Moody Graduate School students dispersed among Chicago neighborhoods last week for Service in the City. The event is an annual project that allows graduate school students to step outside their normal routine and connect with other local ministries.

“The purpose of Service in the City is to both expose students to different cultures and intentionally partner with other churches to serve them,” said Graduate School Urban Studies professor John Fuder. Fuder has spent more than 25 years in urban ministry, including 17 years serving in Los Angeles, California. He and Noel Castellanos are general editors of the upcoming Moody Publishers release, A Heart for the Community: New Models for Urban and Suburban Ministry .

Fuder, along with the rest of the graduate faculty, stresses the importance of practical training for ministry. Service in the City is one example of how Moody Graduate School's curriculum integrates faith, education and real-life ministry experiences. In fact, this year’s event partnered with several graduate school students and alumni who are already serving churches and ministries in the Chicagoland area.

A team of approximately 20 students teamed up with graduate school alumnus Kristy Wallace and the ministry she works for to reach youth in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. “We were able to have a great time with the kids and connect with them about their faith,” said Wallace. “I am so thankful for the students' involvement, as well as the Moody community. I was so encouraged by their support. We requested that Moody employees donate items to provide as prize packs for the youth. The response was overwhelming. Moody Publishers alone donated 500 books to share with the kids.”

Graduate student Josh Bumpus is currently an interim pastor in the city and partnered with his fellow students during Service in the City to perform manual labor at the church site, such as cleaning and painting, as well as interacting with the community members to offer prayer and support.

“The needs of this city are so great,” said Service in the City coordinator Jose Figueroa. “The grad school provides students with an opportunity to take their training in the classroom and partner with other area churches and ministries so they’re exposed to the needs firsthand.” As coordinator, Figueroa provided resources for each team and arranged logistics for the day of service. Following graduation in May, he and his wife will begin serving with a local church in the Dominican Republic. The opportunity was presented to Figueroa through his ministry-focused training and interactions at Moody Graduate School.