After various spring break trips in past couple of years, Highland Church of Christ has decided to keep it local and spend this year around the neighborhoods of Abilene.

The Highland student ministry and the university ministry will team up to take part in what they are calling Restoration Week. Wade Casey (12′), one of two resident university ministers at Highland, said this particular trip is a first.

“It is fairly new. There have been other spring break trips that the university ministry at Highland has taken in the past, but they’ve usually been outside of the state or in the Houston, Dallas metroplexes,” Casey said. “This is the first time we have done something like this, really with the vision of trying to connect with neighbors to be as hospitable and friendly as possible.”

The idea came about when Jeremy Glover, student minister at Highland, mentioned a similar event he took part in while working in Houston. The event focused on ministering to neighborhoods around the Clear Lake Church of Christ, and Highland decided to bring that focus to Abilene.

“We decided let’s focus on the immediate neighborhoods around Highland Church,” Casey said. “There are a couple church plants Highland has. One is Freedom Fellowship and the other one is Grace Fellowship, so we are going to further relationships by praying for and serving those neighbors, too.”

Bailey Cate, resident university minister at Highland, said she hopes to see community formed both in the neighborhoods and between everyone who decides to serve.

“Our vision would be to see relationships built and to see communities formed,” said Cate, junior communications major from Fremont, Nebraska. “We want to love the people in our community the way Jesus loves us. We want to spread that love and build community through that.”

The structure of the campaign is broad. Volunteers will manage five to 10 block radiuses and will focus on doing what they can for the communities around them.

“After listening to and praying with people early in the week, we will return in the latter part of the week to work on any service projects the neighbors told us about,” Casey said.

The trip will take place from March 8-15 and will be in conjunction with a few local organizations around Abilene.

“I think this is a great opportunity to see outside of the block that is ACU and see what Abilene is like, so I encourage people to be involved in our spring break campaign,” Cate said.