Urbana 03 Information for Churches

InterVarsity has offered Urbana as a mission resource to the church for 60 years. Many students have made a huge impact on missions in their churches and denominations because of the things God stirred in them at an Urbana convention. It is our prayer that Urbana 03 would not only give individuals a heart to see God’s Kingdom go forth, but that a missionary spirit would be stirred within the North American church.

We encourage churches to bring students from their college groups to Urbana 03, and we’ve compiled some information to help you prepare for the convention. The convention will also feature programs designed specifically for pastors and church leaders.

Urbana 03 and Your Church

Urbana can be an awesome event for your church to experience as a community. Our hope is that Urbana 03 will compliment the ongoing work and discipleship of your local church, igniting more passion in students and serving as a catalyst for change. Often the energy and passion for God’s mission that gets stirred up among students in Urbana can be brought back into local churches to powerfully advance God’s Kingdom.

If you’re a church leader bringing a group to Urbana, here are some ideas for how to provide the best experience for your group:

• Meet with your students before the convention, to discuss why they’re going and what they’re expecting from God at the convention. Then follow up with them afterwards and see what God has done in their lives.
• We’ve put together a Bible study and prayer guide to help delegates prepare for their Urbana experience. Consider studying it corporately with your church group.
• You can use MSearch to find particular exhibiting agencies or schools that fit the needs of you or your church.
• Consider helping your students plan their time at the convention. Urbana can feel overwhelming, with hundreds of seminars and exhibits each afternoon. Guidance from a pastor could significantly impact students’ Urbana experience.
• At Urbana, you can set a time and place to meet before each general session, so that your entire church group can sit together and experience Urbana as a community.
• If you want to get together with everyone from your church at the convention, you can set up a special interest group meeting for Dec. 30. You can arrange the meeting by going to the information booth in the Armory on Dec. 28. The time and location of your special interest group meeting will be published in a general listing in Urbana Today on Dec. 30.
• If any of your students make specific commitments at the convention about going into the mission field, have a follow-up conversation to discuss the decision process and ways your church can partner with that student.
• Have a weekend or evening meeting with everyone who attended Urbana. This sort of meeting can help people see what God was doing in others’ lives and spread a passion for God’s mission in your congregation.

The general sessions at the convention will be broadcast on the web. If your church is sending a delegation to Urbana 03, but you personally are not able to attend, you can follow our webcast. Check this website close to convention time for detailed webcast info.

Bringing a Church Group

We welcome groups from churches at Urbana 03. If you’re bringing a church group, there are some logistical things you should know.

Each individual from your group needs to complete a separate registration. Housing is ssigned upon registration at the convention site; there is no pre-assigned or reserved housing. For the best chance of being housed together with your group, come through the registration line together. Housing together is not guaranteed. Also, because men and women are assigned housing separately, you should plan on your group being split by gender.

Although individual registration payments are preferred, we accept group checks from churches. Please include specific instructions on how to distribute the money, including the names of your delegates.

Pastors and Church Leaders at Urbana 03

We welcome pastors, church leaders, youth leaders, lay leaders, or anyone else serving in a leadership role in their church at Urbana 03. Pastors will have a separate lounge at the convention, as well as a special pastors’ program with teaching sessions each morning. Please see our pastors’ program page for more details.

Urbana is designed primarily for students. We hope that you’ll be able to bring a delegation of students from your church. While our pastors’ program will address a number of issues specific to the local church, pastors and church leaders should be aware that the main focus of the convention is toward students.

Resources for Churches

A number of special resources are available to churches at Urbana 03. Meeting exhibitors at Urbana can help your church decide what sorts of missions agencies to partner with. Seminar leaders also could prove invaluable resources for teaching at your church.

InterVarsity’s media department will produce a number of videos for Urbana 03. After the convention, these pieces will be made available to churches, and we encourage you to use them as a resource. They will be sold online after the convention.

Churches of a particular ethnicity or culture will likely find Urbana to be particularly relevant to them. A number of ethnic-specific seminars and exhibiting agencies will be present at the convention. You can browse our current list of seminars or exhibiting agencies and schools.

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