Testimonies
Explore captivating trip stories and inspiring testimonies shared by individuals who have dedicated their time to serve with or work for CSM. Delve into the transformative experiences, impactful moments, and profound insights that unfold in their narratives, providing a glimpse into the meaningful work accomplished through CSM's mission.
“From the moment I arrived to my CSM service city on that fourth of July week in, I experienced a true culture shock within my own country.
That very first day of being in the city was a wake up call into what it was like to live as a minority in our country.”
“The year between my second and third year of pursuing my undergraduate degree in social work, I was deeply invested in societal issues and aspired to contribute to a more fair and just world for the poor. While recognizing this as the heart of Jesus, I was cynical and discouraged about the American Christian Church’s involvement in meaningfully loving the poor. I applied to work for CSM as a sincere effort to invest in a Christian organization, even though I was disillusioned by most.
Not only did CSM restore my hope in Christian love for the poor through humble and dignifying ways, but it also opened my eyes to a model of community that immerses itself in the everyday life partnership of restoring cities through friendship, education, cooperation, and following Jesus’s example of self-sacrifice.
CSM’s approach to changing the “inner-heart” of the individual through compassion for the poor ultimately transforms the way communities are structured. CSM forms partnerships with existing organizations and ministries to support and educate through their expertise, effectively modeling inner-heart change and its outcomes through a network of compassionate people working with and on behalf of the poor. This approach, to me, reflects the heart of Jesus for His people and how to live together generously and collaboratively for a more complete version of restoration.
Not only did CSM change the way I think about the heart of Jesus for the poor and His love for generosity and collaboration within the community, but it also restored my hope in the unity of Christ’s body. It motivated me to invest in the Church’s mission to love the world and direct efforts toward God’s love and harmony. It encouraged me to be a good listener to Christians different from me and an effective communicator to other believers about how God has changed my heart for His will. CSM gave me new eyes and confidence to step boldly back into the story of God’s people living together and working out their differences for the sake of His glory. I’m grateful that CSM exists to soften hearts like mine and encourage those in need of hope!”
“CSM helps groups experience, with all five senses, the love that God has for those who are broken.
Even six years later, I often recall moments from my first CSM trip. Those experiences continue to shape my thoughts and even the way I approach ministry.”
“My son went on a CSM trip during his freshman year of high school. Despite growing up in the church, he hadn’t yet made a decision to follow Christ. Upon his return from the CSM mission trip with our church’s youth group, he shared that after his time in Nashville, there was no denying that Jesus is real. That Sunday, he gave his life to the Lord.
Thank you, CSM, for providing a safe trip for my child to learn, serve, and witness God’s love on display.”
“Every so often, God causes individuals to make small cameos in our life stories in such a way that they drastically alter the plots of our narratives. Such was Eric’s experience with Robert, whom he met on a CSM trip to Chicago. At the time, Robert was a man living on the streets. It would have been easy for him to fade into the background of Eric’s story, but God had a different plan. He amplified Robert’s voice to the point that it awakened a dormant passion for inner-city ministry. This is the story of Eric’s life, interrupted.
Eric was the associate pastor at The Ninth Hour in Chicago. During his years attaining his Master of Divinity at Moody Theological Seminary, he was a youth pastor at Hanmee Presbyterian Church in Itasca, Illinois, where he met his wife Janice, who was the children’s pastor at the time. He led mission trips with his students to Honduras. As he saw the problems going on in Chicago, he questioned why the church was not addressing the issues in its own city before sending people abroad.
He researched inner-city missions organizations and came across CSM. He brought his students for a week-long trip to Chicago, during which they served at By the Hand Club for Kids, a children’s ministry, and after-school program that serves four of the most poverty-stricken neighborhoods in Chicago.
In a CSM activity called “Immersion,” in which his group was sent to explore the downtown area, they spotted Robert holding a sign that said “God Bless You.” He was begging pedestrians for a week-long train pass so he could sleep on the train. As Eric and his students talked to Robert, they were encouraged by his godliness and positivity, as well as his thankfulness despite his circumstances.
A year later, they came to Chicago with CSM again, and they came across Robert, still in the same place, still begging. He was genuinely surprised that Eric recognized him. As his group left Chicago, Eric was troubled by the brokenness of poverty. He thought to himself, “The gospel has to be good news for people like Robert, for the least of these.” He noted that loving the neighbor as self is an inextricable part of God’s greatest commandment that we often forget. Eric later attended a conference where Francis Chan spoke, and he was convicted by the heart Jesus had for the marginalized, healing them spiritually, physically, and socioeconomically.
Eric could not ignore the change that had taken place in his heart. He became an associate pastor at The Ninth Hour, a church on the Near West Side of Chicago that strives to address inner-city issues like racial and social justice. For a year, he commuted to work from Palatine, a Chicago suburb. Finally, God called him to dwell in the inner city as well.
At The Ninth Hour, Eric and Janice, along with several other church members, helped launch The Ninth Hour Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization that strives to improve the surrounding impoverished community; Janice is a board member of the organization. As part of his job, Eric constantly works to partner his church with ministries that understand the needs of the community and are working to bring about social justice, which Eric has come to firmly believe is at the heart of the gospel. Furthermore, after initially falling in love with the holistic ministry of By the Hand Club for Kids on his first CSM trip, Eric started working as a volunteer recruiter and trainer for the organization.
God has a habit of shaking up our plans. Eric could not have anticipated the degree to which his encounter with Robert would redirect his life. What is truly incredible is the heart change that took place in Eric as a result. The human heart is a force to be reckoned with, and it cannot be changed apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. Years later, as Eric visited one of By the Hand’s ministry partners, he saw Robert at the intersection where he had seen him twice before. God reminded Eric of how profoundly He had interrupted his life. Eric is an example of what happens when we allow God to speak louder than us over our own lives. As Proverbs 19:21 (ESV) says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” May we eagerly await God’s divine interruption of our plans on a daily basis.”
“I came to CSM at the beginning of the summer, expecting to serve and teach others. But truthfully, the people of city ended up teaching me much more than I could have imagined. The people I met spoke truth into my life and showed me Christ through their actions. I saw God working in refugees, the elderly, children, students, and middle-class strangers walking down the street.
God humbled me this summer and showed me that serving people does not make me a savior. True service is meant to reveal the true Savior, Jesus Christ. I am radically selfish, and without the Holy Spirit, I could easily ignore others. In that sense, God has made me new. He taught me to look away from myself and treat others with dignity and compassion.
My summer serving with CSM forced me to ask myself: What does it look like to look to the interests of others? What does it look like to do nothing out of selfish ambition? God continues to work in my heart as I learn, grow, and wrestle with these tough questions. My flaws are apparent to me, but through my weakness, I get to see the greatness of God.”