A message from Gary Hill, Executive Director
There is nothing more wonderful than witnessing a young person put their trust in the Lord, walking alongside them as they learn to treasure God’s Word and seeing them go out to declare their faith among their peers.
Since 1930, CRU has been blessed to see lives transformed by the gospel on a regular basis. On average, CRU staff and volunteer leaders reach over 2,500 children and teenagers each week across NSW, the ACT and WA with the good news of Jesus each year.
I hope that you will join us in the vision of CRU’s ministry, to share Jesus with a new generation.
God bless,
Gary Hill
Executive Director
Our vision
CRU is a Bible-based, interdenominational Christian youth organisation whose vision is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the students of the independent schools of Australia, to nurture Christians, encourage church membership and train young Christians for a life of servant leadership.
The number of Australian children and youth has grown dramatically since 1930 and demographers speak of significant future growth. Tragically, the proportion of children and youth attending church each week has plummeted. In fact, only 1 in 7 Australians attend church regularly. Many young people don’t personally know a Christian and have not heard of God’s love shown in Jesus. We are on a mission to help change that.
CRU works towards this purpose through the following key ministries:
CRU Educational Camps are fully-programmed camps for school groups run during school term times. Run by trained professionals in outdoor education, the camps can be tailored to meet the needs and objectives of each group.
CRU Holiday Camps are run during school holidays for school students. The camps are run mostly by volunteer leadership teams. Each school holiday season CRU offers;
Activity Camps where campers enjoy a range of activities include sailing, horse riding, dirt bike riding, skiing and stay overnight.
Study Camps to help Year 11 and 12 students find success, motivation and perspective in their final year of school.
Day Camps are day only camps for K-6 students, that run over multiple days from 8am – 6pm each day. They offer a fun and safe Christian environment for infants and primary school children to get involved in exciting outdoor activities.
CRU’s Schools Ministry team encourages and supports Christian groups in independent schools across NSW, the ACT and WA through helping to establish and run lunchtime CRU Groups, creating biblical resources, providing training, praying for students, chaplains and teachers and much more.
CRU owns and operates two conference and camping centres, where students and campers can enjoy a fantastic camp experience while, at the same time, growing in their faith. Find out more about what our sites have to offer at CRU Galston Gorge and CRU Lake Mac.
Our core values
Being true to the Bible as the Word of God
Being passionately, unashamedly gospel-focused
Being driven towards excellence and growth so that our impact may increase
Being selflessly committed to the care and development of individuals
Being prayerfully dependent on God to bring about real and lasting change
For over 90 years, God has used CRU to reach, win, train and send out hundreds of thousands of young people. Our ministry has developed over time with new tools and strategies, but always with a core focus on the truth of the Bible, and the power of God’s Word to change lives.
Our name
When our organisation began in Australia in 1930, its founders envisaged a body which was Christian, interdenominational, and focused on caring for both boys and girls. The only such organisation that they knew of was an English group called ‘Crusaders’, so after seeking permission, this name was adopted.
Growing concerns in the late 20th century that the name ‘Crusaders’ could be associated with aggressive and even violent historical events, and a desire to ensure that the name should not present a barrier to anyone, led to the abbreviation ‘CRU’ being trademarked for CRU Camps and this name has been adopted widely since 2000.
While the organisation’s formal title continues to be The Crusader Union of Australia, we more commonly use the name ‘CRU’ as we seek to connect with Australian school students and their communities.
Our name has morphed, but our identity as an organisation remains unchanged. As the Holy Spirit equips us, we seek to be faithful witnesses to Jesus Christ, so that a new generation comes to know the new life which is found in Him.