I got connected with The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI) through the Satellite at my church in Burbank, CA. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I started. I had my Bachelor’s degree in engineering and was thinking about getting my Masters, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to focus on. When I heard about TUMI I realized that I was more excited about doing something that was missionally focused rather than engineering. My heart just wasn’t in it. I didn’t know what all TUMI entailed but I knew it was going to be good.
I’ve taken ten of sixteen courses so far. TUMI is directly applicable to my life now. I’m in a couple ministries at my church—leading middle schoolers and small groups on Sunday mornings. Every week I pull from topics that I’ve learned about or read through at my TUMI courses. I also feel prepared for spiritual conversations I might have throughout the week.
I would definitely encourage others to take TUMI. I know people can feel nervous about the time commitment but you make time for the things that are important to you. There are so many opportunities for growth. This has been spiritually and mentally educational—it challenged me far more than I would have on my own!
