Greg and Charmaine Lillestrand are both graduates of Texas Christian University. They joined Cru staff in 1985 after working a few years in the business arena of San Diego. They served at the University of Texas for 3 years before moving to Serbia to help launch Cru student ministry in that nation.

Following Eastern Europe, the Lillestrands served as campus directors at University of California, Berkeley. Later, living in Moscow, Russia, they served for 4 years as the Eurasia Campus Ministry Directors for the 16 nations of the former Soviet Union. In 1995, Greg and Charmaine joined the U.S. Campus Ministry National Team, leading the Worldwide Student Network, which helped launch 367 new ministry locations in 60 countries during the next 9 years.

In 2005, they moved their family to Italy to serve as the National Director for Agape Italia for 5 years. The missional challenges of Europe caused Greg and Charmaine to see the power of the Gospel more clearly and to discover fresh, new ways to encounter the lost.

Greg and Charmaine now lead Cru City ministry with a passion to help men and women experience the joys of a life wholly surrendered to Jesus. “To have a relationship with the One who created you, to understand you have a purpose, your life matters, you can make a difference in the world…that’s all privilege!” says Greg. They believe cities are the new 10/40 window of 21st century missions.”We want to show up, in creative ways, in relationship with those who are lost, who do not yet know what being a follower of Jesus really means. We want to live it and share it among them.”

Greg and Charmaine have 2 children, Ryan and Sophia, and currently live in Austin, Texas.