With the Urbana 06 Student Missions Convention two months behind us, employees at InterVarsity’s National Service Center spent a Wednesday morning chapel service remembering the event and rejoicing over how its influence continues in the lives of thousands of attendees.
“We were part of something that was historic,” said Global Projects director Scott Bessenecker, as he introduced Urbana director Jim Tebbe. The transmission of the Urbana message over the internet is one example. Jim said that between December 27, 2006, and February 15, 2007, there were over 535,000 views of Urbana internet video.
Recalling the Old Testament prophet Samuel, who set up a stone of remembrance (I Samuel 7:10-13) to mark a victory over Israel’s enemies, Jim said it was appropriate to make a remembrance for Urbana 06. “Let’s put up this stone to remind us that God was with us in a mighty way at Urbana,” he said.
The remembrance was in the form of a poster showing Urbana 06 attendees actively worshipping God. Staff were then invited to write beneath the photo attributes of God that were reflected in the reports of what happened at Urbana.
“I believe that God came and showed His glory and showed His presence at Urbana,” he said. “It exceeded our expectations in the way it came together.”
Lisa Espineli Chinn, the director of InterVarsity’s International Student Ministry, shared some feedback from Urbana attendees. One pastor said that he would never preach again without first doing a manuscript Bible study of his text, she related. (Urbana 06 attendees studied the Book of Ephesians in-depth through manuscript Bible study during Urbana.) A convention center employee had said “I can’t wait until 2009, for the next Urbana.” The employee had a floor assignment and got to experience the whole convention, on-the-job.
“God spoke to everyone through different means,” Lisa said. A student from Sri Lanka had come to Urbana looking for a way to serve God that best utilized the student’s talents and gifts. The student decided that God’s call was to go back to Sri Lanka and work for an end to the civil war that has divided the country for decades.
At Urbana, students from Japan and Korea experienced an emotional healing of cultural tensions that go back to the World War II era. That event spilled over into further reconciliation, between Taiwanese and mainland Chinese students.
As stories filter back to InterVarsity staff about the influence of Urbana it is clear that the convention is not just about five days at the end of December. Urbana is the start of changes that continue on for weeks, months, and years in the lives of attendees. “It’s not only what God did at Urbana but what God is doing after Urbana,” Lisa said.
(An MP3 file of this chapel service is available for download on InterVarsity’s audio resources page, or as part of InterVarsity’s weekly podcast .)
Urbana 06 on YouTube
