Short-term Mission Opportunities
Two Here’s Life outreaches bring college students into the inner city, stretching their faith and giving them opportunities to learn, to grow and to serve.
Summer in the City brings students into urban areas to serve churches and missions in their summer programs. It began in 1984 in New York City, growing out of the need by inner-city churches for more volunteers. Students help run urban day camps, man food pantries, staff neighborhood outreaches and participate in many other projects. Along the way they share their faith in Christ with those they meet.
The students not only give but they also receive. Fears and stereotypes are overcome, and they grow in understanding of the complicated issues of poverty. They meet believers who are poor in the eyes of the world but rich in faith.
For some, it is such a life-changing experience that they return after graduation as inner-city teachers, social workers or Here’s Life staff.
This summer, Summer in the City will take place in Chicago, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Seattle.
Urban Immersion is similar, but shorter — students serve during their college’s spring break. This spring 29 students came from Columbia, S.C. to minister in New York. They were led by Andrea Gooding (at left, second from right), who had been part of Summer in the City in New York last summer. She wanted others to share the same experiences that had opened her heart to the poor.
The students led a chapel service in a women’s shelter, tutored at-risk children, worked in a soup kitchen, and went on an outreach to the homeless. They asked homeless people they encountered how they could pray for them, and that opened the way for many spiritual conversations.
This spring more than 700 students stretched their faith and made a lasting impact through Urban Immersion.
Some Helpful Links:
Previous Spotlights:
S.A.Y. Yes! Centers for Youth Development
ForwardBound: From Crisis to Careers and Christ