NW Valley Times

Grand Canyon University (GCU) is marking its 75th anniversary by highlighting its commitment to service, with students actively participating in various community outreach programs. The university's service culture has been described by University Pastor Dr. Tim Griffin as the “greatest story never told.”

GCU offers over 700 student volunteer opportunities each week through 35 Local and Global Outreach ministry groups, involving about 200 student leaders. These initiatives are complemented by GCU CityServe, which provides further avenues for student engagement.

The Week of Service, held from October 26 to November 2, featured more than 1,000 volunteering opportunities across 40 ministries. This event was anchored by two significant campus events: GCU CityServe and Lopes Go Local, a Habitat for Humanity home improvement project where hundreds of students worked on painting and landscaping multiple homes.

Local Outreach Manager Aaron Koehne emphasized the importance of maintaining relational connections within their ministries. “We want to keep all our ministries relational,” Koehne said. “That is our goal with students, to be able to build on those relationships each week with these people and love them well.”

Student involvement extends beyond this week-long initiative. Ministries operate weekly, allowing students to engage with various communities such as children, teens, the elderly, the homeless, refugees, prisoners, and human-trafficking survivors.

Global Outreach Ministry Coordinator Brennan Smith highlighted how these experiences shape students' worldviews: “It helps shape their worldview in a more well-rounded way.” Newer programs like Kairos focus on helping resettled refugees acclimate to life in the U.S., offering support such as English language lessons and basic driving skills.

Njenga Maina, Global Outreach Manager, explained the mission behind these efforts: “We hope as we do life with them, we will get to introduce them to Jesus.”

The enthusiasm for volunteering at GCU is palpable. Students like Liza De Guerengomba found a sense of community through service work during her freshman year. She remarked on finding joy and community while serving alongside like-minded individuals.

Brennan Smith noted that the programs are primarily student-led but staff-assisted: “We do the administrative stuff, and our students get to do the fun event planning.”

Dylan Vanderleest, a Global Outreach student leader, expressed how readily available these opportunities are: “You don’t have to seek it out; it is presented to you.”

Overall, GCU aims to cultivate globally minded Christian leaders through cross-cultural experiences facilitated by their service programs.