BUMP

BUMP stands for Bridging Urban Missions Project and is the short-term urban missions ministry of the EFCA. CEFC students have participated in BUMP events in Chicago and Los Angeles, and most recently we took an intergenerational trip to Brooklyn, New York, in August 2009.

While in New York the 2009 BUMP team helped various sister EFCA churches with maintenance projects. They also ran a vacation Bible school and assisted with a tutoring program. During the evenings the team toured different ethnic and religious neighborhoods and learned about the various cultures present in NYC. There was also a free night in Manhattan. Throughout the week the team was able to post daily updates to stay in touch with the rest of the church family and supporters of the trip.

CEFC values experiences like BUMP because they increase our awareness of ministry in different cultures and of what God is doing in other places. BUMP also gives us a chance to show compassion and encourage churches in other areas of the country.

Built on Relationships

CEFC does ministry via relationship. And BUMP is no exception. One of our goals with each BUMP trip is that relationships between team members will deepen through this kind of shared experience. This was especially exciting in 2009 when we formed an intergenerational team. We had high schoolers, college students, young adults, parents, and a retiree! Many friendships formed on that trip that continue.

We also try to build relationships with those who live and minister in the areas we visit. We work with established churches, and our goal is to serve and come alongside the locals by helping them in the ministry they are already doing. Leading VBS for a week in a church that did it all summer was a blessing to the leaders there. Expanding and painting the youth room in a church that was reaching more and more students in the neighborhood helped make their current ministry more effective. These are the kinds of projects we love doing as part of BUMP.