CHICAGO, IL (December 28, 2010) – Prajakta David was so moved by the worship at North Park University, the student wanted the young people in her native India to have the same inspirational experience.

Prajakta, the daughter of Hindustani Covenant Church Moderator Steven David, proposed a mission trip in which university students would lead a series of concerts and services as well as engage in other ministries.

At the same time, other students were wondering how they could employ a variety of art forms in worship. As a result, a team will travel to India January 2-16 and minister to young people, including rag picker children.

The team is made up of a collection of musicians, some of who play on the school’s worship team. “We also have other artists taking gifts of painting, photography and video,” says Lucas Larson, a North Park Theological Seminary student and trip advisor.

The team will perform alongside the Indian worship band Yeshua at concerts, which also will include praise dance and dramatic skits. A North Park student will paint onstage during the worship set. The concerts are targeted towards youth, but are open to anyone.

“I think the most exciting thing for most our team is the opportunity to join together two vastly different cultures and two different worship styles from opposite sides of the globe to worship the same God,” says Larson.

Outside of the concerts, the students will serve at some of Hindustani Covenant’s different ministries. They will spend time in the Red Light District, help dig a well in a rural community, and visit with rag picker children and other low-caste members.

Rag picker children sort through garbage dumps looking for items they might be able to resell in order to support their families. The church continues to expand educational opportunities to the children.

The university students will minister in the cities of Mumbai, Pune and Solapur. Click here to learn more about ways to become involved in the team’s efforts.

The trip to India is the latest connection between Evangelical Covenant Church institutions and ministries with the Hindustani Covenant Church. Covenant World Relief and the Department of World Mission are working jointly on several projects. During 2007-2008, children in Covenant churches across North America raised more than $28,000 to provide food, clothing, and school supplies for the rag picker children.