...to "Cru"! I'll expose my hand here... they are removing Christ from their ministry name!!! I am so tired of this relevancy culture,"we have to be relevant, or reach people where they are at" (not limited to CCC, of course). It is just becoming a cult of relevancy, in my opinion. This is not a commentary on their past ministry practices, although, I'm sure we could build quite a thread, but they spent TWO YEARS coming to this decision!!! Preach the Gospel people, that is what those donations are for!!!
Am I off-base here???
Christian Ministry Removing 'Crusade' From Name, Christian News
Yeah, you are a little off base, actually.
I've been volunteer staff for Cru for about a year, and "Cru" is what people have been calling "Campus Crusade for Christ" for years, like... over a decade.
That's news to many of us "on the outside," it is still popularly known as Campus Crusade for Christ. The last solicitation I received had that name... not sure what to do with an envelope that just said, "Cru."
That's multiple turn-overs of generations of students. Why? Because it is short, easier to say and has a catchy ring to it just like BK or KFC.
How then did Mr. Bright bring explosive growth to the organization since 1951 with the longer (not "catchy" name?) "Catchy" is for who in the Kingdom of God?
Benefits of changing it is the fact that we don't like the crusades. They are a regretable time in the past and we can't ignore it, but we don't want to perpetuate the stereotypes for Christians.
But since 1951, according to the organizations (earlier) reports and public relations, and its founder, it worked, and they were on a mission.
In fact, CCC has had to change the name of its ministry when going to many foreign nations because the Crusades are still in the minds of many Muslims and Jews and other nations that are post-Christian. It is very hard to share the gospel if we come in and they have bad connotations of Crusades coming to their minds as we are sharing the love of Christ. When you're unfamiliar, you don't know any better.
How has it worked since 1951? Is this a biblical example that prompted the change to a half century of practice? Did Jesus and the Apostles change their names to be less offensive (to unbelievers)- is that what they were concerned about?
Also, gone are the days of Billy Graham. We need to change our minds about how we approach the nation and campus and thinking we're going to go "conquer". It isn't about that.
How then was Billy Graham so successful, then? Was it about His approach- or did a sovereign God have something to do with the results? Or is this change about man's imagined "approaches" or techniques?
From a biblical, reformed perspective, Campus Crusade for Christ has been Arminian influenced, based on quick decisions, numbers, etc. which is all flawed biblically. But, a basic (and fearless) presentation of the Gospel remained, and God used it because it was hard to run from the idea, in the name even, to present the Gospel and ask for a response.
So eliminating this from the name has the benefit of avoiding a TON of awkwardness in normal conversation.
Is this really the biblical viewpoint?
Avoiding awkwardness for disciples in sharing their faith with unbelievers?
As for removing the name of "Christ", that's just a cheap-shot and a misunderstanding. It has nothing to do with taking away the offensiveness of Christ or taking Christ out of the ministry.
Yes, but symbolically, that is what has been done. This will not be lost on (critical) unbelievers. It actually places "Cru" members in a defensive position in explaining it to both believers and nonbelievers.
The new name does not represent center on Christ or getting people saved, like it or not.
There are many ministries that don't have the word "Christian" or "Church" or "Christ" in their title and they share the gospel.
Yes, there's a lot of that in the Bible, isn't there-
disciples avoiding naming Christ.
We don't change our minds on whether they are discipling well or not.
But to reiterate, the fact of the matter is that CCC has been calling itself Cru for years informally, and unofficially. It's on stickers and t-shirts and flyers and stuff, packaged and repackaged for campuses. The ministry goals are the same. The methods are the same. The heart is the same. The name is different to reach more for the sake of the gospel, not watering it down. The two-years probably had to do with the fact that they weren't sure if changing it from Campus Crusade for Christ (official name) to Cru (unofficial name) would make such a huge difference in the US or not, or whether changing it would be justified for all the things that would still need to be changed, or... if people will misunderstand the name change and stop giving/donating out of their ignorance.
Now, when the organization and the support goes down, who will be accountable?
Will there be endless discussion about how the approach is still not right, the recession, the climate on college campuses....
or about how people like myself who have supported Campus Crusade for Christ missionaries, now think twice about donating to a new organization called "Cru" so they can focus on emanating "coolness" to unbelievers?
I know this is strong and were I in your shoes, would not want to hear it. We all want confrontational biblical ministry on college campuses, just to compete with all the other groups and nut organizations doing the same thing.
(For two cents, my experience on college campuses- college students are not looking for subtlety.)
But the symbolism of this is just not biblical- it's about man, and we know, biblically, where that will go.
