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I want to change the world. Why go to a North American city?
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The world is urbanizing. 65% of the world’s population
lives in urban centers—and the number is growing. In fact, the world’s
largest and fastest growing mission field is in urban centers. And that includes
the cities in North America. Yet many in the church are not familiar with the
problems of the urban poor and the way Christians are meeting them. CSM exists to
help bridge that gap and allow you to be part of the solution.
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I want to be part of a ministry that will continue long after I have left.
How do I do that with CSM?
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The CSM experience is a partnership with well-established
local ministries. You plug into churches and organizations that have a long
history of service in their neighborhoods. They are part of the most exciting
work God is doing anywhere. Your group becomes an important link in the continuation
of these important ministries. Each year, CSM provides more than 300,000 hours
of volunteer work to these ministries across North America.
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Do your people know the city well enough to lead groups or are they
"tourists?"?
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CSM staff live and work in their respective cities -- right
where you will be. They know the shopkeepers stocking shelves at the convenience
store. They get a smile and wave from the restaurant owners behind the counter and
the policemen on the beat. They did not arrive on the scene just before you did.
They know their way around like the locals -- because they are locals.
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How much time will I actually spend serving people instead of doing projects?
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A CSM experience does not typically have you hauling dirt or
swinging pick axes. CSM provides a people-to-people experience. You will be looking
into the eyes of a child at a daycare center, talking to a homeless person at a soup
kitchen, or working side by side with a recovering addict at a halfway house.
Our "projects" are working with people.
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I want to experience new people and different ways of life. Can I get a
cross-cultural experience so close to home?
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Many mission trips give you an exposure to one new culture.
Yet the cities of North America are rich with many cultures -- you just need to
know where to look. CSM trips intentionally provide exposure to a variety of
people groups. Each day finds you relating to new people and eating at new ethnic
restaurants. Where else could you go from experiencing Cuban to Thai to Jamaican
to Middle Eastern food -- all in one week!
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How much work will it be coordinating this trip?
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Each CSM experience is led by our resident staff, so all
of the details of the trip are taken care of for you. Leaders participate right
alongside their groups, confident in knowing that every detail -- scheduling, meals,
housing -- is already taken care of. After 20 years of trips -- and hundreds of
thousands of student service days -- we have got this down. All you have to do
is get to the city and provide transportation!
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Will I learn anything I can apply when I get home?
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A CSM urban missions trip is not a sight-seeing tour that
ends when the photos are passed around. You have seen the needs of the poor in
the city and have been part of the solution. You now look at people in the city
differently than before, knowing you have more in common with them than you had
ever imagined. You have helped others and seen the impact that a
"cup of cold water" can have. These same lessons can be applied in your
home communities. Many CSM alumni continue to be involved in urban ministry;
all come away changed by the experience of serving others.
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Learn more about the cities CSM serves in.
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