Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork
Cru routinely asks a simple question: how can we empower students to lead and shape our ministry? There are always new opportunities and challenges with each new generation of students, and Gen Z is no different. So, Cru conducted some large-scale research to figure out the conditions and greatest needs of this cohort of students.
Globally, only 8% of teenagers are Bible-engaged. A high view of Scripture and regular Bible-reading are both rare. On the flip side, students thrive when they study the Bible and discover things on their own. They prefer large swaths of Scripture to dig into, rather than just memorizing verses out of context. And contrary to stereotypes, they actually have long attention spans for engaging, long-form content. That’s where my (Zack’s) new ministry role in Jesus Film comes in. I recently met with my writers’ team (pictured below) at our Cru headquarters in Orlando to see how we can meet the needs of Gen Z Christians for Biblical, engaging video content.
Our team spent a week together brainstorming, outlining, and drafting a series of five videos to teach students the basics of the Spirit-filled life. This material has been the bread and butter of Cru, but it’s never been filmed. It was exciting to take these first steps with such a talented group of people.
Seeking Rewards
As the majority of people from the Middle East just finished their holy month of fasting, our family finished a month of focused prayers for them. We prayed for dreams and visions of Jesus and opportunities to share the gospel.
God gave me (Naomi) the chance to talk to a mom-friend from our school who I call “Leilani.” She is from Southwest Asia. We were able to discuss our differing beliefs of Jesus. Leilani was fasting in hopes of earning extra rewards from her god, but she told me that her husband “Kai” no longer fasts or believes in the religion of their home country. He a Deist now. Please pray God would be working in both of their hearts.
Jesus in Every Language
One of our coworkers recently traveled abroad. While walking down the street, he noticed several guys playing guitar and walked up to them. Through broken English they told him the region they came from, and he surprised them by naming the language they spoke: Kurmanji. He then opened the Jesus Film app and played the film about Jesus’s life in their language. They were mesmerized for several minutes, and wanted to watch the whole thing later.
Another day, our coworker met with a man in a cafe who said, “I have a hot stock tip to give you.” He listened politely and then said, “Let me tell you about an even greater gift.” He then showed the Jesus Film in the native language of the stock trader, who later gave his life to Christ.
Family Update
Annalei and Miah performed as nuns in a musical theater production of Sound of Music (header, left). Cassia and Paxton raced pinewood derby cars at AWANA (header, right). All four kids will audition for an upcoming production of Little Mermaid, which will be Annalei’s last show this summer before heading to college.
UPCOMING
Zack travels to Japan April 7-15 for the Damah Film Festival in Tokyo. Jesus Film sponsors this event, which showcases short films about meaning and hope. We will network with Christian filmmakers and build gospel bridges with others.
PRAYER REQUESTS
• God would open the door for further conversation with Leilani and Kai, and they would come to believe in Jesus.
• God’s wisdom in our pre-production process for the video series about the Holy Spirit’s role in our life. Zack will focus on how the Spirit gives us power to witness (Acts 1:8).
• Safe travels for Zack and God’s nearness to Naomi and the kids while he is away.