Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series on Cru Inner City's Director of Expansion and his plans for increasing the ministry's presence in cities in the United States and beyond. In the first installment, we introduced you to Bryant Lee and the life experiences that fuels his passion for young people trapped in inner-city neighborhoods. Now, in Part 2, we examine his vision for widening the influence of Inner City in urban areas through the expansion program.
A hip-hopping pastor from Oakland uses music as a cornerstone for a growing outdoor church. Heading South to San Diego, a couple converts a four-unit building on a former orchid farm into a vacation rental to fund renovations for an outreach ministry to foster kids. In Houston, 90 churches collaborate to dismantle geographical and cultural barriers.
A grieving father from San Jose, California — learning to do life after his son was hit and killed by a texting driver — launches food outreaches in response to the pandemic, leading more than 200 people to Christ. A seasoned corporate trainer from Grand Rapids, Michigan uses her skills to enable unemployed residents to become job-ready. In Tampa, Florida, another woman ministers to distressed mobile home communities.
Different passions. Different approaches. Different cities. Same common thread: To reach the urban core in the name of Jesus. That's the mission of Cru® Inner City's expansion program, which offers a diverse set of tools and resources to reach that goal.
"My primary goal is to expand the work of Cru Inner City," said Bryant Lee, who joined the ministry in fall 2020 as its national expansion director. His long-term vision is for an "expansion affiliate in every major city in the United States of America where we do not have a staff city."
Expansion cities, a key ministry model for Inner City, operates with all-volunteer networks of churches and parachurch ministries, which coordinate local outreaches.
Inner City now has 29 expansion cities with a goal of having 50 by the end of 2023.
"We believe God has given us this unique space to allow us, the expansion team, along with all of Cru Inner City, to advance the gospel," he said.
Bryant (pictured here) became involved with Inner City more than a dozen years ago after meeting Glen Kleinknecht, who joined the ministry in 1976 and served as the expansion director until passing the torch to Bryant. Glen continues to serve Inner City as an expansion representative.
When they met, Glen was establishing partnerships with urban churches across the country as Inner City sought practical avenues to show God's love while also sharing the gospel message. Bryant sensed something different with Inner City's model.
"They wanted to work with under-served, under-resourced communities in a city and particularly with churches," said Bryant, who holds a master's degree from Liberty University. "That commitment was the thing that really drew me in. They were the only organization I had come across that wanted to bring something to the church and not take something from the church."
The approach, he said, was refreshing.
"They were not coming, looking for its best young leaders," Bryant said. "They weren't coming, trying to say you need to put some skin in the game. They were, ‘Hey, we got some tools and training and some resources we think can help the urban, inner-city church thrive.'"
Those tools, used by staffed and expansion cities alike, are known as Compassionate Products™. The seasonal-themed gifts are provided to partner ministries and include Easter Bags, filled with toys, crayons and candy; PowerPack® backpacks stuffed with school supplies; Boxes of Love®, a holiday food outreach; and Homeless Care Kits, packed with blankets, socks, gloves, a scarf and toiletries. All of these resources incorporate gospel literature highlighting Jesus' love for the recipients. Those geared toward children use gospel bracelets, simple but colorful jewelry with beads symbolizing different aspects of the salvation story.
In addition to the products, Inner City mobilizes partners with effective evangelism techniques through specialized training in advance of the giveaways. To ensure spiritual growth doesn't stall with a decision to follow Jesus, Inner City also provides ongoing discipleship training, some directly tied to after-school programs known as S.A.Y. Yes! Centers for Youth Development®.
Even as Bryant's strategic plan is to grow Inner City's presence in the United States, the ministry effort is still focused on developing intimate relationships, just as Christ did.
"I want to see the expansion program grow to the point where there's a Jesus follower in close proximity to lost people," Bryant said. "That in every inner-city community they can be connected to a committed Jesus follower."
| ‘I want to see the expansion program grow to the point where there's a Jesus follower in close proximity to lost people.’ | Doing so, Bryant believes, requires bold initiatives aimed at neighborhood strongholds. "This is where we want to go and get at it," he said. "We want to go in and attack this issue. Let's go after men in an urban, inner-city context. Let's not wait until they're old men. |
"If we want to see our urban communities thrive, not only do we need to have a holistic approach, we need to go after the people who have the most influence. In our communities it's gonna be the man out on the blocks, the guy with the most money, the fastest ride. It's gonna be the toughest guy. It's gonna be the most dangerous guy. My passion is, if we can get that guy, we can get the community."
Expansion team partners volunteer 12 to 16 hours a week, "galvanizing churches to advance the Kingdom of God and the local urban inner-city communities," Bryant said.
"They've been able to form relationships with like-minded affiliates throughout the United States and they now interact without us on projects, asking each other for best practices, for advice, for prayer."
The partners organize outreaches, provide training and offer counseling and coaching.
"But most importantly, they push evangelism and discipleship out in some of the most marginalized communities in the United States," the national leader said. "We got these really talented, gifted leaders from all walks of life who have a passion to see the communities and cities where they live transformed."
Last year, in his new role with the expansion team, Glen took a month-long tour of West Coast and Midwest cities.
"I continue to be impressed with the leaders the Lord is leading us to in cities across the country," the former director said. "These leaders have capacity, burden and zeal to be involved in reaching and seeing hurting people reached with the gospel."
| ‘We want them to know that they are valued, that they're loved and that there's an organization that wants to partner with them in order to get the gospel out.’ | Among those Glen visited were Santiago, who helped lead more than 200 people to Jesus because of food drives he began after his son was killed by a texting driver. Through his connections with Inner City, he coordinates Spanish-speaking churches in and around San Jose, California. |
In San Bernardino — the Southern California community which once served as the national headquarters for Cru — Pastor Andy has earned the keys to a run-down housing complex, after consistently ministering to the needs of children and adults who call it home.
Zena, a seasoned corporate trainer from Grand Rapids, Michigan is using her skills to help the under-employed and unemployed become job-ready. Last year, Glen joined Zena at a network meeting of business leaders to link workers with jobs.
While the emphasis has been on the United States, Bryant is looking far afield to the international community, saying he plans to establish expansion programs in South Africa, Puerto Rico, Uganda and Spain.
"Wherever there's inner cities, wherever there's barrios, wherever there are shanty villages, we want to be in all those places with the gospel," Bryant said. "We want to come alongside those leaders who have committed their lives to serving in these communities. We want them to know that they are valued, that they're loved and that there's an organization that wants to partner with them in order to get the gospel out."
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Lori Arnold serves as senior writer for Cru's inner-city ministry.
The expansion of Cru Inner City's ministry means poverty-stricken city dwellers will have much-needed access to meet their physical and spiritual needs. Share Bryant and Glen's vision on Facebook or other social media platforms by using this link:
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