Staff and students alike are discovering that urban programs are great training tools as well as accessible mission experiences. Solution? WE NEED MORE PROGRAMS! This page outlines five things a staff team should do if considering the urban program strategy for their area or region.
- Set Goals: What do you want to produce in students? What are your core values? Which of your on-campus objectives needs augmenting (e.g. team- building, risk-taking, servanthood, racial reconciliation, etc.) Craft your program to meet these objectives and values. (Check out the statement of core values which existing program directors have hammered out together, available through Randy White.) Secondly, as goals are set, recognize that your area and region has an established rhythm of training events. Area teams should ask how an urban program should fit into that rhythm.
- Review Possible Formats: IVCF Urban Programs typically fall into one of four formats: weekend-long "dips", one-week “plunges” (most often during spring break), two-week “immersions” (early summer), and 5-8 week summer “internships”. Plunges are best used for exposure to the city and team building. Immersions allow for a broader experience, and provide more time for extensive study of the scriptures, conflict and conflict resolution, and service opportunities. Internships give a more wholistic experience of urban ministry, allow for a more complete curriculum, and are more like global programs in their impact on students. You’ll want to choose a format that fits with your objectives.
- Cultivate Partnerships: Your program, no matter what length, will be more effective if you plug into existing ministries in the city. Partnerships with inner- city churches or agencies are the most revealing and rewarding aspects of these programs. It’s crucial that we do not ride into the city on our white horses and create a ministry structure which is both out of touch with the realities of that community only to ride out again when the program ends. When we join an existing ministry, we support their long-term presence, learn from their expertise, and strengthen their current efforts. Ultimately, we are looking to create collaborative relationships with these ministry partners, one where we both win. Part of this means being sensitive to the ethnic balance of your ministry team as it relates to the context in which you’ll be serving.
- Review Resources: You already have the essential resources - your staff team and community leaders. Involve as wide a variety of community leaders as possible in your content and teaching. Ask for their help in crafting the curriculum.
- Learn from Other Models: Check out the other information on the Urban Programs Staff Site. Call an existing program director. Apply for a peer visit to another program (ask your RD about that). Contact the National Urban Programs office: urban.programs@intervarsity.org.
Then Just Do It!
