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LIFE ON MISSION
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Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
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COLOSSIANS 4:2-6
Life on mission. God is not indifferent to how we spend the days of our lives. He gave us a purpose, a vocation, a mission. From the start, Adam and Eve were entrusted with the mission of joining God in his great mission of making all things good and beautiful. But with the sin of our first family, humanity opted out of God’s plans. Unfortunately, our rebellion against God has only led to the unmaking of the world, the destruction of everything good and beautiful. When Christ fulfilled his mission on earth, however, he made possible the restoration of our roles in God’s great mission. In Christ, life on mission with God has been regained. In Colossians 4, Paul calls on us to pray diligently for the mission to go forward. In addition to that, he calls us to action, to walk rightly and speak rightly as we engage those outside the faith. He calls us to spend our life on mission. Now, we have the happy duty to make the best use of the time, step into that mission, and embrace the whole gospel with our whole lives. Union University’s GO Trips offer opportunities for teams of students, faculty, and staff to participate more fully with God’s mission in North America and beyond. We encourage you to pray for GO Trips and pray that God would open a door for you to live more fully on mission with him. Join us in this ministry of living, serving, and learning in God’s great mission.
L I V I N G – GO Trips placing students in strategic ministry settings for an extended summer residence
S E R V I N G – GO Trips offering students specific hands-on experience in a range of ministries and service contexts L E A R N I N G – GO Trips highlighting unique ways that students can apply what they have gained in the classroom and more intentionally integrate study and mission
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A GO Trip is an opportunity to participate in the advancement of the Kingdom alongside a wonderful community of brothers and sisters in Christ and to be stretched and molded more into the image of Christ as you learn to trust Him more.
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KATELYN, NEW YORK CITY
CENTRAL ASIA* (6–8 WEEKS) • Studying
the local language in this Central Asian city and developing relationships with other students • Sharing the good news with Muslim students on university campuses and throughout the city • Being an integral part of a long-term, disciple-making strategy in one of the world’s largest unreached cities
NEW YORK CITY (6–8 WEEKS) • Partnering
with GenSend to survey the city for future church planting work • Exploring avenues for ministry in a city that is home to over 800 language groups and cultures • Developing relationships and sharing the gospel in one of the most important cultural centers in the world * Specific locations withheld for security reasons. More information about trips to these locations is available in the Office of University Ministries.
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The work seemed so very different in practice than it did in theory and I am striving to reconcile my knowledge of the Kingdom with what I saw the King doing there. I am encouraged by the evidence of grace in the openness and interest we saw in our friends. I rejoice in the opportunities we had to share the good news.
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JOSH, CENTRAL ASIA
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While watching the city pass by from the bus window, it reminded me of how we must constantly be on our knees for this city, asking God to come and move in our friends’ hearts. Talking to our friends about their worldview revealed how hopeless they truly are without the good news. We have truly seen God moving in our friends’ hearts in amazing ways.
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MEGHAN, CENTRAL ASIA
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People are coming to Boston from all over the world to study and then returning to their home countries. Serving the Lord in Boston is truly a way to reach the world. RACHEL, BOSTON
SERV ING Church Planting
Orphan Care
BOSTON
HONDURAS
Assisting church plants with outreach and service in the greater Boston area, including ESL ministry among international students at MIT
Joining key Union leaders in a long-standing partnership with Orphanage Emmanuel by caring for children, assisting with projects, and learning about God’s heart for the nations
NEW ORLEANS Coming alongside Hope Church to engage the greater New Orleans area with the gospel by serving communities, neighborhoods, local schools, and families
TAMPA Partnering with Covenant Life Church to work with local schools, organizations, families, college students, young professionals, and the urban poor
UCONN Serving alongside Bridge Church to build relationships and share Christ with college students on the campus of University of Connecticut
Community Development LOUISVILLE Serving the hurting of Louisville in a variety of service contexts such as homelessness, abortion, the sex industry, healthcare, and the arts
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One of the main things I noticed after talking with students was the lack of knowledge about Christianity and the gospel. NICHOLAS, UCONN
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The church planters taught and modeled a lot for us. We learned to take initiative to engage with the people around us and invest in neighborhoods where we live, to meet people where they are in order to have an opportunity to show and share the love of Christ, and that we must equip ourselves with God’s Word.
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AMBER, NEW ORLEANS
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We set aside a week to go to Honduras and serve, but this one week will change the way we live the rest of our lives. Throughout the trip, I found myself in the book of James. I was amazed at how God was revealing His word to me through this opportunity to serve.
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MALLORY, HONDURAS
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I have realized I don’t have an option to decide to be involved in the ministry of reconciliation in this world. It is not the exclusive calling of a few of us. FIELD PARTNER, SOUTH AFRICA
New Testament ISRAEL
Experiencing Middle Eastern culture by building relationships with Jewish and Arab people in Israel and studying the history and geography of biblically significant sites in Israel
Engineering, Science and French NORTH AFRICA* Using the practical application of technology to meet physical needs and provide an avenue to begin life-changing conversations with local people
Social Work and Christian Studies SOUTH AFRICA Exploring ways that the church can address extreme poverty and inequality and facilitate reconciliation between groups divided by race and social class Learning GO Trips may be eligible for course credit. For more information on a specific trip, pick up a Fact Sheet in the Office of University Ministries.
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The biggest takeaway was that God will work how, when, and through whom He wants. It was amazing throughout the trip to see people’s lives stirred and the truth being sought by a people group whose religion is so intertwined with their culture and tradition.
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ALEX, NORTH AFRICA
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The people I had the privilege to meet are real people. Their names, stories, and needs get lost as we debate politics and how Israel should be approached. We must bring the news of Christ and His reconciliation to every religious and ethnic group.
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DYLAN, ISRAEL
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W H Y A N D HOW WHY GO • Serve
in various ministry contexts regionally, domestically, and internationally in a team-based opportunity with Union faculty, staff, and students • Discover new cultures and see how God is at work around the world • Begin to see your unique role in taking the gospel to all nations • Receive training and investment that will benefit you far beyond your GO Trip • Participate
HOW TO GO • Participate
in GO Week (September 15–19) to learn more about GO Trips • Pick up Fact Sheets about each GO Trip • Read the GO Trip FAQs at www.uu.edu/events/go/faq.cfm • Prayerfully consider each opportunity • Complete an online GO Trip Application at www.uu.edu/events/go/forms • Attend training sessions and team meetings • Be flexible, available, and teachable • Maintain a 2.0 GPA
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God is moving there in more ways than we can share. This is no time to become complacent, it is time to work all the more diligently as we experience faithfulness from Him.
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JAMESON, CENTRAL ASIA
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I decided to sign up for a GO Trip because I love serving and being a part of team. My GO Trip also allowed me to build relationships with ministries outside Jackson as well as the opportunity to be poured into by a faculty/staff member.
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MARY KATE, NEW ORLEANS
DATES TO KNOW • September
10 Serve Jackson Expo • September 15–19 GO Week • September 22 Early Bird Application Deadline (50% off application fee) • September 26 Application Deadline • October 20 Team Reveal ($100 Deposit Due) • October 28–29 Ministry and Missions Expo • See GO Trip Calendar for Training and Team Meeting Dates
Find out more about GO Trips at Union University
uu.edu/events/go
WHERE TO GO SPRING BREAK Boston Honduras Louisville New Orleans Tampa UConn
MAY Israel North Africa* South Africa
SUMMER Central Asia* New York City * Specific locations withheld for security reasons. More information about trips to these locations is available in the Office of University Ministries.
Office of University Ministries UU Box 1812 | 1050 Union University Dr. | Jackson, TN 38305 731.661.5062 | uu.edu/oum Todd Brady Vice President for University Ministries 731.661.6566 | tbrady@uu.edu Taylor Worley Assistant Vice President for University Ministries 731.661.5971 | tworley@uu.edu Julie Bradfield Director of Student Mobilization 731.661.5242 | jbradfield@uu.edu Matthew Marshall Director of Service and Diversity Initiatives 731.661.5304 | mmarshall@uu.edu Josh Moore Director of Church Relations 731.661.6528 | jtmoore@uu.edu Melanie Taylor Ministry Coordinator 731.661.5062 | mtaylor@uu.edu Lee Wilson Director of Discipleship 731.661.5165 | lwilson@uu.edu
uu.edu/events/go
EXCELLENCE-DRIVEN
C H R I S T- C E N T E R E D
PEOPLE-FOCUSED
FUTURE-DIRECTED