For the past 18 years, Larry Stephens at Cru has had the unique opportunity to partner with Hollywood on over 23 theatrical films. We'd like to share more about the evangelism strategies used to reach students for Christ as well as stories of lives changed along the way.
At 120 colleges, Cru organized outreaches around the Just Mercy movie for Black History month.
Warner Bros. studio approached Cru early on about the movie, Just Mercy. They wanted Cru’s help and support. Several people behind the making of this movie are Christians and are also ministry minded. The following are highlights from these outreaches.
➤ Cru helped shape the Film Discussion Guide. Check out the Guide here.
➤ Kim Kardashian, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and other celebrities contributed financially to bring this movie to the student audience.
➤ Just Mercy was released for FREE during the month of June to help promote awareness and healthy discussion around the racial tension in our nation.
➤ Cru created and launched a social media holiday challenge using top Hollywood talent.
"This holiday season why not give somebody the gift of mercy." Jamie Foxx & Michael B Jordan
Campus Quotes
Milwaukee Cru Metro
"We see the Just Mercy film as a great way for us to partner with other groups on campuses. The university is funding the event and we are partnering with the Black Student Center on campus. We think this is something we can share with the broader campus body as a package outreach idea."
University Central Arkansas
"Doing this movie showing during Black History Month is a huge win for the UCA campus. UCA has the highest black student population per capita in all of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma."
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
"Wow! We just packed out a theater in Oxford with the most diverse crowd we've ever been able to reach. We partnered and shared the evening with the Black Student Union, Student Activities, UM Inclusion, and Honors College. Tomorrow is our pizza lunch discussion. I'll let you know how it goes. Would appreciate your prayers. We are so grateful."
"Every incoming Freshman attending Ole Miss were required to read the book Just Mercy."
Texas Tech
"Thank you again for setting us up with the movie. It was powerful and our students were thankful. We sent all the students the Just Mercy Discussion Guide after the movie, so we hope that will spur on some good conversations." -- Jeremy Bollins, Texas Tech Cru team leader
Perhaps the greatest barrier to someone coming to faith is the question, "Why God? Why would you allow this to happen? -- director Jon Erwin
The movie “I Still Believe” chronicles the true story of Christian music megastar Jeremy Camp — his remarkable journey of love and loss. His story illustrates that you can choose to hope in God amid great tragedy and disappointment.
The audience is challenged to consider how they would respond to an unfulfilled dream or to seeing a loved one go without healing.
This movie was released nationwide and had a $30M budget. Cru created and promoted the Movie Discussion Guide as well as activated social media marketing.
3 million exposures to the Gospel in the U.S. alone
The Gospel presentation is so clear in this film.
4 Ways Cru helped with Outreach:
- National Student Movie Outreach Challenge: If students invite their non-Christian friends or classmates to watch the movie and talk about it afterwards, Cru will give them FREE tickets. See our campaign here.
- Pastor Brooks Braswell at First Baptist Umatilla challenged 75,000 church pastors to use the film as a community outreach in their town.
- 40,000 ministry partners of Cru received a mailing about how the Overcomer film can be a powerful tool for outreach.
- Cru created and promoted a Film Discussion Guide to Cru's audience.
Key Results:
- The film made over $35 million—that's about 3 million Gospel exposures in the U.S. alone.
- The film opened in India in 40 cities. This is the first time the Kendrick brothers have seen their film released in India. It's a huge opportunity to bring the Christian worldview to a Hindu culture.
- SONY studio paid to translate Overcomer into 40 languages to be released in over 100 countries.
Stories
Track teams across the country went to see the film and at one showing 40 people trusted Christ. A volleyball coach invited his entire women's team to see the film and several of the athletes were moved to tears.
There's nothing more powerful than showing a transformed life on film
"I was invited to see [Imagine] on campus and really didn't want to go with my friends. I went and cried so hard at the end. Can someone's live really change that way in the film?" -- Full Sail college student
Partnered with FCA on outreach ideas.
Over 50% of the students who came indicated they didn't believe the world was created. We hit our target audience.
Who says movies can't work on campus?
Cru organized a premiere movie event for Full Sail University students on the Steven Spielberg directed film Ready Player One.
We sold out in 2 hours (sent only one email)
40 minute discussion afterwards.
We discussed the movie as a group and about the theme of our longings. The main character, Wade Watts, longs for more in his life. He longs for relationships, friendship, and something worth fighting for. We shared that we all have that longing for more. What better way to connect with the person who understands our longing the most--the creator of the universe.
LIVE interview with a passenger on the plane
The story of US Airways Flight 1549 was retold in the film, "Sully," starring Tom Hanks. Larry's college roommate, Mike, was on that plane.
As a way to draw in students, Larry arranged a LIVE interview with Mike. In his interview, Mike walks through the incredible details of what happened as the plane crashed on the river and how he felt "for certain" that he would die.
Mike also shares the sense of peace he experienced knowing he would see Jesus once the plane hit the water. As people of faith, this movie provides a platform to share about our fears while putting our hope in Jesus Christ.
Hollywood gave us a $200 million gospel tool
BEN-HUR is one of history’s great stories of redemption, and this remake of that iconic tale creates clear pathways of faith and forgiveness.
Ben-Hur, a prince falsely accused of assassination attempt, survives years of slavery under the Romans and attempts to get revenge in a grand chariot race while being forever changed after a series of encounters with Jesus of Nazareth.
Cru worked alongside the studio to give advice on the shaping of the film and on creating ways to use this film as a gospel tool.
Cru encouraged students to bring non-church friends to see the movie and explore Jesus with them afterwards.
5,000 received Christ during the first week in theaters.
The Woodlawn movie is the PERFECT film to address the racial tension occurring in our country. Larry helped Coach Tony Dungy craft the right message that every church in America heard.
“Pastor, all around us, the moral fabric of our society is crumbling. In places like Ferguson and Baltimore, racial division and violence are spiraling out of control. But through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, there is always hope.” -- NFL coach Tony Dungy
Actor Sean Astin (Goonies) shares that there is only one way and it’s through the name of Jesus.
Walden Media asked Cru to design the discussion guide. Campuses all over the U.S. used the guide to engage with students.
Cru set up a private screening for Full Sail University. Over 170 students came to the showing and many stayed afterwards for a 30-minute discussion.
I'm taking my mom who is not a believer to see the movie. Please be praying for her to have an open heart to Christ and His story." -- Kate Teator, student NC State
Students brought their non-believing friends ... but the real story is when we started getting stories back. Students were inviting their parents to see the film.
"I went to see the movie with my dad and I was hesitant at first when I asked him because he isn't a believer of Christ and considers himself an Atheist." -- Lauren, Elmhurst College
"My father has grown up Catholic but as far as I know, he no longer believes. I got to take him to see Son of God this weekend."
Bridges is our Cru ministry that reaches out to the 800,000 internationals studying in the U.S. Muslim students may never attend a church but they are more willing to watch a movie about life of Jesus at a local theater.
"I woke up this morning feeling sick to my stomach. How am I going to get a coach from the Seattle Seahawks to support the Son of God film! They just won the Super Bowl two days ago." -- Larry
We connected with 250,000 churches and urged them to use the "Son of God" film to reach their communities. From our call, over 1,000 churches were interested in buying out a theater showing for the film.
NOAH the movie
“I really think this is the perfect film to bring believers and non-believers together, to develop a conversation between both sides.” Darren Aronofsky, Writer/Director
The NOAH movie — from acclaimed filmmaker Darren Aronofsky and featuring a star-studded cast, including Russell Crowe, Anthony Hopkins, and Emma Watson — is a dramatization of the major themes of the biblical flood story.
Cru encouraged students to engage in spiritual conversations about the movie with their friends. Cru designed a Film Companion Guide that included the Genesis 6 chapter of Noah. The hope was to encourage students to read the bible story and understand what really happened.
“We applaud Cru’s commitment to seeking out thoughtful conversation surrounding the themes of the film.” -- Paramount Pictures Vice-Chairman Rob Moore says he appreciates Cru's efforts
ACT of VALOR movie
This is the coolest outreach I've seen. Thank you for setting this up for us." -- Jim Hocker, Valor ROTC Director
Valor Ministry hosted screenings on 9 different military campuses and they hosted Life of Valor groups as follow-up.
Hollywood partnered with Cru on a 22-minute video and campaign called the "Life of Valor." They filmed two Christian Navy Seals who challenge men to develop their own life creed.
MAN of STEEL movie
Cru hosted a Man of Steel movie screening for 350+ creative professionals connected to Disney and Universal. How far would you go to draw out the head designers of Universal Studio's Harry Potter park and designers of Halloween Horror Nights?
Warner Bros also created a special video clip for us to use as a spiritual conversation starter. Cru challenged 80,000 college students to use the movie to talk to their friends about Jesus.
"During our ride back to campus, we talked non-stop about the spiritual connections to the film."
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