I was involved in college campus ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ—now called Cru—for seven years. I was a student leader at my college for two years. I then served on Campus Staff with Cru for four years, two at Arkansas State University and two at North Carolina State University. After leaving staff, I served for one year as a volunteer at SMU during my first year at DTS.  

I learned many valuable lessons during my time with Cru. 

The message of life. I approached staff member Warren Wilke, asking if he could help me gain assurance of salvation. He did not use the Four Laws booklet. Instead, he used the Bible. He showed me Eph 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” It took five meetings before I believed what those verses clearly said. I’m eternally grateful that through Cru I came to believe in the promise of salvation that can never be lost.  

Don’t invite Jesus into your heart. I was a new believer, and I was talking to a girl in one of my classes. I got to the prayer and asked her if she wanted to invite Jesus into her heart. Now, that’s not how I was born again. No one can be born again that way. But I was using that terminology because that was how I had been trained. 

I’ll never forget her response: “I literally take Jesus into my life every time I take communion. When I eat the wafer, I am partaking of the body of Christ. Why would I need to say some magic words like Jesus come into my heart?” 

That was one of the last times I ever asked anyone to invite Jesus into their hearts.  

Don’t turn from sins. When I shared the Four Laws, I would quickly explain that repentance is a change of mind. I would tell people that they did not need to turn from their sins in order to be saved. In fact, I did not bring up repentance unless they asked.  

I did have a stock answer for when someone asked, “Do I need to give up my drinking (or whatever) to be saved?” I’d tell them that they did not need to do that, but that they needed to be willing to give it up if God changed their desires.  

In my second year at seminary, I told Zane Hodges the stock answer that I used to give. His response was, “Wow. That was TERRIBLE!” Only at that moment did I realize he was right. But what I said was, “Right. You are so right!” I acted as if I’d understood this for years.  

You don’t need to use a booklet. While I used the Four Laws booklet for seven years, every year I made more modifications to what it said. It wasn’t until my second year in seminary that I realized there was no need to use a booklet. Well, I had actually known that before. But I was used to using the Four Laws booklet. Once I was set free from using a booklet, I found it much easier to evangelize.  

Let them talk. I remember two staff members named Mel. Well, one was Melanie, but we called her Mel.  

Once, while witnessing with the female Mel during spring break at Daytona, I was rushing to get through the prayer in the Four Laws booklet so that I could count this encounter as evangelistic on my weekly staff report. Nutty, I realize now. The guy was waiting for a bus, and it was close. I talked as fast as I could. Mel said, “Bob, let him go! He must catch that bus.” I remember being annoyed that she interrupted me. But I was also impressed by the wisdom of what she said. 

Later, while witnessing with a male Mel on campus at SMU, we were in the student center, and I was rushing through the booklet. The guy I was talking with started to say something several times, but I cut him off and asked him to let me finish. Afterwards, Mel said, “Bob, that was rude. You need to let people talk when you are witnessing to them.” I realized he was right. And right then I remembered what Melanie had said.  

Tell partners what you do. Cru required us to send out a monthly prayer letter that told our supporters what we had done that month.  

I left Cru staff in 1978. I started GES in 1986 and began receiving a salary in 1987. Since July of 1987, I have sent out a monthly partner’s letter, which we call Partners in Grace.  

I find this is a good way for me, Ken, Kathryn, Sam, and all our staff and co-laborers (authors, speakers, faculty, IT people, administrative assistants, etc.) to connect with people who rarely if ever see them.  

Other than the first few years of GES, I’ve not called or written to anyone asking for support. People just support GES because they believe in what we are doing. I’m so thankful. Our thanks to all of you who are our partners in grace.  

Love God and love His Word. Everyone on Cru staff would talk about their love for God. It was contagious. This was during the height of the Jesus Movement.  

Most would also talk about their love for His Word.  

When I left staff to go to seminary, it was because I loved God and loved His Word. During my seven years at DTS, my love for God and for His Word grew. I’d attribute much of my growth to the fact that Zane Hodges became my mentor in my second year at seminary. He continued to mentor me for the next six years while I was at DTS and then the next twenty-three years after I graduated.  

Cru is not crystal clear on the saving message. When I was on staff, some taught what we now call the Free Grace message. Some taught Lordship Salvation. I haven’t kept up with Cru in recent years. I’d guess that a high percentage of staff today proclaim Lordship Salvation.  

Keep grace in focus no matter what your background is.