Lead EMBODIED

Everything you need to help your community practice Body Life Witness.

You’ve got this.

  • Four practices

  • 30–50 minutes each

  • made for groups

  • customizable for your context

How EMBODIED works

2. Gather your people. Think: movement leaders, Bible studies, training times

1. Preview the practice. Pray. Pick a time and place.

4. Choose one concrete way to embody the practice this week.

3. Work through one EMBODIED practice together.

5. Return for the next practice. Share stories. Reinforce what you’re learning.

Why EMBODIED?

BODY LIFE WITNESS

Evangelism is more than what one Christian says to another. People also encounter Jesus through the way his people live together.

Cru has historically called this Body Life Witness.

EMBODIED equips your movement to intentionally practice it.

  • Build a community that makes the gospel seen and heard on your campus

  • Develop a healthier culture of evangelism across your whole movement

  • Put four simple practices into action together

Romans 12:4-5

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

ACTS 1:8

You Y’all will be my witnesses.

In Cru research, 53% of first-generation Christians surveyed described a conversion story in which the Christian community played a significant role.

PICTURE IT

We asked a student artist how to visualize this communal form of witness.

Here’s how she sees it.

University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee student Kate Seymour put her animation skills to use with this cool interpretation of Body Life Witness. You can see more of Kate’s work here.

GETTING STARTED

No need to wing it.

PREPARE

    • Each of the 4 training sessions features a Body Life Practice. 

    • The numbers represent the recommended order. 

    • Each training lasts between 30-50mins.

    • Familiarize yourself with the content before you facilitate it. Consider inviting others to take turns to create greater group ownership.

    • While you may be the person responsible for initiating this training, the Holy Spirit will be the one who changes hearts.

    • Think about your campus movement’s cycles of momentum. What timing fits with your rhythms? 

    • Remember this training is flexible and can be used in many contexts. Which context is best for your movement?

      • leadership training

      • small group discipleship

      • a 4 week, action-oriented bible study 

      • large group focus on evangelism

The space and voice
you use send a signal.

PRACTICE  

    • How might you set up the environment to be comfortable, special, and welcoming? Make sure to consider the noise of your environment.

    • Videos often guide the training. This training is designed for participants to follow along on their own mobile device. Larger groups should consider showing some videos on a larger screen

    • You are a friendly guide. The questions are designed for open conversation and self-discovered learning.

    • Pay attention to:

      • Timing. Recommended times are at listed at the beginning of each section.

      • Dominance. Is one voice (including yours) talking too much? How can you invite others to share?

      • The Vibe. Don’t force people to go where they aren’t comfortable. You might ask something like this, “Would anyone be willing to share their micro-testimony?” vs. “let’s all go around and share our micro-testimonies.”

Make it stick. These practices are like exercise — they grow in strength over time, with repetition.

EMBODY 

  • What real stories and examples can your movement gather around that represent the best of Body Life Witness?

    • Do you have under-recognized students who are exemplars when it comes to Body Life practices such as welcoming and inviting? Give them a platform and tell their story to the rest of the movement as examples of faithful witness.

  • EMBODIED training practices will remain “good ideas” until you root them in reality. What concrete changes or initiatives will you implement as a movement that will change the culture of your movement?

  • What are some simple phrases and mantras you can say and memorize as movement leaders? They should be easy to remember and reinforce Body Life witness language and practices.

    ex: “We all long to belong. So everyone is greeted every time we gather.”

    ex: “Jesus closed the distance and moved toward us. Who do we need to move toward this week?’

    ex: “It’s not ‘me and Jesus,’ but ‘we and Jesus.’”

Welcome to the Four Practices

Get Started

NEXT STEPS

What’s the next step for your campus movement?

EMBODIED is only one part of a more comprehensive picture of how Cru teaches others to share the gospel. Root your movement in these other modes of evangelism for the greatest impact. 

Here’s a curated list of additional gospel resources

Your questions answered

  • EMBODIED consists of 4 sessions that help your movement unleash the power of Body Life Witness.

  • 'EMBODIED' is designed for groups, large or small.

    Imagine times when you you would want to gather your leaders to:

    -set direction and talk about DNA

    -focus on evangelism as a movement

    -train disciples

  • You can do the sessions in any order.

    However, we would recommend going in the numerical order we have given.

    Do all four for greatest impact in your movement.

  • Each session takes between 30 and 50 minutes to complete.

  • Having a comprehensive evangelism plan is a key step to having a fruitful witness woven into the DNA of your movement. See how this training fits into the big picture.