CBU sending out service teams around the world

Riverside, Calif. (May 20, 2025) – Spiritual Life is sending out teams of volunteers to serve overseas on International Service Projects.

This year, 207 participants comprising 27 teams will serve in 20 countries. From early May to early June, teams depart from California Baptist University traveling to countries in Asia, Europe, Middle East, South America, and Africa.

Teams will serve from two to eight weeks in various ways, such as conducting English camps, trekking to remote villages, teaching conversational English, providing health care and assisting with children’s ministries and university ministries.

Anthony Navarro, a graduate student, is leading a team to Southeastern Europe. The team will teach American football at schools and in communities as a way to make connections and open doors for field workers.

“I hope the students see that there are people who are unengaged and unreached and who need to be discipled,” he said. “I'm also hoping they can live their lives as missional Christians here in America.” 

Navarro wants students to take what they learn on the field and apply it at CBU.

“Campus has an increasing population of those who are not Christian, and so it'd be cool to see them apply their evangelism and discipleship,” he said.

Isaiah Squire, a senior on the Southeastern Europe team, said the Holy Spirit pushed him to go on ISP.

“In the last year I've grown in my faith, and I'm excited to be here because I've grown as a person throughout the process,” he said. “I'm just trusting in God and hoping that he'll lead me to places that I wasn't able to reach before.”

Zach Peterson (’25), the student leader on the Southeastern Europe team, was looking forward to making connections in the community for the field workers.

“Hopefully we can be a light to these people, bring some joy, bring some fun, bring some football and hopefully they can all see the light of Christ through us and, in time, hopefully that will bring them to the Lord,” he said.

Prior to departure, teams gather with family and friends to pray at the Kugel, a large granite globe, in the center of the Yeager Center. The base of the Kugel is inscribed with Scripture from Matthew 28:19-20 and serves as a reminder of CBU’s commitment to the Great Commission.

ISP teams are prepared with more than 65 hours of training. This training exposes participants to the basics of disciple making and God’s global mission, as revealed in Scripture. It also provides students with the skills needed to share their personal testimony and the gospel, learn and understand new cultures, bond with their teammates, adapt to changes and learn how to best serve people and local communities.