Preview Urbana 2015

USA (MNN) — Urbana 2015 is right around the corner.

This is a students’ mission conference of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Una Lucey-Lee, the program director of Urbana, shares the merit of a student-focused conference on missions.

At first, college students and missions don’t really seem like a good fit. For one thing, college kids are poor. They usually can’t afford to support missions financially or go overseas.

Lucey-Lee says, “The students graduate at some point and get jobs. It really is our belief at InterVarsity that students can be world-changers, that this generation is going to have an impact.”

It makes sense. All through their education, students in the United States are often told they need to do what makes the most money or what will make them successful. It’s good to remind students that vocation transcends traditional careers.

Urbana offers a chance for students to get a different perspective about their future and to reconsider their vocation.

At the very least, Urbana is good at opening the eyes of students to what God is doing around the world. A student bent on going into business doesn’t need to change his major, but Urbana might help him consider business as mission.

“A lot of people come not really knowing what they’re getting into, and [when] they leave, their perspective is changed,” Lucey-Lee says.

Many others already interested in missions come to investigate and learn more about various mission groups.

At Urbana 15, OMF International Director Dr. Patrick Fung will be doing Bible exposition. “They can count on fantastic experience in the Scriptures,” says Lucey-Lee.

Along with Bible studies and hundreds of seminars and 250 exhibitors, Urbana 15 will feature many international speakers. This is another way to help students see how God is working around the world.

Worship through music will be led by people of different cultures. There are prayer rooms and mentors to help students know listen to where God is calling them.

This year’s theme will come out of Matthew.

“I think everybody should consider going,” says Lucey-Lee. “I think it’s a fantastic opportunity for college students to come, to be with thousands and thousands of other college students considering what God would have them do with their whole lives, the totality of their lives, and then for the length of their life [consider] how God would have them involved in missions.”

Registration for Urbana 15 opens up March 4. Stay updated at Urbana.org.

Until then, pray about it. If you’re not sure whether God wants you to go, pray and ask for direction.

Also pray for Urbana. Pray for the team as they finalize details. Pray for their health and for wisdom.

Pray that the right students come to Urbana, and that God would provide the resources needed for the conference.

Lucey-Lee says, “We’re going to have a great time. I’m really excited about what’s coming into shape, and like past Urbanas, I think it will be worth [your] while to get there.”