Unveiling CruCommons.com

Today we launced CruCommons.com, a new community site for our campus ministry. It’s a significant milestone. First, we hope this will be the start of a great strategy. Second, it represents our ministry’s first publically released web application using a relatively new technology tool called “Ruby on Rails.” (Ruby is a programming language; Rails is a system for building a web site.) A lot of credit goes to my co-worker Ben Wagaman, who has kept working away despite the fact he’ll be a first-time dad any day now.

Some months ago, our team got invovled with a new project to engage Campus Crusade alumni using internet community tools. The objective of our leadership is to see “100% sent” — meaning every student who participates in Campus Cruade will be fruitful for the kingdom, whether in full-time ministry or in the buisness world. Our hope is each one will actively invest their L.I.F.E. (Labor, Influence, Finances, and Expertise) in reaching others for Christ.

CruCommons.com developed out of this effort and has been launced as a community portal for students participating in upcoming Summer Projects. They will be able to login, share a picture and other information about themselves, and get to know others on their summer project. We’ve also provided a place for them to link to other community sites they are involved in (like myspace.com, flickr.com, or facebook.com).

Over 3,100 summer project students are being invited to participate in this test release of the web site. The next step will be to invite a handful of graduating seniors to become involved using another version of this tool. Eventually, we hope this will be released to all those who are, or have been, involved with Campus Cruade.