James and Kristy Kinene share how they’ve taken steps to impact ministry for future generations
What concerns you about the future? What are you hoping for your children or grandchildren? How can you make a lasting impact long after you’re gone?
I sat down with James and Kristy Kinene to chat about their involvement with CRU, their hopes for their children and the future.
James works in finance and Kristy has worked at CRU since 2008 in various roles within the CRU Educational Camps division. Since having children, Kristy now works one day a week helping out on school camps. They have three beautiful, boisterous and active children, 6-year-old Ezra, 3-year-old Macy and 15-month-old Micah.
Kristy also directs ‘Country Breakout’, a winter CRU Holiday Camp, which she has directed since its inception in 2011. James joined the team four years ago as a leader, and the kids absolutely love being part of camp.
“I think the cool thing about CRU is that it’s an opportunity for kids to be taken away from their normal environment and not only focus on the fun of camp but also hear about a God who loves them. It’s a perfect way for them to focus on something which we believe is eternally important” shares James.
James continues, “We are concerned that there are lots of distractions with technology and social media and how this will impact kids of this generation, which flows into future generations. Kristy adds, “My hope is that, above everything, our kids love Jesus. I love that CRU equips kids to follow Jesus with their whole heart, whether it be on a school camp, in a CRU Group at school or on a holiday camp.”
When Kristy was pregnant with Ezra in 2018, they saw an email from CRU advertising free Wills Days and thought “Great. We need to do this.” It wasn’t something they’d thought about before but, with a child on the way, it prompted them to consider putting their Wills in place.
“It was super easy, far easier than you think” James remembers. “It was honestly the first time we’d actually considered or thought long and hard about questions that no one naturally asks like ‘what happens to our estate when we die?’ It was good to be able to sit down with a lawyer who’s there to help you, someone who understands the process to walk us through it and start the conversation.
“We’ve got three young children and being able to protect what we’ve been blessed with and to be able to bless future generations is important to us. Having a Will sets you up for the future. It’s also a way of being able to use what we have for Christian ministry when we’re no longer around” shares James.
Kristy adds, “We decided to leave a gift to CRU in our Wills because CRU has made such an impact in my life and makes a big impact in other people’s lives.”
“We believe in the ministry of CRU. It’s important to make sure that we use what God’s given us to bless other ministries. We see it as an opportunity to give organisations such as CRU funding and resources to go and spread the Word to future generations. It was pretty easy for us to make that decision” James says.
He continues, “We love CRU. We love what they do, and so we want to continue supporting the mission. I wouldn’t like to see a day when CRU had to shut their doors because people didn’t think it was a viable ministry anymore. I think it’s absolutely fundamental to prevent this from happening. And so, if we’re talking about legacy, it’s making sure that the ministry continues.”
If you would like to take advantage of CRU’s Wills Days to have your Will written or updated for free, click here for more information about dates and times in Oct/Nov 2025, and to secure your spot.