Together with Tabor College, The Urban Ministry Institute sponsors an Inter-term course during the month of January hosted at our campus in Wichita, Kansas.

This liberal arts/ministry exposure course is designed to help students understand the urban mission field, and to grapple with peril, promise, and potential for Kingdom work.  It covers the biblical citations and theological foundations for doing mission in the city, and provides practical ministry training and “hands-on” experience in an urban ministry.  Topics include: Urbanization and mission; Cross-cultural ministry; Urban evangelism, Church-planting, and Development and Social Justice.  Students also consider topics regarding Leadership development among the poor, and Theological Perspectives on the city.

Tabor’s Inter-term course in partnership with World Impact includes training sessions at World Impact’s Urban Ministry Institute in Wichita, KS, followed by two weeks of cross-cultural ministry outreach and service projects in one of World Impact ministry locations (e.g. St. Louis, Los Angeles, Newark, NJ, etc.).

Tabor Students should contact their admissions counselor to find out more about Tabor’s Inter-term opportunity (dates, cost, and application).

What was helpful in the classroom training at The Urban Ministry Institute?

“Very biblical based, aggressive, exciting, motivating.  Don Davis was great.”

“I learned a lot of new information and it forced me to think through some things for myself.”

“It was Bible based and solid.  They weren’t just throwing doctrine at you but had examples and everything else to back it up.”

“I was able to experience a new style of teaching, which was refreshing, and my eyes were opened to new things.  Made it fun and interesting to study material.”

“It was thorough and seemed to give a good picture of what World Impact did and what urban missions should focus on.”

“The information presented was so relevant to what we actually came across once we got to St. Louis, I felt that we had come better prepared than if we just showed up in St. Louis.”

What did you learn about cross-cultural ministry?

“That you must enter their culture and focus on that specific area.  Although we’re different with our backgrounds and experiences, by God Christians are all connected with a common purpose and mission, and that’s just real exciting.  Also overwhelmed by how huge the need is.”

“It is important to be culturally sensitive – but not necessary to pretend to be something you are not.  It is more important to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God – show people something they haven’t seen.”

“That it’s very important to help them understand they don’t need to conform to our culture to be a Christian, we need to be respectful, compassionate and understanding to people from every culture.”

“No one will step out of their culture to become a Christian.  Christians need to make sacrifices in their culture to help others.”