News

Press Conference Comments from Urbana Leadership

Comments excerpted from Opening Day Press Conference with leaders of Urbana co-hosting organizations: Geri Rodman, Inter-Varsity Canada President, Alec Hill, InterVarsity/USA President, Jim Tebbe, Director of Urbana 09, and Marc Debanné, GBUC General Director.

Geri Rodman, Inter-Varsity Canada

“Looking back at the last 15 years of campus ministry, a lot of our students were already participating in issues of social justice. What seems to happen is, on the campus, whether Christian or non-Christian there is a consciousness either for the environment or for people who have less than or have difficult circumstances. This is a great opportunity for our students to actually step up and invite people along.”

“What we’re finding is we can invite number s of students who don’t follow Jesus, but are curious to come along for things that we’re already doing. Whether it be working with Habitat for Humanity or when we went down to some other countries and were addressing justice issues there and we bring students along. It’s a great chance to see Jesus in action and have a place to talk about ‘Who is Jesus?’ and this is one of the places that is opening that for some genuine dialogue.”

Alec Hill, InterVarsity/USA

“Jesus taught His disciples to minister to the poor, the sick, the homeless as He preached about the Kingdom of God. We cannot separate His mandate to make disciples from His mandate to care for the widows and orphans and others in need.”

“I hope that you find many stories of so called ‘ordinary’ students become extraordinary by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Things start small, but my prayer is that years from now the Christian leaders of tomorrow will be the engineering, healthcare, MBA and art majors who’ve made commitments to missions this week.”

Jim Tebbe, Director of Urbana 09

“One of the challenges that I’d like to see happen at this Urbana is one of the things that’s on the decision card and that is ‘The Mission Begins Now’. InterVarsity wants to present the world and the opportunities that are in the world. This is the window on the world.”

“The theme of our next camp student retreat is on the whole issue of faith and the environment and students are very interested in that. That’s a new theme in the evangelical churches up in French-speaking Canada, which tend to be quite traditional. So I would say that, in Quebec, this generation is drawing a parallel between environmental issues, justice issues and the gospel.”

Posted: December 31, 2009

Send this article to a friend

Return to News list