Credo Mission Trips
Credo has a life-changing influence on our alumni. Students' experience at Credo boosts their musicianship .... it also boosts their desire to share their blessings of energy and talent with those less fortunate. Credo alumni have participated in a myriad of missional activity in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North and South America, and Australia.
Credo also seeks to continue our tradition of partnering with churches and other organizations to serve with music and labor. Through the years, Credo-organized trips have served people in Chicago, Los Angeles, Texas, and Puerto Rico. We'd love to work with new partners to provide opportunities for our students and alumni. We hope that this glimpse into a recent trip will inspire and motivate you....
Students build, serve, and play in hurricane-stricken Texas and Puerto Rico
January 2018
Following the devastation of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Credo recruited a group of thirteen Oberlin Conservatory students who devoted January 2018 to a relief project to bring labor and music to the ravaged communities of Beaumont, Texas and San Juan, Puerto Rico. After two weeks of intensive study in Oberlin, the students embarked on a journey of discovery and empathy, serving those in dire need with physical labor and emotional commitment.
Team Puerto Rico
Team Texas
The entire town of Beaumont had been flooded to the four foot level – every structure was affected. Local contractors could only meet a fraction of the need – so the Credo team hauled out moldy walls, replacing them with fresh drywall. By day, they worked with hammers, saws and drills, and paint brushes. In the evening they played concerts in nursing homes, churches, and even on a driveway. Students grew in understanding and empathy as they heard stories of those whose lives have been turned upside down by Harvey. A special partnership was forged by giving these new friends physical labor all day and then sharing hearts through music in the evening.
Hannah Price, a violinist on the Puerto Rico team and a 2010 Credo alum, reflected that their time in San Juan “was nothing short of both humbling and inspiring. We were welcomed so very warmly by people who had every reason to be disheartened and upset, but they showed us a kind of generosity that put every one of my own challenges into a striking perspective.” The team in Puerto Rico cleared fallen trees with chain saws, served meals to hundreds without electricity, and of course played many concerts!
Credo’s Artistic Director Peter Slowik joined each team for part of the week, and was inspired by what he saw in both Texas and Puerto Rico: “This week was a beautiful embodiment of the Credo ideal - that musicians can serve their fellow man with music and service, enriching the world and receiving ample blessings in return.”
Special thanks these partners who have made past Credo mission trips possible!
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Oberlin Conservatory (Oberlin, OH)
CitiImpact Ministries
Praying Pelican Missions
John Knox Presbyterian Church (North Olmsted, OH)
Lake Avenue Church (Pasadena, CA)
Church of the Open Door (Elyria, OH)
Antioch Missionary Baptist Church (Beaumont, TX)
The Midnight Mission (Los Angeles, CA)
Lawndale Christian Health Center (Chicago, IL)
banner photo courtesy of The American Red Cross