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Urbana is a major Christian student missions conference sponsored by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. The event is designed to inform Christian students about global issues and issues around the world that missionaries face. The conference also encourages students to explore the biblical mandate for cross-cultural missions and encourages them to participate in missions. Each Urbana lasts for 5 days at the end of December and ends with a final communion on New Year's Eve. In addition to the main speakers, participants are offered a choice of dozens of seminars offered throughout the week, relating to specific topics within the general theme of the university and international missions. Worship is also a major highlight of the convention; special attention is paid to incorporating diverse worship styles, even including songs in foreign languages. The first/precursor “Urbana” Student Missions Convention was held in 1946 in Toronto, and since then, it has generally been held every three years. From 1948 to 2003, Urbana took place at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, with the primary venue after 1963 being the Assembly Hall (now State Farm Center), the school's basketball arena. Conference Elements Each conference is filled with a variety of activities and seminars for students to engage in. Highlights include an exhibit hall in which students are encouraged to network with leaders from 250+ missions organizations and seminaries. Furthermore, each morning and evening all participates gather in the Edward Jones Dome to hear from engaging and relevant world mission speakers and worship, with a focus specifically on multi-ethnic worship. The conference concludes with the conference participants welcoming in the New Year and participating in communion. Students are also encouraged to participate in a variety of seminars and "tracks", which specialize in specific topics. For example, topics are known to include Business and technology, global issues, healthcare, justice, proclamation, and world religions. Students participating in a "track" allows them to complement their experience by focusing on particular issues during the afternoons at Urbana. Topics have been known to include the role of technology, business, International Students, Poverty, and Pastors/Church Leaders. In addition to the seminars offered, students are encouraged to participate in Bible Studies. History 1940s The first Urbana was held in 1946 at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 151 colleges, universities, and seminaries from across North America were represented, along with 100 missionaries. L. E. Maxwell, president of Prairie Bible Institute, and other noted Christian leaders in academia spoke at the December event. The second Urbana was held in 1948, this time at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Jim Elliot, known for his missionary work and martyrdom in Ecuador, attended this Urbana as a student. The slogan for this Urbana was "From Every Campus to Every Country." 1,300 students from 154 campuses participated. Speakers included Frank Houghton, V. Raymond Edman, and Billy Graham. 1950s The 1954 Urbana had the theme "Changing World; Changeless Christ" and hosted 2,000 students from 263 schools. A. W. Tozer preached on Bible characters, and Alan Redpath and were among others who also spoke at this Urbana. The number of students attending Urbana grew to 3,500 in 1957, and the theme that year was "One Lord—One Church—One World." Billy Graham returned to speak at this conference, and was joined by the likes of Donald Barnhouse and Harold Ockenga. Urbana 57 was held in a gymnasium with poor acoustics, and with the University of Illinois set to finish building a new assembly room by 1961, the next Urbana was postponed until then. 1960s Urbana 61 had a change in format from previous conferences. It featured a "plenary panel" about mission work, a "plenary forum" that involved a question-and-answer time with various Christian leaders, elective courses on specific topics related to missions, missionary sessions, and a pastoral group. The theme was "Commission—Conflict—Commitment." 5,400 students participated in this conference. Eugene Nida, Arthur Glasser, and Urbana veterans David Howard Adeney and Billy Graham were speakers. Festo Kivengere preached on Jacob and Esau. 1970s Urbana 76 was themed "Declare His Glory Among the Nations." John Stott spoke on the biblical basis for mission, Elisabeth Elliot on the will of God, and Helen Roseveare on Declaring His Glory in Suffering. 17,000 students participated in 1,700 small groups, meeting each morning for Bible study and every evening for prayer. "That All Nations Might Believe and Obey Jesus Christ" was the theme for Urbana 79. Many speakers made repeat appearances, including John Stott, Billy Graham, and Elisabeth Elliot. Joining them were Luis Palau, David Howard Adeney, and others. Urbana 79 experienced capacity issues due to so many students wanting to attend that the next conference would be held just two years later. 1980s Urbana 81 was themed "Let Every Tongue Confess That Jesus Christ Is Lord" and 14,000 attended. One unusual characteristic of this Urbana was that it came only two years after the previous one. Speakers included Wycliffe Bible translator Ed Beach, Eric Alexander from a church in Scotland, Gordon MacDonald, Isabelo Magalit, Marilyn Laszlo, Billy Graham, George McKinney, and author Rebecca Manley Pippert. Urbana 84 attracted 18,000 participants. Eric Alexander spoke on the conference theme "Faithful in Christ Jesus" from the book of Ephesians. Other notable speakers: Ada Lum, Billy Graham, Cliffe Knechtle, David Bryant, George McKinney, Joanne Shetler, John Kyle, Luis Palau, Mariano DiGangi, Ray Bakke, and Tokunboh Adayemo. Urbana 87 took its theme from the Book of Jonah: "Should I not be concerned?" Nearly 19,000 participants came to hear Harvie Conn, Ray Bakke, Floyd McClung, Billy Graham, Helen Roseveare, Rebecca Manley Pippert, Roberta Hestenes, and Tony Campolo. Nearly 6,000 attendees indicated they felt they were being called by God to serve in overseas missions. 1990s Throughout the 90s, Urbana was hosted at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, but the large numbers in attendance meant that the conference was pushing that venue's capacity. In these years, the conference was updated in significant ways. Urbana 90 was InterVarsity's 16th triennial student mission convention, was themed "Jesus Christ: Lord of the Universe, Hope of the World." Almost 20,000 people met December 27–31, 1990. Featured speakers included Joni Eareckson Tada, Ada Lum, Ajith Fernando, Caesar Molebatsi, George Otis, Glandion Carney, Isaac Canales, Luis Bush, M. Fisher, Paul Tokunaga, Peter Kuzmic and Philemon Choi. It was the first Urbana featuring a full 'contemporary' worship band and a prayer ministry team composed of campus staff members. Urbana 93 (entitled "God So Loves the World").... Discover the Rebecca Manley Pippert popular books. 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