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Crusaders
Description & fact file
Crusaders is a dynamic interdenominational youth and children's missionary movement, established in 1906. Over the past 100 years, Crusaders has been reaching out to children and young people, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with them and challenging them to live out God's great adventure for their lives. Every week many thousands have an opportunity to hear the awesome Christian message through our Crusader and Energize groups. Thousands more attend our wide range of residential camps, holidays and events.
We are totally passionate about reaching young people, particularly those on the outside of the church. We recognise that this is a marathon and we are in it for the long haul. We're committing ourselves for decades to come to see a generation change a nation. We are also committing to equip and empower that generation so that they too can pass the baton on to the next generation.
Key areas of ministry
Groups - Crusaders believe whole-heartedly in relational youth work and in giving regular and sustained investment in young lives. Therefore, the backbone of the movement is our around 500 weekly groups, spread all over the UK and Ireland. Some of our groups are based in specific churches and some are a partnership across several churches in an area, running out of church halls, schools, homes and community centres.
Residentials & Events - We are aware that often a weekend's residential experience can have more lasting impact than a whole year's worth of weekly meetings. So Crusaders provide a full residential programme, based around Cru Holidays - activity holidays all around the UK held in the school holidays. We also organise weekend camps for groups and have residential centres available for groups to arrange their own trips.
Short Term Missions - Young people need an opportunity to put their faith into practice as part of this great adventure God has planned for their lives and Crusaders want to encourage this sense of stepping out of their comfort zones to help and serve others. We run a UK-based mission, putting on free summer fun days for communities and an overseas project that sends teams out across the world to serve and to impact local communities with the Good News of the Gospel.
Discipleship courses - Crusaders believe that young people need to be stretched and challenged to go deeper with God and to discover more of who God has made them to be. We feel that one-on-one mentoring and discipleship as well as encouraging yet provocative training course are the best ways to fully develop young people in their life and faith.
Leadership training and equipping - To fully realise the potential of these children and young people, we need a church that is prepared to commit to 'going the distance' with them. Crusaders has developed a range of materials, resources and training (called Energize) that will fully equip, empower and encourage volunteers, both young and old, to develop these young lives.
History
In the early 1900s, a missionary called Rev Albert Kestin was staying with friends in London. When walking in the park on a Sunday, he wondered why there were boys there and not attending Sunday School. When he asked them, they told him it was boring and irrelevant. So he offered to run a Bible Class for them that wouldn't be boring and would engage with their lives. Over the next few years a number of these groups started until in 1906, they got together a formed the Crusaders Union of Bible Classes. Although originally a boys-only movement (with a girl's equivalent forming in 1916), Crusaders became 'mixed' in the 1960s
Contact details
Crusaders
Kestin House
45 Crescent Road
Luton
LU2 0AH
01582 589850
01582 721702 (fax)
email@crusaders.org.uk
Description & fact file
Crusaders is a dynamic interdenominational youth and children's missionary movement, established in 1906. Over the past 100 years, Crusaders has been reaching out to children and young people, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with them and challenging them to live out God's great adventure for their lives. Every week many thousands have an opportunity to hear the awesome Christian message through our Crusader and Energize groups. Thousands more attend our wide range of residential camps, holidays and events.
We are totally passionate about reaching young people, particularly those on the outside of the church. We recognise that this is a marathon and we are in it for the long haul. We're committing ourselves for decades to come to see a generation change a nation. We are also committing to equip and empower that generation so that they too can pass the baton on to the next generation.
Key areas of ministry
Groups - Crusaders believe whole-heartedly in relational youth work and in giving regular and sustained investment in young lives. Therefore, the backbone of the movement is our around 500 weekly groups, spread all over the UK and Ireland. Some of our groups are based in specific churches and some are a partnership across several churches in an area, running out of church halls, schools, homes and community centres.
Residentials & Events - We are aware that often a weekend's residential experience can have more lasting impact than a whole year's worth of weekly meetings. So Crusaders provide a full residential programme, based around Cru Holidays - activity holidays all around the UK held in the school holidays. We also organise weekend camps for groups and have residential centres available for groups to arrange their own trips.
Short Term Missions - Young people need an opportunity to put their faith into practice as part of this great adventure God has planned for their lives and Crusaders want to encourage this sense of stepping out of their comfort zones to help and serve others. We run a UK-based mission, putting on free summer fun days for communities and an overseas project that sends teams out across the world to serve and to impact local communities with the Good News of the Gospel.
Discipleship courses - Crusaders believe that young people need to be stretched and challenged to go deeper with God and to discover more of who God has made them to be. We feel that one-on-one mentoring and discipleship as well as encouraging yet provocative training course are the best ways to fully develop young people in their life and faith.
Leadership training and equipping - To fully realise the potential of these children and young people, we need a church that is prepared to commit to 'going the distance' with them. Crusaders has developed a range of materials, resources and training (called Energize) that will fully equip, empower and encourage volunteers, both young and old, to develop these young lives.
History
In the early 1900s, a missionary called Rev Albert Kestin was staying with friends in London. When walking in the park on a Sunday, he wondered why there were boys there and not attending Sunday School. When he asked them, they told him it was boring and irrelevant. So he offered to run a Bible Class for them that wouldn't be boring and would engage with their lives. Over the next few years a number of these groups started until in 1906, they got together a formed the Crusaders Union of Bible Classes. Although originally a boys-only movement (with a girl's equivalent forming in 1916), Crusaders became 'mixed' in the 1960s
Contact details
Crusaders
Kestin House
45 Crescent Road
Luton
LU2 0AH
01582 589850
01582 721702 (fax)
email@crusaders.org.uk
