Personal News
We hope you are doing well. All is fine here. This is birthday month for both of us. Each year, as some of you know, Dave hosts a Heart’s or Spade’s tournament for his birthday celebration. This year 24 men gathered in our home for a great night of food, fellowship, and cards. It was so fun to have neighbors, friends from church, co-workers, and others in our home. This year, for the first time in 8 years, Dave won his own tournament. Everyone is already looking forward to next year.
Ministry Update
Approximately 18 million people are living in the New York City metro area. Another 12 million or more reside in the Los Angeles metro. Chicago has 9 million and Houston has almost 7 million. There are hundreds of other cities around the nation whose populations are over 500,000 people.
Cru City, Cru’s outreach to cities, is tasked to see cities reached with the good news of the gospel. How in the world does a ministry that has about 800 staff reach so many millions of people? This is a question that Cru City leadership has been praying about and pondering.
One of the key ways to reach a city is to start by reaching sub-groups in the city. For example, it is much easier to think about ways to reach teachers, government officials, or medical professionals than it is to think about ways to reach an entire city. Another example of a subgroup is different immigrant communities. When a city’s population is broken down into much smaller components, it is easier to plan outreaches, events, and other strategies to reach a smaller portion of the city.
Since the fall, Dave and a small team of Cru City staff have been working diligently on a survey that will go out to Cru City staff this week. This survey is focused on assessing where Cru City staff are currently ministering and where they might be able to focus in the future. The ultimate goal is that millions more people would hear the good news of the gospel, grow in their faith, and ultimately be a part of reaching others in their affinity groups and communities.
Please pray that this survey would bear much fruit, helping Cru City leaders cast vision and direction for the future. Jeremiah, speaking on behalf of the Lord, exhorts the people of Israel to “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it because if it prospers, you too will prosper” (Jer. 29:7). May the Lord of the harvest draw people of our cities to Himself.
Dave & Lynn
P.S. Here’s a video that shares more about the survey.
Dave and Lynn Meritt 