About

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s vision is to see lives transformed, campuses renewed and world changers developed. InterVarsity’s Urban Projects are catalytic programs that help transform students into world changers.  In New York City we do this by working in partnership with non-profit organizations that tutor and mentor, feed the homeless, and fight sex-trafficking and slavery.

Click here to read en Espanol.

The New York City Urban Project proclaims faith in the resurrection of Jesus into systemic injustice and wishes to reflect God’s Kingdom inside and outside the halls of academia.

So, how does that happen?

Well, let’s imagine a forest.

In the roots of a tree you have, Melissa, Max, and Chanell who live in New York City. Melissa, on the lower east side in China town, Max in Midtown and Chanell in the Bronx.

Melissa is a senior at Hunter College involved in her church youth group. Max just moved to the city and works at a consulting firm. Chanell is student at Baruch College involved in InterVarsity.

Melissa wants to deepen her understanding of faith and justice so that she doesn’t just work in the city as she nears graduation but cares for Lazarus’ at her gate.  She’s looking for an internship to gain skills in non-profit work but also grow in her faith. She googles for internships and stumbles across NYCUP.

Max, a recent college graduate just finished Shane Claiborne’s Irresistible Revolution and wants to run fast and hard for Christ, particularly serving the homeless in his neighborhood near Penn Station; but how does he reach out to people who are nothing like him? Max’s pastor tells him to email NYCUP.

Chanell is a small group bible study leader who wants her small group to  be much more than a group of people who meet every week for a meal and then go back to their daily lives. She wants to step out of the boat like Peter, and transform her campus with God’s justice for the weak. Sophia, her InterVarsity Staffworker connects her with NYCUP.

Students, professionals, and faith leaders living and working in NYC are the roots of this tree. They’ve been inspired to serve, but are not sure where to, how to or if they should even attempt to attack problems like educational inequality or modern day slavery.

Now, in the branches you have organizations that Feed the Homeless, Tutor and Mentor and Fight Sex-Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery. Additionally, Spring Break Plunges and Summer Immersion Programs invite all students and volunteers to deepen their understanding of how faith interacts with systemic injustice and write a story of redemption grounded in Jesus within a community striving towards that end.

NYCUP acts as the trunk of the tree connecting passionate, talented individuals with the organizations who need them, introducing them to a love that breaks all boundaries and dives deep into the needs of our world through 5 values.

Whole Life Stewardship

What if our time, money, resources and gifts were focused on loving our neighbors as we love ourselves instead of loving ourselves more than everyone else.

Shalom and Justice

Our actions should be rooted in scripture, compelled by God’s call for justice that is for all of creation and not our own version of morality.

Spiritual Formation

We must see serving as the overflow of the love that God has for us poured out  for His people – not giving from guilt, shame, fear, obligation, anger, or wanting praise for ourselves; and we see suffering through the Gospel of Hope in Jesus Christ. Thus, we remain in prayer and worship as we invite God into the brokenness of this world praising Him that He has was and is and is to come.

Evangelism

In words and deeds with power we bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through a holistic understanding the Gospel — creation, fall, redemption, restoration — leaders from NYCUP are equipped to tell a story of freedom that they have experienced for themselves.

Leadership Development

Romans 12 proclaims that the body of Christ is many members but ONE body. Therefore as we live out the purposes that God has called and equipped us for there should be those mentoring us, those we walk alongside and those whom we are leading. The conviction, commitment and strategic vision of Paul, the advocacy and encouragement of Barnabas and the dedication and growth of Timothy is NYCUP’s aim to develop leaders for this generation and the next.

Max, hears about Feed 500 with the Love Kitchen and Manhattan Bible Church, attends, receives training and ideas on how to more effectively engage the homeless and begins “Feed a Few” in his own neighborhood by Penn Station sharing coffee and the Gospel. He is struck by the training in reaching a physical and spiritual need, linking justice and evangelism and is compelled to partner financially and offer mentorship to students.

Chanell after attending Feed 500, hears about NYCUP’s partnerships to fight sex-trafficking. After attending Call+Response she reaches out to campus groups and rallies students to respond with SCT Now’s Annual Walk to end slavery. Now, in law school she aims to be an advocate for those who cannot be heard and continues to be involved in rallying grad students to share their faith in word and deed.

Melissa, busy with school focuses on NYCUP’s Summer Immersion Program and inspires the Hope Resource Fair – a gathering of organizations centered on providing the resources necessary for all to live at their fullest potential including healthcare, tutoring, mentoring, housing, emergency food and more to the Washington Heights and Inwood communities. Now, back at her home church she is committed to seeing the Hope Fair continue in NYC and bringing a holistic Gospel to the Chinatown community.

The fruit of this work are world changers planted firmly in a holistic Gospel foundation that doesn’t condemn the communities they come from but instead informs and inspires them with a truth spoken in love that invites all who hear to truly follow Jesus. Students leave with a clear mind and a soft heart able to share the grace of God with those they meet; thus growing their small groups, engaging diverse communities, and leading people to faith by the power of the Holy Spirit.

All of this work is sustained by the love of God and the message of Jesus in scripture.

Isaiah 6 – meeting God, being cleansed and sent out.

Isaiah 55 – all are broken and all can be mended.

Isaiah 58 – The Fast Chosen by Jesus.

Isaiah 61 – Set Free to Set Free.

Matthew 6 – relying on God’s provision and seeking Him diligently in prayer.

And shining is our call from Isaiah 1:17 to “learn to do right, seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”Thank you for your prayer and support and God’s peace forever be with you.