Travel
Please plan to arrive at the conference by 5:00 pm on Monday, February 23 and depart anytime on Friday, February 27. On Monday, February 23 the first conference session will begin at 7:00 pm. Please plan your travel so that you can be in attendance. If you are flying to the conference, You can depart anytime on Friday, February 27 .
Airport
Here are the options to fly into.
(LAX) Los Angeles Airport -45 Minutes to Hotel
(ONT) Ontario, California – 45 Minutes to Hotel
(LGB) Long Beach, California -25 minutes to hotel
(SNA) Santa Ana California – 20 minutes to hotel
Registration and Cost
REGISTER HERE. The per person costs for 2-person rooms or for a couple is $399. The per person cost for 4-person rooms is $275. Please register by Friday, January 30. After that date the price will increase by $50.
Conference Hotel
Who Should Attend?
Everyone is welcome! BUILD is open to Cru staff as well. If you have partners or volunteers outside of Cru that you want to invite, please email Dilip.Aaron@bridgesinternational.com first. In general, Bridges staff are required to attend. Interns and Part-Time Field Staff are very welcome to come but not required. For families with both spouses on staff and kids at home, one spouse (husband or wife) is exempt from coming. New staff raising support should talk with their MPD coach before making plans to attend.
Request an exemption from BUILD here.
Families and Childcare
We are already working on plans to provide childcare for kids 12 and under. It is our intention to have the childcare fully staffed with outside workers (not Bridges staff), but in the event that isn’t possible, please understand that we may have to ask parents to help serve for a session or two during the conference.
Welcome LEtter
Dear Bridges Staff Family,
We trust that you are doing well as you serve Jesus and the nations. We are excited that BUILD 2026 is less than three months away. The conference will take place February 23 to February 27 , in Garden Grove, California. We are excited to gather in a warm location.
BUILD is our Bridges national staff conference that exists to encourage and develop us as we pursue our mission of pointing international students to Jesus. At BUILD 2026, we hope to gain Christ’s perspective on our work and mission through theme of John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. “
Like at previous BUILD conferences, we are inviting Cru friends who minister to international students with part of their time. We have also invited Power to Change international student ministry from Canada, now known as Bridges International Canada!
Please join us in praying for the conference. Pray that the Lord prepares our hearts for what He wants to tell us as a staff family! As we move into the future, our desire is that we can glorify God as we are a blessing to the nations! May the Spirit of God renew our hearts in Garden Grove at BUILD 2026!
With prayers and anticipation,
Trae and Dilip
National Director and Chief of Staff
December 3, 2025