Students to serve during spring break

Two serve teams will assist international ministries this year. One group of students will fly to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where they will share their faith with guests at two Christian youth hostels. Another group will partner with the Moravian Church in Bluefields, Nicaragua, where they will work on a construction project, lead Bible school for children, and help at a health and feeding center.

Of the 12 U.S. service sites, one is a new destination for Northwestern’s SSP program. Students traveling to Cary, Miss., will join the Cary Christian Center in tutoring, leading Bible studies, helping families with emergencies, and assisting with a dental clinic.

Additional U.S. service opportunities include an after-school program and community improvement projects in Jonesboro, Ark.; home repair and after-school programs in Annville, Ky.; hurricane relief work in New Orleans; construction, backyard Bible clubs and community cleanup in Opelousas, La.; and work projects and a wilderness experience with local youth on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation in Minnesota.

Still other students will spend the week teaching English to Somalian immigrants in Minneapolis; organizing a free health clinic and learning about urban ministry and racial reconciliation in Jackson, Miss.; teaching school in Mendenhall, Miss.; cleaning and remodeling inner-city churches in New York City; helping at a homeless shelter in Spartanburg, S.C.; and serving with a prison ministry in Lindale, Texas.

SSP members raise their own travel funds through their individual families, friends and churches and also through fundraisers on campus and in the community.

Northwestern College’s short-term mission programs bear the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Missions (SOE) seal, ensuring that participating organizations get NWC mission teams that are of high quality. SOE standards include adequate pre-trip training and resources, as well as consistent post-trip follow-up and accountability.

“Spring Service Projects give students an opportunity to see God at work in the world and to serve and share their faith with others,” says the Rev. Tommy Moon, Northwestern’s director of missions. “Experiences like these are an important part of spiritual formation. It’s our hope that, through them, students gain a clearer understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.”

New Orleans SSP blog