The Milwaukee Inner City mission is a partnership project with the Inner City and the Campus Ministries of Cru. Around the globe cities are strategic places for the gospel to rapidly advance, but the city is a complex organism of many parts and great diversity. There is the urban core, the college campus, the business district, the parks, the beaches, the riverwalk, the arts scene, the schools, the neighborhoods of distinct ethnicities and and many other distinct spaces. Seldom at rest, glimpses of unity amidst great diversity can be seen as the city rallies enmass around key events such as the fourth of July and the many music festivals that swell with people throughout the summer (like Summerfest--the world's largest music festival). Still, the city is greatly divided; ethnic and socio-economic segregation is apparent and skepticism runs deep between neighborhoods and pockets of communities. Milwaukee is a broken city; a deeper, lasting effect is needed to heal the scars within this great city. Thankfully, the power of the gospel is at work changing lives and bringing about restoration. Many have come every summer to see God use them to help change peoples' lives!
This summer God is inviting you to come share His heart for the people of Milwaukee. Will you come? We need compassionate, energetic, faith-filled people who are willling to live in the city and bring the message of Jesus in a bold and relevant way.
The Milwaukee Inner City mission exists in order to provide students an opportunity to experience the city together with a team of Cru staff and students. It is an opportunity to take steps of faith, learn about the unique issues and challenges of ministry in the city, and receive ministry training to be able to better talk with people from all walks of life about Jesus. Each week of the summer 30-40 hours are spent serving or working on one of three distinct “tracks” of the city: Inner City, Professional or Millennial.
Inner City Track (School Credit)
Milwaukee is the fourth poorest city in the nation with over 40 percent of children living below the poverty level. The public high school graduation rate is 60 percent, and only 9 percent of African-American eight graders in public schools read at a proficient level. Less than half of African-American men of working age are employed – the lowest rate in the nation. Milwaukee has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country. The statistics are stunning and the personal stories are heartbreaking.
The Inner City track leans on the expertise and direction of Milwaukee’s Cru Inner City staff. Participants in this track receive theological training on God’s heart for the poor and develop skills to communicate the gospel cross-culturally and across socio-economic barriers. Participants work together as a team and reach out to children, families, and immigrants through a variety of inner-city outreach programs from partnering churches and ministries of Cru.
If you are interested in addressing issues of social justice from a Biblical perspective, then this may be the track for you! All are welcome, especially those majoring in social service fields such as education, social work and sociology. Many colleges/universities offer internship credit for students' involvement in opportunities such as this summer mission! Our staff will help you every step of the way.
Professional Track (Internship Opportunity)
The Professional Track is focused on bringing the gospel to the businesses and educational community in the city. Participants need to secure an internship for 30-40 hours per week in their field of study and work in conjunction with our Cru Professional coach to meet the summer mission criteria in order to be part of this track. Under the direction of a Cru staff coach and as part of a team of young professionals, participants will learn from one another and encourage each other to take bold steps of faith to represent Christ in your work setting. If you are interested in using your engineering, business, accounting & finance, architecture, IT, CIS, or other degrees to reach people for Christ in our cities, this may be the track for you. In addition, for education majors, the local Cru Inner City ministry has developed a partnership with the Center for Urban Teaching (www.urbanteaching.info) to provide paid teaching internships in Milwaukee for the summer! For more information on the Professional Track contact one of our Team Leaders at the top of this page.
Millennial Track
Milwaukee is dubbed the city of festivals and boasts a student population of over 70,000! This makes Milwaukee a premier destination for summer break. The college-age scene in Milwaukee is electric and especially so as music and festivities fill the streets and parks each weekend throughout the summer. Amidst kicking back and enjoying the summer scene, many millenials are looking for significance and purpose. They are hungry for something real, someone who cares. They want to know if God is real and that their lives will matter. Participants in this track are required to secure 30-40 hours of work per week throughout the city. Restaurants, city parks, service & retail shops and tourist businesses are all readily available each summer in Milwaukee. This track is for you if you want to learn how to engage in life alongside your peers at work and other young adults to make an eternal impact whether at work or at play! Contact one of our Team Leaders above for more info.
Where do you want to make an impact in the city for Jesus? Do you have a heart for children in the inner city, immigrants or a certain ethnicity? Do you want to see how God might use you in an office or professional setting? Are you looking for an opportunity to grow by coming alongside your peers and young adults? The Milwaukee Inner City Summer Mission has it all! Join Cru staff and students from all over the US this summer as we roll up our sleeves to get dirty, make lasting friendships, and take steps of faith to be used to make an eternal difference across the whole city!
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