How to Start a Personal Relationship with God According to Cru

Updated

Cru presents starting a relationship with God as a step you can take directly, without registering, paying, or contacting a local ministry first. Its site offers a guided article ("Knowing God Personally") plus Bible studies, videos, and articles you can read on your own. The one condition is that Cru frames this as a Christian decision: accepting that you have sinned, that Jesus died and rose to restore the relationship, and choosing to trust and follow him. If you want to explore before deciding, the same resources work as a starting point.

What Cru Means by "Knowing God Personally"

Cru's featured article describes the goal as a personal relationship with God that brings "purpose, peace, and direction." The site's stated mission is "connecting people to Jesus Christ," so the relationship it describes is specifically with Jesus, not a general sense of spirituality. In practice, Cru's materials treat this as a decision rather than a gradual self-improvement project: you acknowledge where you've fallen short, accept what Jesus did on your behalf, and begin following him.

Resources You Can Use on Your Own

Cru organizes its material under Resources (Articles, Audio, Bible Studies, Books, Devotionals, Infographics, Quizzes & Assessments, Video) and Topics (Changed Life Stories, How to Know God, Evangelism, Help Others Grow, Spiritual Growth, Life & Relationships, Leadership Training). For someone starting out, the most direct entry points are:

Resource What it covers Best for
Knowing God Personally A walkthrough of starting a relationship with God Reading the core message in one sitting
How to Pray: A Step-by-Step Introduction Learning to pray, including starting over Anyone unsure how to begin praying
How to Bring up God in Everyday Conversations Talking about faith with friends or family People who want to share their decision
Bible Studies Structured group or individual study Going deeper after an initial decision
Changed Life Stories First-person accounts Seeing what the relationship looks like in practice

The prayer guide explicitly says it works for people "just starting to pray regularly" or wanting "to start over," so you don't need prior background to use it.

Suggested Next Steps

  1. Read "Knowing God Personally" from start to finish and decide whether you agree with what it asks of you.
  2. If you do, respond in prayer using the "How to Pray" guide as a model; Cru treats prayer as conversation, not a formula.
  3. Begin reading the Bible regularly, using a Cru Bible study or devotional for structure.
  4. Find other Christians to learn with. Cru's Connect tool locates a Cru movement in your city, and the site lists ministries by audience (students, professionals, families, military, and others).

Do You Need to Register or Contact Anyone?

No. The articles, prayer guide, and Bible study listings are published openly on cru.org, and nothing in the site's materials makes reading them conditional on signing up or giving money. Contacting a local ministry is optional and mainly useful if you want people to meet with. Cru also publishes content in multiple languages and regions, so you can select your area from the site's region menu if English isn't your preference.

One honest caveat: Cru's site is a ministry resource, not a counseling service. If your questions go beyond what the articles address, the practical route is the Connect tool or a local church rather than the website itself.