“Tom, thank you for leading us pastors. It was a treat to study the Bible every morning.” “I have never studied the Bible like this before. How can I bring this back to my church?” It was a joy for me to spend the Urbana Missions Convention teaching inductive Bible Study in John 1-4 with 200 pastors in the Pastors & Church Leaders Track. During the last morning, I challenged the group to respond to God’s call to a new cross-cultural mission (long-term commitment) by standing… over 70 pastors stood! Other highlights from Urbana include:
300-400 students made 1st-time professions of faith (yes, non-Christians do come to Urbana!)… $900,000 offering toward global missions and the poor in our local communities… 2,676 students committing to “join in God’s cross-cultural mission long-term” (the highest ever for an Urbana convention)… and 5,043 students committing “I will invite a non-follower of Jesus to study John 1-4 with me.”
**MISSED URBANA? VIDEOS NOW ONLINE!
You can watch the plenary sessions at Urbana. Here are a few recommendations:
• Brenda Salter McNeil – following the Samaritan woman into credible witness to the marginalized
• Oscar Muriu – money, power, and incarnation
• Ruth Padilla DeBorst – powerful stories of God using people on the move around our world
Drama, music, and dance also brought the Word to life. A few you might enjoy:
• Word and Pictures – a blend of theater, spoken word, dance, and images portraying John’s prologue
• At Night – dramatic musical presentation of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus
• The Laundromat – modern-day retelling of the Samaritan woman
