What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Must you become a better person so that God will accept you? Learn how you can know God personally.
Learn the basics of what Christians believe.
Get the answers to frequently asked questions on Christian beliefs and practices.
We all have a story. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith.
Everyone has their own spiritual journey with the Lord. How can we help you move forward in yours today? Take the next step in your faith journey with devotionals and other resources for spiritual growth.
If you were created for community, why can relationships — family, dating, co-workers, neighbors — be so hard? Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God.
Find resources for personal or group Bible study.
Sharing your faith is one of our most important callings as followers of Christ. Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus.
Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring.
Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others.
Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage.
Advancing the Great Commission using digital tools.
Engaging around sports to help athletes think and live biblically.
Teaching life skills for making right choices
How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus.
Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Cru’s annual report and more.
What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation.
When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen.
Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit.
Learn about Cru's global leadership team.
Jay Lorenzen serves with Faculty Commons, a ministry of Cru. He conducts leadership conferences called “If Properly Led” at the Gettysburg Civil War battle site. These are some lessons he has learned from studying history.
Leaders must act and willingly risk the things they love. Unfortunately, many leaders are frozen by indecision. They fail to move. They fail because they make what I call “The McClellan Mistake:”
They overestimate the strength of the enemy and underestimate their own strength.
When General McClellan took command of Washington and the Army of the Potomac on 26th July 1861, everyone had great expectations of him. He was a hero. He was academically very bright, personally brave, and a good organizer. He was a good unit commander and popular with the men under his command.
But McClellan would never send them into the fight.
Early in his commanding role, McClellan wrote to his wife that, “[Confederate General] Beauregard probably has 150,000 men – I cannot count more than 55,000. . .the enemy have 3 to 4 times my force.”
The reality was that Confederate Generals had to abandon plans for any offensive because they couldn’t muster 60,000 men between them. Yet McClellan had lost the initiative, and instead settled in to strengthen the Washington defenses.
Later, in September 1862, McClellan was back in Washington. Confederate General Lee marched his army from Harper’s Ferry to Sharpsburg, knowing that his Southern army was half the size of the Army of the Potomac. Enroute to Sharpsburg, a Confederate officer had lost Lee’s entire battle movement plans, which were found and given to McClellan.
With all the odds on his side, McClellan should have won a tremendous victory: He had superior numbers, knew exactly where Lee would position his troops, but still produced a series of uncoordinated attacks that were very often late. McClellan’s delays allowed Lee to obtain reinforcements and knowledge that his battle plans had become known by the enemy.
McClellan came out of The Battle of Antietam with only a draw.
Afterward, with Lee in a disadvantaged position, McClellan did nothing. Rather than a rigorous pursuit, McClellan stopped and waited for more men and supplies.
McClellan often explained his sluggishness to doing anything definite as “I’m waiting for the right time.” Lincoln eventually fired him because he was unwilling to risk.
Building spiritual movements depends upon our willingness to walk in faith and to take Kingdom-sized risks. Faith engenders hope which counteracts fear. Despite the challenges we face, the Scriptures are clear – the forces with us are stronger than the forces opposing us. Jesus is becoming King in every place. Any movements we attempt to build will die from an unwillingness to risk.
In the immediate fight, victory is never certain. But we’ll always fail to act if we make the McClellan Mistake of “overestimating the strength of the enemy and underestimating our own strength.”
Faculty Commons sponsored an event featuring 3 Christian scientists telling about their journey of faith and answering students questions.
Pennsylvania native begins grad student network on his Texas campus and changes lives around the world.
Engineering student in Michigan changes mind about God after reading Bible for himself.
©1994-2020 Cru. All Rights Reserved.