Published Feb 20, 2017
Riverside – Students from California Baptist University partnered with New Vision Christian Fellowship’s Urban Missions Ministry to conduct a food distribution project serving homeless communities in San Diego February 17-19.
The CBU team was formed through the Urban Excursion service learning projects that are operated out of the office of spiritual life. Julie Dobbins, director of compassion and women’s ministries at CBU, said Urban Excursion projects are a tangible way to show the love of Christ as well as teaching students how to integrate service and care into their daily lives.
“Students get to put Christ on display in their actions,” Dobbins said.
Dobbins said the Urban Excursion projects are open to all CBU students. There are several opportunities throughout a semester for students to serve, from weekly events in Riverside to service trips to cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.
Students train for three weeks before participating in a service trip, Dobbins said. Training nights and team-building activities help prepare students for their activity.
“The training offers students an opportunity to get to know their team, and also learn about the vision and values at CBU and learn why we serve,” Dobbins said.
By the end of the training, students learn valuable skills related to communication, connecting with others and sharing about Christ, Dobbins said.
“We want students to know how to pray for someone they’ve never met, understand the culture they are going into and also be able to show a person respect by shaking a hand and looking them in the eye,” Dobbins said.
Urban Excursion projects in the past have helped with harvest festivals, children with special needs, care of the elderly and various homeless assistance ministries.