What? Leadership TREK is a five day camp where leaders are given all the tools, equipping and confidence you’ll need to reach your campus and bring God’s word to St. Cloud State.

When and Where? TREK is May 19th-23rd in Westby, WI, however registration ends on May 11th.

Cost? The cost is $339 for freshman, and $359 for upperclassmen. However, if you register and pay the $39 deposit before May 1st, you will receive $25 off.

Finally, why should you go? TREK is going to be an amazing experience where you will grow as a believer and leader, as well as gain confidence in leading and discipling others. Also, it’ll be a lot of fun!

For more information click here

The 2012 Mid-MN Cru Legacy Dinner is approaching.  Saturday April 21st

To register, click here

What? Michael Ramsden will attempt to give a satisfactory answer to the question “Is Christianity Intolerant?” and there will be a time of audience Q & A afterwards.
When? On Wednesday, February 15 at 7PM
Where? Ritsche Auditorium, St. Cloud State University (overflow site is the Atwood Ballroom)

But who is Michael Ramsden?  Michael Ramsden has been the European Director of RZIM Zacharias Trust since its founding in 1997. He currently is an evangelist and apologist for RZIM Zacharias Trust. In addition he is a lecturer in Christian Apologetics at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University, where his main involvement is with the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. Michael travels widely, speaking at universities, churches, and conferences.*

This is going to be a very exciting event and we hope to see you there!

Any questions can be directed to Patrick Schleper at 320-309-1756.

*Bio from the Ravi Zacharias International Ministries website.

Life Groups. What are they, and why should you be involved?

Life groups are a time when students who are interested in either learning about God and Christianity or growing in their faith can come together in a safe and open environment to do so. Now you may be asking, why are they called life groups? Aren’t they just the same as bible study? The answer is no. Because not only do we study the bible, we also do life together. We eat together, we pray together, we even cry together (probably more likely in a women’s life group).

Finally, why should you join a life group? First of all, it’s the chance to make new friends who can share in your curiosity, victories, or struggles in faith. Secondly, you can go with the assurance that no question is stupid, and that you have leaders who have made it their goal to help you grow in any way they can.

Interested in joining a life group? Check out the list of dorm life groups or life groups with Athletes in Action, and if you have questions about these life groups, please post your question on our facebook wall.

I apologize in advance–the scrolling is a little funky. After clicking Continue to get to the next page, be sure to scroll up to the top to see all the questions.

For one of the questions, you will be asked if you have read the Leadership Expectations document. That document can be found here.

Come to Cru Thursday, January 26, and hear the story of John Peterson, a USA Olympic wrestler who won the silver medal in ’72 and the gold medal in ’76. He will be speaking about God’s testimony in his life.

Bring a friend along! It should be an exciting night!

Read the lyrics to this hymn by John Newton, and let your soul sing at the amazing love of God. This makes me so thankful to have a friend like this in heaven. Jesus demonstrated the greatest possible love a friend can show, in that he lay down his life for us. John 15:13.

One there is, above all others,
Well deserves the name of Friend;
His is love beyond a brother’s,
Costly, free, and knows no end:
They who once His kindness prove,
Find it everlasting love!

Which of all our friends to save us,
Could or would have shed their blood?
But our Jesus died to have us
Reconciled, in Him to God:
This was boundless love indeed!
Jesus is a Friend in need.

Men, when raised to lofty stations,
Often know their friends no more;
Slight and scorn their poor relations
Though they valued them before.
But our Savior always owns
Those whom He redeemed with groans.

When He lived on earth abasèd,
Friend of sinners was His name;
Now, above all glory raisèd,
He rejoices in the same:
Still He calls them brethren, friends,
And to all their wants attends.

Could we bear from one another,
What He daily bears from us?
Yet this glorious Friend and Brother,
Loves us though we treat Him thus:
Though for good we render ill,
He accounts us brethren still.

O for grace our hearts to soften!
Teach us, Lord, at length to love;
We, alas! forget too often,
What a Friend we have above:
But when home our souls are brought,
We will love Thee as we ought.

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
— 2 Chronicles 7:14

For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he did not create it empty,
he formed it to be inhabited!)
“I am the LORD, and there is no other.”
— Isaiah 45:18

When we think about prayer, it is helpful to focus on who God is:

• There is nothing like our God, who created all things (Isaiah 40:28-31).
• He is the first and the last (Isaiah 44:6).
• He is unsearchable, His depths cannot be measured (Romans 11:33-36).
• He is a merciful, gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in love (Ex 34:6-7). He will by no means clear the guilty.
• By His rightful wrath He crushed Christ, put Him to grief (Is 53:10).
• For the sake of His holy name He saved us (Ezekiel 36:22-28, 1 John 2:12).

Prayer is an important part of the life of a follower of Jesus:

• Our God delights in our prayers (Rev 5:8).
• He tells us to pray (Is 62:6-7, 1 Pet 4:7, 1 Thess 5:17, Mark 14:38).
• And He invites us to ask of Him (John 14:13-14, James 4:2, James 1:5-8, James 5:16).

Finally, prayer brings in us an attitude of humility, since it causes us to depend not on our own understanding:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
— Prov 3:5-6

We can put our trust in God through prayer, and through standing confidently on His promises in faith (Heb 10:19-25, 2 Pet 1:2-9). Without God we can do nothing (John 15:5). Everything is all about God, Who He is, His purpose, His desires, His plan, His glory! He says:

For my name’s sake I defer my anger,
for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,
that I may not cut you off.
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
for how should my name be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another.
— Isaiah 48:9-11

The depths of God’s love cannot be explained, that He would chose to save us though we have offended him and privilege us with a role to play in His kingdom for His glory! Let’s not take this lightly! Oh that we as a body of believers would see that vast importance of prayer and cherish it! That we would unite together to cry out to our magnificent God as He desires us to!

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen
—Ephesians 3:20-21

PRC is moving the week of October 25-29th.  We are in need of people to clean our new location before moving in (25 & 26th), Loading and unloading desks, boxes, filing cabinets @ 4pm (Thursday 10/27), and cleaning out our old location after everything is moved (Friday 10/29, Saturday 10/30, Monday 10/31).

This would be a great way to get a group a friends together and reach out to the community and show support.  Any way you can help would be greatly appreciated.

Please call Lydia 320-253-5333 or email Lydia@preghelp.com