Campus Crusade’s Focus on Influencing Leaders
The last blog post on Royalty has had me thinking about my time with Campus Crusade. If you have been following this blog, you know that I love Dr. Bright and Crusade. Both have had a significant impact on who I am and how I view life.
A pauper asks, “What could someone like me possibly offer?” A son or daughter of the King asks, “God, what do You want to do through me?”
That is the royalty mindset Dr. Bright helped instill in me. It isn’t about thinking we are better than other people. It is about knowing who we are, knowing whose we are, and recognizing that God has invited us to participate in what He is doing in the world.
As you learn about the history of the organization and its early years, you discover that Crusade intentionally focused on influential people. When it first started, Dr. Bright was interacting with the athletes and campus leaders. Still in its early years, Crusade brought all of its staff to California for the Berkeley Blitz to take Christ to the future leaders.
The Principle of the Powerful 1%
One of the principles we were taught on staff was the “powerful 1%.”. This taught that 1% of the population went to college and that these would be the future leaders of the world. If we could reach college students today, we could, in effect, change the world.
I have been thinking about this because while I was on staff, many people had a problem with going after leaders. “Jesus did not go to the leaders” was the common response. We needed to go to the poor and needy. Without going into all the reasons I believe that objection misses the point, I believe the reason so many have a hard time focusing on leaders is because of the concept of the pauper mentality, thinking we are unworthy.
Do Christians Have Something to Offer to Leaders
Many Christians are living their lives with the belief that they have nothing to offer the leaders besides saving faith. When it comes to the real problems leaders face, we believe we have no resources to draw from. It is why we sometimes change Jesus’ command from making disciples of all nations to making disciples in all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus came to create a revolution and transform society. We are looking to survive.
Your View of Your Value Affects Your Prayers
Your view of your value affects your prayers. We have low expectations on what is expected of us so we don’t partner with God in the things He wants to do. Too many people pray for the President to become a Christian instead of praying for the Church to disciple him in how he should lead.
I’m not saying he isn’t a Christian, but many believe that if he simply becomes a Christian, he will automatically know the right things to do. It’s as if we believe becoming a Christian would automatically transform our thinking without the need of discipleship.
Don’t get me wrong. Praying for a loved one to come to Christ is extremely important. But, what are you praying for? What is motivating you each day? How can we start engaging God to change the media and how it describes Christian principles such as abstinence and pro-life?
Ask Jesus what He wants you to be praying for.