Crossing Cultures, Sharing Christ: A Youth Mission Trip in Chicago

This June, our youth group had the incredible opportunity to travel to Chicago for a four-day mission trip that challenged and deepened their faith in powerful ways. The heart of our trip centered around evangelism and outreach on the campus of the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), where our students engaged in dozens of intentional gospel conversations with college students.

One of the most exciting aspects of serving on the UIC campus was the opportunity to connect with international students—over half of the conversations our students had were with individuals from countries such as Iran and others across the Middle East. What an amazing thought: just a four-hour drive gave us the chance to share Jesus with people from nations that are often difficult for missionaries to enter.

We were blessed to partner with Cru Ministries, a college-focused Christian organization that provided both structure and support throughout the week. The Cru staff and student leaders welcomed us warmly and quickly became mentors and role models for our group. Through conversation training, our students began to view the university not just as a campus, but as a mission field—one filled with real people in need of God’s love.

One of the most impactful parts of the trip was the time our students spent shadowing these college student leaders. These students modeled what it looks like to live out their faith in a public, secular environment, engaging peers in conversations that were both thoughtful and gospel-centered. They didn’t just tell our youth what to do—they showed them. By inviting our students into real-time interactions, they helped them learn how to listen well, ask meaningful questions, and share the truth of Jesus with both grace and confidence.

While our small-town, northwest Ohio students may not be convinced that a big-city college is where they’ll end up, they were inspired to see young adults just a few years older taking their faith seriously and boldly living it out.

Our prayer is that each of our students has returned home with greater confidence to be bold in their faith—and with a vision for continuing to grow and share that faith as they step into the next chapters of life.

For more information about our Youth Ministry, subscribe to our Parent’s Email, and see upcoming events, check out our website: https://www.gatewayepc.org/youth or contact Adam Borsay.