Every year the Liberti Network partners with campus ministries to offer Philly Spring Break. This year 37 students from Temple, University of Pennsylvania, Penn State, West Chester University and Christopher Newport University participated over the two weeks.
A typical day would look something like this: After eating breakfast, the students would have a morning of devotionals and training. The trainings included vital topics like evangelism, poverty, addiction and cross cultural ministry.
“The city is a unique place and you have to be very intentional in serving and loving it to make an impact for Christ. I feel like I left with some practical knowledge on what that looks like and things I can apply to my life when I leave college.”
The students would then serve from 11 to 4 working with partners like Victory Outreach and Alpha Pregnancy Center, starting spiritual conversations on college campuses and working on the homes of local Philadelphians in need. The student’s evenings were full of teaching, processing what they experienced and times of worship. Liberti network pastors and staff provided much of the training and teaching times.
Many of the college students were deeply impacted by the poverty they saw and experienced in Camden, N.J., and sections of Philadelphia. They were challenged to think about the reality that both their college student peers homeless heroin addicts need the same loving embrace of the Gospel of Jesus. Many students shared their faith for the very first time.
Kaiser, a student participant, and campus minister Andy Young (who also serves as an elder at Liberti East) had a 90 minute conversation with a student at Temple one afternoon. They were able to hear her life story which included abuse, a miscarriage and homelessness. They had the opportunity to walk her through the Gospel. After they prayed for her she started crying and thanked them profusely for listening and caring. She was invited to come to Cru and to church and Andy is hopeful she will.
Another student summed up the experience well, “One of my favorite things about my experience at Philly Spring Break was the valuable experience I gained in my knowledge about what it looks like to be a Christian in the city. The city is a unique place and you have to be very intentional in serving and loving it to make an impact for Christ. I feel like I left with some practical knowledge on what that looks like and things I can apply to my life when I leave college.”
Please pray for these 37 students as they return to their normal routines on campus. Pray that they would continue to grow and share the great hope of Jesus with their friends and classmates. Pray for the campus ministers in the Liberti network and for the work they do to develop Christ-centered college students.
