In 1995, CRU staff member Chuck Roeper initiated a five-day lecture series on the U-M campus called “The Veritas Forum.” Following the Veritas Forum, some graduate students expressed their interest to start a ministry at U-M specifically for graduate students. During the Winter semester of 1996, “Michigan Christian Grads” (MCGrads) began as a partnership between CRU and another Christian mission agency at U-M, The Navigators.
The first two years MCGrads existed primarily as a coed Bible Study and prayer group. The third year MCGrads participated in Rackham’s New Student Orientation (Grad Fair), since then becoming more visible and active on campus. As a result, MCGrads grew in number and activity. These initial years were a time for trying different methods and clarifying goals. MCGrads’ core values came to be described as:
• ENCOUNTER Jesus fully. (Romans 1:16)
• ESTABLISH every Christian grad student in his or her faith. (Colossians 2:6-7)
• EQUIP growing believers with effective ministry skills. (Ephesians 4:11)
• ENTRUST maturing Christians to reproduce these distinctives around the world (2 Timothy 2:2).
Over the next five years MCGrads continued to grow and expand its ministry. A number of men’s and women’s small group Bible Studies started. The MCGrads website was designed and then redesigned a couple more times. The weekly MCGrads Group Email List started. Campus-wide and smaller departmental outreach events were sponsored. And the MCGrads weekly meeting became a regular feature, first every other week and then weekly. A few years later The Navigators stopped their ministry at U-M, so CRU continued the MCGrads ministry alone.
In 2009 MCGrads changed it’s name to gradCRU. Changes continued to be made, most notably stopping the weekly meeting on campus. Chuck and Dianne continue to provide coordination for gradCRU and the past three years Jane Liu has worked with them, first as an Intern and now as full-time gradCRU staff.
