“Participating in the Chicago Urban Program was one of the most significant events in my spritual journey. I learned so much about God’s heart for all people and the need for social and racial reconciliation.”
Student 2003
“God taught me that loving myself the way he made me is important for me to love others the way he made them”
Student Spring Break 2010
“God used CUP spring break to teach me … about social injustices that effect my community and that what I want to do with my career is where God wants me to be.”
Student Spring Break 2010
“God used CUP spring break to teach me … a better concept of how people are already working in these poor places to bring the kingdom (that there are already so many instances of people answering God’s call)”
Student Spring Break 2010
“Surgery without anesthesia or the most impacting and challenging 7 weeks of my life”
Student Summer 2010
“I am who I am by the grace of God. He’s made me to be me, with all of my individuality, heritage, and culture redeemed by the blood of Christ. I am not only a Child of God, but a part of Christ’s body and bride. Therefore I need to know how I fit into the other parts, seeing myself and others the way God sees them. Injustice is when we claim to know God and fail to know his heart, to act in a way that professes him with our lips and denies him with our hearts.”
Spring Break 2010
“God used CUP spring break to teach me … His heart for justice and my part in that”
Student Spring Break 2010
“I can worship God by placing myself into broken, poor areas that need help(and I should do this), and I need to stand up and speak out when I know something is not right.”
Spring Break 2010
“How to FULLY put my trust in GOD and His love and character was shown to me in Many ways.”
Spring Break 2010
“God used CUP spring break to teach me … God is present and working in the city. And There are many ways to get involved with social justice.”
Spring break 2010
“God used CUP spring break to teach me … the importance of forgiveness and how He has created me in a fearful and wonderful way.”
Spring Break 2010
“To put it simply, God took me out of my comfort zone for a walk around the neighborhood. To use an allegory: I step out of my house to visit my neighborhood (Going to CUP). I realized there is much more to the neighborhood than just my house. As I was about to walk back into my house, I realized I was still fenced in, and in order to REALLY know my community (which by the way was completely necessary since my lone house is woefully incomplete without the community), I needed to take down that wall and step out of my house. This allegory is getting a little messy, but I often find it difficult to describe what’s going on in myself. I learned God isn’t confined to my little house alone but that God is the totality of the community, and to truly know God and to love God I need to know the whole of God’s creation and love what God loves and hate what God hates.”
Student Spring Break 2010
“How to work better as one body in Christ. God taught me to feel how His heart breaks over and over when He witnesses social injustice. He taught me how to worship Him better. I became a Christian a month ago, and to be part of a program so early on in my walk, He showed me the next step – which for me is continuing to work with and volunteer with children that attend underprivileged schools. He opened my heart to a pain that resides in many communities that I had never felt before. He showed me I should be proud of my culture, that I can be comfortable praying out loud, and that I still have a lot to learn.”
Student Spring break 2010
“God used CUP spring break to teach me … that I can be used as part of his restoration plan!”
Spring Break 2010
“God used CUP to teach me … that we serve a truly awesome God who calls and empowers us to radically love our neighbors. It’s frightening how easy it is to not look, to grow numb, to be paralyzed by indifference or fear of not making a difference. The sporadic, “feel-good”, shallow caring about matters of social injustice within me must stop. It’s not a question of what’s safe or comfortable, but of what’s right. Not of what’s nice, but what is necessary. God has been transforming my cookie-cutter picture of what it means to hope and trust in Him. I’m so thankful for the people in my life with whom I can continue on this journey of living a life as image bearers of our Creator.”
Spring Break 2010
