7 Reasons to Get to Know Your Campus

God has called YOU to influence a campus for His kingdom! How will you start? Maybe you already know a few students or a teacher on campus, or maybe you know no one. Either way, learning the basics of your campus up front will be worth the time you spend.

All high schools have things in common, but each is different and needs an introduction. Just as a relationship grows as you get to know someone, your relationship with the school will grow as you get to know it.

Getting a thorough introduction to your school will help you…

Begin to Understand Students

When you step onto the grounds of a school, you not only cross a physical boundary, you also cross into a different culture. Your school’s culture is a product of family demographics, community values, school goals, extracurricular activities, and social media, to name a few. As you learn the culture, you will better understand students. That knowledge coupled with listening, love, and time, will make you a relevant minister of the gospel.

Learn How to Serve the School

At Cru, our heart is to be a resource to the school. As you talk with teachers, parents, and students, you will hear about needs and opportunities for involvement. Most schools need mentors, substitute teachers, assistant coaches, and chaperones. Additionally, some schools have special programs in which you can serve, such as Be the Change Day, Freshmen Day of Service, or Small Houses for Veterans. Your school likely has a unique program with which you can help. Your effort to learn these details will open the door to serve.

Build a Network

One person will lead you to three more, then those three will lead you to nine more, and so on. As you research and initiate with those in and around the school, you will end up with a team of people who can partner with you to reach the school. Parents can become prayer partners; teachers can become campus sponsors; a local church can provide a convenient off-campus meeting place. If you are not sure where to begin, the Get to Know your Campus Questionnaire will help.

Getting a solid introduction to your school will yield ample benefits as you get started.

Know your Boundaries

As a campus minister, you will need to know the boundaries the school has set for spiritual influence. Every district has its policies, but each school’s administration decides how to implement those policies. So you may feel very unwelcome or restricted at one school, while another in the same district gives you full access. So a big part of your introduction to a school will be finding out where you as a Cru staff member fall on that spectrum and then serving according to those guidelines.

See the Whole School

When you first start to look at your school, you will see the main attractions – the most valued sports team, the most popular students, and the unique values of the school. But as you dig deeper, you will find the groups that are quieter and smaller. Besides formal student groups, every campus has informal groups. You may also discover where God is already working through a current Christian club or through Christian students involved in other groups. Check out How you can Get to Know Your Campus for more ideas in discovering your campus.

Be Comfortable on Campus

With your network in place and knowledge of the campus culture, you will feel at home in the hallways of the campus. Knowing the campus rules for visitors and volunteers will free you to initiate and respond appropriately as you engage students and adults. Over time, as trust builds and the relationship matures, you might even be considered an “insider.” That hard-earned access will be a great asset as you work to reach the campus.

Get Started

How will you start? After getting properly introduced to your school, you will become confident. God knows the school and loves the students more than you can comprehend. As you seek Him and get to know your campus through research and initiation, God will lead you. Through the people you meet, the knowledge you gain, and the heart you develop, you will see a clear direction.

Next Step

The campus is the best place to start your introduction. Look up the school’s website. Investigate with a yearbook. Interview students, teachers, parents and youth pastors. Go to a campus event. All of these will introduce you to your campus and set you up for a fruitful campus ministry.

Getting To Know Your Campus Questionnaire

1. Do Your Own Thing

If you’d like to gather some friends, share your faith, and build something without any formal ties, just start with the playbook. The Reach Your School Playbook gives you everything you need to get started today.

2. Call Yourself Cru

If you’d like to use the Cru name and logos, and be part of a wider movement beyond just your campus, here’s what that looks like:

	Doing Your Own Thing	Being Called Cru
Use the Cru name and logos	No	Yes
Need a coach to get started	No	Yes
Part of the wider Cru movement	No	Yes
Get ongoing support from Cru staff	No	Yes
Can start today, no waiting	Yes	Still fast — just a call first

"Whichever path you choose, you don’t have to figure it out alone."

How to Get Started

If you want to call yourself Cru, the way to get started is to connect with a coach, that’s how you register your movement. This is separate from anything your own school requires; if your campus has its own club registration process, you’ll still want to check with your school on that too.

A coach is a Cru staff member whose job is to walk alongside you as you get started. Here’s what working with a coach actually looks like from there:

It’s free. No cost involved, no catch.
No pressure. You reach out, someone gets back to you with information and answers your questions, and there’s no commitment required just to ask.
Go at your own pace. You and your coach agree on a rhythm together, whether that’s weekly, every other week, or monthly, usually in calls of about 20 to 30 minutes.
The calls are practical. Your coach checks in on how things are going, helps you work through whatever challenges you’re facing, brainstorms ideas with you, and prays for you.
Real experience backs it up. Coaches have spent years working directly with students, teachers, and other volunteers on campuses like yours.
You get resources. Training and tools to help you lead with confidence, even if this is your first time.
It fits around your life. Coaches build their availability around your schedule.

Through it all, you’re helping students hear about Jesus, grow in their faith, and go on to reach others too. And whether you’re the student or the adult in this story, you stay the one leading it. Your coach walks alongside you; the coach doesn’t take it over.

Check Out the Playbook

Whichever path you choose, the Reach Your School Playbook is worth having in hand. It walks you through four simple steps — DREAM, PRAY, GO, GROW — for building something that reaches your school.

Download the Reach Your School Playbook

Whichever path you choose, don’t wait until everything feels figured out. Gather a few friends, open the Playbook, or send that first email to a coach. The important thing is that you start. Somewhere out there, a student at your school is waiting for someone to notice them, and that someone could be you.

Next Step

Ready to call yourself Cru? Reach out to the Coaching Center today: Email coachingcenter@cru.org and say, “I’d like to have a coach please!” Or call 1-877-GO-CAMPUS

Campus Ministry Toolkit: Skills and Tools to Reach your School

As you learn to reach your school, there are some key ministry skills that will make a big difference. These are things every Christian student can grow in and you don’t have to be perfect to get started. We also have some great tools to help you take your next step. With a little courage and the right resources, you’ll be amazed how God can use you in your school.

Starting Spiritual Conversations

Bringing up spiritual topics can be hard, but it’s one of the most important steps in reaching your friends. If no one starts the conversation, most students will never talk about their faith.

Preparing Yourself for Spiritual Conversations (article): A short guide to help you get ready to talk about your faith with friends.
Solarium: A deck of picture cards to help you start conversations about life and God.

Sharing Your Testimony

Your story matters. Sharing what God has done in your life can open hearts and help others realize that faith is personal and real.

How to Share Your Story (article): A step-by-step guide to help you talk about how Jesus has changed your life.

Sharing Your Faith

The gospel is powerful and your friends need to hear it. Learning how to clearly explain the message of Jesus is a huge step in making your faith your own and helping others follow Him.

How to Share the Gospel (article): a step-by-step guide to help you share the gospel with a friend.
Connecting with God Booklet: A short, simple booklet you can read through with a friend to explain how they can know Christ.
The Four Wristband: A wearable tool with four simple symbols to help you talk about God’s love and how to receive Christ.
GodTools App: A free app with interactive ways to share your faith in different languages and styles.

“Your story could be the reason someone takes a step toward Jesus.”

Following Up a New Believer

When someone accepts Christ, they need help knowing what to do next. Helping a new believer grow in their faith is one of the most rewarding things you can do.

How to Follow up a New Christian (article): Simple steps to help you know what to say and do after someone decides to follow Jesus.
Thrive Studies App: Includes the START series—four Bible studies for new believers.

Leading a Small Group

Small groups are a powerful way to build community and help students grow. If you can lead a good conversation, you can lead a small group.

Thrive Studies App: Includes dozens of studies on real-life topics and built-in leader training.

Campus Ministry Training

Reaching students on your campus is one of the most strategic ways to share your faith. Learning a few simple principles can help you start conversations, gather students, and take steps toward building a movement at your school.

Campus Training Videos – Short, practical videos to help you learn how to reach students on your high school campus. These eight trainings cover key topics like meeting students, starting conversations, sharing your faith, and taking simple steps to build a movement.

Other Helpful Tools

Comment Cards
- PDF
- Editable Version
Meeting Schedule Planner
- PDF
- Editable Version
Who’s In Your World?
- PDF
- Editable Version
Outreach Resources
- Team Outreach Sample Schedule
- Other Outreach tools
Cru Logos, fonts, and Colors

Some Great Websites You Don't Want To Miss

Everystudent.com: articles to help students learn about faith
Gotothecampus.com: ministry training and tools to help you grow your ministry

Next Step

Pick one tool and take a step this week to start a conversation or gather a few friends.

The Reach Your School Playbook

You can reach your school. We can help.

You’ve probably looked around your campus and thought, someone should do something. What if that someone is you?

The Reach Your School Playbook is a simple, practical guide that helps you make the first move. It’s short, clear, and built to move you forward, not a long manual you’ll never finish. Whether you’re a student ready to lead or an adult wanting to come alongside one, this is your starting point.

Download the Playbook PDF for free
Playbook Appendix Content (our toolkit)

You can actually do this

Most people never start, not because they don’t care, but because they feel stuck. Where do I even begin? What if no one shows up?

The Playbook clears that away. It gives you a path so you can stop overthinking and start doing. You don’t need a perfect plan or all the answers. You don’t have to be the popular kid or have it all together. You just need a first step, and a little courage.

And the friends you’re thinking about right now matter. You might be the one who helps them find Jesus.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Take the first step.

A simple path to follow

The Playbook walks you through four clear steps, each one designed to help you take action:

Dream — Start with a vision for your school and what God could do there.
Pray — Learn to pray for your campus in real, meaningful ways.
Go — Take action, gather a team, and begin reaching people.
Grow — Build a group that develops leaders and multiplies.

It might start with a single conversation at lunch, or a few friends praying before class. You don’t have to guess what comes next. It’s right there in front of you.

Made for students, helpful for adults

The Playbook is written first for students, because we believe teenagers can lead and make a real impact at their school. But if you’re a parent, teacher, youth leader, or volunteer, you’re not on the sidelines. There’s a whole section just for you, whether you’re supporting a student who’s leading or stepping out to start something yourself.

Students lead. Adults support. Everyone moves forward together.

"Students lead. Adults support. Everyone moves forward together."

You’re not on your own

Starting something can feel intimidating. But you don’t have to figure it out alone. The Playbook connects you to tools, coaching, and a bigger movement of people doing the same thing. Take one step, and you’ll find support along the way.