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 We
want you to feel comfortable sending your daughter or son to Urbana 03
in December. We hope that this page will answer any questions you have
about the convention. At any time, you are welcome to call us at 608-274-7995.
What is the Urbana Student Mission Convention?
Urbana 03 is InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's 20th student mission convention.
Since 1946, Urbana conventions have been held every three or four years
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (the first convention
was actually at the University of Toronto in Ontario). A typical Urbana
has 20,000 delegates in attendance, most of whom are students, missionaries,
and pastors. Over 200,000 people have attended Urbana conventions since
1946.
When and where is Urbana 03?
Urbana 03 will take place on the campus of the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign about 140 mi (224 km) south of Chicago, Ill. The convention
takes place December 27-31, 2003.
What are the convention's goals?
Urbana has four primary objectives:
- To declare the biblical basis of missions.
- To call students to God's
mission (missio Dei).
- To inform students of the current state of global
missions.
- To motivate students to participate in global and cross-cultural
missions.
Urbana's primary intended audience is Christian students from universities
and colleges in North America. Its secondary audiences include InterVarsity
staff, University faculty, mission agencies, churches, Christian educational
institutions, and ethnic minority leaders. Urbana also has a broad
influence on North American mission perspective as well as other mission
movements
and conventions around the world.
The theme of Urbana 03 is Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done.
What does this mean?
Instructing us how to pray, Jesus said, "your kingdom come, your
will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). This statement
provides the theme for Urbana 03. We desire for God's kingdom to come both
personally and globally. The convention seeks to challenge students with
the authority of God in their lives and help them discover their role in
world missions. Read more about
Urbana 03's theme.
Who operates the Urbana convention?
Urbana 03 is sponsored by InterVarsity Christian
Fellowship/USA,
and co-hosted by Inter-Varsity Christian
Fellowship of Canada and Groupes
Bibiliques Universitaires et Collégiaux
du Canada (GBUC). These fellowships are members of the International
Fellowship of Evangelical Students, a multi-denominational body of more
than 140 national student movements worldwide.
What will happen during the convention?
Check the Urbana 03 program schedule for detailed information. Parts of the convention will be broadcast live
on the web. Check the Urbana website for updates on the webcast.
What is InterVarsity, and what do you believe?
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA (IVCF) is an evangelical, interdenominational
campus ministry, begun officially in 1941. Our ministry is non-profit and
donor-based, funded primarily through financial gifts from private individuals
and foundations.
In response to God's love, grace and truth:
The Purpose of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA is to establish and
advance at colleges and universities witnessing communities of students
and faculty who follow Jesus as Savior and Lord: growing in love for
God, God's Word, God's people of every ethnicity and culture, and God's
purposes in the world.
Today there are more than 35,000 students and faculty involved in InterVarsity
chapters on mor than 500 campuses in the United States. In addition, we
run camps and produce training materials, books, and media tools to serve
both the Church and the campus. Our work touches all aspects of the university
and includes ministries to graduate students and faculty. We are seeking
to develop bold, broad, and ethnically diverse witnessing communities on
college campuses.
Visit the IVCF/USA website to learn more about
us.
In Canada, visit the IVCF-Canada site.
The sponsoring organizations are members in good standing of the Evangelical
Council for Financial Accountability, a group
committed to helping Christ-centered organizations earn the public's trust
through developing and maintaining standards of accountability that convey
God-honoring ethical practices.
What does the Urbana fee include?
The Standard Package includes:
"
Housing and all meals
"
Entrance to all general sessions, seminars, and mission exhibits
"
Local bus service on campus
"
Convention handbook
"
Convention Bible and Bible studies
"
Minor accident and illness insurance
Are scholarships available?
Scholarships for the convention are available through InterVarsity staff.
Students involved in an InterVarsity chapter on their campus should contact
their staff worker or area director. Other students should check
here for InterVarsity staff near them.
No scholarships cover the entire convention fee, and the number of scholarships
are limited. We have compiled some ideas for
other ways to pay the convention fee.
What should students bring to the convention?
Temperatures in the Urbana-Champaign area in late December generally are
below freezing. Students should pack well-insulated winter clothing,
including gear for snow, rain, sleet, and ice. In addition to basic toiletries,
students should be sure to bring a towel and soap, as these items will
not be provided at their housing sites.
A Bible will be provided, but students might want to bring a journal and
materials for Bible study. At check-in, students will also need a government-issued
ID (such as a driver's license or passport) and the remainder of their
convention fee in cash or check, if they have not already paid in full.
How do students get to the convention site?
Students need to make their own travel arrangements. Those flying to the
convention should arrive at the Chicago O'Hare, Chicago Midway, Indianapolis,
or St. Louis airports, where we have arranged discounted charter buses.
For more information check the travel section of this website.
Where will students stay during the convention?
The convention registration fee includes lodging in dormitories and all
meals in University of Illinois cafeterias. Genders are split by floors
or dormitories.
What if my child has a medical emergency at Urbana 03?
We have an on-site clinic, staffed throughout the convention, where they
will be examined by professional licensed doctors and nurses. The student
will either be treated at the clinic or, if necessary, transferred to
a local hospital.
If the situation is serious, we will call 911, and an Urbana staff person
will immediately accompany the student to a local hospital or urgent care
facility. Convention registration includes insurance that covers the initial
visit to the emergency room. The person listed as an emergency contact
on the student's registration form will be notified within the hour.
How can I contact my child during the convention?
We do have complete housing lists, but finding a student in a dorm room
at any given time is not assured, and most students will not have in-room
phone access. We recommend that you and your daughter or son discuss
how frequently you would like them to call you from the convention site.
Email access on-site will be limited as well.
In emergencies, parents can call the Urbana 03 info line at 608-274-7995
in the US or 800-668-9766 in Canada. Pre-convention, this number will connect
to our national offices and is available for questions or concerns about
the convention. During Urbana 03, the number will be directed to the convention
office at the University of Illinois. Our staff will help you contact your
child.
For More Information:
Please browse our website for more
information, especially our general FAQ. If
you have questions or concerns that are not addressed on our website,
please contact us:
IN THE U.S.
Urbana 03
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA
P.O. Box 7895
Madison, WI 53707-7895
urbana03@ivcf.org
608.274.7995
IN CANADA
Urbana 03
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship of Canada
64 Prince Andrew Place
Toronto, ON M3C 2H4
CANADA
urbana.info@ivcf.ca
800.668.9766
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