Lighthouse Service Trips

Serving a World in Need

Lighthouse trips go far beyond the academics of regular study abroad experiences. The J-term Lighthouse program enables students to gain unforgettable, life-changing experiences while learning and serving abroad.

Our students study the cultural, historical, social, and religious aspects of a host country and are equipped to carry out ministry among the local people. They gain experience in cross-cultural outreach, develop their leadership potential, seek justice, grow spiritually, and put their passion for God into action.

And while each Lighthouse service trip is different, from evangelizing in the streets to helping build houses, every team’s goals are the same. We want to enter other cultures as humble servant-leaders, embody the core values in the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Missions, serve as lights of God’s love and compassion, and become beacons of deeper faith and understanding others who serve in these communities.

Support

Without outside support from Taylor University friends, family, and alumni, Lighthouse trips wouldn’t be possible. The support you provide through praying and giving can go beyond the boundaries of the discipleship we pursue through our trips. If you feel led to support Lighthouse missions financially, you can donate to the Lighthouse program online.

We are also grateful for the long-term partnerships with our host families, host ministries, and organizations founded or run by Taylor graduates. Several partners have been to campus to share their stories personally with students in chapel and other venues, such as:

• Love Justice International: Founded by Taylor alum John Molineux, Love Justice International—formerly Tiny Hands International—is dedicated to reaching orphans, street children, and the victims of the sex-trafficking industry.
• Project Mercy: Founded by former Taylor Board Member, Marta Gabre-Tsadick, Project Mercy empowers individuals to create thriving, economically independent communities.
• Vision Trust: As president of Vision Trust, Matt Storer, a Taylor alum, and the rest of his team are committed to meeting the crucial needs and providing hope to the world’s neediest children.

Locations

Approximately 80-100 Taylor students share in a diverse set of trips each year. Teams have served in areas such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Nepal, Czechia, Kosovo, Peru, and Southeast Asia where the dominant worldviews include Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Animism, and Atheism. 

Every day was filled with eye-opening experiences, new opportunities to serve, and increased growth among the people and within our team. Luke Rutan, Ethiopia Lighthouse Team

Academic Credit

Once you go through the application process and are accepted onto a team, you will be enrolled in a one-credit fall course, which helps prepare you—along with your faculty sponsors and fellow students—for your trip. Students receive three credits during J-term for the on-field service-learning course, which fulfills the general education cross-cultural requirement.

Interested in More About Lighthouse?

Read student stories from last J-term’s trips on the Lighthouse blog, check out our Taylor World Outreach Facebook page in January for trip updates, or follow Taylor World Outreach on Instagram.

If you have any questions or concerns about Lighthouse missions, please email lighthouse@taylor.edu.