The Discernment Greenhouse: A Retreat for Cru Missionaries to Grow as Discerning Co-Laborers with Christ

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Cru, or Campus Crusade for Christ, was founded in 1951 by Bill and Vonette Bright in response to a call from God to reach university students with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This disciple-making parachurch movement has spread to all sectors of society and many countries around the world, but the distinctives of winning, building, and sending in the context of the Great Commission have largely remained the same. Simultaneously, our culture has moved further away from its Judeo-Christian roots. Cru campus missionaries are challenged to relevantly engage the changing values of the academy with discernment in their everyday lives. In order to grow as discerning disciples of Jesus, they would benefit from discernment tools, a discernment practice, and a co-discerning community. The purpose of this project is to create a “discernment greenhouse” designed to equip Cru missionaries to take steps to grow as mature and fruitful co-laborers with Christ. In the pilot project, the participants will be invited to join a six-week cohort of Cru workers who will meet in an online “retreat” format weekly for ninety minutes. They will experience vision, prayer practices, and the opportunity to process their discernment experiences in small groups and alone, with spiritual directors available as facilitators. Upon completion of the pilot project, the paper will consider the effectiveness of the retreat through assessments from the participants and spiritual directors involved. These assessments will gather feedback on the three research questions: (1) How can Cru missionaries develop vision and motivation for growing daily discernment with God?; (2) How can Cru missionaries expand their discernment toolkit by incorporating prayer practices into their everyday life?; and (3) What kind of community supports Cru missionaries to grow as mature and fruitful discerners, whether in everyday life or in times of choice?