The Story of Jesus Is Transforming Colleges

First Chronicles 12:32 says this about the men of the tribe of Issachar: they “understood the times and knew what Israel should do…” (NIV)

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As we look around, we see the signs of God at work in a special way among this generation of college students. 

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Every week we read headlines such as “Young Adults Lead a Resurgence in Church Attendance” or “Gen Z Now Leads in Church Attendance.” 

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Just last week, I interacted with a recent graduate from the University of Central Florida who was excited to show me her new (pretty!) Bible—one with space in the margins of each page where she could take notes as she spends time with the Lord. She is more than an isolated example. The Wall Street Journal reported last December that Bible sales were up 22 percent. 

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As we here at Cru look to “understand the times,” we can’t help but conclude that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Asbury University in February of 2023 is proving to be less like a moment and more like a movement, and we’re working tirelessly to do whatever we can for it. This includes, among other things, a very special collaboration with Come and See—one that leverages the power of a very special TV show: The Chosen.

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Just as He’s doing all over the world in numerous contexts, God is using The Chosen to build bridges to Scripture and to the Gospel on college campuses. 

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He’s using the show to build bridges to Jesus.  

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Less than previous generations, today’s college students didn’t grow up in the church or in related programs where they learned the Bible, so they don’t know the stories of Scripture—or much at all about Jesus. The Chosen beautifully and creatively allows them to consider the authentic Jesus of the Bible. And as you might imagine, it matches exceptionally well with the mission of Cru.

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Since 1951, Cru has been helping fulfill the Great Commission in the power of the Holy Spirit by winning people to faith in Jesus Christ, building them in their faith, and sending them to win and build others. We’ve long recognized how powerfully God can use media pieces to accomplish this work—the Jesus Film has been shown in 2,247 languages, with an estimated 8 billion views since 1979—and so when the opportunity presented itself to leverage the power of The Chosen on college campuses, we jumped at the chance.   

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In collaboration with Come and See, Cru has developed a watch party strategy, utilizing The Chosen to empower this generation of college students to share the Gospel with those around them. This simple approach—where students host their friends, watch The Chosen, and then work through a related passage of Scripture with discussion questions—means that virtually any college student who wants to bless their friends with the Gospel has an attractive pathway to do so. Come and See has made this even more accessible for students by providing funding for them to host watch parties with their friends. Because of Come and See’s commitment to translating The Chosen into 600 languages, Cru’s campus ministries in other countries are maximizing this compelling content. This is especially helpful in countries where Gospel access is severely limited.

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Cru leaders, both in the United States and internationally, are recognizing the benefit of incorporating The Chosen into their evangelistic strategies for making disciples on campuses:

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• "It was the perfect entry point for those who have barriers to showing up to a Bible study. It seems like the first episode left a good amount of mystery or confusion about what will happen, leaving students intrigued and wanting to show up for the next episode"
• "I love to see how students pick up on the context that exists in scripture under the surface but comes to the forefront in this type of storytelling (i.e. relationships with the Romans, abuse, taxation, etc)."
• " [The Chosen Watch Parties are teaching me] that creating spaces for people to come and opening up the floor for conversation allows people to encounter the Holy Spirit in new ways."

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God is using The Chosen to stir in college students a hunger to know Jesus, read the Bible, and have significant conversations about life and eternal life. It’s drawing them into a relationship with Jesus. Take Kylie, for example. She suffered from a significant skin condition. After watching Jesus heal the leper in the show, she prayed that God would heal her. God, in His grace, brought relief and healing to Kylie, who then placed her faith in Christ. She bought a Bible and continues to grow in her relationship with Jesus.

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All glory to God for His salvation for Kylie—and for everything He’s doing on college campuses around the world through The Chosen! And all glory to God for what he will do in the days to come, because much work remains. 

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Seeing as most of you who are reading this blog post are a part of Come and See’s Prayer Crew, I’d like to make a request to close things out. As it comes to mind, please join me in praying these three simple prayers:

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• that the next generation will meet Jesus as they watch The Chosen
• that Christian students will bring their friends to watch The Chosen, so that they, too,  will meet Jesus
• that those around the world who work with college students would discover and use the watch party strategy to reach the next generation with Christ

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