Bridges’ annual Vision conference offers you a strategic opportunity to touch international students with God’s truth.
Not just any Christian conference assembles 600-800 students from 50-60 nations—especially when half of those students arrive without a prior commitment to Jesus. Bridges’ annual Vision conference is unique and packed with spiritual potential.
This year’s Vision gathering will be held in Daytona Beach, Florida, from December 28 to January 1, and conferees will explore the theme of “Destiny.” Says Griff Housemeyer, the conference’s co-director, “These students are asking, ‘What is the meaning and purpose of life?’ and ‘What do I want my future to be about?’”
The conference will seek to deliver answers through a variety of small group discussions and evening plenary sessions. And the first plenary will showcase one of only 12 individuals who has ever pondered the deeper questions of life while standing on the moon.
Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke, the 10th man to ever land on the moon, will describe his lunar experience and tell how he met Jesus six years after that mission ended. Duke’s message on the evening of December 28 will dovetail with the next afternoon when students will have the opportunity to tour the nearby Kennedy Space Center.
Other plenaries will utilize videos, testimonies and perhaps drama or art to convey the truth of the Bible regarding destiny. On December 29, says Housemeyer, “We want to help students understand God’s plan for the world.” Then on December 30, “We want them to see God’s personal plan for them as individuals.”
Aside from plenary meetings, conference sessions will be organized according to five tracks. Chinese, South Asian and “Children of Abraham” tracks will provide contextualized teaching to both Christians and non-Christians from three major cultural groupings. “Multi-Nations” will offer input to students from cultures not included in those first three tracks. “Ambassadors” will provide training for Christians—international or American—who want to develop a ministry to international students.
Many participating students will be financially stretched by the $335 registration fee, so Bridges is seeking to raise scholarship funds to subsidize the cost of travel to Daytona. Those who wish to invest in this fund can go to give.cru.org/0776598 for information and direction.
Article by Bill Horlacher, Bridges Staff at Penn State