Campus Crusade Staffers End Biennial 'Family' Conference

Campus Crusade for Christ, one of the world's largest Christian organizations, on Wednesday ended its biennial international staff conference - the only conference all U.S. staff members are required to attend.

Around the world, Campus Crusades for Christ International has 27,000 staff members, and a fraction - about 5,000 - attended the 10-day conference in Ft. Collins, Colo. Most of the 4,962 attendants were from the U.S. and Western countries because it is difficult for staffers from other nations to fund the trip.

Before the gathering began, long-time staff member Bob Horner said the conference gives missionaries who are "coming out of hard places" a chance to rest.

"We gather, rehearse, reflect, and renew vision, friendships, and inspiration," he said.

In addition to the rest and restoration, the conference featured a host of activities and special events for the CCC staff, such as special talks by Alice Mathews from the daily radio program "Discover The Word," and Joe Stowell, the seventh president of Moody Bible Institute. Large worship services and performances by groups of children were also showcased at the gathering.

Meanwhile, during the conference, CCCi director of the Americas, Steve Sellers spoke on how to be a good follower. This was then followed by a powerful off-broadway play, "The Rock and the Rabbi" about the disciple Peter and Jesus.

On Monday night, president Steve Douglass spoke to the audience about checking themselves to make sure each is always improving.

Turner said one staffer said he's been to 12 staff conferences, and this is the best one ever.

The staff conference felt like a reunion of the family, rather than a corporate conference, according to Turner, who noted that the event represented the way the CCCi ministry is done. Both the husband and wife are required to be on staff.

"I just think when you have an organization that requires both a husband and wife be on staff - you come on together or you don't come on at all - then you've got a commitment that's very family-related."