Our Ministry: Maximizing Effectiveness Worldwide
We serve with a ministry, Campus Crusade for Christ, that is united in one heart: reaching every person in the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. Reflecting the world God calls us all to reach, Campus Crusade is large, diverse, and complex. Ministries in Campus Crusade range from the Campus Ministry, to Here’s Life Inner City, to the Josh McDowell Ministry, to the Christian Embassies (in Washington, D.C. and at the United Nations) and many more in the U.S. and around the world.
Tom Gilson is the Director of Strategic Processes in the Operational Advisory Services (OAS) team. OAS reports directly to the Board of Directors on financial management, risk management, and stewardship of resources. Tom’s part is helping ensure ministries’ strategic planning is on track with global priorities, and also helping to set up improved measurements of effectiveness.
How does this contribute to reaching the world for Christ? Here are some examples:
* “Josh McDowell and his leadership team want to express their appreciation to the Operational Advisory Services team, for all the work you’ve done in assessing their ministry and making your recommendations. They have just shared with me how valuable that has been, coming at just the right time to help them move forward during a time of transition on their leadership team. It really set the foundation for the right changes. Thank you for making such a huge difference.”
(From John Rogers, U.S. Chief Operating Officer/President’s Chief of Staff)
* Tom helped the Here’s Life Inner City Youth Development Team develop an ambitious strategic plan last winter. The team was under new leadership–but they all said the reason they were there was because Jan, the previous leader, had so carefully followed a plan Tom had helped develop just over a year previously.They’re now expanding their partnerships, their training, and their materials–getting even more staff, volunteers, and churches involved in ministry to urban youth.
* Our team completed an overview of The Orlando Institute, a seminary/training group based at Campus Crusade’s headquarters with extension centers around the world. Their target is training 5 million people to be effective disciplers. Their team is small–but they’re making progress, with over 15,000 in training in one branch of their ministry in Asia already! Their leadership core will need to be expanded and strengthened before they can make significant further progress toward their vision, and we’re helping them lay the groundwork for that.
Tom was also Campus Crusade’s project leader for a leadership assessment tool he developed and validated. This tool is now being used worldwide under other leadership.
Sara’s ministry focus is in the community: discipling middle school girls, helping build Christian clubs at local public schools, helping to guide local mission outreaches, and participating in women’s ministry leadership.
Tom and Sara’s ministries have taken them to Asia, Russia, northern and eastern Europe, Mexico, South Africa, and Cuba; all for the purpose of sharing Christ and building leaders.
Finally, of course, this blog is a part of Tom’s ministry, contending for the faith and encouraging Christians to love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind.
