I (Andy) am as excited as I have ever been about what Cru is doing and where our department, Digital Products and Services (and technology as a whole) is headed.
When I started with Cru 35 years ago (I’m still amazed at that number!), technology played a support role to ministry. Technology is more and more a direct part of ministry — I often say that technology IS ministry! Evangelistic websites such as Everystudent.com, resourcing websites such as Godtools.com. Seminary training on smart phones. I believe a technology solution should never replace a direct, personal, human-to-human interaction when possible. Jesus’ model for evangelism was personal, individual, relational. Yet, technology can reach places people can’t, and our ministry believes that technology and personal interaction can “point to” and enhance each other. The personal interaction can be made richer by using technology and digital resources, and the digital encounter should ultimately (when possible) end in personal connection and discipleship.
As the internet has matured, websites now can provide a degree of interconnection that I don’t believe people even imagined just a few years ago. I know it feels creepy when you search for something on Amazon and then that product shows up everywhere. But our office is using that same concept to help Christ seekers and Christ followers take their “next best faith step”. If a person is searching for basic answers on one of our sites, Cru can present them with Bible Studies from another site and connect them with a person who can help. If they are looking for information about one of our ministries in a certain country, we can point them to another site (or even another ministry!) offering mission trips to that country. The purpose is not to further Cru, the purpose is to help the individual in their spiritual journey—to help them take their “next best faith step.” A website is no longer just flat pages but instead a connected “ecosystem” of resources and opportunities.
I am coming up on six years in Digital Products and Strategies. When I started, my three teams were focused primarily on our headquarters, supporting users that worked in Orlando. We have expanded our focus to answer questions and help users across the country, helping those on campus or in ministry with their tech problems, conferences, fund development and donor relationships, etc. And more and more we are helping our international staff with those same problems and solutions.
I recently sent three people on my team to set up a “Technology Help Desk” at a staff gathering in Thailand (which involved staff from around Asia) and then at a staff gathering in Central Asia. These opportunities truly minister to those on the field — my team fixed many broken phone screens, helped secure email accounts, and offered software training.
I have often said that my passion is in helping our staff wherever God has called them. It has been wonderful to see the scope and influence grow and the opportunities increase.
In Case You Wonder If God Is At Work
Bringing People To Himself
In the early 1990’s, Andy and I (Catherine) met Greg Eck who worked in Computer Services at Cru’s headquarters. He came there with a heart for Mongolia. It wasn’t long before he headed to Asia, met his wife and they built a family, all while ministering in a country where there were few ministers. And the Ecks persisted. Even as late as 1995, there were no Mongolian Campus Crusade for Christ, Int’l staff. Zero! Zip! None!
This month Greg and his wife, Wai Hing were in Central Florida for a conference and we had the privilege of having them over for dinner. Andy and Greg had a glorious time talking computers. We laughed. We shared stories of our children, and caught up on life. We were ecstatic to learn that, as of 2018, there are 70 Mongolian Christ followers on our staff.
I cried with joy at seeing the fruit of their faithfulness to God, and His faithfulness to them. Glory to God!!
Your partnership with us allows us to work alongside people like Greg and Wai Hing Eck, who are changing the world! Your partnership and prayers sustain us!!
February certainly flew by for us. I (Catherine) have been knee deep in helping our US high school ministry put together their monthly newsletter and hammer out a communications plan for the next 8 months. This will keep the missionaries working with high school and middle school students and teachers up to date with information and resources.
Andy is working on our National Staff Conference coming up this summer, helping make the childcare authorization and consent forms fully electronic (no more paper!) while tweaking registrations as they come in. (One man registered that he was born in 1851, making him 167 years old!)
Thank you for serving with us!
Three, It’s a Magic Number
This month Khloe, our eldest grand girl has turned three, and we are now able to announce that we, I mean Becca and Zach, are expecting Grandbaby #3!!
The Kelloggs 