Influencing Others to Walk with Jesus: a Mid-Fall Update from Cru at Morehead State
Video: Get the full story by checking out the Pray for Campus podcast
Very often I know a leader when they walk through the door of our ministry. They want involved, they want the ball. I love that! I never want to kill that in the the heart of a student. However, more often than not the first thing they ask me to do is get up front.
“Can I give a talk at Cru?”
“How do I become a Bible Study Leader?”
“How do I join the leadership team?”
Over the years, many students have asked me this question as they visit Cru at Morehead State for the first time!
I always answer the same way. Leadership is about more than positional leadership— the type of leadership with positional authority (i.e. Bible Study Leader, Deacon, Pastor, etc.). Here, individual are appointed to leadership positions.
However, True leadership is influence.
Cory Vanhoose is from small town Johnson County, KY and trusted Jesus late in his high school years. He went on to attend the University of Louisville where he got involved in the ministry of Campus Outreach (CO). Similar to Cru, CO has a focus on developing students through evangelism and discipleship. This semester Cory transferred to Morehead State.
“What you (Timothy) have heard from me (Paul) in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”
2 Tim 2:2
Notice in the passage above, there are four generations of discipleship. Paul is helping Timothy to walk with Jesus in a way that will effect Timothy’s disciple’s disciple!
Leaders influence people around them to walk with Jesus.
When I first met Cory he filled me in on his personal ministry aspirations. “I want to make disciples. I will be meeting with some guys after our 8AM workouts, me and a couple of friends will be doing a little Bible Study sometime, also I invited two of my classmates to read the Bible for the first time after our class let’s out at 11.”
I was quick to meet with Cory because I wanted the opportunity to give lift to whatever God was putting him on a path to do!
Now, Cory is mentoring several of our younger Cru students and he unofficially helps me to lead my Freshmen Bible Study. Last week I couldn’t make it to my Bible Study and he stepped up and led it! He sent me this picture (above, Cory is on the bottom left with his face cut off) when the group went out to get BOGO wings from Buffalo Wild Wings.
Funny enough, I don’t think Cory has our vision/mission memorized, he is not in any leadership position, and he may be one of the best leaders I’ve every had the opportunity to coach!
He is influencing people to walk with Jesus! Leadership is Influence.
How does this pertain to you?
Who is in your sphere of influence that you can influence to walk closer with Jesus? Are you in a Bible Study? Make sure you don’t skimp on the studying and you come in with something to share. More than that, give others space to process their thoughts?
Is there a function at your church? Don’t just attend. Invite others to be involved!
Do you have a family? You have the opportunity to influence GENERATIONS through you marriage and parenting.
There is no excuse NOT to be a leader!
Fall getaway: Are you a cultural or committed christian?
Earle Chute has been on Cru staff for over 50 years— he’s kind of a Cru staff Legend. Earle had students from Morehead State, Marshall, and Shawnee State asking themselves the big questions. Am I a committed Christian, a cultural Christian, am I even a Christian at all?!
Our students loved it! Here are some photos from the beautiful weekend at Camp Lyons.
Here’s how to pray!
Pray for Cory as he invests into the lives of our young students. Also, he is getting married in December. Pray for this exciting transition!
We are seeing signs that Cory’s excitement about discipleship is bleeding over to our other leaders. We have a core group of people that want to make disciples. Pray that our movement has a culture of discipleship.
On December 28-Jan 1 we will be sending students to our annual Winter Conference. There is quite a bit of momentum for this conference. I would love to see 20 or 30 students attend! Please pray that students make good on their excitement about Winter Conference. These kind of sending opportunities help move forward our vision tremendously!