Planning a Radius Serve Trip

Who are the unreached? Why do they matter? This session introduces the biblical plan for all nations to glorify God and helps participants begin to see the world through a missions lens.

From Genesis to Revelation, scripture calls believers to reach every nation. This session covers the Great Commission, who it’s given to, and how the gospel advance saround the world.

Gospel clarity is essential in cross-cultural missions. This session defines the gospel and explains why a clear, uncompromised message is foundational to everything we do.

Participants explore what it means to live sacrificially, pursue daily discipleship, and reflect the gospel in both personal and global contexts.

Mission is not just for those who go. This session explores pathways to go long-term, how to support and send others, and how the local church serves as the base of all global mission engagement.

Students and interns share stories of how God has moved in their lives. Missionary biographies are highlighted to inspire participants toward greater faith and availability.

Families are interviewed by our national worker to ensure they meet our requirements, including land ownership where the shelter will be built. Families are selected based on need, and all scheduling and coordination is handled before your team arrives.

On build days you'll wake up at 6:30 a.m. to spend personal time in the word. Then we'll come together to hear from teachers who will challenge your group to pursue a relationship with the Lord and obey the commands He has set before us.

After morning teaching, teams load up and head to the build site, arriving around 10:30 AM. From there, the team gets to work building a complete 12x12 shelter and finishes it in a single day. The family is present throughout, often working with the team. Groups typically arrive back at the dorms by 4:00 PM.

Some groups choose to bring housewarming gifts for the family, things like curtains and curtain rods, kitchen items, or blankets.

On days when a build is not scheduled, we have the privilege of serving alongside local ministries in Tijuana. These days take different forms depending on where the greatest need is:

Casa Hogar (Children's Home) Spend the day with children at a local casa hogar — playing, building relationships, and preparing and serving them lunch. ‍

Esperanza (Hope) Named by the local pastor with a desire to bring Christ's hope to the community, Esperanza serves families living in extreme poverty near the Tijuana dump. Serve interns will lead your group into the neighborhood, where you'll break into teams of 3–5 to walk through the community — praying over families, and offering sandwiches and water.

‍Spectrum Ministries A locally-run ministry partnering with the local church to provide food, clothing, and a weekly kids program to Tijuana neighborhoods. Children ages 6–12 come out each week for games, worship, and Bible stories.

• Breakfast: Simple continental items; most teams stop at Costco in San Diego before crossing
• Lunch: Typically provided by the host family at the build site
• Dinner: Local Tijuana restaurants and taco stands with Radius Serve intern staff guidance
• Budget: Approximately $16–$18 per person per day

Accommodations at our dormitory are simple: wooden bunks, foam mattresses, indoor restrooms, and running water. The experience is intentionally rustic and set in a real community context.

• Passports required for all participants
• Groups provide their own transportation (vans recommended)
• Mexican auto insurance required

• One leader per every 8 students required (1:6 for middle school age)
• Participants selected by pastor or church leadership recommendation
• Maximum capacity: 85 participants at one time
• Background checks required for all adults 18+
• We encourage bringing a mix of ages. Students often return home ready to pursue missions and they need church members that are ready to send them. Missions is a command for every church member, not just those who go.
• All participants must sign a Radius Serve waiver

Our internship program is one of the primary ways we accomplish our mission of mobilizing and educating the Church about missions. Our desire is to send interns back to their churches as stronger disciples, more engaged church members, and young adults with a deeper understanding of missions and cross-cultural ministry. Our interns are the main way we host and serve visiting church groups. They lead teams on the build site, guide ministry days, and are present throughout the week.

We offer two options:

• Summer Internship (June–August): A high-energy, hands-on season focused on leadership and ministry. Interns lead construction builds, lead ministry days, and serve visiting church teams.
• School-Year Internship (September–May): Approximately half the time is spent serving church groups; the other half in deeper discipleship. This includes a Bible-based curriculum, missionary reading and discussion, classes at Radius International, and intentional time in the local community.
  

Cost: $650 per month, which covers room and board.

Learn more about this internship or apply here.

We are developing a Church & Ministry Liaison role to build lasting relationships with local pastors and churches throughout Tijuana. Our goal is to better identify families in need, connect unaffiliated families to a local church, and ensure our ministry is deeply rooted in the local body of Christ.