Center for Student Missions's blog

“A man told me that he had lost something very special to him. I asked him, “What is it?”
He said,“Hope.”
I was able to give him a Bible. I’m thankful for the opportunity to be able to share God’s word."
-CSM New York Participant
 

Here at CSM Houston, each summer takes on a personality all its own. I’m always excited to see how our staff and groups will interact with each other and the city to make their own unique impact. Although each year I anticipate this “new feel,” the summer of 2008 has seemed particularly special. Our six summer staff members have surprised me almost on a daily basis with stories of the incredible – nearly tangible – ways in which they are encountering God in the city.

Relevant Magazine recently pulled together Jim Wallis, Chuck Colson, Shane Claiborne, Brian McLaren and many others to have them answer the following:
"Social justice has become a buzz phrase in Christianity lately. Halting global injustice seems to be one of the foremost concerns of young Christians, and its emphasis is changing the face of the Church from the way it engages society to the way it engages politics. But is our emphasis on social justice detracting from other areas of the Gospel?"
Check out what these great leaders of our faith have to say....

Today was a great day in Toronto. The weather was beautiful, my CSM team was amazing yet again, and I got to experience several different aspects of urban ministry that touched my heart.

I guess sometimes you really do have to be taken out of your comfort zone in order to realize the reality of seeing a bigger picture. Today I had a lot of time to reflect on the power of prayer. I am so glad to know that I can talk to God and trust Him with everything. I am glad that He is bigger than me and He is great in power and grace.

The New York City Coalition Against Hunger "represents New York City's over 1,200 soup kitchens and food pantries and the 1.3 million low income New Yorkers who are forced to use them. The Coalition works to meet the immediate food needs of low-income New Yorkers and enact innovative solutions to help them move "beyond the soup kitchen" to self-sufficiency."

NYC's Coalition Against Hunger keeps up an awesome blog - check it out! You'll find articles relevant to meeting the needs of New Yorkers who face hunger and ways you can help partner.

One of our students, Cori, was so moved by her experience in Chicago that she decided that she wanted to do a VBS for kids in the poorer section of our town. So in less than three weeks, she organized everything, from lining up Bible story teachers and volunteers, to developing a schedule, to getting small groups to commit to provide food, to shopping for all the supplies, to getting her friends to do everything (games, crafts, etc.). She had anywhere from 12-20 kids attend each of the four days. I couldn’t be more proud of her!
-Mike Fitzpatrick
La Croix UMC

“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
 

One thing I've had to get used to at CSM is the sleeping schedules of my fellow staff members. I am a night owl, and aside from the first week or two here, I have maintained that characteristic!

People generally divide Chicago  into three sides: the north, south, and west sides. CSM Chicago  used to have north side and south side prayer tours that we would take our groups on the first night they arrive in the city.  Our prayer tours are driving tours where we share about the issues and struggles of inner-city life, leading groups in praying over the city. Things have changed so much on the north side, that we are no  longer doing our north side prayer tour. So this spring we created a west side prayer tour.

The San Francisco Chronicle recently published a really interesting article about Tom Sepa - a man who wouldn't fit into the average person's idea of a homeless individual. Tom lives in a local park, but works from his laptop as a telemarketer. Pretty creative! If you've ever been on a CSM trip - you know one of our goals is to challenge your perception of what you think homeless people are like. We hope to not only put a face  on what to many may only be a statistic - but to also introduce you to some amazing friends!

From the moment these 34 individuals stepped outside their vehicles with hearts and bags full, they had no idea what this week would hold.
 The first group to arrive was from Michigan, who had already come last year! As their 34 legs stepped out of the vans, you could see the twinkle in their eyes as they braced themselves for "another" week here in Toronto. They were so remarkably impacted by the people they served, the stories they heard, and the things they saw, so much that they took this programming back home to serve those in their own communities.  

The Salvation Army and the Initiative Against Sexual Trafficking have partnered to invite believers worldwide to join in prayer and fasting for victims of sexual trafficking. The event will be held the weekend of September 26-28 and invites churches, para-church organizations and individuals to participate. Past participants have joined from have had participants from Macedonia, Venezuela, India, the Philippines, the United States, Canada, Mexico, the U.K., and Germany. Please visit their website to learn more.

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I recently pulled my copy of CS Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe off the shelf and read back over some of my favorite passages. There's one conversation in particular that I'm continually drawn back to:

"Is-is he a man?" asked Lucy.

"Aslan a man!" said Mr Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion - the Lion, the great Lion."

I got to spend the past week with some great kids from Crosspointe Church in