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.

Read more about the trips you can support.

• Central Asia

  Health & Community Development

  Taylor students will be working alongside missionaries serving in medical professions and teaching English in local schools.

  This is a new location for Lighthouse.

  Support Central Asia Team
• Greece

  Refugee Empowerment

  This Taylor group will be working in the community resource center, serving refugees on the island of Lesvos.

  Support Greece Team
• Nepal

  Human Trafficking Intervention

  Taylor students on this trip will be involved with developing sustainable solutions to interception of human trafficking and empowerment of survivors, as well as other justice operations.

  Support Nepal Team
• Southeast Asia

  Island Stays & Faith Sharing

  Partnering with the SEA tribes, the Taylor team will be exposed to Island stays and will engage in conversation and share their faith and stories with individuals as they live with host families.

  Support Southeast Asia Team
• Spain

  Apologetics & Faith Sharing

  Taking a class in contemporary Christian beliefs, students will be immersed in apologetics and the practice of persuasion to the natives of the Basque country in Spain.

  Support Spain Team
• Uganda

  Community Development

  The Uganda Team will be strategically addressing major issues, like illiteracy, hunger, malnutrition, unemployment, HIV/AIDS, child mortality, and injustice in a local Ugandan community.

  Support Uganda Team

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, The Czech Republic, Peru, and Southeast Asia where the dominant worldviews include Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Animism, and Atheism. The Basque region of Spain has recently been added as a new Lighthouse destination.

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.