Service is a high priority among Christians, and at California Baptist University its importance is underscored. There are two major avenues through which students may serve: Compassion Ministries and International Service Projects.
Through Compassion Ministries, sometimes referred to as Local Ministries, students go out into the community to assist those in need while spreading the Gospel of Jesus. Those who receive assistance range from homeless residents to high-risk teens to the elderly to churches in need. Two high-energy Compassion Ministries are Urban Plunge and Urban Excursion.
Urban Plunge takes students out into nearby inner city areas to undertake various daylong service projects, usually in cooperation with another locally based ministry. Urban Excursion is similar in concept, although service usually occurs over the course of a weekend and may take participants out of state.
Established in 1997, International Service Projects (ISP) are usually just that: primarily internationally based, although some are domestic and occur in different states around the country. These projects are designed to give students a taste of what it’s like to help fulfill the Great Commission firsthand. Over the past decade more than 1,000 participants on 111 teams have completed ISP work in dozens of regions and countries, including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Mexico, Honduras, and Argentina. Clearly, at CBU there are many opportunities for service-oriented students to step out in faith, broaden their worldview, and help change the world for the better—forever.