by Angela Knedgen | Jul 14, 2016 | Prayer Letters
Recent Grads, Incoming Freshman, and Ministry Update We’re excited to share with you two stories that reflect the heart of our ministry. One story of a recent graduate written by Kurt Heinold, the University of Michigan Cru staff that worked with him, and one story of an incoming freshman, the son of some of our dear friends. Nate Veldhoff, U-M ’16 Headed to Seminary for a Masters of Divinity, Plans to be a Worship Pastor A thoughtful musician and architecture major, Nate — along with Connor and Jordan — came into my Bible Study his freshman year, and I also began discipling him. Nate joined our Cru worship band right off the bat, and lead throughout his four years. He was a Bible Study leader for two years and went to the Virginia Beach Summer Mission after his sophomore year, growing in his heart for the mission. But the biggest thing God did that summer was give him the courage to surrender his future to God, and follow his passion for worship. In that process, God has lead Nate to pursue being a worship pastor as a career. He has taken on a worship internship at the church he and I attend, as well. In Nate’s own words: “Cru helped me to step out in faith to trust God and try things I hadn’t before…. I went from being terrified of evangelism to being comfortable with it and recognizing we’re all called to God’s mission. I came to understand God is working through everything– the hardships of being a student, the challenge of surrender of my future. I wouldn’t be where I am now if it weren’t for Cru...
by Angela Knedgen | May 10, 2016 | Prayer Letters
Knedgen Reflections: An Update on Our Family and Happenings on Campus This July it will be 2 years since we started the process of raising up a team of ministry partners for our ministry at the University of Michigan. During this time, we’ve weathered a few storms and experienced several interruptions to our fundraising work as a result. We’re deeply thankful to the Lord for his faithfulness and grace in sustaining us through them all: 3 US Army Resevere Annual trainings of more than 14 days for Bryan (and single parenting for Angela!) 8 weeks of recovery from Angela’s emergency surgery in October of ‘14 5 days each month of US Army Reserve Battle Assembly for Bryan Normal life happenings from raising a 2-3 year old (Martel will be 4 next month!) As we transition from our recent 21 day Army annual training back into regular life, we are reminded of God’s care for us and provision for our ministry. Thank you for weathering the storms with us. Your prayers, giving and words of encouragement have helped sustain us through the most difficult and spiritual refining season of our lives. We are excited to share with you that we only have $1,300 in monthly giving to raise before the start of the school year in September! We’ve seen the Lord provide over $1,000 in monthly commitments since last December and some benefits from the Army that will decrease our ongoing personal financial needs. Join us in praising the Lord for his provision and trusting him for the remaining $1,300 needed for us to be fully-funded and reported to campus to...
by Angela Knedgen | Feb 14, 2016 | Prayer Letters
This Changes Everything… Indianapolis Christmas Conference Dec.28-Jan.1 Along with a couple thousand college students and 500 staff from around the Midwest, our family gathered in Indianapolis for 4 days. We met with the Lord and each other through dynamic worship, Biblical teaching, concerts and reflective times individually and with our campuses centered around the reality that the gospel changes everything… It was a wonderful reminder of what we celebrated at Christmas: Jesus Christ entered time and space to live as one of us and redeem us from our rebellion against God. I’ve included some snapshots from a couple speakers and activities below. Beth Guckenberger: Sovereignty “The same God that did not heal my father, the same one that took my Dad, healed my son… God is sovereign, God is holy, and he is not to be fully understood.” These words from Beth’s talk still resonante with my heart on a daily basis. She hit the closest to home because the same God that did not heal my body to prevent our infertility is the same God that gave us the gift of our son, Martel. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away and he is worthy of our worship, honor and adoration in the midst of a world broken by sin. Along with Beth, we too can affirm Job’s words, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:21 Jaime George: Humanity’s Need “God is waking us up to the truth of the Kingdom.” “We are wired to want a king, we all want to follow someone.” but “We have...
by Angela Knedgen | Dec 14, 2015 | Prayer Letters
God with us…A story of God making his dwelling in Erica’s life Josie, a second year intern with Cru, first met Erica at the U-M Cru meeting during welcome week two months ago. During their drive to Fall Getaway, Josie took some time to catch up with Erica about her classes, roommates, and general experience so far at U-M. Erica shared that she had never known someone who had a relationship with Jesus before she checked out Cru with her roommate and felt unsure that God was real before getting to know some people who love and know him in the Cru community group in her dorm. It is such an encouragement to us that God is using Cru to change Erica’s life. He is working through her bible study leaders (Ellery and Lilly, two student leaders in the area of campus we will be coaching with Josie, are her community group leaders.) and members to continue helping her connect with him. Following Fall Getaway, on the drive home with Josie, Erica shared that she learned many things she’d never heard before: about the extent of God’s love for us, how we can offer compassion and hope to people we know who don’t follow him, and how to grow more in her faith going forward. Erica, Ellery and Lilly are why we are inviting people to join with us in God’s Mission at the University of Michigan and in the world. We’re excited to help students like Erica process their place in God’s Story of Redemption during college and for the rest of their lives. Woven into the fabric of...
by Angela Knedgen | Oct 14, 2015 | Prayer Letters
Barriers for Cru at Michigan by Nate Ardle The goal of our ministry is to talk to as many students about Jesus as possible. The best way that happens is when students who are already involved with Cru have opportunities to talk to their friends about him. However, our students only know so many people.In order to have the opportunity to interact with as many students as possible, we do spiritual interest questionnaires all across campus on the first day of classes. Our goal is to have spiritual conversations with as many of these students as possible. Barriers with Students Many students, and a greater percentage every year, have no church background, know little to nothing about Jesus, and have no reason to pursue a relationship with him. Some students who grew up going to church did not like the experience or went to a church that did not preach about Jesus. Many of them are not interested because they have never really known Jesus. They think they know about him, but they have never been introduced to who he really is. Barriers with the University We always prefer a personal connection with students, talking with them face-to-face. In recent years, it has become more and more difficult to have these personal conversations. Even students who do know Jesus and do want to find Christian community—if they receive an email, text message or phone call from someone they do not know—will not respond. As U-M has renovated dorms, they have made them all accessible only by a key card. This fall the University even began preventing students who live in...
by Angela Knedgen | Sep 4, 2015 | Prayer Letters
Fall Kickoff Thirteen years ago, I (Angela) moved into my freshman dorm at the University of Michigan not knowing any people on campus. Through the wise counsel of my older brother, I got connected with Cru the second day I was there and quickly found a place to walk with the Lord in the midst of all the things competing for the attention and commitment of myself and my classmates Today will be the first events kicking off the year. “Late Night Cru” was the first one I attended as a student and will be the same for many students looking for a place to grow in their faith and Christian community at Michigan. The Cru Staff at MIchigan have planned some fun events to connect with students this coming week: Friday, Sept 4th; Welcome Back Cookout at Allmendinger Park and Late Night Cru 2015 Saturday, Sept. 5th: Trotter House Bash: Lawn games, indoor games, & more… Sunday, Sept. 6th: Cru ReConnect 2015: Students connect with friends from all over campus and dream about what they want to trust God for this year. Monday, Sept. 7th: Capture the Flag on The Law Quad Thursday, Sept 10th: First All-Campus Gathering (our weekly meeting of students from all over campus to engage in worship, relevant teaching and real life stories of life-change from other students) Join us in praying for Michigan students to find a place to grow spiritually. Pray for: Nice weather for the kickoff events Surveys and flyers handed out by Cru would produce spiritual conversations where bridges are built to the gospel and students receive Christ Cru students and staff to faithfully implore friends and faculty to be reconciled to Christ...
