Investing in Cru at Maryland
We are committed to trusting the Lord to help us take out His gospel message to the 37,000 students who attend the University of Maryland. In order to do this, we are dependent on the financial support of individuals who are also invested in the vision of making disciples at Maryland to change the campus and the world. If the Lord is leading you to invest in this ministry, you can do so easily online by clicking here. Or you could email Ryan Penley for more information about giving. All gifts are tax-deductible.
In addition, all of our staff are fully dependent upon the Lord for His provision financially through the generous gifts of individuals and churches each month. If you would like to give to a particular staff member, you can search for them by name at give.cru.org or email them from our staff page.
If there is something specific you would like to invest in, we have included a catalog of giving options below.
CONFERENCES AND RETREATS
FALL RETREAT
About five weeks into the school year, we invite
students to come away to Fall Retreat. Our aim
is to present the gospel clearly, to refresh them
with sound Biblical teaching, and to provide a
great community-building experience. It is a
great opportunity to help freshmen connect
with the larger movement and one another.
Thus, we try to keep the cost at minimum.
Actual cost per student: $175
Freshman pay $50
Upperclassmen to pay $150
Goal: 150 students
Giving Opportunity:
$125 to get a freshman there
$25 to help an upperclassman
$175 to give a student a free ride
Winter Conference / Global Missions Spring Break Trip
December 28-January 1 / Mid-March
Goal: 100 students / Goal: 50 students
Giving Opportunity:
$350 to fully fund one student to go to Winter Conference / $1700 to fully fund one student to go to overseas for Spring Break
$175 to give a half-scholarship for WC / $250 to give a half-scholarship for Spring Break
GATHERING TOOLS / FIRST SIX WEEKS
FRESHMAN SWAG
In exchange for a 1 minute survey showing their level of spiritual interest, we will give students a “Freshmen Survival Kit”. The kits change each year, but generally they include a laundry bag, a New Testament Bible, a “Knowing God Personally” booklet, a bag of popcorn, and a marylandcru.com pen. This year, Cru staff and students gave away 750 of these kits in 45 minutes at an event called the “TerpFest” before the 1st day of class. We always run out, so next year we’re hoping to give away 1500. This is a great opportunity to give Cru some exposure to new students. And the surveys they fill out help us to find freshman whose hearts the Lord is preparing to hear the gospel or who are interested in getting plugged in to Cru.
Giving Opportunity:
$10 for one complete kit (goal is 1500 kits)
MaryandCru.Com PENS
Pens are always exchanging hands, so giving away pens with our name and website on them is great exposure.
Giving Opportunity:
$1,050 for 4,000 pens
CRU CUPS
Cups are another thing that we seem to hang on to forever. We give away plastic cups to newcomers to Cru and to those who join us at various events we sponsor as a way to say thanks for coming. This year we had color-changing cups with the football schedule and an invitation to participate in our Cru-sponsored flag football tournament. They were a hit!
Giving Opportunity:
$618 for 1000 cups
CRU STICKERS
We give these three-inch stickers to students to put on notebooks, water bottles or wherever they see fit and are easy conversation starters about “What’s Cru?” that will prayerfully lead to gospel conversations.
Giving Opportunity:
$519 for 3,000 stickers
OUTREACH
PIZZA
We are constantly feeding students. College students love food and free pizza is a draw.
We are hoping to launch 15 Focus Groups this semester for unbelieving students to engage in spiritual conversations leading to the gospel. Pizza will be provided free of charge.
Goal: 40 Focus Groups, each 3 weeks, and roughly 3 pizzas each
Giving Opportunity:
$45 per Focus Group
$1800 for all 40 Focus Groups
Community / Outreach Events
These events may include a “Dive-In Movie” at the pool in the fall, Luau, Flag Football Tournaments, Formals/Celebration Evenings, Tailgates and more. Our goal with each of these events is to provide an event that our Cru students would feel comfortable inviting their non-Christian friends to, in an effort to demonstrate Christ’s love through body evangelism.
Goal: 2 Large Socials/semester, Several Small Socials/semester
Giving Opportunity:
$6,000 for all events
$1000/large social (x4/year)
$200/small social (x10/year)
Or if you would rather invest financially in an individual staff member’s ministry, below is a list of our current staff members, both those who minister full-time at Maryland and those who have graduated from Maryland and have been sent out. You can give to any of them online at give.cru.org simply by entering their last name in the search field. The last three are not serving with Cru, but are fully supported missionaries with other organizations. We can get you in touch with them for more information about what they are doing and how to give. Thank you!
Please rejoice with us that laborers are being sent out from this campus, and please join us in praying for these missionaries.
Ryan & Jenny Penley - Missional Team Leaders at Maryland (Virginia Tech Alumni)
Brian Hearn - Staff at Maryland & Montgomery College (UM Alum)
Allison Chikes - Staff at Maryland (UM Alum)
Chris & Naomi Leyh - Staff at Maryland and Cru High School (UM Alumni)
Brandon Edwards - Part-time staff at Maryland (UM Alum)
Andrew & Sydney Lohr (Tommins) - Staff at Maryland (UM Alumni)
Caela Carlson - Staff at University of Virginia (UM Alum)
Matt C. - Staff on DC Metro Team (UM Alum)
David & Lindsay Batts (Waldron) - Missional Team Leaders at the University of Delaware (UM Alumni)
Julia Winters - Staff at University of Delaware (UM Alum)
Meg (Cru #0610199) - International Staff in an undisclosed location (UM Alum)
James & Christina Chu (Teng) - Staff in East Asia (UM Alumni)
Grace (Cru #0877184) - International Staff in an undisclosed location (UM Alum)
Hannah Romberger - Bridges International Campus Staff in PA (UM Alum)
Kelly Lilley - Staff with Cru High School in Florida (UM Alum)
Caleb & Courtney Woo (Glasser) - Staff at University of Delaware (UM Alumni)
Gunnar & Rebecca Dillon (Kneebone) - Staff with AIA in Charlotte, NC (UM Alumni)