InterVarsity Holds First Conference in New St. Louis Location
More than 1,300 staff and staff spouses from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship made their way to St. Louis, Missouri from campuses across the country for InterVarsitys triennial Staff Conference.
More than 1,300 staff and staff spouses from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship made their way to St. Louis, Missouri from campuses across the country for InterVarsitys triennial Staff Conference. Beginning on Jan. 5, the ministry's staff and staff spouses gathered for five days of fellowship and discussion, and to grapple with Gods Mission in the world, in the culture, and on the campus.
The conference, themed Missio Deithe Latin phrase that means Gods Missionwas InterVarsitys first visit en masse to its new home away from home since InterVarsity announced in October that it was moving its Urbana Student Mission Convention in 2006 from the campus of the University of Illinois to the Edward Jones dome in St. Louis.
However, InterVarsity reports that even before Octobers Urbana announcement, it had been renewing its commitment to connect with St. Louis area churches as a partner in ministry with churches to reach the campus community.
On Friday night of the conference, InterVarsity president Alec Hill casted his vision for the future, reminding the ministry's staff that the purpose of InterVarsity is to Love God, Reach the University and Develop World Changers, .
As he laid out his priorities for the future of our ministry, Hill used the message to challenge InterVarsity to expand its ministry so that its presence would be found on more than just one quarter of U.S. college campuses.
According to InterVarsity, every three years since 1946, the Urbana convention has challenged college students to a life-long commitment to the Great Commission, making it the longest running collegiate Christian conference in the U.S..
InterVarsitys 2006 Urbana conference, slated for Dec. 27-31, 2006, is expected to bring over 20,000 college-age men and women from across the U.S. to St. Louis.