USA (MNN) — Even though Urbana 12 seems like a long
ways off, registration is now open.
What is Urbana 12? It's one
of the largest mission conferences for college students in North America. This year, over 18,000 people are
expected to gather December 27-31 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Since InterVarsity Christian Fellowship began the mission conference in 1946,
over 250,000 people have joined God's global mission. With a gathering every three years, Urbana 12
will be the 23rd conference since its inception.
From 1948 to 2003, the conference was held at the
University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. As it outgrew its space, the
decision was made in 2006 to move it to the America's Center Complex in downtown St.
Louis, Missouri.
At Urbana 12, thousands of participants will experience multicultural
worship and drama, dynamic speakers, in-depth Bible study, and focused prayer. Attendees can meet with mission
groups in the main convention hall where they can explore short-term and
vocational opportunities.
Urbana 12 is really geared for anyone interested in
missions, however the target audience is college-aged women and men between
the ages of 17 and 29. Urbana draws
people from all over North America who want to learn more about global
realities, current missions issues, and their place in God's mission which
sometimes includes higher education
faculty, pastors, high school seniors 17 or older, college students, InterVarsity alumni,
and those on the mission field.
Because of its demographic, the conference is not
specifically an evangelistic event. However, interested
non-Christians have attended, and God has used Urbana in the past to bring many people to faith in Christ. Urbana 12 says
participants can invite unsaved friends, but they should understand the nature of the conference.
Direct them to urbana.org/urbana-12 to view testimonials from those who have attended, learn about past
Urbana conferences, and get a general idea of what Urbana 12 will be like.
The next Urbana will be in 2015. Don't miss your opportunity to explore the
world of missions. It could be the call
of a lifetime.
Check our Featured Links for registration details.
