E.I. and the Urbana Missions Conference 2009

By John Coghlan

Since 1946, generations of college students have come to the Urbana Missions Conference to get energized about what God is doing in the world today through missions. Many missionaries got their start here. Thousands of students get plugged into ministries and short-term trips through the speakers they listen to and the organizations they meet at the exhibition hall.

Business majors particularly need a place to land where they can make lifelong commitments to missions. Enterprise International (EI) is one such place where that can happen in God’s growing ‘Business As Mission’ movement.

This conference has historically done a very good job of catalyzing students towards missions. Past participants have gone on to do great things for Christ, and undoubtedly many from this year’s Urbana will make their own mark on history.

SOME OF US WILL CHANGE THE COURSE OF WORLD MISSIONS

God has always called on leaders to bring desperately needed change. Sometimes to return to a forgotten core, other times to explore an entirely new sphere.

At this year’s Urbana there was emphasis put on issues as diverse as human trafficking, homosexuality, the environment, and racism. The very fact that these issues were on the table at an evangelical conference is testament to the hard work of influential leaders over the past few decades.

Another issue that was noticeable throughout the conference was the task of raising up indigenous, local leadership. Almost everyone would agree that the Great Commission does not belong solely to Europeans and North Americans. Yet somehow people involved in missions today find themselves trapped in that paradigm.

What can be done to change the paradigm that prevents Africans, Asians, and Latin Americans from fully embracing the call to missions for themselves?

Enterprise International has a distinct role in trying to reverse that trend. Our highest priority is to create the sustainable mechanisms to send local leaders into missions. A restaurant, a café, and a web design studio have given Ukrainian youth the chance to take their own missions trips to different parts of the world instead of just welcoming American young people visiting their country.

As businesses are being established for Venezuela and several African nations they are receiving a great boost in pursuing missions work that they have real ownership of.

HISTORY YET TO BE MADE

Some of the young people at the conference will indeed go on to make history. Young business leaders will be especially vital in changing the way missions are funded. They could be one of the key agents in opening up the door to missionaries in the developing world as they step out onto the world stage.

For this reason, Enterprise International is committed to identifying and developing these young leaders and giving them a place to exercise their gifting. We do this through short internships, longer-term apprenticeships and our leadership development course: The Monday Morning Calling. Young people that join EI full-time are partnered with more experienced mentors who provide support to their projects.

Urbana 09 has undoubtedly been an inspiration to a lot of people. Time will tell what God will accomplish through those that were there. I would say “sit back and enjoy the show”, but it would be more fun if you got involved! Contact us to find out more.