Bursting at the Seams

by Susie Richardson, Cru Senior Writer

What do you do when the beds are all filled and dozens of Boston college students keep signing up for Cru’s Fall Retreat?  Cru Leader Brian Ellis, hoping to avoid a repeat of last year when he had to turn students away, scrambled to find 30 more beds for this year’s retreat - and filled them all!

Typically scheduled sometime in October, Cru Fall Retreats invite students who may be disoriented by the first few weeks of the semester, or feel alone in their values and priorities, or who have lost the voice of God amidst the clamor of the campus, to come away and get perspective.  320 Boston area students took us up on the offer this year, and found there’s nothing like a Fall Retreat to set things right.

Inspiring speakers, small group prayer and discussion, recreational time . . . these are some of the events throughout the weekend that combine to re-focus the student on God’s will for her/him, that reassure them of the support of their fellow believers on campus, and that can tune their ear to the voice of God.  This year’s retreat included 20 international students and quite a few who had yet to commit their lives to Christ, some who heard the Gospel for the first time.

Imagine the impact of scores of students returning to Boston after such a weekend, each one “bursting at the seams” with good things God dealt out to them during their time away.  Let’s take a peek at a few of these students:


Rejoice with us! The harvest is truly plentiful . . . Join us in asking God to empower these Boston students to hold fast to these good things, even as they are giving them away to others.  

Thank you for investing in the lives of students on campuses all over New England and New York.