March Madness: UrbanPromise Style
Newspapers and airwaves are replete with discouraging stories of soaring unemployment, financial greed, toxic loans and shrinking 401Ks. So it was a breath of refreshing air to encounter young adults whose purpose is to change our world.
It was Tuesday night at the Malibu Presbyterian Church Fellowship in California—there was a weekly outreach to students attending Pepperdine University. The church gymnasium was filled with two hundred of them wearing sandals, colored t-shirts and faded blue jeans.
The meeting format turned out to be different from announcements, games and sermon. Nineteen of the students had just returned from UrbanPromise in Camden and were eager to share the excitement of their week of service in New Jersey.
After a few introductory songs from the praise band, a seven minute DVD flashed on the projection screen. There were pictures of students shoveling snow (turns out that snow was a big thrill for Californians!), tutoring children, scrubbing toilets, and painting walls, all flashed rhythmically to an alternative musical beat. With each frame the audience sighed, laughed and cheered; those who served were receiving more than they gave.
As I sat in the audience waiting to preach, I could only think of Jesus’ counter-intuitive command: It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Those students, recently returned from serving UrbanPromise, surrendering their Spring Break, raising money for their plane tickets, flying across the country, sleeping on our church floors, waking at dawn, and loving kids, those collegians found and gave….Joy….Meaning….Life….and Love.
During the months of March and April another 250 University students will volunteer their Spring Break trips to serve the children of Camden and, in so doing, serve
the ministry of UrbanPromise. The students assist our teachers, chaperone playgrounds, weed gardens, rake leaves, referee basketball games and learned about the withering issues of poverty and the triumphs of Christian service. They will save UrbanPromise THOUSANDS of our dollars in manual labor costs and will infuse our ministries with youthful excitement.
Because of your generosity I am delighted to say Thank You for your gifts this month. Without you, none of the good things I have shared would have happened.
Thank you.
Dr. Bruce Main
President, UrbanPromise International
P.S. To read more about their trip visit our blog.