Jonathan and Carolyn Thomas

Our mission is to win, build and send Christ-centred multiplying disciples who launch spiritual movements in and through sports.
We meet with athletes in group bible studies to  equip them with evangelism tools to reach others for God as well as mentor as a disciple one-on-one. We also run larger outreach events to widen the reach of Athletes In Action.

As we consider the state of young people in many cultures globally we see the need for the presence and nearness of Jesus to cast away loneliness, the truth of the gospel to bring clarity in confusion and the peace of God to heal anxiety. We believe that we can help people encounter Jesus through authentic relationship and discipleship.


Thank you for considering partnering with us financially or prayerfully as we seek to 

Win students to Jesus Christ, Build them in their faith and Send them into the world. 

We could not follow this calling without your support!

Our story so far, briefly! 

Carolyn was introduced to Cru as a middle school student in Cincinnati, OH, USA and after university studying marketing, business and youth work she joined Cru staff in 2006 and spent a year working at headquarters in Orlando, FL. USA.She then worked with high school teens in East Asia for 14 months before settling in Fishers and Carmel, Indiana (USA) until 2014.

Carolyn then spent 4 years in Sydney, Australia coaching and training school chaplains and working with students, helping establish a high school ministry with Power To Change (Cru / Tandem in Australia).

After meeting Jonathan in Australia, we were married in December 2018 in the USA before spending 6 months in the UK. While Jonathan completed studies in architecture,  Carolyn worked remotely for Cru headquarters again.

Carolyn returned to Carmel, Indiana (USA) to direct ministry in the Carmel schools - a high school and three middle schools - and after VISA processes Jonathan joined her in October 2019. He has worked in Architecture since and volunteered with Cru, helping train student leaders and joining boys in studying the bible together.

After joining Carolyn on a short term mission trip (taking teens to Fiji and New Zealand in June and July 2023) Jonathan was encouraged and affirmed that God wanted to use him and his story to share of His goodness, grace and healing in his life, walking alongside young people in a way that he needed when he was their age, with the hope they might avoid some of the pitfalls of his younger years when I lacked support, guidance or experience and get to know God as a gracious and compassionate God that comes alongside us in our mess and offers to rescue us. Jonathan started working for Cru full-time as of April 2024.

Eliza was born in November 2022 in Carmel, Indiana followed by Oliver in Auckland, New Zealand in December 2024!

We all moved to New Zealand in October 2024 to partner with the sports ministry of Cru / Tandem and reach athletes for Christ in and through sports at the University of Auckland (UOA) and Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

 If you would like to know more about our work or to sign up to receive our monthly newsletters please email:

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