Missions

Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific team is a unique opportunity to encourage believers and support the ministries that have been created to engage seekers in this part of the world. Working within the legal limitations of this region, we will partner with vocational ministers in their work and engage local communities in a meaningful way.

San Francisco

In partnership with San Francisco City Impact, this team will spend their spring break in the Bay Area assisting with evangelism and outreach in "The Tenderloin", an inner-city neighborhood of San Francisco that includes a large homeless population. San Francisco City Impact's mission is to intervene on behalf of those in the inner-city, both physically and spiritually. The team will support and assist their daily ministry and activities with a specific focus on sharing Jesus in the local community. Activities include preparing/serving meals and visiting with people in the rescue mission, assisting teachers and tutoring students in the City Academy school and evangelism in nearby low-income housing. For more info on City Impact and the community in which they minister, watch the video.

Ecuador

Hacienda of Hope is a children's home that was created to provide a safe haven for abused and neglected children. The primary focus is family reunification when possible. The home also focuses on providing these children with counseling and a safe place to grow and know Jesus. In its simplest form it create a space for children to see God and grasp they are not alone and are loved.

This will partner with Hacienda of Hope in the fulfilling of their mission through loving, encouraging, and building relationships with the children and staff, work projects, and other needs and opportunities as identified by our ministry partner.

Guatemala (Med)

Partnering with Health Talents International, this team will spend the week of spring break working with and ministering to the K'ekchi' Indians near the Western coast. Students, faculty, staff, and medical professionals that make up the team will staff and run daily medical clinics in rural villages throughout the week, supporting the efforts of Health Talents that are already in place.

Guatemala (Med-Coban)

An expansion and result of the Guatemala medical and engineering trips, this medical mission trip to the area of Senaju, Alta Verapaz in Guatemala serves as a ministry to the Kekchi Mayans. The focus of this trip is to provide basic medical and dental care to the Kekchi Indian population in villages spread throughout the remote areas near Senahu. Over the course of the week, we will set up clinics in three different villages.This is a work that demands students that are willing to "rough it." We have very few facilities and the work is physically demanding, but very rewarding as we impact the lives of patients who have never been seen by a doctor or dentist before in their lives.

Honduras (HCC)

At the beginning of spring break, Hillsboro Church of Christ's university ministry will depart for Tegucigalpa, Honduras for a week-long mission effort supporting the Church of Christ at Mateo and the community that surrounds it. We will be reaching out to the impoverished people of that community, helping families and individuals with the most basic of needs. With a focus on construction, our trip will attempt to build 15 houses for families in need. Our teams will be responsible for funding and constructing the structures that will house these families for years to come. We will also have the opportunity to worship and interact with the Church in Mateo, develop relationships with each other and share the love of Christ with those we meet.

We will stay at Villa Gracia, a mission retreat in high in the mountains surrounding the capitol city of Tegucigalpa. Villa Gracia provides a secure, safe base of operations during the week, and the opportunity to come together as a team during down time. Most meals will be at Villa Gracia, but there will be opportunities for the team to go into the city for meals, shopping and cultural experiences. Above all, we are there to serve and to show Christ’s love in all that we do.

We hope that you will prayerfully consider how to spend your spring break. We know that you are blessed with many opportunities to serve around the world, each of which is unique and worthy. This trip is not for everybody; it’s an ambitious undertaking to build 15 houses in 5 days. And while rewarding and life changing, the work we are blessed to perform is often strenuous and tiring. We will ask you to commit to a preparation schedule that will help prepare the team for the work we are going to do. We will also ask you to help with fundraising efforts for yourself and the team. This trip is a significant commitment emotionally, physically and spiritually. Our hope is that you pray for guidance and direction for God to use you in a positive way somewhere this year.

Honduras (Med-Upreach)

This medical team partners with Mission Upreach in Santa Rosa de Copan, Honduras. Mission Upreach seeks to plant 1,010 self-led, self-sustaining, and self-replicating congregations in Western Honduras. Medical brigades provide communities with basic healthcare that is otherwise inaccessible. Students on this team would help meet these basic needs by serving in the clinic alongside healthcare professionals including primary care physicians, nurses, dentists, optometrists, and pharmacists. The clinic will partner with local health professionals in providing care for the community.

Baja (Med)

For many years, Lipscomb University has partnered with Baja Missions to encourage and assist local churches and people of Baja California, Mexico. Baja Missions exists to demonstrate the love of Jesus by bringing spiritual, physical and emotional relief to the people of the Baja peninsula and the growing churches in communities and villages where the gospel has never been.

The purpose of this trip is to provide medical care and support to some of the many communities which Baja Missions serves - areas with extremely limited access to healthcare. Students will work alongside and assist medical professionals that will also be part of the team, learning and gaining valuable experience in the process.

City of Children

City of Children was created to serve orphaned and needy children in Mexico, raising them in a loving environment while teaching the gospel. Currently, 72 children, ranging in age from from infants to college students, call the City of Children home.

Each spring break, students and others travel across the border to spend time with children that many have forgotten. Over the course of the week team members conduct a VBS, do manual labor inside and outside the orphanage, and spend time playing with and loving the kids.

Cozumel

Ciudad de Ángeles is a Christian children's home on the island of Cozumel, just off the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico that provides a safe and healthy environment based on Christian principles for orphaned, abandoned, abused, and needy children. The home raises children to become Christian adults who are responsible citizens in their local communities, and provides total care for all of the needs of the children — physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual.

This team will be serving the home in a variety of ways from manual labor on the campus, including teaching activities with the kids, community outreach, and working with the local church. Our purpose is to lift up, encourage and support the kids, dorm parents, church families, and local community however they see fit.

Nevis

Nevis is small island in the Caribbean, specifically part of the West Indies island chain. It is a short ferry ride from neighboring St. Kitts, and close to Antigua, Saba, and St. Maarten. This small island has a volcano, rainforests, and beautiful beaches. It is home to about 11,000 people and is the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton.

This trip, which began in 2009, includes daily visits to primary (elementary) schools where we share skits, devotions, and games with the kids. We also partner with a local church to put on a VBS each night with classes and activities for toddlers all the way to grandparents. The rest of our time on the island will include a service project as well as spending time building relationships with the Nevisians at the beach, on hikes, at the basketball court, the soccer field, and elsewhere. We try to make the most of our time in Nevis, but we also allow our schedule to be adaptable to the laid-back culture of the Caribbean.

New York City

Shiloh NYC is a Christian nonprofit rooted in the heart of New York City and dedicated to at-risk youth and families in the disadvantaged neighborhoods of NYC. Their programs are aimed at enriching the lives of youth physically, mentally, and spiritually. Shiloh NYC has been serving the communities of NYC for over 60 years through summer camps, after school programs, academic success training, and more.

Lipscomb has had the pleasure to partner with Shiloh NYC through missions for more than 15 years. We are partnered with Public School 179 in the South Bronx throughout our stay in the city, where we are teachers' assistants and representatives of Shiloh NYC to the teachers, students, and families of PS 179. In addition to our daily work within the school, we also engage with Shiloh NYC's Wednesday night youth group gathering at the Manhattan Church of Christ. The goal of our stay in New York is to partner with the work of Shiloh NYC by continuing their mission to build hope, confidence, and skills of the children, teenagers, and families we serve alongside, while recognizing the building of our own hope, confidence and skills by the ministry they provide us.

Nicaragua (Med)

This trip is focused on both medical and holistic mission work in Nicaragua. Deep in the central highland area of the country, near the city of Jinotega, the ministry of Misión Para Cristo has been working for years to bless the surrounding rural and underserved communities. Church planting, humanitarian assistance, education, and medical services are all coordinated by Misión Para Cristo in the area. Guided by American and Nicaraguan nurses and doctors, Lipscomb's mission team members will work in local primary care health clinics as well as mobile clinics in rural communities promoting health education, nutrition, dental hygiene, etc.

The trip will have a medical focus but is open to anyone with medical interest and/or training, as well as those interested in Latin American ministry, regardless of experience or college major.

Saba (SB)

This will be the 16th year Lipscomb University has sent a team to the Dutch island of Saba. The size of the island is only five square miles. Mt. Scenery, the central point of the island, is the highest peak in the Dutch Caribbean. Crime is almost non-existent – there are only 12 police officers. There are six different ecological climates found on the island that include both rainforest and desert; the reef around Saba is rated as one of the top 10 places for scuba diving in the world. There is one road that stretches across the island. English is the language of choice but Dutch is the official language. Less than 10 percent of the residents go to church and/or are Christians.

Although the scenery is breathtaking, the people are the reason we keep coming back every year excited to serve. Every year our goal is to strengthen families, teach morality, and encourage works of service among the residents. We strive to encourage meaningful and trusting relationships within the community. This often leads to deeper questions on how to achieve a personal relationship with God. We accomplish this through activities that father/son and mother/daughter relationships, teaching classes in the elementary school and high school about God's love and His sacrifice. We host nightly devotionals that aid in unifying the community. Through our worship and study together, locals have increasingly shown more and more curiosity and desire for a deeper understanding of the Bible. Although we go to Saba excited to teach, we often end up learning more ourselves. The natives of Saba welcome us into their everyday lives and it is impossible to ignore the presence of God in their hearts.

Army cots, cold showers, and cramped living is no one's idea of a vacation; that is a very small price to pay to be a part of this incredible, ongoing work in Saba.

Dundee

The city of Dundee is the fourth largest city in Scotland. It is located on the eastern coast of Scotland along the Tay River which feeds into the North Sea. Lipscomb Missions has partnered with the Dundee Church of Christ in their efforts to be a Christian presence in their community. Over the course of a week in Dundee, the team will be working with a local high school, presenting our Christian story as part of the students' Religious Education.

Working in large and small groups, team members will discuss why as Christians their identity is found in Christ and how that affects the way they live their lives. This is an incredible opportunity to exchange stories of culture, interests, and ways of life. Evenings will be spent with the local church, encouraging them in their journeys of faith by sharing meals together, hanging out in local coffee shops, and spending time in their homes. Being a Christian in Dundee is not a common story that is told — God blesses this team with the opportunity to share the Christian story in honest and intimate ways.

Chattanooga

In partnership with the IDEAL program, this team will travel to the Chattanooga area for Spring Break to work with Widows Harvest Ministries. Based on James 1:27, they seek to care for widows in distress in the Chattanooga area. The team will stay at a church close to downtown Chattanooga. Tasks include minor home repairs, clean-up, yard work, relationship building, and more. 

Brisbane

The mission trip to Brisbane, Australia is a four-week opportunity for Lipscomb students to build relationships and impact the lives of the youth and adults in the area. With a population of 1.5 million, Brisbane is the third largest city in Australia. While living with their Aussie families, the Lipscomb team partners with the Holland Park Church of Christ as its host partner

The first week of this month long trip is spent getting settled in with host families, meeting youth from the local churches, on a 24 hour team retreat, supporting the church lectureship, preparing for Camp Talmid and all while building healthy team dynamics. The second week is spent at Camp Talmid, a five day discipleship outdoor adventure camp for teenagers. An intense relational aspect of the trip, Camp Talmid is where many of the teenagers are taken deeper in their personal faith through small group discussions, building trust through ropes course activities and simply living in community and fellowship throughout the week. The third week the team spends facilitating Christian Day Camp, a three-day VBS of sorts that pours heavily into kids ages five to 12, while oftentimes being a follow-up activity for teenagers who attended Camp Talmid the previous week. The fourth week the team continues to pour energy into church families, the youth and the broader community while beginning to say their goodbyes.

Perth

Similar to Brisbane, the Perth trip is a three-week opportunity for Lipscomb students to build relationships and impact the lives of the youth and adults in the area. Perth is the capital of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in the country. While living with their Aussie host family, the Lipscomb team will be working with Lifestreams Christian Church. Lifestreams Christian Church is a Christ Centered Community that is passionately following Jesus. This trip is for anyone who has a desire to work with children and youth to show them the love of Christ. The team will work to build positive relationships, focused on Jesus' love. Activities include organizing a kids and youth day camp, youth nights, mentoring, and service activities. The people of Perth are excited to have Lipscomb come share in a relational ministry that will make a lasting impact for years to come.

Ghana

The Village of Hope in Ghana, West Africa is home to approximately 250 children ranging from infants to college students. The children are brought to the orphanage from off the streets, abusive or dangerous living conditions, and even rescued from child slavery. They live in 11 houses, each with between 20 and 25 children, overseen by couples who devote all of their time to raising these children as their own. Additionally, the campus consists of a nationally accredited hospital, a dental & eye clinic, Hope Christian Academy (a primary school of 700+ students, one of the best in Ghana), Hope College (a high school), the Village of Hope Church of Christ, staff houses, and guest houses. In other locations outside this campus, Village of Hope also runs feeding programs for street teens, a vocational training institute, local evangelist support, and another primary school.
 

The primary focus of this trip is to provide love and encouragement while developing and furthering long-term relationships with the children, parents, and staff of Village of Hope, aiding in the efforts of Village of Hope to help these children grow into strong Christian leaders that will impact their communities, both spiritually and otherwise. Another focus of this team is the collaborative facilitation of mobile medical clinics in the communities surrounding Village of Hope. This will present a unique opportunity for pre-health students to serve alongside Ghanaian and American health professionals.

Each year, the unique skills and gifts of the team are also utilized to facilitate various activities, while also assessing current needs and new areas for partnership. Some activities include but are not limited to: working in the nursery, primary and high schools, assisting with after-school tutoring and reading programs, facilitating small group devotionals and discussions with the children, quality time with house parents, and many more.

Great Britain/Greece/Albania

The purpose of this long-running Lipscomb mission effort is to help the youth programs and encourage the Christians in the UK, Greece, and Albania. Teams stay in the members' homes and fall in love with the families and children, building relationships with the Christians there. The objectives and activities will include Vacation Bible Schools, church camps, an general aid to the congregations. Each congregation is different, so each VBS will be unique and have its own character. Students can be part of this team from two to four weeks. The locations vary somewhat from year to year, but in the past have included: Korca, Albania, Athens, Greece, and Belfast and Coleraine, Northern Ireland.

Malawi (Education)

In partnership with the same host as our Malawi (Med) team, this team will serve Mtendere Orphanage, home to 150 orphans, 40 house mothers and other workers. The focus of the trip is two-fold: providing and developing a teacher-training program for their newly-established Christian school, while also building relationships with the children and staff of Mtendere. Priority selection will be given to junior, senior and graduate education students.

Read more about this trip here.

Moldova

This mission team will travel to one of the poorest countries in Eastern Europe, Moldova, to partner with Justice and Mercy International. Situated between the Ukraine and Romania, the Republic of Moldova is known for the amount of orphans and the epidemic of human trafficking within the country. JMI is an organization dedicated to changing lives by confronting global injustice. In Moldova, the organization runs two transitional homes, Grace House and Boys2Leaders. Both of these homes serve as a safe place to live and learn for the teenagers that have graduated from Moldova's orphanages around the age of 16. These two homes can host the teens until they are 21, providing them with life skills, education, and safety.  

While in Moldova, this team will serve in a local orphanage, getting to know the children through songs, games, and stories. We will also spend intentional time offering hope by building relationships through service to the young men and women of Grace House and Boys2Leaders. This year the team has a special opportunity to work specifically with Grace House, and host a weekend "retreat" for them. Much of the team's preparation will be planning this time spent pouring into the Grace House girls.

Peru (Med)

This medical mission team will travel to Peru to work with the Iglesia de Cristo en Santo Domingo, in the Carabayllo district of Lima. We will meet and develop personal relationships with church members as we worship with them and work together with them to conduct a free medical clinic for the local community.  The team will set up the medical clinic and pharmacy, and conduct the clinic with American and Peruvian doctors and nurses. Students will rotate throughout the clinic, serving with doctors, working in triage, in the pharmacy, and conducting bible lessons and arts and crafts activities for the children.

Philippines

The Philippines trip is a two-week long opportunity in May where Lipscomb students will assist in empowering children and youth on one of the 7,107 islands that make up this beautiful country. We will be working alongside Lipscomb alumni and their ministries while they support the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of these kids and their families. These ministries are both located in Cebu, Philippines. Hope For Tomorrow is a school sponsorship program and 818 Ministries: Jesan Center is a drop-in program for children living on the streets of Cebu. This is a very relational trip where Lipscomb students will engage local kids in team building activities, lessons on purpose, and conversations about the role we have in our community as Christians through the development of a youth empowerment summer camp.

Each of the ministries is unique, but one common factor is that they work in impoverished communities. The Philippines is 90% Christian (predominantly Catholic), but there is widespread poverty. 1 out of every 10 Filipinos are migrant workers- meaning they are moving to all corners of the globe, including those places that westerners have trouble getting into. As Lipscomb continues to work with the ministries on ground in the Philippines, hopeful about helping bring Filipino Christian leaders out of poverty, our hope is that the world can benefit.

Puerto Rico

Join the team going to San Sebastían, Puerto Rico in May! We will be working with the El Guacio Conference Center, a camp and conference center that has historically provided medical and community services to the local area. The center was the only place in the area with fresh water, so they were providing that for the following months after Hurricane Maria. Their facility still took hits though, so we'd be helping them so they can continue helping the people in their community. Our work will include painting, roofing, providing other work projects based on the capabilities of the group. Also, we will also be connecting with community leaders and organizers that have been supporting the community of San Sebastian since Hurricane Maria, as well as enjoying the beautiful island!

Saba (Summer)

This is the 16th year Lipscomb University is sending teams to the Dutch island of Saba! The size of the island is only five square miles. Mt. Scenery, the central point of the island, is the highest peak in the Dutch Caribbean. There are six different ecological climates found on the island that include both rainforest and desert, and the reef around Saba is rated as one of the top 10 places for scuba diving in the world. There is one road that stretches across the island. English is the language of choice but Dutch is the official language. Less than 10 percent of the residents go to church and/or are Christians.

Although the scenery is breathtaking, the people are the reason we keep coming back every year excited to serve. Every year our goal is to strengthen families, teach morality, and encourage works of service among the residents. We strive to encourage meaningful and trusting relationships within the community. This often leads to deeper questions on how to achieve a personal relationship with God. Through our worship and study together, locals have increasingly shown more and more curiosity and desire for a deeper understanding of the Bible. Although we go to Saba excited to teach, we often end up learning more ourselves. The natives of Saba welcome us into their everyday lives and it is impossible to ignore the presence of God in their hearts. On the summer trip, our team volunteers as counselors for a day camp organized by Child Focus. We assist in leading groups of kids through their activities for the day, including hiking, swimming, doing arts and crafts, going on archeology adventures, cooking, playing sports, and more. After the day camp, our team is able to interact with the locals throughout the evenings, building relationships through planned activities and free time.

High school students at Lipscomb Academy have the opportunity to serve on faculty-led domestic and international mission trips during breaks from class (fall, winter, spring break, summer).

More Info

Lipscomb student-athletes serve on a variety of mission teams each year, both specific to their status as student-athletes and general trips open to all. Initiatives within Athletics Missions send student-athletes and coaches to partner with what God is doing all over the country and the world.

More Info

Jamaica

As part of Lipscomb's Center for Business As Mission, this team will work in St. Thomas, Jamaica with host partner One53. Lipscomb and One53 work together in empowering Jamaican entrepreneurs to break poverty cycles by starting their own businesses. This year's team will continue to work with those businesses, work with new aspiring entrepreneurs, and assist with skills training.

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The Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering and Peugeot Center for Engineering Service to Developing Communities will send multiple teams throughout the year to different host partners with a long term vision for sustainable community development. From pedestrian bridges and clean water systems to wastewater treatment systems and therapeutic playgrounds, engineering students, faculty and corporate supporters have ventured off the traditional blueprints to touch the lives of families and communities around the globe.

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Lipscomb's College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences offers mission trip opportunities, led by their faculty, for their Kinesiology, Nursing, Nutrition, Pharmacy, and Physician Assistant students.

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Giving & How to Donate

Giving to Lipscomb Missions 

Team members are raising money on behalf of Lipscomb University and Lipscomb Missions. Participation requires that each team member meet the fundraising goal associated with their selected Lipscomb mission trip. In compliance with IRS publication 526 for tax-deductible gifts, a contribution is “for the use of” a qualified organization when it is held in a legally enforceable trust for the qualified organization or in a similar legal arrangement. The contributions must be made to a qualified organization and not set aside for use by a specific person. Therefore, funds cannot be assigned to an individual person or “rolled over” for an individual to use for a future trip or purpose. Funds raised beyond the fundraising goal will go towards student scholarships, team leader subsidies, and an emergency fund for all teams.

How to Donate

All donations are tax-deductible, and donors will receive a tax receipt in the mail from the university. For office liability purposes and accurate record keeping, we no longer accept cash donations. Please deposit any cash donations you may have in a bank account and make your donations by check or online payment options. 

Credit Card: Complete the form through our secure server. 

Check: Payable to Lipscomb University with participant's name, trip name in the memo line. Mail in one of the business reply envelopes provided by Lipscomb Missions (Postage is already paid; pick up from our offices and mail with your letters) or place in the mail slot in Ezell 238 (next to closet).

Goals & More

Goal Deadlines

All team members will follow a fundraising timeline with benchmarks towards the fundraising goal. A personal donation isn't required. Failure to meet benchmarks may ultimately disqualify your participation on a trip; Lipscomb Missions reserves the right to make this decision at any point in time.

Team members can check their progress at any time. We provide daily updates to each team's financial roster. A financial roster is a Google Sheets file shared with team members with view-only permissions at the time of registration, sent to the email address provided in the registration form. Team members will only be able to view the donations given on behalf of their personal fundraising goal.

Following Up With Donors

It is important for team members to maintain communication with their donors as you invite them to join you in supporting a ministry. Create a blog, provide periodical updates via phone or email, send thank you notes, and contact your partners following the trip to keep them informed and actively involved. This is the most effective way to maintain support for extended periods of time and develop true partnership with your supporters.

Fundraising Methods

Letters

We encourage participants to brainstorm categories of people (family, friends, churches, local contacts, et al.) and create a list of at least 50 contacts to whom the letters will be sent. Many participants will reach out to family members, team members, and other contacts to identify other potential supporters to add to the list.

Upon joining a Lipscomb Missions team, your team coordinator will provide a letter template that you can personalize to your contacts. The template will clearly describe the trip details and fundraising process for Lipscomb Missions.

Social Media & Email 

Each team will have a webpage where potential donors can see trip details and donate online. Upon joining a Lipscomb Missions team, team members will be provided this link that can be sent out in email form or linked through social media.

It is important to understand the fundraising process before beginning. Team members are not just asking people to give them money so they can travel somewhere; they are inviting others to be a part of their ministry. Mission trip fundraising is as much of a spiritual process as it is a financial one.  Cover the process in prayer, and consider the many examples of fundraising (both financial and physical resources) found within scripture. Consult with your team leaders and missions coordinator for additional resources and insight.

Multiple Trip Participants

Students who wish to participate on multiple trips are able to fundraise for both trips at the same time, however, they must be registered for multiple trips before this applies. For example, a team member who has raised $100 beyond their fundraising goal for trip A cannot then decide to join trip B and request that the $100 to be used for trip B. When a team member is registered and fundraising for multiple trips, once the first fundraising goal is met, funds will automatically be applied to the next fundraising goal. Ideally, we recommend that fundraising letters include both trips.

Students who choose to join multiple teams later in the year will need to start a new fundraising process for that team and any funds previously raised beyond the fundraising goal will be applied to student scholarships, team leader subsidies, and an emergency fund for all teams. At minimum, students who are registered for multiple trips will follow the standard fundraising goal deadline for the earliest season of participation.

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