ACU students are being offered the opportunity to stay in Abilene during spring break to work with three different service organizations.

The Center for Christian Service and Leadership sponsors Service in the City, an Abilene-based Spring Break Campaign. Beltway Park Baptist Church’s college ministry is organizing its own Spring Break campaign opportunity called Awaken and University Church of Christ is planning Spring Charge, a campaign that will allow students time to serve and visit home, too.

Students who participate in Service in the City can chose to work with the elderly, children or perform manual labor.

Matt Anderson, assistant coordinator for Spring Break Campaigns, said students who participate in service projects over the break will be able to focus on something bigger than their degree plans.

“This gives you the opportunity to do something real at a time in your life where you haven’t really reached your end goal,” Anderson said.

The event will take place March 10-13 and will cost about $150.

Greg Jeffers, graduate assistant at the CCSL, said Service in the City is based on the story of Lazarus in the Bible, the poor beggar who sat outside of the rich man’s home and was ignored daily.

“One of our hopes at the Center for Christian Service and Leadership is to make sure we’re not walking past Lazarus on our way out to do great things in the world,” Jeffers said.

Jeffers said the week will focus on spiritual formation as well as serving others.

Drew Dixon, administrator of Beltway’s college ministry, said Awaken is a conference as well as a mission trip. It will take place March 8-14.

Each morning will contain a lesson and there will be a service project each afternoon, Dixon said. Every evening, students will gather from surrounding neighborhoods to have fellowship with people from the community.

“One of the really great things about us doing this in Abilene is there is kind of an obvious follow-up,” Dixon said. “People that we meet, we can kind of follow up with and invite to church.”

The cost of the trip will be $210, which covers the cost of food and a hotel stay in town.

UCC’s Spring Charge, March 7 – 12, is for students who want to serve in Abilene, but would also like enough time to travel home and see family.

Ben Fike, UCC’s college minister, said the church is partnering with Taylor Elementary School to create a children’s day camp with classes taught by UCC and ACU staff members. Fike said students will stay with members of the congregation during the week.

“We’re hoping for a chance to know our surrounding neighborhood and really nurture some lasting relationships,” Fike said.

Service in the City: acu.edu/CCSL.

Awaken: beltway.org/college

Spring Charge: uccabilene.org/springcharge

To see what other Spring Break opportunities are being offered around ACU, visit http://www.acu.edu/campusoffices/ccsl/ministry-service/spring-break/mission-opportunities.html