Registration is in progress for Urbana ’09, InterVarsity’s 22nd triennial Student Missions Conference. Urbana ’09 will be held December 27-31, 2009, at the Edward Jones Dome and America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri. College students, church leadership, and anyone else engaged in acting on God’s global mission are invited to Urbana ’09. Web enrollment can be completed at www.urbana09.org.

Urbana Makes A Difference

“Urbana changes lives,” says Urbana director Jim Tebbe. “The commitments students make at the conference set life trajectories that have transformed our country and the world. These changed lives not only bring others to Christ but have helped shape society to better reflect the principles of God’s Kingdom.”

The general speakers for Urbana 09 are more globally diverse than previously, reflecting that today’s college students live in a much more globalized world. As cyberspace shrinks the world, it also opens up new cultural links, whereby greater numbers of students are participating in global internships, study abroad semesters and summer programs overseas.

International Speakers Invited

Speakers for Urbana ’09 will help Urbana attendees to visualize how God’s mission is being acted on internationally, as well as in North America. Among the speakers expected include:

• Ramez Atallah – General Director, The Bible Society of Egypt, Cairo, Egypt

• Oscar Muriu – Pastor, Nairobi Chapel, Nairobi, Kenya

• Sunder Krishnan – Senior Pastor, Rexdale Alliance Church, Ontario, Canada

• Ruth Padilla DeBorst – General Secretary, Latin American Theological Fellowship, San Jose, Costa Rica

• Shane Claiborne – Founding Partner, The Simple Way, Philadelphia, PA

• Brenda Salter McNeil – President & Founder, Salter McNeil & Associates, Chicago, IL

• Patrick Fung – General Director, OMF International, Singapore

• Antoine Rutayisire – Team Leader, African Enterprise, Rwanda

Conference attendees will be able to select from courses which will offer specialized emphasis on specific mission challenges, such as Business as Mission, International Poverty, Domestic Poverty and Advocacy. The Advocacy track is new this year, and will be led by leaders from InterVarsity, Sojourners, World Vision and the International Justice Mission.

He Dwelled Among Us

The theme for this year’s conference is: “He dwelled among us” (John 1:14). The theme emphasizes the events of John’s Gospel, Chapters 1-4, where Jesus is shown traveling into people’s neighborhoods, helping them to approach God in a fresh way. The conference has been organized to challenge present-day young adults to be good neighbors wherever God has placed them.

Source: InterVarsity

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