Cru Leader Uses the Bible to Impact Ole Miss Greek Life Community

By Nick Platford
Hottytoddy.com intern

Between planning mission trips, leading discipleship groups, and teaching Bible studies, Kyle Cole serves a major role in helping lead community members in their walk with Christ.

Kyle Cole (middle) spends time helping Ole Miss students walk in their faith. Photo via Facebook.

Working as a senior staff member for Cru, Cole has had a tremendous impact on Ole Miss’s campus by helping students involved in Greek Life grow stronger in their faith. Cru is an interdenominational Christian ministry on campus, and its mission is to draw students to Christ, build them up in their faith, and send them out to lead other students to Christ.

Graduating from Ole Miss in 2005, Cole has been part of the Ole Miss community since 2000 when he moved here his freshman year. After Cole completed his time at Ole Miss he decided to work for Cru for a year, and that led him to work for the job he loves today.

“It’s my 13th year with Cru and it had a immense impact on my life when I was a student, so I wanted to give back one year. Now that one year has turned into 13 and I feel like I will be doing it for possibly the rest of my life,” he said.

Cole and his son in the Grove. Photo from Facebook.

After working on campus for over 13 years Cole has made a big impact on many students’ lives, but he believes that the most important thing Cru can do is focus on the spiritual needs of students. His favorite thing about working for Cru is watching students grow closer to the Lord.

“It happens all the time in fraternity houses…watching guys lives change,” he said.

A lot of Cole’s time spent working with Cru is at the fraternity houses.

“I think Cru’s impacted the Greek system greatly. Isaac, who was my director with Cru, got here in 1994. When he got here there wasn’t a Bible study going on inside a Greek house, there weren’t chaplain positions in any Greek house, and through his work in the Greek system, now, basically every single house has a chaplain and Bible study,” he said.

Cole especially impacted Sigma Nu President Carter Andrew’s spiritual life.

“He’s been extremely intentional with me throughout my four years here. He truly is a light in our chapter,” he said.

By spearheading Bible studies, Cole has helped Cru at Ole Miss become what it is today.

“Now we do co-ed studies in every house so every freshman in the Greek system is exposed to the Bible. I really do think Cru has had a great impact on this campus and now many other campuses are modeling their ministry after what we do here. We meet with, interview, and do consulting for other ministers around the country that are trying to get in the Greek system,” he said.