Different ways to Serve with Cru

Are you passionate about helping teenagers know and follow God? Hopefully, that is why you are reading this article – because you want to join us as we WIN high school students for Christ, BUILD them in their faith, and SEND them to reach others with the gospel in their schools, community, and around the world.

There are many ways to serve with Cru’s High School Ministry, with varying levels of commitment. Here is a brief overview of each way to get involved, with links to find out more.

Conference Volunteer

Hours per week: Per event
Pay: None

Helping at a Cru conference is a great way to experience student ministry, in a variety of roles. As an adult leader, you will spend time with teens and participate in many of the conference activities. You can also help behind the scenes and free up others to spend more time with their students.

You may do some combination of the above.

All adults who work directly with students are required to complete a background check before attending the conference.

How to Apply:

Talk to your leader to see if they would like you to volunteer at a conference.
APPLY HERE.
Fill out the background check form (the link will be emailed to you).
Allow about two weeks for the application process to be completed.

Volunteer

Hours per week: 5-10 +
Pay: None

We love it when people come to check out our ministry and offer occasional help. But to work with our students on a regular, ongoing basis, you will need to become an official volunteer.

You and your Cru team leader will discuss and decide in what capacity you will serve, as well as the time commitment.

Registered Cru volunteers also commit to attending regular volunteer meetings and training sessions as offered by the local team.

Because of the legal and liability issues of working with minors, each Cru volunteer must be thoroughly evaluated via our application process, some interviews, and an official background check. (The local Cru team typically covers the cost of the background check.)

How to Apply:

Discuss with your Cru leader whether you should pursue becoming an official volunteer.
APPLY HERE.
Fill out the background check form. (The link will be emailed to you.)
Allow about two weeks for the application process to be completed.

Note: Some cities offer an Apprentice program for 5-10 weeks with moderate compensation. Speak to your Cru leader to find out more.

Part-Time Field Staff

Hours per week: 10-25 hours per week
Pay: Yes (Raised by you)

A Cru Part-time Field staff (PTFS) member does many of the same things as a full-time staff person. The number of hours is less, and the PT staff person is also expected to spend most of those hours doing field ministry.

Part-time field staff are typically college students or graduates with other employment. It is not ideal as a career, since PTFS do not receive medical or other benefits. However, there is no limit on how long someone can serve as PTFS, as there is for interns.

How to Apply:

Seek guidance from your local Cru staff and other wise counsel. Get a realistic picture of the financial realities of being a part-time staff person.
Go to apply.cru.org to submit your application. You will need to create an Okta account. (This page is the entry point for all Cru missionaries who raise their financial support, including intern, part- and full-time staff.)
Fill out the forms, including the background check application, and choose the people who will complete references for you.
Allow 4-6 weeks for the entire process to be completed.

Devote your best hours to winning, building, and sending high school students, and seeing lives changed for eternity.

Intern

Hours per week: 40+ with a 1-year commitment
Pay: Yes (Raised by you)

A Cru intern is basically a full-time staff person, except with only a one-year commitment. This commitment can be renewed once, for a total service time of two years. After this, the person must join Cru staff (full- or part-time) or pursue other opportunities.

Intern candidates typically apply in winter or early spring, and if accepted, attend a Cru Orientation Weekend in March or April. This weekend includes training in Ministry Partner Development (MPD) and pairs you with a coach. Your coach guides you through the MPD process, aiming for you to report in August or September.

How to Apply:

Seek guidance from your local Cru staff and other wise counsel.
Go to apply.cru.org to submit your application. You will need to create an Okta account.
Fill out the forms, including the background check application, and choose the people who will submit references.
Allow 4-6 weeks for the entire process to be completed.

Full-Time Staff

Hours per week: 40+
Pay: Yes (Raised by you)

For those who want to make the biggest impact for Christ, it is hard to beat being a full-time Cru staff member. Instead of fitting ministry into the gaps in your schedule, you will get to devote your best hours to winning, building, and sending high school students, and seeing lives changed for eternity. You will be part of a team of like-minded leaders, sharpening each other and spurring one another on to maximum ministry impact.

Raising your financial support (which we call “Ministry Partner Development” or “MPD”) can be challenging. But Cru will train you and provide the tools you will need to see success in MPD. If God is calling you to be on Cru staff, we are confident He will enable and equip you to develop your ministry partner team.

As with any important career matter, joining Cru staff is a decision that should be made with much wise counsel, prayer, and having the best and most current information. For starters, we suggest having a cup of coffee with your local Cru staff member and asking for a candid description of what staff life is like.

Then as God enables and leads, pursue the next step(s) in the process, and trust Him to make His will clear – and to provide for you as you step out in faith.

How to Apply:

Seek guidance from your local Cru staff and other wise counsel. Get a clear understanding of the MPD process and what your life would look like on staff.
Go to apply.cru.org to submit your application. You will need to create an Okta account.
Fill out the forms, including the background check application, and choose the people who will submit references.
Allow 6-8 weeks for the entire process to be completed.

Not sure if you are qualified? THIS page describes the qualifications for Cru staff. Visit our New Staff Orientation page for training dates and application deadlines for each.

Are you wrestling with knowing God’s will for your life and career? Here’s an article you may find helpful.

There is no greater adventure than discovering God’s plan for your life and pursuing it with all your heart. If that includes helping reach teenagers with the Good News, then we are here to help you reach your goal and fulfill your dream!

Next Step

Prayerfully consider how God might be calling you to serve middle and high school students, then take a step to discover more about the ministry. Visiting a local Cru ministry or volunteering for a conference can give you a good idea of what it would be like to join us.

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.