Frequently Asked Questions

What is Campus Crusade for Christ?

What does Campus Crusade for Christ believe?

How was Campus Crusade for Christ started?

Why does Campus Crusade for Christ exist?

What is your relationship to the local church?

What does Campus Crusade for Christ do on a campus?

How is Campus Crusade for Christ funded?

How is Campus Crusade for Christ staffed?

Are all Campus Crusade for Christ movements the same?

How can I contact a Campus Crusade for Christ near me?

1. What is Campus Crusade for Christ?
Campus Crusade for Christ is an interdenominational Christian student organization. We work in cooperation with many local churches to aid the spiritual development of young men and women. Traditional, orthodox Christian beliefs are the core of the Campus Crusade for Christ movement. We hold to the essential claims of the Christian heritage including the birth, life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. What does Campus Crusade for Christ believe? (see Statement of Faith )
The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, God's infallible written Word, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that it was uniquely, verbally and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and that it was written without error (inerrant) in the original manuscripts. It is the supreme and final authority in all matters on which it speaks. We accept those areas of doctrinal teaching on which, historically, there has been general agreement among all true Christians. Because of the specialized calling of our movement, we desire to allow for freedom of conviction on other doctrinal matters, provided that any interpretation is based upon the Bible alone, and that no such interpretation shall become an issue which hinders the ministry to which God has called us.

3. How was Campus Crusade for Christ started?
When Bill and Vonette Bright founded Campus Crusade for Christ at the University of California , Los Angeles in 1951, the underlying concept was to "win the campus today and change the world tomorrow." By 1960, Campus Crusade had spread to 40 campuses in the United States and two other countries. Bill Bright began establishing a wide range of other ministries to reach various segments of the world. Today Campus Crusade serves as a network of more than 1000 growing movements on university campuses in the United States and approximately 220 campuses overseas. Campus Crusade's goal is to take the gospel to the 110 million university students in the world.

4. Why does Campus Crusade for Christ exist?
College students often find themselves in an environment that is tearing away at their moral and spiritual stability. The college environment exposes young people to many new ideas and worldviews. For this reason, Campus Crusade for Christ is present on hundreds of our country's college and university campuses. We serve as a spiritual resource to students, providing information, training, relationships, opportunities and environments that are conducive to spiritual growth. Imagine the changes the world would see if every one of the 110 million college students had an opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel every year. Our goal is to see as many students go from a place of unbelief to a place of belief in God. We want to see students embrace the purpose, love and forgiveness that God offers them in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

5. What is your relationship to the local church?
Campus Crusade for Christ considers itself an arm of the Christian church with a focus in areas like evangelism and discipleship with college students. We work closely with pastors and churches throughout the United States and in every country where we have ministry activities. Our statement of faith clearly maintains our belief in the deity of Christ, and in the authority and reliability of the Bible.

6. What does Campus Crusade for Christ do on campus?
We serve as a spiritual resource to students, providing information, training, relationships, opportunities and environments that are conducive to spiritual growth. Our goal is to turn lost students into Christ-centered laborers and we are committed to reaching the 110 million college students of the world with the gospel. To do so, staff members meet with students to answer questions, help them grow and develop their own ministry. Typically once a week, a large meeting is organized to unite everyone involved and offer opportunities to attract new people. The meeting can include drama, music and a speaker. Campus Crusade also sponsors outreach activities on campus to help all students to understand what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ. The goal is to help students understand the meaning and purpose that God has for life and help them to grow in a faith that will enhance every area of their lives and give them a desire to share the gospel with others in the world.

7. How is Campus Crusade for Christ funded?
Campus Crusade for Christ is a non-profit organization supported by donations from individuals, businesses, churches and foundations. Each staff member is responsible for securing contributions to cover his or her own salary and expenses. We are a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability . Founded in 1979 by Billy Graham, the ECFA serves as a monitoring agency to ensure that non-profit Christian ministries maintain the highest ethical standards. Voluntary ECFA membership requires full financial disclosure and the exercise of sound fund-raising practices. An annual report is published and available upon request. See our guidelines for financial accountability

8. How is Campus Crusade for Christ staffed?
Staff members with the ministry are selected through a process that includes a written application, references and interviews. They are evaluated by their spiritual, personal, emotional and leadership abilities. All campus staff must also have a college degree. Staff members on the field are responsible for coordinating weekly meetings, instructing Bible studies, leading outreach activities and helping student leaders to develop in a number of ways. Staff members also serve in a number of leadership capacities on the national and regional level utilizing skills in technology, human resource management, communications, finances and research and development.

9. Are all Campus Crusade for Christ movements the same?
The structure of our ministry is designed to reach the highest number of students in the most effective ways. There are four different areas of ongoing focus:

  • Catalytic - Faced with the realization that 7 million college students are on campuses having no full-time Campus Crusade staff, Catalytic staff members are trusting God for a vital, effective ministry on every unreached campus. We look for the "catalyst" on a specific campus - a key student, a church partnership, a professor - who can help launch and lead the ministry. We currently have 700 campuses with ministries matching the Catalytic model.
  • Ethnic Student Ministries - The campus population is changing rapidly. As more and more ethnic students come to campus, they are increasingly immersing themselves in an ethnic student subculture on campus. If we are to reach these students, we cannot rely on traditional means of ministry. Ethnic Student Ministries (ESM) came out of a burden to see that ethnic college students have at least one chance to hear the gospel. There are now 64 ESM movements on campuses nationwide. Currently there are three national movements within ESM that have the same mission, but involve different ethnic groups:
  • Staffed Campuses - Traditionally our ministry has a team of staff based on a major state university campus. That team is focused on sharing the gospel with every student on that campus, building into the lives of Christian students and raising up leaders among the students to go abroad and help launch new ministries.
  • Worldwide Student Network (WSN) - There are 110 million college students around the world. This represents only 1 percent of the world's population--the "powerful percent." These are the future leaders of the nations. WSN is the international effort of the campus ministry to serve the nations of the world in reaching college students.

10. How can I contact a Campus Crusade for Christ near me?
The Ministry Locator at the top of any page on this site allows you to view campuses by state that have Campus Crusade ministries. Or you can view information about contacting the ministry in your region or national by visiting our " Contact Us " page.