International Partnerships
"Our purpose is helping to 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 and by helping the body of Christ to do evangelism and discipleship through a variety of creative ways."
God’s plan for Ohio State extends far beyond the city of Columbus. Christ commissioned us to reach the whole world, and we joining in with his mission.
We’re committed to helping to reach university students around the world by sharing Christ and prayerfully building movements of students who continue to reach yet more students. You can be part of this exciting mission by joining us in praying for our partnerships and/or by going with us to one of our partnership locations. There are three main ways you can go:
Currently we are partnered internationally with Bratislava, Slovakia. We are seeking to come alongside local Christians in the city to reach college students and build movements that impact the whole nation of Slovakia for Christ.
Bratislava, Slovakia
The City & The Partnership
Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia, is home to about 425,000 people, 56,000 of whom are college students. A Cru ministry has been in Slovakia since the founding of the country in 1993. In 2022, our Cru ministry at Ohio State along with Ohio University Cru formed an international partnership with the Cru team in Slovakia. We sent our first spring break trip and summer mission to Bratislava in 2022. We are coming alongside the local Slovak Cru staff that are trusting God to launch and grow their student led movement on three campuses in Bratislava.
The Spiritual Climate
Bratislava is the most religiously open city in Slovakia. Young people are very open to discussions about any topic, including spiritual things, and- if they are approached in a relevant way- they will be willing to have these conversations. Students in Bratislava desperately need to know real people who could tell them and show them an "alternative" to their beliefs. The vast majority have never had a chance to hear the Gospel and don't understand the true essence of Christianity, but they think they know what it is about as a result of the long and strong religious traditions of our country. Because of all these things, there is great opportunity for spiritual conversations and real-life witnessing in Slovakia. The process may be slow, but we trust that it will be well worth it!
Contact
For more information on how you can go with us to Slovakia, e-mail Grant Lemmons.
Brasília, Brazil
The City
Brasília is the modern capital city of Brazil. Built in the 1960's from the ground up, it is one of the most unique and modern cities in the South America. Brasília is the third largest city in Brazil and is home to several large universities, the federal government, and many influential residents from Brazil and abroad.
The Spiritual Climate
Like most of Latin America, one finds a Roman Catholic heritage in much of Brazil. That said, the youngest generations in Brazil are distancing themselves from their religious roots, exploring relativism, secularism, and even new age spirituality. Brazilians typically believe themselves to be a very spiritual people; many cult religions are finding Brazilians to be very receptive. Brazilians seem to be hungry for authentic spirituality. The large majority of Brazilians who do believe in God esteem Jesus highly, though the younger generations typically avoid being a part of “organized religion”. It is typically not socially incorrect to speak about religion as Brazilians love to talk about just about anything. Brazilians have so many of the puzzle pieces to having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, but they need Christians to communicate and demonstrate the Gospel to them
Contact
For more information on how you can go with us to Brazil, e-mail Matt Waanders.