When:
June 20 - July 25, 2026

Where:
San Diego, CA

$3500

Project Details
Parent FAQ

Elevate is a 5 week spiritual leadership project located in San Diego, CA. Our aim is to build a foundation of faith and leadership skills in each student’s life that equips them to be a lifelong follower of Jesus. Since 2013, we have created an experience for students to learn biblical truths and practical skills in the context of Christian community.

At first glance, spending 5 weeks in San Diego may seem like a vacation instead of a mission trip or leadership project. We partner with The North American Mission Board, who has named San Diego one of it’s most strategic cities. Though it may seem like a glamorous place to spend the summer, San Diego is one of the most unchurched cities in the United States. There are roughly 3.1 million people living in San Diego, with only 9.8 percent of them claiming to be followers of Jesus.

Our goal is to join God in what he is already doing in San Diego through local Churches and non-profits. Students will partner with a local church who is reaching neighborhoods, families, and workplaces across the city. Our students will spend their Sundays volunteering and serving with their congregation. Additionally, we send students out each week to volunteer with local non-profits who are doing some amazing things in the city including: providing food for those in need, homeless care, and youth sports camps.

to give up the comforts of an internship or summer job, and put your trust in God to provide for you. This is a rare time in your life to devote 5 weeks to continuous discipleship, prayer, and gospel sharing; these things can teach us to build solid foundations on Jesus while being supported by people who will become our lifelong brothers and sisters in christ.”

I spent my summer at Elevate after my sophomore year in college and returned the following summer as a leader. In those two summers, I learned so much and grew even more as a person. Learning more about God was essential in my walk with Christ and helped me grow closer to Jesus, especially surrounded by others with the same goal. The thing that stood out to me the most was how Elevate showed me what it looked like to live a balanced life with God, in community, and sharing that life with everyone, not just in San Diego, but back home too. Living with people who are leading you to Christ for 5 weeks not only sets you up for next year, but for a lifetime.

the first as a student and freshman, the second as a leader, and a junior. To say that they were impactful or life-changing is to simply scratch the surface. As a student, it taught me so much of the beauty in Christ’s Church as a whole and what living in community and sacrificially meant…”

living life with such a beautiful community of believers, shaped my heart to see what a joy it is to dwell in the nearness of God. The unique environment that Elevate presents, gave me a space to be reminded of Gods truth, while learning new things about Him, spending time in prayer and discipleship, to grow and flourish in my relationship with Him. I was able to completely focus on building on the foundations of my faith without the distraction of every-day life. My eyes were opened to things that were preventing me from true vulnerability and Elevate gave me a space to process through those things and be reminded of the meaning of the Gospel for my life.