Who We Are

Founded in 1988 as “Center for Student Missions,” CSM sought to bridge the gap between the suburbs and the urban centers in the United States with a mission to provide effective short-term Christian mission experiences for youth and adults in urban settings.

Today, we proudly call ourselves “City Service Mission” and continue to provide urban ministry experiences for junior high, senior high, college, adult, and family groups.

We offer serving opportunities in 3 cities from the east coast to the west coast of the United States. In each city, we partner with dozens of faith-based and nonfaith-based organizations that are already seeking to meet a specific need in their community. We recognize that God has called us into this ministry, and that by coming alongside these existing organizations, we are helping provide a solution for the city.

IMG_2506.jpg
image-asset.jpg
anna-earl-cTtE2FlIRoU-unsplash.jpg
image-asset.jpg
na3.jpg
image1.jpg
image-asset.jpg

How We Started

In 1988, Ridge and Robanne Burns embarked on a journey of faith, founding an organization dedicated to constructing bridges between the suburbs and urban centers in the United States. Their vision centered around providing life-changing, short-term urban experiences for youth groups and churches.

The inception of "Center For Student Missions" took place in Los Angeles, marking the beginning of their impactful mission to foster connections and understanding across diverse communities.

How We Do It

Learn more about our mission, propelling us forward; our vision, guiding us toward the future; and our core values, defining the way we provide meaningful service trips that honor the communities we serve.

  • To provide an effective urban ministry experience that transforms lives, influences churches and communities, and honors Christ.

  • We envision an urban missions movement: a generation of God’s people equipped to lead, compelled to serve, and committed for a lifetime to the often-forgotten in their communities.

  • We conduct ourselves at all times as ambassadors of Jesus Christ.

    We value our staff by training, developing, supporting, and recognizing them. We provide authentic benefit to the serving group participants.

    We provide authentic benefit to the urban ministries we serve. We raise funds with integrity and utilize the financial resources entrusted to us responsibly.

Statement of Faith

  • We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.

  • We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  • We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father and in His person return in power and glory.

  • We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.

  • We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

  • We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the saved unto the resurrection of life and the lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

  • We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.