6,358 Commit to Urbana 09
Urbana 09 News Release #5
For Immediate Release
(Madison, WI) — With less than six months before the beginning of Urbana 09, thousands of registrants have already committed to attend InterVarsity’s 22nd triennial student missions conference in St. Louis, MO. Urbana 09 will be held December 27-31, 2009, at the Edward Jones Dome and The America’s Center.
A total of 6,358 people signed up by the first registration deadline (June 30) to take advantage of the lowest conference fee. This was a larger than expected number of people to commit to Urbana by the early registration deadline, and comes despite a bleak economic environment that has stretched thin the resources of many mission agencies, ministries, and businesses.
Urbana director Jim Tebbe released the following statement:
“This is wonderful news for the InterVarsity community and our ministry partners. Urbana, our fellowship’s largest event, draws participants from a diverse array of churches, campus fellowships, Christian colleges and seminaries, mission agencies, and other groups. It challenges approximately 20,000 people every three years with the spiritual and physical needs of the world, and the biblical basis for missions. Urbana is also honored to host the largest gathering of mission organizations in North America and to provide participants with tangible ways to use their gifts to engage in missions.
“The theme for Urbana 09 is He Dwelled Among Us, taken from the Gospel of John 1:14. This theme is becoming real to us as we prepare for Urbana in the midst of an economic downturn that is leaving many ministries with financial shortfalls. Even as the stock market and news reports indicate that many people have less financial security, we are thankful that God is always at work. We are humbled that he has given us the Urbana student missions conference to steward for so many years.
“As we continue to place the development and execution of Urbana 09 in God’s hands, would you join us in praying for the 16,000 students, faculty, church and community leaders, and recent graduates who have yet to register for Urbana 09? We trust that God will bring about good things in the lives of many more people at , and through, Urbana 09.”
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is an interdenominational ministry to university students in the United States, with over 32,000 students involved on 550 campuses nationwide. InterVarsity is a founding member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, which is advancing Christian student work in 150 countries.
For more information visit www.urbana09.org or contact:
Christy Chappell
Urbana Communications Director
608-443-3671