In the summer of 1999, the first youth groups were called and began urban mission trips, to children and families in impoverished housing projects, in the city of Fort Worth. By the summer of 2001, 12 youth groups, with over 400 teens from 6 different states, came to participate in Urban Encounter (UE). That momentum has continued to this day and each summer more lives are touched and transformed by the love of God. Each year teams have personal life-changing encounters with the presence of Jesus as Holy Spirit reveals and leads each one closer to the Father’s heart.

UE mission trips are not a typical mission trip experience. We believe before God can work through us on the mission field, He has to work in us. We place a high priority on teaching the groups the importance of encountering Jesus.  These encounters prepare the teams to be used by the Holy Spirit before going out and serving the community.  Each day begins and ends in worship and prayer as we seek the presence of God in a tangible way. UE combines these intimate daily times with a focus on various biblical truths like the need for transparency, brokenness and confession.  We learn how to better hear and respond to the voice of Holy Spirit so we can walk in love and obedience to His will. 

Teams participate in inner city outreach in a variety of ways. Each team leads PB&J Kids Clubs and interact with families through music, songs, live bible story skits and crafts as we share the love and joy of Jesus at a high-impact outreach. We spend time interacting with the homeless community and serving them in a variety of ways. We release His Kingdom and pray for people we do not know as we participate in street evangelism and work projects.  All this is done with a spirit of evangelism as we share our faith and put into practice what the teams learn.

Our desire is to see cities transformed by God’s love. Come and discover how UE can impact you, your team and your community in a new and exciting way!