Previous Next

Hello, and thank-you for visiting our page! We're Eric and Nerry Graefen, and we are blessed to serve the Lord as missionaries with Cru. Our passion and our purpose is to help fulfill the Great Commission in the power of the Holy Spirit. We do this by winning people to faith in Jesus Christ, building them up in their faith, and sending them out to win and build others.

Within the ministry, we serve as Co-Directors of Training & Development for Cru City, the single largest outreach of Cru to adults in the U.S. Nerry focuses on Operations and Communication, while Eric oversees Resources and Technology. Both of us provide frontline training, equipping, and development opportunities to individuals, couples, teams, and large ministry groups. Across the country, we have 750 missionaries spread out in 100+ cities and communities, and every one of them needs equipping and support. That’s where our passion and gifting come in. Our goal is to make sure our missionaries are fully engaged, fully effective, and flourishing on the frontlines of the gospel! Otherwise, they may very well leave the mission field.

Just like missionaries overseas, we at Cru go where the lost are—whether that’s neighborhoods, artists, 20-somethings, military personnel, business professionals—each group has its own culture, its own rhythms, even its own language in a way. And that’s where our missionaries go—to those spaces, with the gospel, in love, to see lives transformed.

In addition to our formal role with the ministry, we are also actively engaged in our own community... sharing the gospel, discipling individuals and groups, mentoring, and training leaders. We are constantly amazed at the doors the Holy Spirit opens to the gospel.

We value your prayers and are honored that you're considering joining us in partnership by investing in the mission. To sponsor our ministry, either with a one-time gift or a recurring gift, simply click the "Give a Gift" box below and follow the simple prompts.

Visit our FAQ page to learn more about sponsoring a Cru missionary

Give More. Pay Less. Fuel the Mission.

Unlock powerful ways to give that grow your kingdom influence—without touching your bank account.

Many men, women, and families just like you are discovering how to maximize their kingdom impact—not just for Cru, but also for their local church and other ministries—without ever touching their checking or savings accounts. Here are four powerful ways to give smarter:

Stock Gifts – Avoid capital gains and give more

Donor Advised Fund – Streamline your giving with tax efficiency

IRA Giving (age 70½+) – Reduce taxable income while advancing the gospel

Cryptocurrency - Surging in popularity as a way to maximize giving

Cru Foundation is a ministry of Cru designed to serve you with strategic, tax-smart giving solutions. Their mission is to help ensure more of your generosity fuels the Great Commission, not taxes. Click here to learn more and explore your options.

You can contact us at:

Eric: 913.980.9820        eric.graefen@cru.org 

Nerry: 913.244.5308      nerry.graefen@cru.org