Information About Past Conferences

Campus Ministry and All That JazzCampus Ministry and All that Jazz

Ministry of any sort is an art form, campus ministry no less.  By visiting the many religious venues in the city in which art plays a prominent role, this gathering encouraged participants to incorporate the arts into their work with students.  Keynoter Doug Adams, now deceased, offered many ways in which popular media mimic biblical tales while James Forbes demonstrated the art of the homily at a Riverside Church “Space for Grace” service.

Soul Matters (2006 Conference)Soul Matters: Campus Ministry at the Crossroads

This conference invited attendees to engage in new and creative avenues of worship planning.  Marcia McFee offered stimulating, multi-sensory worship experiences as well as concrete methods of expanding the worship planning circle.  This conference also offered a pre-session Campus Ministry 101 course for anyone entering the field with less than 3 years experience.

Convergence: Bridging MinistryThe Blues and Rhythm of Campus Ministry

In Music City USA, this conference explored the blues as a metaphor for the personal challenges of ministry.  Beyond the many fabulous musicians who performed and spoke about music in a spiritual context, Jean Twenge, author of Generation Me, offered a unique presentation about the generational characteristics of Millenials, while James Lawson spoke of his experience integrating the diners of Nashville as a Vanderbilt Divinity student.

The Blues and Rhythm of Campus MinistryConvergence: Bridging Ministry

This conference, shortened due to an international gathering that year, focused on nuts and bolts skills, offering three tracks for learning: Campus Ministry 101 for newbies, Campus Ministry 202 for those who’ve been at this awhile, and Congregationally-based campus ministry. Jan Rivero offered keynotes about ministry as hospitality to all three groups.

God Shows No Partiality God Shows No Partiality – Faith in a Global Perspective

In Cleveland, OH this gathering explored inter-faith relationships on campus.  Steven Prothero offered a keynote calling attention to the reality of religious illiteracy among students and adults alike while David Odell-Scott offered a scholarly examination of biblical passages that appear to argue for Christian exclusivity.

Holy Ground: Converging Streams of Righteousness and Justice                         

Not your Momma’s Mission Trip!

Exploring models of justice, hearing from organizations working on specific justice issues, and gaining understanding on policy development, this year’s conference offers perspectives on how to get your ministry involved in social justice concerns. 

Highlights included:

  • A day out in DC exploring justice models and an opportunity to engage in a specific justice issue
  • 4 separate workshop sessions with 4 workshops per session (Topics include Technology Usage, Fundraising, Board Development, Lamenting and the Psalms, Call and Vocational work with college students, Young Adult formation, Veteran’s Issues, Coffeehouse and Third Place Ministry, Immersions in Israel & Palestine, and more)
  • Opportunities to dialogue on the future of campus ministry and where we go from here
  • A resource display with your comments and recommendations for books and resources for your campus ministry.