Northwestern College will send 12 teams of students on service trips to seven states, Mexico, Spain and England during spring break. More than 160 participants will travel for this year’s Spring Service Partnerships (SSP), scheduled for Feb. 28–March 9.
“Spring Service Partnerships give students the opportunity to live out their faith in practical ways while learning from people and ministries around the world,” says Patrick Hummel, the college’s director of missions. “Through faculty- and staff-led trips and thoughtful pre-trip preparation, students are equipped to grow spiritually, use their gifts well and build relationships that reflect Christ’s love.”
Two SSP teams will travel to Mexico. One will partner with Mazatlán Ministries in Baja California Sur, serving alongside a local church through vacation Bible school activities, sports clinics, manual labor and outreach to local families. The other will return to Croc, on the outskirts of Monterrey, where students will serve youth in an after-school program run by Youthfront and assist with vacation Bible school activities.
Another international team will partner with World Team missionaries in Madrid, Spain, serving with Proyecto Da Vida (Project Give Life), a church plant in the city. Students will help distribute food and clothing, organize and clean the ministry center, care for those being served, and build relationships through meaningful conversations and youth outreach opportunities.
In Oxford, England, an SSP team will come alongside One Collective in reaching underserved populations. Students will engage in relational ministry—such as art with locals, youth reading programs and men’s ministry—while also creating hygiene boxes and making practical improvements to The Jungle community center.
Two teams will aid in disaster recovery efforts in the United States. In David, Kentucky, students will partner with World Renew to provide relief following a devastating 2022 flood. NWC students will also work with Christmount Christian Assembly in Black Mountain, North Carolina, to provide relief to those affected by Hurricane Helene.
Two SSP teams will serve in and learn about Native American communities. One team will travel to Mescalero, New Mexico, where students will build relationships with members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe and work alongside native leaders who seek to maintain the community’s culture and heritage while following Jesus. Another team will serve in the Navajo Nation in Arizona through Experience Mission, learning about Navajo history and traditions while repairing homes, leading kids club or church outreach programs, and building meaningful relationships with community members.
In Texas, Northwestern students will serve in Lindale with Calvary Commission, a residential and educational center for ex-convicts. In Waco, an SSP team will serve with Mission Waco to perform manual labor and host a VBS-style street camp for neighborhood children.
Another two SSP groups are heading to Louisiana. One will staff after-school programs and construction projects in New Orleans with Urban Impact; the other will do tutoring, basketball coaching, community cleanup and relational ministry in partnership with Hope for Opelousas.
SSP team members raise their own travel funds through their individual families, friends and churches, and through fundraisers on campus and in the community.
Northwestern College’s short-term mission programs bear the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission seal, ensuring that participating organizations get teams that are of high quality. SOE standards include adequate pre-trip training and resources, as well as consistent post-trip follow-up and accountability.
