Cru Knows Students. Cru Knows Missions.

Summer Mission Trips are designed with you, the student, in mind.

With many years of experience in mission trips, we know your strengths, we know your busy schedule, and we know you are ready and able to impact the world.

Cru leaders don’t just lead the trip but are focused on pouring into you as you pour into others – guiding you, training you, and encouraging you. Our experience on campus and our dedicated global partnerships with local ministries translate to an experience that will be significant to both you and the mission.

God urges us to pursue a relationship with Him and have faith that produces action.

Maybe that’s already a reality in your life or perhaps it’s something you want to be true of yourself. God wants you to grow this summer.

Why not put yourself in an environment that will accelerate your growth?

Pray. Ask God to show you how He wants you to accelerate your faith this summer. Where can you get invested in an authentic community, evangelism training and experience, hear about God’s heart for the lost, a Bible study that will challenge you, Encouraging discipleship, and worshipful moments?

Come be part of something extraordinary this summer!

Go with a team of other students

Depending on your location, you could wake up to the sound of crashing waves, or the sight of sunbeams reflected by frost-laden mountains or glass and steel skyscrapers all summer long. Depending on which trip you pick, you’ll live with 10-30 (international) or 30-150 students (stateside) in apartments, hotel rooms, dorms or a huge house. Your roommates and fellow students will become some of your closest friends – the community developed on a summer mission is truly unmatched.

Grow closer to God

Summer Missions are known for challenging students to pursue a deep, life-long personal walk with God. You’ll be encouraged to make your personal time with God a top priority. An eager team of Cru Leaders will help you achieve this by offering accountability and support as you learn about God’s character and His Word. You will also be exploring Scripture in weekly gatherings and small group Bible studies that dive deep, and are faith-building and applicable to your everyday life. You will leave amazed at how much God has taught you in a few short weeks!

Experience the meaning of community

Deep, life-long friendships are often the result of the grace and truth-filled community environments of a Summer Mission. You’ll live with anywhere from 10-150 of your peers from schools across the nation. All of you will have come together in the pursuit of growing in your walks with God and making Him known. This is community at its best.

Learn how to lead

Summer Missions are designed to develop you as a leader. You get to be hands-on with all sorts of different ministry opportunities. You’ll leave with a solid Biblical foundation and practical ministry skills. The hope is that you will leave your summer mission an effective Christ-centered leader both on your campus and in your work field that God calls you to after school.

Bring the gospel to people who need Jesus

During the summer, you will be involved in connecting with your summer missions’ unique ministry focus, the communities you will be serving during this summer have been strategically chosen for each location.

At many stateside summer mission locations your ministry focus includes serving coworkers and the local community on the job. For other locations, the ministry focus could be people who live in the surrounding community, classmates, students attending a nearby university or with visiting tourists. Whatever your ministry focus, you will be trained to love those people well, serve them and share your faith with them. Imagine sharing the love of Christ with beachgoers, students on an international campus, fellow hotel housekeepers, to national park guests—who knows who you’ll meet this summer!

See the world through God’s eyes

Cru Leaders will be spiritual mentors who will help deepen your walk with the Lord through sharing ministry experiences with you and simply doing life alongside you. You can look forward to spending time with other students in small groups, studying God’s Word and exploring His longing for the nations to know Him.

Learn to articulate the gospel to anyone, anywhere

Over the course of the summer, you’ll be trained in sharing your faith with non-believers and believers. You’ll gain practical skills to help you apply Jesus’ teachings to your own life and learn how to pass them on to others. You’ll spend dedicated time to practice what you learn, and become confident in talking with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Get a job

Yes, you heard right–you can get a job at certain U.S. Summer Mission locations! Check out each location’s page for more details..

Travel, housing, food, ministry supplies, and mission activities are all factored into the cost of each trip.

The overall cost varies for each Summer Mission location and length. Check out each location’s page for more details.

Here is the big thing we want you to know: God faithfully provides for what He calls us to do!

Funding a Mission Trip is different. Unlike a high school band trip or personal educational experience, this is God’s mission and God’s people will be sending you through their prayers and financial contributions. Don’t plan to pay for this trip all out of your own pocket – create space for God to provide for you in this faith-growing way.

I know it sounds hard to believe—but fellow believers are called and want to give to missionaries (like yourself) who are going to reach others with the gospel.

Think of it this way: If you don’t ask people to support you with prayer and finances, you are denying them the opportunity to invest in God’s kingdom. By seeking support, you are no longer representing yourself—but the whole body of Christ. His Church is behind you as you go to the world with His good news.

This summer will transform the way you think about work. It’s no longer punching in, getting things done, and then clocking out so you can do what you want. On various Summer Missions with Cru across the United States you can get a job – not only to make money – but also to make an impact at your workplace.

Beyond the spiritual growth, outreaches, and community that go with Summer Missions, you will be trained in how to effectively develop relationships at your workplace, have spiritual conversations, and connect with those who don’t know Jesus. Your workplace is a part of your mission field.

This will equip you well to reach your workspaces after summer mission!

Whether you are called to be an engineer, nurse, business executive, or teacher, you are called as God’s ambassador wherever you work and live. Learn the skills necessary to fulfill both callings.

Internships for college credit are also an option while on a summer mission or you can even intern with Cru.

Once you’ve been accepted to a summer mission trip with Cru®, one of your big next steps of faith is trusting God to provide the financial resources needed for your mission.

Here are some frequently asked questions when it comes to developing a team of ministry partners who will help you participate in a summer mission or other short-term mission trip with Cru.

We don’t expect you to do this alone! We provide tools and resources to help along the way, and your summer mission leadership is available to help, too. If you don’t see your question below, reach out to summer.missions@cru.org.

Jump to a specific question from here:

1. What is Ministry Partner Development®?
2. Why does Cru® require me to raise support?
3. How do I do it?
4. Who do I ask?
5. How do I talk to my parents about my plans?

Ministry Partner Development® (MPD®) is simply inviting others to partner with you and your ministry through prayer and financial support. Other organizations use terms like support-raising or fundraising, and while that is an element of MPD, at Cru we consider those who give as more than “donors” or “supporters” — we’re inviting people into gospel partnership. Together, we are participating in the Great Commission! Through Ministry Partner Development, you are trusting God for His provision as His people give of His resources to accomplish His redemptive purpose.

Ministry Partner Development serves a practical and spiritual need. Practically speaking, you’ll need money to cover costs of travel and living expenses while on your mission trip. By inviting others to partner with you in meeting this financial need, you allow them to participate in God’s work through you, expanding the impact of your mission trip.

Furthermore, God calls His people to be generous, just as He is generous: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich,” (2 Corinthians 8:9, New International Version). When we invite others to partner in God’s mission, we invite them to practice generosity and grow in their own relationship with Jesus.

MPD also develops your faith and communication skills. As you share about what God has called you to, you’ll need to share and ask clearly (don’t worry, we have many resources to help you do this!). MPD requires you to step out in faith, initiate in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God. You will see God provide in surprising ways, and your faith will grow along the way.

For summer mission trips and short-term mission trips, we recommend a five-step process:

1. Namestorm.
2. Write your letter.
3. Follow up.
4. Thank.
5. Report back.

Namestorm

First, you’ll brainstorm names of people you know — we call this “namestorming.” At this point, don’t rule anyone out! Write down every name that comes to mind.

Write your letter

Once you have a list of contacts, your next step is to write a one-page letter inviting people to partner with you. Be sure to clearly communicate your vision, calling, and an invitation to partnership. You can use these sample letters as a template.

Follow up

A little bit after sending your letter, you can begin following up with people. You might find that people have decided to give generously after receiving your letter, without a second connection from you, and that is wonderful! But many people need a reminder after receiving a letter, so a simple, gracious follow up text, email, or phone call can make a big difference.

Thank

Send a thank you note to each of your ministry partners for partnering with you. Thanking others helps us grow in gratitude for what God is doing in our lives and all He has given to us. It also ministers to those who give generously. When someone gives something to us, they aren’t often looking for thanks; but when they receive thanks, it brings joy to their heart.

Report back

Toward the end of your trip or after you get home, send a short one-page update on how you saw God work on your summer mission. Many summer missions will create a “summer mission newsletter” that you can personalize and send out. This honors the Lord and encourages your partners to know how their partnership made a difference!

First, ask God to bring the right people to mind. Then, when putting together your list of contacts, write down every person you think of without ruling anyone out. God will surprise you with who He calls to partner with you, and you don’t want to exclude anyone from the opportunity of participating in His work!

As you “namestorm,” here are some categories to think through: family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, coaches, advisors, mentors, family friends, church friends, Cru staff and co-workers.

For more ideas, look through your social media accounts and see who liked your most recent post or wished you a happy birthday, scroll through your phone contacts to see if anyone stands out, or consider asking close friends and family who they recommend you send a letter to.

As you prepare your mailing list, you might be tempted to exclude people, but resist that temptation and ask boldly! Most often, those who receive an invitation to partner are honored to be included, and excited to hear how you’re trusting God with your summer. We want to give as many as possible the opportunity to partner in God’s mission.

Family dynamics can be complicated, and everyone’s experience is different. If you’re worried about what your parents will think of your plans to go on summer mission with Cru, reach out to a Cru staff member on your campus or leading your summer mission. They can help you navigate those conversations with grace and faith.

If your parents have concerns, we have an information page for parents that shares helpful context and answers to those questions.

Above all, remember to ask God for a humble posture when talking with your parents. Share how God has used Cru in your life, and why you feel called to go on a summer mission. Invite the Holy Spirit to lead the conversation and quiet any fears you may have.