Posted: 01/02/2013 at 5:43pm | IP Logged

ST. LOUIS, MO (ANS) -- Some 4,224 students from US and Canadian colleges pledged themselves to long-term missionary service at the close of Urbana 12 on New Year's Eve, twice as many as the last Student Missionary Conference in 2009. All the other measured outcomes of the conference broke records making this the most responsive student conference for foreign missions since the end of World War II.

Packed house for Urbana

"This generation is soft-hearted and tender toward the Lord," said Tom Lin, Urbana Director for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, "They are ready to make commitments and respond to global challenges."

Dubbed the "justice generation" by leaders here, they say today's students tend to see compassionate ministries as a way into the gospel, not as a result of the gospel the way their grandparents did in the 1960's and 70's. They want to build relationships and create community in which unbelievers can discover Christ as Lord and Savior.

But, he said, Urbana organizers are always keeping a balance in the message to ensure there is a balance between preaching the gospel in word and deed. There was also a studied effort to keep a balance between cross cultural and indigenous missions, providing for Bible translation, Internet evangelism and mass media.

Besides the 4000 who made long term commits, 8,815 also checked boxes saying they will go on short or mid-term missions. But many other spiritual and practical decisions were made: $800,000 was collected in the plate offering toward a goal of one million for missions; 32,000 AIDS Caregivers Kits were assembled for Africa; 3,700 made personal recommitments of their faith and 96 made first-time decisions to follow Christ.

"A tremendous amount of resources were mobilized at this convention for all our mission partners and it will go on for decades," said Lin, who cited the historic role of student missions conferences and movements in providing personnel for the missions of the church. Over 250 missions and training organizations were represented on the convention floor, all exhibiting to interview potential candidates.

Urbana 2012 will be remembered for many innovations. Over half the music was in languages other than English, mostly Chinese, Hindi, Korean and Spanish. For the first time, there was only one Anglo male presenter, David Platt, and all the other preachers were African, Chinese, native American or woman. Over 44% of the participants were internationals or multi-ethnic Americans but there was a notable absence of Arabs, North Africans and students from Muslim south and central Asia.

Unlike previous conventions, non-English lyrics were actually used in worship rather than for their novelty impact. The result made a strong devotional impact that moved the conference into prophetic look at the Church as she will be in heaven.

Besides devoting one night to an AIDS Caregivers "Kit Build" with the presence of indigenous partners in Swaziland there was a "Launch Lab" to help encourage participants who had ideas for new missions, ministries and service businesses to organize their operating structures.

The 16,000 delegates welcomed in the New Year singing Hindi worship songs led by a Blackfoot native American using a combination of Anglo American and native American liturgy. The conference, which cost over $10 million to stage, takes three years to organize and will next be held in 2015 according to planners who began their work on the next Urbana even as this conference was closing.

The use of theater, dance and new media was amazingly effective. Parts of the program were streamed on the internet and tweets from the audience ran live on five giant screens during sessions in the Edward Jones Dome where the conference was held. Participants actually interacted with each other during the program. Not everything was digital; missions book sales "broke records" as well and there was a live exchange with the "One Thing" UHOP Prayer Conference being held simultaneously at the IHOP University in Kansas City.

The prayer rooms were open 24-hours around the clock in 20 hotels as well as the most popular Missional Prayer Room in the America's Center Convention Center. Prayer and Bible study of the book of Luke were foundational to all the other program events which keyed off of them.

Source: Assist News Service

Posted: 01/02/2013 at 5:53pm | IP Logged

16,000 young people ring in the New Year with fresh hope

Posted: 1 January, 2013  Mission Network News

Urbana 12's final session.

USA (MNN) ¯ Saying good-bye to 2012 means recounting the moments that impacted the year. But what does the future bring?

For 96 people who spent the last five days immersed in the missions movement at Urbana 12, it means a life-changing future. Those 96 young people made a first-time decision to give their hearts to Christ. 4,224 others committed at least two years to the mission field. 5,744 committed to short-term mission exploration, 3,071 to some time in between. Even better, 6,434 Urbana participants agreed to lead an evangelistic Bible study in their community.

It's a high note for the final hours of Urbana 12--the world's largest student missions conference, and it's good news for some of the 250 groups represented on the convention floor. It means new people in the pipeline with fresh eyes taking on the challenge of the Great Commission.

For others, it was a turning point. Bri Burklin from Fort Collins, Colorado says, "I'm going to be honest: coming to Urbana was really overwhelming at first. God just really softened my heart the past day and a half; I'm just willing to try and learn new things here, and figure out where I want to go."

A male student commented, "It's been really good. They encourage you to intentionally ask God what He wants you to do, and what invitation He has. I've been doing that."

Annie Zirbel from Watertown, South Dakota, was thrilled with the outcome of this year's conference. "This is my third Urbana, and I feel like God has finally given me direction on my life, so it's super exciting."

For some participants, the material they got was the push they needed to step out of a comfort zone to meet a growing spiritual need. "My name is Carrie Anne Mulley, and I'm from Pittsburgh, PA. We're hoping to start some type of organization, some type of club, to see what we can do to minister specifically to the transgender community. The topic is blind, and so many people are oblivious about it."

Lectures ranged on topics from social justice to social media, and how to be effective with new tools without compromising the Gospel. That message was especially timely for Jim Gross from Rochester, New York." David Platt specifically really convicted me to not soften the Bible for other people, but to make Him real [and tell them: ‘This is who Jesus is. This is who God is. This is what He's about. He is good.'"

How these futures come together in the name of Christ have yet to be seen...and that's what brings enthusiasm 2013.