TNI Students Challenged In Philadelphia
Over forty Grace College students participated in The National Institute’s Cross-Cultural Youth Ministry module at Urban Hope Training Center in Philadelphia this past week.
The class used the cities of Philadelphia and Camden as learning labs and heard from youth ministry leaders in their cultural contexts. Leaders from the African American, Chinese, Latino and Center City contexts shared about their unique ministry strategies and the challenges of working in their particular cultural area. The students were also able to observe juvenile court to see how the system works.
One of the highlights of the course was participating in Kingdom Kids and ROCK at Urban Hope and hearing testimonies of young adults and tentmakers involved in the ministry. Every evening the students had the opportunity to be out in the Kensington community talking with people.
Dr. Cheryl Fawcett spent the last day of the module teaching students about youth ministry from a global perspective. Her challenge for students to consider how God could use them in youth ministry around the world was an amazing way to end the course.
On the last night, students met together, overlooking the hustle and bustle of the city, for a final evening of worship and sharing behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art. One by one the students opened up about deeply personal issues that God was challenging them with over their time in Philadelphia.
This educational experience became a transformational experience for many of the students who will never look at God, the world or the city, the same.
Pray for these students as they return to start a new semester at Grace. One of their assignments for the course is to build a relationship with someone from a different culture and seek to share Christ with that person or group over the course of five separate meetings. Think about the impact of forty students sharing their faith in the Warsaw/Winona Lake area! Praise God for a great experience and the brokenness of the students who participated.
Students in front of Urban Hope
Learning in class
Riding in the van
Riding in the van
Enjoying ethnic food
Good conversation over dinner
Students in class
Pastor Malcolm Walls from Great Commission Church
Harry Leong from Chinese Christian Church and the Center
Cheryl Fawcett teaching a class
Students enjoyed Liberty Square in downtown Philly
Brian Pfiester from Sweet Union Baptist Church
Pastor Zack Ritvalsky from Sweet Union Baptist Church
The class used the cities of Philadelphia and Camden as learning labs and heard from youth ministry leaders in their cultural contexts. Leaders from the African American, Chinese, Latino and Center City contexts shared about their unique ministry strategies and the challenges of working in their particular cultural area. The students were also able to observe juvenile court to see how the system works.
One of the highlights of the course was participating in Kingdom Kids and ROCK at Urban Hope and hearing testimonies of young adults and tentmakers involved in the ministry. Every evening the students had the opportunity to be out in the Kensington community talking with people.
Dr. Cheryl Fawcett spent the last day of the module teaching students about youth ministry from a global perspective. Her challenge for students to consider how God could use them in youth ministry around the world was an amazing way to end the course.
On the last night, students met together, overlooking the hustle and bustle of the city, for a final evening of worship and sharing behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art. One by one the students opened up about deeply personal issues that God was challenging them with over their time in Philadelphia.
This educational experience became a transformational experience for many of the students who will never look at God, the world or the city, the same.
Pray for these students as they return to start a new semester at Grace. One of their assignments for the course is to build a relationship with someone from a different culture and seek to share Christ with that person or group over the course of five separate meetings. Think about the impact of forty students sharing their faith in the Warsaw/Winona Lake area! Praise God for a great experience and the brokenness of the students who participated.
Students in front of Urban Hope
Learning in class
Riding in the van
Riding in the van
Enjoying ethnic food
Good conversation over dinner
Students in class
Pastor Malcolm Walls from Great Commission Church
Harry Leong from Chinese Christian Church and the Center
Cheryl Fawcett teaching a class
Students enjoyed Liberty Square in downtown Philly
Brian Pfiester from Sweet Union Baptist Church
Pastor Zack Ritvalsky from Sweet Union Baptist Church
