Throughout history, God has used thousands of ministries to do incredible work all around the globe: spreading the gospel, fighting for justice, serving the marginalized, feeding the hungry, and many other noble and God-honoring deeds. Within Cru, we can sometimes use the terms “ministry” and “movement” interchangeably, but is there a difference? Why do we say that we are committed to building “spiritual movements everywhere” rather than just establishing ministries?
Concisely defining a movement may be impossible, but there are some key characteristics that we consistently strive for that move us beyond ministry to movement in hopes of better fulfilling our mission of connecting others to Christ.
Movements Involve and Empower Others
In some ministry settings, the majority of the work is carried out by a key leader or team of leaders. There is often a clear distinction between those who are leading and serving in the ministry and those who are being served by the ministry.
In contrast, movements, by their very nature, invite others into the work. Movement leaders seek to unearth and develop others who can join the mission. Within Cru, it is our desire that everyone would have the opportunity to hear the gospel and respond to Jesus in faith. When someone does place their faith in Jesus, we invite them to grow in relationship with Him and share their faith, so that others may also come to know Him. Our hope is that these new believers will in turn continue the work, by sharing their faith with others.
The goal is not just that Cru staff and volunteers would consistently lead others to a faith in Jesus, but that this faith would be multiplied into the network of relationships of each new believer and many of their friends, family, and peers would come to know Jesus as well. We desire that every follower of Jesus would see themselves as sent into the world to help others come to know and follow Jesus. To this end, we cast vision, provide training, and offer a plethora of free resources to equip others to join in the movement.
Some Free resources for movement building:
Movements Can Grow Quickly
Movements take advantage of an exponential growth model that allows for a rapid acceleration of growth for the movement. Because the work of the mission is not disproportionately dependent upon a small handful of gifted leaders, growth can take place at a much faster rate. In math, we would call this exponential growth; within Cru, we often refer to it as “spiritual multiplication.”
Imagine a campus where four Cru staff and volunteers were each able to lead 10 people to Christ each year. After six years, you would have 240 people newly walking with Jesus. Pretty impressive! However, consider what would happen if each of those staff and volunteers were able to lead just two new people to Jesus each year, but… each of those new followers of Jesus did the same, year after year. In that scenario, after six years, 2,916 people would come to know Jesus! And the longer a movement has time to grow, the wider the gap becomes! Spiritual multiplication leads to incredible exponential growth!
Movements Can Outlast Leaders
As we mentioned earlier, ministries can sometimes become too leader-centric, with a few key leaders carrying the bulk of the ministry responsibility. If the leaders are gifted enough, dynamic enough, and energetic enough, ministry can really flourish… for a while. But, when those leaders retire or move on, the ministry can quickly collapse without the support of others to carry on the mission.
By contrast, healthy movements outpace, outgrow, and outlast their leaders. Long after the original leaders are gone, many others have stepped into the void, and because multiplication is built into the DNA of the movement, it can continue to grow and thrive into the future. Movement leaders help set things in motion, but much of the work of the movement takes place far beyond their reach and even after they are no longer involved.
So, we are starting to see why movements, not just ministries, are the goal. They offer some key advantages in helping to fulfill our vision and mission, but it is worth noting that movements also present a variety of challenges.
Movements Can Be Messy and Unpredictable
As we have mentioned, movements seek to involve as many people as possible in the work of the mission, and they have the ability to grow quickly. Not surprisingly, sometimes this growth can be messy and unpredictable. Because much of the work is carried out without direct oversight from the leaders, movements can take unexpected paths. With so many people involved in the work, sometimes inexperience can lead to unintended missteps and learning opportunities. But we believe it is worth it! Even Jesus trusted the work of the kingdom to a ragtag group of uneducated, ordinary men and women with little experience, pedigree, or even much in common!
Healthy movements outpace, outreach, and outlast their leaders.
Movements Can Be Difficult to Track and Measure
In the results-driven world in which we live, we often tend to focus on results that we can record, track, and report. Everyone wants to know that they are making a tangible difference. And it can be beneficial to be able to promote our work to potential donors, partners, and the community at large. At Cru, we do our best to track a number of data points related to spreading the good news about Jesus, but we also recognize that the more we strive for “movement” beyond “ministry,” the more difficult it can be to keep tabs on all the Lord is doing.
For example, a student involved with Cru may not show much growth at the time, but may go on to become a passionate evangelist as an adult. A businessman connected to one of our Bible studies might lead several employees to Christ, and we may never know about it. A young woman who interacts with Cru materials online may come to Christ and help lead her whole family into a relationship with the Lord.
We often say we seek to do our work in the power of the Holy Spirit and “leave the results to God.” It is fair to say that we will likely never even see many of the results of our efforts! In a healthy way, this reality keeps us from taking too much credit for the work we have accomplished, and it keeps our emphasis on being faithful over fruitful.
Movements Require Us to Relinquish Control
At this point, it should be pretty clear that healthy movements often grow and expand beyond the oversight and control of their leaders. While this can be a very good thing, it is also honest to acknowledge this can be an uncomfortable thing for us to accept. We like to feel in control, to be able to take credit, and to have a sense we are indispensable to the success of a project. A healthy movement will push back on all those desires.
Thankfully, even this is a gift of God’s grace, keeping us humble and dependent on Him. When we are not in control, we can turn to the One Who is. We can remember that the work is His to accomplish and seek to abide and serve in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are reminded that any work we do is ultimately a small part of joining God in His ultimate movement of saving a people, redeeming creation, and building His kingdom for the glory of His name.
This is why we remain committed to building spiritual movements everywhere, until everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus!
