We rode buses instead of the metro to avoid stairs, and it worked pretty well, but we had some transportation adventures! It was really nice to be together, just the two of us, to navigate and figure it out together. We came home exhilarated and feeling quite accomplished!

 

Thank you for standing with us.

With love, 

The other half

Lately, I’ve been deep in the weeds of Cru’s HR reorganization.  This is the largest organization-wide change Cru has ever initiated. I’m leading the change management efforts (you have heard that most change efforts fail, right?).  It’s challenging and kind of fun, in a way!

A small team I’m on recently mapped every person’s job in Cru.  We found that about 50% of staff are doing direct ministry roles that win, build and send Christ centered multiplying disciples, or jobs that help others do direct ministry. 

So what do the other half do?  Take a look at how "dthe other half” makes ministry possible.

Sasha,* a young man in Central Asia, comes from a clan of warriors deeply hostile to Christians. In the region where he lives, it is dangerous even to talk about Jesus. Ministry in places like this requires more than courage—it requires wisdom, preparation, and unique approaches.

Trained workers in Sasha’s country have turned to the internet to reach everyone, everywhere. They post social media ads guiding people to short films addressing common feelings of loneliness and inadequacy. These efforts depend on intentional planning, financial stewardship, technology infrastructure, and ongoing support—areas where the “other half” plays a vital role. 

Sasha saw one of the ads and clicked. He watched segments of JESUS and had to know more. Through secure communication channels and careful coordination, he was able to connect with the believers behind the ads and eventually drove five hours to meet them in person.

As Sasha met with them and again heard the Word of God in his heart language, he understood and believed. His life was changed.

When Sasha returned home and shared what had happened, the cost was immediate. His well-known “fighting” clan treated him as a traitor and severely beat him. Yet Sasha would not renounce Jesus.

Sasha returned to the group that had introduced him to Christ. With consistent care, discipleship, and stability—made possible through “the other half” jobs, —he is growing in his faith and healing. He is now determined to see his entire family delivered from the kingdom of darkness.

Stories like Sasha’s remind us that “the other half” jobs are not separate from ministry; it is ministry—ensuring resources are stewarded well, systems function smoothly, and care is available when it’s needed most. When “the other half” is strong, the field is freer to move boldly and wisely.

When you pray and give, you are partnering in this work, Thank you for standing with us.

With gratitude,

Remember the Transformation of our headquarters I led starting in 2020?  The last part of that was finished today when we dedicated the new multipurpose gym/ministry space in what was our warehouse.  This will be used for staff recreation as well as ministry as we bring in teams from the community. It was really great seeing it finished!