Jane’s regular job as a flight attendant gave her a flexible work schedule, and she wanted to invest some of her free time in Christian ministry. A friend suggested that she contact Cru (known then as Campus Crusade for Christ). Sure enough, John, the Southeast Area Director for the campus ministry needed a part-time, volunteer secretary.
“I don’t think I was a very good secretary,” Jane confesses, “but it was during that time (late 60’s) that I became aware of Cru’s Ten Basic Steps Toward Christian Maturity Bible study series.”
In a couple of years John and his wife accepted a new Cru ministry assignment in Germany. Jane and her husband continued serving them by printing and mailing the couple’s newsletters to their stateside ministry partners (prayer and financial support team members).
Soon another unexpected opportunity arose when the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association contacted Jane. They trained her and ten or twelve other women to facilitate basic New Believers Bible Study groups following the Billy Graham Crusade in their city in 1973. She used the provided materials but also began incorporating the Cru materials into her Bible study groups.
Jane benefitted from those studies herself. When she went back to finish college, the other students in one class rushed to claim the most popular topics for the big writing project. Jane didn’t have to vie with anyone for the one topic she really wanted: “Discuss the Parallels Between (this course material) and the Bible.” Later her professor was amazed by her paper. “You really know your topic,” he complimented her.
When her last child headed to kindergarten, Jane headed to the classroom again, this time as a teacher in the public school system. For years she was able to incorporate appropriate portions of the Bible into her classroom experience as she taught World Literature to 10th graders. Although she retired from the formal classroom setting two years ago, Jane is still teaching. In fact, she is still leading home Bible study groups using the updated versions of the timeless Cru ministry materials she first discovered forty years ago.
Speaking of her current study group, Jane says, “The ladies have finished the introductory lessons and they are so excited about getting into the next book. They are sweet Christian ladies, but the questions they ask are about basic things. They just don’t know this stuff! Our church likes to study books. I keep telling them that we need to study THE Book (the Bible)!”
One of the features Jane values most in the Cru Ten Basic Steps Toward Christian Maturity Bible studies is the Life Application Section of each lesson. “When answering a question,” Jane admonishes the ladies, “don’t just copy the words of the Bible verse. Really ponder, ‘What does it mean in my life?’”
Jane called our office to order 25 copies each of the next two books in the series: The Christian Adventure (Beginning the Exciting Journey of Faith) and The Christian and the Abundant Life (Focusing on New Priorities).
She really prayed over who would serve with her, someone to take the lead if Jane has to miss a class. Thankfully, the Lord provided that lady just in time, for Jane suffered a broken right femur during the first week of January.
Based on the energy and drive she has exuded through the years, Jane won’t let this setback keep her down for long. She will keep on stepping into the opportunities to teach, nurture, disciple, and train women to grow into mature Believers and followers of Jesus Christ.
Our Cru-New Life Resources office is thrilled to partner with her in this ministry. Many thanks for YOUR partnership as well!
