
This years Bi-annual Campus Crusade For Christ staff Conference is significant for two reasons. Firstly, this year marks 60 years since Bill and Vonette Bright started bringing the Gospel to students at UCLA. The other part (which you may have heard about through any number of news outlets) is the announcement of our new name on Tuesday night. Starting in early 2012 Campus Crusade for Christ will be known simply as “Cru.” I think this is a good choice and will serve to make our ministry of lifting up Jesus Christ and His Gospel even more effective.
I’d like to take a moment to assure you that we have not lost our commitment to Christ or to the Gospel even one iota. We live and breathe the Gospel, everything we do is so that people will respond to the Gospel and Christ will be glorified through their belief and worship.
Especially the “Crusade” in the name has been a significant hindrance to the Gospel. As CCC looked into the possibility of changing our name over the past three years, there was one fact that stood out that made us know that we had to change it – of people who said they were willing to have a conversation about Jesus 20% said they would no longer be interested when they heard the name “Campus Crusade for Christ.” That means that 1-in-5 people who might be open to the Gospel became closed to the Gospel when they heard our name. That is an incredible loss in effectiveness.
Personally, every year I have increasingly noticed people wanting to argue with me about the "Crusade" in our name and not wanting to have anything to do with us because of that one word.
All of this is to assure you – we have not changed who we are. Language changes over time, and words that meant one thing in 1951 carry very different baggage 60 years later. We have to be shrewd enough to know that changing our language does not mean changing what we’re about. As a matter of fact, sometimes we have to change our language to continue to be who we’ve always been.
This is not about political correctness, it’s not about hiding who we are and who we’re about; it’s about people hearing about Jesus in a way that they will respond to it. I personally agree with Francis Chan who spoke at our staff conference "Whatever the new name is doesn't really matter it is about God moving in people and changing people."
I'd love to know what you think, or answer any questions you may have. Official answers to your questions and videos can be found at www.ccci.org/cru
Also, thank you Jayson and Carrie Whelpley who I took most this blog post from check out their ministry blog at http://www.whelpley.org/