The decision was announced at the organisation's conference in Fort Collins, Colorado, this week.
According to media reports, the change reflects concerns that the word "Crusade" conjures up negative connotations with the medieval Crusades to re-establish Christian control of the Holy Land.
The new name will be introduced over the next nine months. Overseeing the project is Steve Sellers, CCCI vice president and the director of Campus Crusade for Christ in the US.
He was quoted as saying by Christianity Today magazine: "It's become a flash word for a lot of people.
"It harkens back to other periods of time and has a negative connotation for lots of people across the world.
"In the 50s, 'crusade' was the evangelistic term in the United States. Over time, different words take on different meanings to different groups."
CCCI was founded by Bill and Vonette Bright on the campus of UCLA in 1951. It now conducts evangelistic ministry in 191 countries.
Cru is already used on many US college branches as a shorthand for Campus Crusade for Christ.
In the UK and Europe, Campus Crusade for Christ already operates under the name of Agape.
In 2007, fellow youth ministry Crusaders changed its name to Urban Saints over similar concerns about the association of the word to the Crusades.
Sellers admitted that the change to Cru was likely to split opinion among the ministry's supporters.
"There will be any number of people who will say, 'Finally, it's about time you changed your name,'" he said.
"On the other extreme, there might be people who have been part of the ministry who think, 'Oh, you've gone liberal. You've changed your mission.'"