GT Crossroads - students, staff and great summer adventures

Georgia Tech students work hard during the school year. Not surprisingly, they like to take on exciting and challenging ventures during their summers. You can find Tech students in the top paid internships at international companies like Volvo. Many students are studying and touring Europe or Australia.

GT Crossroads staff member, Greg Ashworth, lead a team of students for a six week summer mission project to Sarajevo, Bosnia. Our ministry adopted the University of Sarajevo ten years with the goal of planting an indigenous student movement. Ten years in to this very challenging endeavor we are happy to report that God is doing great things in Sarajevo. 

Darin McKenna, a Crossroads student leader, recently sent me a Bosnia summer mission project update. Here is how he summarized their activities:

 We met over 130 students from the University of Sarajevo. The entire Gospel was shared no less than 80 times in our 5 weeks there. We are connecting around 30 students to the long-term staff of Svaki Student in Sarajevo. We were able to serve the long-term staff by:planning a weekly meeting for them, baby-sit their children, plan events (such as a cookout, rafting trip, soccer day, girls party, and a talent show) for the organization, and beef up their numbers for a real game of ultimate frisbee (since Bosnians are soccer purists...). We attempted to serve at an orphanage (it fell through due to the insane amount of paper work and barriers they put up for us). Our goodbye party had around 30+ people, which was a surprise because of the large rainstorm that happened right before it started.

Greg, Darin and the entire team did a great job in Sarajevo this summer. I cannot wait to hear more of the stories of the students they met and the many conversations that they had about Christ. God clearly was at work leading them to the right people and using them to share Christ' love and the Gospel. 

A story from Darin:

  Once during the trip, a lady who worked at the Copy Shop down the road from the student house saw what our leader (Greg) was printing. She asked if he was a Christian. When he replied "Yes," she said "Then who is this Jesus and how do I have a relationship with him?" She started working at that copy shop only days before we arrived in Sarajevo and stopped a week before we left.

   

As we plan and raise funds for the Fall at Tech, we are encouraged once again by the potential for impact that the students here at Tech have when they "get out" for the summer or for good!

Tech people in Bosnia this summer! Darin (Left in Blue shirt, Greg is slightly on the right at the back of the table.

Vision for influencing institutions

This summer I saw a glimpse of what I believe is to come on the Georgia Tech campus.

In May, almost 80 students from around the Southeast met up with Campus Crusade staff in Destin, Florida, to live and learn together for three weeks.   This was my "summer assignment."

Greek Summit students and staff

While not all of these students were mature Christians (yet), they were all Greek -- members of fraternities and sororities on their respective campuses   --  and they all had a desire to be some kind of influence for Christ in their Greek houses.   As I worked with the fraternity men in my group, I saw fresh examples of how God is at work in these students' lives.  

For example, last year there were only a handful of University of Alabama students at Greek Summit, but this year 20 Alabama students came, and they gave numerous accounts of friends coming to know Christ over the past year.   The handful of students from last year had been immersed in God's word and Christian community and had been empowered by the Holy Spirit in such a way, that when they returned to campus, their enthusiasm for Christ was contagious.   Being Greek, they had a natural network of trusted friends with whom to share the love of Christ.  Now God is using the faithful influence of a few to bless this influential, yet secular, campus institution.  

Bean (L) a student leader at Eastern Kentucky University invited his fraternity brother, Dalton, to Greek Summit. Dalton came to know Christ and the result was life-changing for them both.

Shortly after I returned from Greek Summit, I had lunch with Drew Johnson, an alumnus of the Tech Greek ministry.  Drew and I were discussing how his new company might help us equip students to live effectively for Christ post-graduation. Drew became a believer through the outreach of students involved in Crusade's fraternity ministry in the mid-nineties. Talking with Drew was a great reminder of the potential impact of Christ-centered, missional movement that begins with the leaders in a community.

Gt Greek Alum, Drew Johnson
   

Georgia Tech is a campus teeming with leaders and potential leaders. The Greek System represents nearly 30% of the student body and one of the most open institutions on campus to share Christ.  While we don't focus solely on the Greek system, it has proven to be a fruitful ministry ground.

Our ministry plan for 2011-2012 includes creative cookouts, talks to pledge classes, outreach Bible studies, and life-on-life ministry among fraternities and sororities in order to influence the Georgia Tech Greek community. Please join us in praying for two things:

1) Full funding for the McEntyres and the Georgia Tech campus budget. My wife and I are excited to be leading the Georgia Tech ministry this year. But, one of the challenges we face is raising adequate support to cover our expenses as well as the central budget for our team. For example, we need $1,500/month for just the amount we need to raise for our role in the Greek ministry. We also need $20,000 in one time gifts for our summer and fall ministry expenses.
     2) An effective leadership and staff team for engaging student leaders at Tech. We are leading a team of two full time staff men and potentially three full time intern women. Please pray that our influence among leaders at Tech will be an overflow of the community and vision of our staff team.

Consider partnering with Crossroads through financial support

We have just completed a great year at Georgia Tech. As the school year has ended we want to share the opportunity for strategic giving with those who want to partner with our ministry at Georgia Tech.

The need on campus:

Twenty-thousand students on the brink of adult life…..

Representing dozens of nations…..

At a top-ten U.S. public university…..

Most having no spiritual compass for their lives…..

An estimated 90% will not darken the door of a church during their  time here…….

Most will not have a Christian friend……

Hardly any will read the Bible…..

How will they hear? 

We are embedded in the Georgia Tech community.  We are engaged with students in a strategic mission. We are expectant of the Lord for immediate and lasting fruit.

Our Current Funding Need:

Campus Crusade for Christ's Campus Director, Trent McEntyre, is requesting mid-year donations to meet a current need of $25,000. Any donation is appreciated. You can give through our secure website at https://give.ccci.org/give/View/6206612 

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Trent

Miami Spring Break Memories -

M*I*A*M*I

Sleeping on a church floor.

Exploring the reefs. 

Feeding the homeless. 

Working in the streets.  

Living together. 

Reading the Word.

Showing Miami’s brightest students

The love of the Lord. 

M*I*A*M*I

Crossroads Spring Break Trip to Miami

An Alternative Spring Break to Miami, FL

SAQ’s (Sometimes Asked Questions)

What is this trip all about?  We are going to enjoy a combination of fun, rest, service, travel and culture. Crossroad’s sister group, University of Miami CRU, invited us to come get a taste of life in Miami and help one of their partner organizations, Caring for Miami. In the end we want you to be glad you did something different, exciting, and memorable with your Spring Break.

Who can attend? Any Georgia Tech student or friend can come. This is not really a mission trip. We will serve the needy in Miami in practical way. We will have some opportunities to learn spiritually, but they will be optional.  

Where exactly are we going and how are we going to get there? We are going to Miami - actual downtown Miami. We will hit the beach while we are there. We will travel in our own cars - it is about 13 hours from Atlanta. I know that is long, but it is worth it. But think about it this way: It is 7 hours to PCB (Panama City Beach) and it will average 65 degrees. It will average 82 in Miami. 

I will post again soon with the schedule and some more information about activities. 

If you would like to go you can sign up and pay on our registration website:

https://www.conferenceregistrationtool.com/conferenceInfo.seam?conferenceId=924

What difference does Emmanuel make among Georgia Tech students? Part 2

Here is part two of a reflection on why we do what we do at Georgia Tech.

Emmanuel Compels Georgia Tech Students to Make a Difference


As we come to the time to celebrate Christmas, our hearts are full of joy in the beauty of God with us, our Emmanuel. What does this mean for the typical Georgia Tech student? Here are examples 6-12! (like the twelve days of Christmas)

6. For Anna, a senior psychology major, the beauty of God With Us means going to spend next year in Bosnia, a predominantly Muslim country where the people are in desperate need of the healing power of the Gospel of Christ.

Anna uses her musical gifts at Tech and in Bosnia.

7. For Matt, a 6th-year Management major, the beauty of Christ is compelling him to join staff with Campus Crusade for Christ so that he can go long-term to East Asia to share the good news of God’s love with atheist students who are longing for something to fill the emptiness in the hearts.

8. For Madeleine, a petite Physics senior and gifted Bible teacher, Emmanuel gives a passion to be an academic in the hard sciences, specifically so that she can speak of the truth and love of Jesus Christ into that community.

9. God With Us fills Chris, now a first-year grad student in Electrical Engineering, with an ability to pursue relationship with his lab-mates who hail from all over the world. He invites them to his iGroup, has conversations in the lab, and gets to know them so that he can share the beauties of Christ with them.

Chris, Daniel and friend on campus.

10. Across the board, the beauty of God with us gives hope to the typical Georgia Tech student that there is something more to this life than making good grades, so you can get a good job, so you can make a lot of money, so you can get a bigger house, nicer car, or cooler technology. The beauty of God with us lifts their eyes to see the bigger picture of eternal beauties – even for the most logical and left-brained of them!

What difference does Emmanuel make among Georgia Tech students? Part 1

At Crossroads we love watching God work through students to give many students at Tech an opportunity to see what a difference having a relationship with Christ makes in your life. Our staff, Becca Gartrell reflected on this in a piece she wrote for us recently with a Christmas theme. As you read this, join us in thanking Christ, our Emmanuel, for what He is doing here.

"Emmanuel Compels Georgia Tech Students to Make a Difference"

As the semester comes to a close, we find ourselves looking at the work of God and standing in awe. What a God we serve! With 80 students in our iGroups [investigative Bible studies] or coming to our weekly worship gathering, we marvel that God would allow us – such weak creatures! – the privilege of being such a significant part of these students’ lives.

As we come to the time to celebrate Christmas, our hearts are full of joy in the beauty of God with us, our Emmanuel. What does this mean for the typical Georgia Tech student? Here are five things for part 1!

1. Instead of facing the tremendous pressure of an institution like Georgia Tech on their own, students have a wonderfully powerful God who strengthens and upholds them.



We have a tight knit group of student leaders. Devi,

2. Students who are about to graduate and are looking for jobs or applying to grad school can rest in the knowledge that God is in control, and His plan is good. (Since I don’t know a single GT student who is an under-achiever, there is little concern that this knowledge will lead to laziness.)

3. As our students develop their considerable leadership gifts through our ministry, we can trust that God’s Spirit is giving them the humility and power to lead in all spheres of life with integrity and godliness.

4. For Devi, a pre-med sophomore, the reality of Emmanuel means reaching into the pre-med community and inviting her classmates to come study God’s Word so that they can meet the Great Physician and become better future doctors themselves.

5. For Mac, an RA on a freshman floor, the beauty of God With Us means inviting his freshman guys to come study the Bible and praying for their lives to be radically changed as a result.