8 Reasons You Should Go on an International Mission Trip

If you have spent any significant time around Cru, you have probably heard someone share about Cru’s commitment to international missions. For over six decades, Cru has been sending teams of staff and students all over the world to share the life-changing Good News of Jesus with people in virtually every country on Earth. As a result, millions of people have placed their trust in Jesus and have become a part of God’s family.

Cru International Missions

from Creative One Media

Maybe you or a student you know have been wondering, “Would God call me to be a part of an international mission someday?” That’s a great question!!! Even as you read this, God is raising up teams of students to join Him in mission fields all over the globe. There are several reasons you should consider joining a team. A mission trip can help you…

Take the Gospel to the World

In one of Jesus’ final acts during His time on Earth, He gathered His disciples on a mountainside and told them,

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

We often refer to this passage of Scripture as the Great Commission. Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples of all ethnos, or people groups. If we are to truly follow Christ, then we need to take Matthew 28 seriously. We need to join Him in His mission of making disciples, all over the world!

Find a Deeper Relationship With God

The Christian life is a life of connection to and dependence upon Christ. Sadly, in our day-to-day experience, we often fall into the trap of living disconnected, self-directed lives. International missions provide a unique opportunity to walk in dependence upon the Lord and find a renewed awareness of our need for Him.

Develop a Stronger Faith

Faith is like a muscle. In order to grow, it needs to be exercised and must experience resistance! If you’ve ever worked out, you know that in order to get stronger, you need to push your muscles beyond what is comfortable or easy. The heavier the weight, the more the resistance, the more your muscles will eventually grow. In many ways, faith works in the same way. If we only do what comes naturally, or what seems easy, our faith may remain underdeveloped.

On the other hand, when we take steps of faith that are uncomfortable, when we attempt things that can only be accomplished if God shows up, our faith has the opportunity to grow! International missions provide great opportunities to work out our faith as we trust the Lord in big ways (raising financial support, international travel, speaking to someone from another culture, sharing our faith, etc.).

Experience Another Culture

Each of us experience our Christian life in the context of our own culture. It’s impossible to avoid. And sometimes it can be difficult to separate our faith from our unique cultural expression of it. When we participate in international missions, we have the opportunity to interact with Christians around the world who love Jesus, are committed to His Word, but operate from a very different cultural perspective.

In this new environment, we are able to see and experience the beauty and character of God in unique and significant ways. This can help us to better see and understand God’s character as well as better discern how we can express our Christian faith in our own culture.

Experience Rich Christian Community

When God saves us, He not only calls us to Himself, but also into a family of believers. If you’ve ever been a part of a team, band, or any other group of people working towards a common goal, you know how satisfying that can be. Relationships are strengthened in the midst of working, playing, and building memories together. International missions provide terrific opportunities to interact with other believers: serving together, encouraging one another, praying for one another, and celebrating the unique strengths and gifts of each person on the team.

Faith is like a muscle. In order to grow, it needs to be exercised and must experience resistance!

Be Trained and Equipped for a Lifetime
of Ministry

Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of mission trips is that they provide an environment of highly intentional training and equipping for the students who participate. Students who take part in missions learn valuable ministry skills like how to share their story in a way that can lead others to Christ, how to clearly and concisely share the Good News of Jesus, and how to help new believers begin to grow in their faith.

These skills and strategies can be useful for a lifetime of faithfully following Jesus into evangelism and discipleship, but sadly, many Christians never take the time to learn or equip themselves for these tasks. An international mission provides great opportunities to develop these skills and then apply them for years to come!

See God Work in a Unique Way

We know that God is at work in all places at all times, but for some reason, we often see God do extraordinary things when we join Him in international missions. Quite often, students who go have the opportunity to see someone, even many someones, place their faith in the Lord. Not only does this help accomplish God’s plan to bring people from all over the world into His family, but it often increases our faith to trust Him to do the same on our local campuses when we return home.

Gabe, a high school sophomore from Colorado, had never shared his faith before going on a mission to Quito, Ecuador. After seeing several students trust Jesus on his mission, Gabe returned to Colorado with a newfound zeal for evangelism. Within the first two months back on his campus, Gabe had led four of his classmates to know Jesus!

Enjoy an Adventurous Life With Jesus

If God created the universe and holds all wisdom and power, it only makes sense that a life connected to Him should be a life of adventure! Jesus himself promises a “rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10) So, why do so few Christians experience this kind of life? We believe it is because so many of us fail to accept Jesus’ invitation to walk by faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and join Him in His work in the world. If you’re looking for a little excitement in your walk with the Lord, consider joining Him on an international mission!

These are not the only reasons you should go on a mission trip this year, but we hope they offer a compelling vision of how God could use an international mission opportunity in your life and strengthen your relationship with Him. As you prayerfully consider joining God on a mission, you can explore current opportunities within Cru’s high school ministry here.

Next Step

Check out Christina's Story and consider how God might use an international mission in your or another student's life.

Christina's Story

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.

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.