A Ministry in the Heart of New York City
New York School Of Urban Ministry
NYSUM Overview
Welcome to the urban mission field of New York City, one of the most internationally diverse cities in the world.
Since 1984, the New York School of Urban Ministry (NYSUM) has served as a training and mobilization center for Christians who feel called to serve in urban communities. For more than four decades, NYSUM has equipped and deployed over 60,000 youth and adults who have come to New York City to share God’s love through practical outreach and compassionate service.
Through long-standing partnerships with hundreds of multicultural pastors, churches, and ministries across New York City, NYSUM helps connect short-term mission teams with real ministry opportunities in communities that are often overlooked, underserved, or hurting.
Our mission is simple:
train believers, mobilize compassion, and transform lives in the urban mission field.
Short-Term
Missions
training
Leaders
serving
Churches
At NYSUM, ministry is not only something you study — it is something you experience firsthand.
Each year, an average of 4,000 short-term missionaries come to New York City through NYSUM from:
- Universities and Christian colleges
- Bible schools and ministry training programs
- Churches and youth groups
- Mission organizations across the United States
These teams come to learn how urban ministry works in real life — gaining practical experience serving those who are marginalized, struggling, or spiritually searching.
Through our hands-on ministry model, participants step directly into outreach opportunities across New York City.
Mission teams partnering with NYSUM participate in a wide range of urban ministry activities that address both spiritual and practical needs within the city.
Outreach opportunities often include:
- Mobile food truck outreach programs
- Feeding the hungry in underserved neighborhoods
- Street evangelism and open-air ministry
- Ministry in NYC shelters and soup kitchens
- Children’s crusades and youth outreach events
- Basketball evangelism programs
- Ministry to battered and vulnerable women
- Outreach to Muslim and Jewish communities
- Support and encouragement for struggling veterans
- Thanksgiving turkey distribution programs
- Christmas toy and compassion outreach events
Through these experiences, mission teams witness firsthand the challenges and opportunities present within urban ministry.
Remarkably, nearly 80% of teams return home deeply impacted, inspired to begin or strengthen outreach efforts within their own communities.
NYSUM operates from a 74,000-square-foot training campus located in Astoria, Queens, in the heart of New York City.
Our campus serves as the central hub for training, housing, and ministry coordination for teams serving across the city.
Facilities include:
- Safe and comfortable dormitory accommodations for mission teams
- Affordable lodging for small and large groups
- Home-style meals prepared for visiting teams
- Training spaces where biblical teaching meets real-world ministry experience
From this campus, teams travel throughout New York City to partner with local churches and ministries already serving their communities.
At NYSUM, the goal is simple:
connect biblical faith with practical service in the streets of the city.
New York City is one of the most strategic mission fields in the world. The city’s size, diversity, and social challenges create unique opportunities for ministry and outreach.
Massive Population
New York City has a population of approximately 8.3 million people, representing nearly half of the entire population of New York State.
The city alone rivals the combined populations of major American cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston.
Extraordinary Cultural Diversity
New York City is widely recognized as one of the most diverse cities on earth.
Approximately 60% of residents come from international ethnic backgrounds, and an estimated 800 languages are spoken throughout the city.
This makes New York City one of the most significant crossroads of cultures, religions, and worldviews anywhere in the world.
Homelessness and Poverty
New York City also faces significant social challenges.
- Nearly 14% of the United States homeless population lives in NYC
- Roughly 1 in every 106 New Yorkers is experiencing homelessness
- That represents close to 80,000 men, women, and children
Each night, thousands of individuals sleep in shelters, on subway trains, or in public spaces throughout the city.
Ongoing Community Needs
In recent years, the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the number of New Yorkers facing hardship, unemployment, and housing instability.
These challenges have created greater opportunities for compassionate outreach and practical ministry throughout the city.
Experience the NYSUM Mission
On behalf of our staff and ministry partners across New York City, we invite you to experience what God is doing through NYSUM.
Whether you are a student, church leader, or mission organization, a short-term mission trip with NYSUM offers the opportunity to:
- Serve real needs in diverse communities
- Expand your vision for ministry
- Gain practical experience in urban missions
- Deepen your faith
Together, we can bring compassion, hope, and transformation to the cities of our world.
