History and Testimonies
The Greensboro Urban Project officially began in the summer of 2004, but the seeds of this ministry were planted in 2001, when Marshall and Diane Benbow decided to relocate into the Glenwood Neighborhood of Greensboro, NC in order to live intentionally amongst the poor. Led by The Message translation of John 1:5, which says. “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood,” the Benbows wanted to live among the people that their church hoped to reach. Because Marshall was a campus minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, he also wanted to connect college students to the poor, and so the Benbows began a tutoring ministry in their home, along with their friends Randy and Melissa Lewkowicz. That program began with about 4 children and has now grown to have 40 children attending two days each week and involving close to 100 volunteers.
The GUPY summer project was begun with 13 students in 2004 and lasted 4 weeks. GUPY now last s 6 weeks, includes a trip to Mexico, and almost 40 students have completed the program in the last 5 years.
GUPY uses the 3 R’s from John Perkins and the Christian Community Development Association to shape our Bible curriculum for the summer – Reconciliation, Relocation, and Redistribution. We have also added a fourth R, Responsibility, to begin growing in our role as stewards of God’s creation. In addition, there is a very strong emphasis on the Believer’s identity in Christ and the centrality of the Gospel as our motivation for mission. Kenny Wallace joined the GUPY team in 2006 for our trip to the Dominican Republic, and signed on as co-director in 2008.
GUPY Hymn:
- "Oh Lord, Your Love For Us Abounds," text and tune, Joseph Hout
Testimonies: