 |
Summer projects are 2-10 week hotbeds of ministry all over the world that take place between May and Aug every year. These short chunks of time every year are probably the most impactful thing that we do in the campus ministry.
Not only are staff and students going to strategic locations for ministry every summer but they are taking giant leaps in their walks with the Lord and reaching other college students for Christ.
This last year 3500 students went on summer projects across the globe. That is 3500 students that now have changed lives and a closer walk with the Lord because of their summer. More than 100,000 people heard the gospel presented to them and together they saw 8000+ men and women enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
These are staggering results of what the Lord chooses to do in and through Campus Ministry Summer Projects around the world every year.
Let me step back a moment. What does it take to get there? How do these 3500 students decide how to spend their summer? Once they have decided to go on a summer project with Cru, how do they know where they should go?
Before a student maybe even knows what SP they want to go on or if they want to go at all, they need to know what a summer project is and what opportunities that are available to them for the summer.
|
|
|
gosummerproject.com is live now. Check out the website and read some stories from students who went on summer projects last year. |
There is a long and thoughtful process that goes into the promotion of Summer Projects each year. We actually have a team at our national office in Orlando who is dedicated to evaluating, promoting and accelerating what we do on SP each year.
This past year the SP team in Orlando asked the Zero Canvas team (our design team in the Great Lakes) to take ownership of this process for SP 2012. Kristin Madeja, our team leader has a great post about the full process on her blog.
As we were finishing up the promotional materials and getting ready for the application process for SP 2012 to start this fall, they had no one to develop the website http://gosummerproject.com. I was asked to step in and finish what was started. I am thrilled that last week we were able to finish the site and students have already started applying for Summer 2012 through the website. In one week the gosummerproject website has had over 6000 unique visitors.
In a unique way you have helped fuel over 3500 students this next year who will give a summer of their lives to follow the Lord and see what He will do. Many of them are scared and will take leaps of faith this summer but will see the Lord do amazing things and forever change their lives.
Because of my unique combination of giftings in graphic design AND web development, and because I can devote my full attention to these projects, this vital tool can exist and be done the way the designers originally intended. Thank you for the part you have played in literally reaching the world for Christ this next summer.