City living and learning.

In the heart of Philadelphia's inner city, self-professed "sheltered Christians" choose to live, to learn, and to obey Jesus' command to serve the least of these. Messiah College, located in Grantham, Pa., began its Philadelphia Campus program in 1968 as a response to the growing problems and tensions in inner cities. Messiah student Kaity Krompasick says simply of the Philadelphia Campus, "It changed my life."

This life-changing experience consists of living in a small community (approximately 50 to 80 people) of Messiah College students and professors. Students live, eat, and take classes together as they engage in urban immersion and the Guided Discovery Program which, according to Messiah's Web site, seeks to integrate the experiences of a small Christian community at Messiah and the large, urban atmosphere of nearby Temple University through inquiry and instruction. Referring to itself as a "'bridge," a "kaleidoscope," and a "crossroads," the Philadelphia Campus seeks to challenge students to find a better understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Embedded in Messiah's mission are the values of enlightenment and education about the issues of urbanization and the development of communities. Messiah College, according to its mission statement, seeks to "educate men and women toward maturity of intellect, character, and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society." The Philadelphia Campus helps to fulfill this mission as education and faith are integrated into the program's goals and ideals.

Messiah's "City, Vocation, and Christian Faith" internship program is shaped by both the academic and communal aspects of students' lives and offers upper-level students the opportunity to work in an internship setting of their choosing. By doing so, Messiah hopes to help students discover the complexities of city life as they also learn to integrate faith into the fabric of their lives.

Krompasick, who spent three semesters at the "Philly Campus," says, "It's a place where 'sheltered Christians' get a glimpse at what's happening in the world."

Students at the Philadelphia Campus offer support to each other and to the surrounding community. Through this combination of real life and intentional learning, Messiah College's Philadelphia Campus embodies the call for action as it empowers students to live, learn, and act to improve the world in which we live.

Claire McKeever is the executive intern at Sojourners.