Last month I had the great pleasure of visiting our Urban Projects (UP) in Oakland, California. Over sixty InterVarsity students were giving six weeks of their summer to serve on eight UP teams in the Bay Area. Activities included running summer kids clubs, tutoring, and assisting in drug and alcohol recovery programs.
My greatest joy was just hanging out with students – hearing their joys, discoveries, and fears. Several were experiencing urban poverty in depth for the first time. A month into their projects, the initial excitement had worn off and the hard reality of urban living was settling in.
But, their passion and calling for ministry among the poor were clearly deepening. I found them to be grappling with the problem of evil, with systems tilted against the disenfranchised, and with their sense of being overwhelmed by need. I was greatly encouraged by their understanding of social issues and their tenacity in holding tightly to the gospel hope that surpasses our understanding.
I was once again reminded of the prophet Isaiah’s timeless admonition “to loose the bonds of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free, share our bread with the hungry, take in the homeless and cover the naked” (Isaiah 58:6-7).
As I flew home, I was so proud of the impact that our students are having on cities across America. This past year alone, over 1,500 of them served in 65 UPs in 23 cities. But, more importantly, these experiences have deeply impacted our students. Their lives have been changed. A few years back, a survey of 80 UP alumni indicates the depth of this change:
- 10%—Purchased homes in at-risk neighborhoods
- 11%—Committed themselves wholeheartedly to Jesus for the first time
- 18% —Became involved with economic development
- 20%—Began ministering to gang kids or at-risk youth
- 25%—Joined a church of a different ethnicity
- 25%—Rented an apartment in at-risk neighborhoods
- 45%—Began mentoring younger leaders in their church
- 45%—Increased their giving
- 50%—Began tutoring in an urban neighborhood
- 68%—Increased their prayer life
- 73%—Crossed ethnic divides to seek racial reconciliation
What an amazing legacy! Thank the Lord for Urban Projects. Students are being transformed. Campuses are being renewed as they return from such life-altering experiences. And, world changers are being developed.
Alec Hill is the president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. This summer 333 InterVarsity students volunteered for Urban Projects in the following cities:
- Chicago, IL
- Fairbanks, AK
- Fresno, CA
- Greensboro, NC
- Los Angeles, CA
- Milwaukee, WI
- New Orleans
- New York, NY
- Oakland, CA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Portland, OR
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Tacoma, WA
- Tampa, FL
