The Faithful Is Successful ESN series. Friendships connecting Christian scholars from the West Coast, the Midwest, the Southeast, and the Northeast. Missional conversations among Christians at secular universities across the United States. What do all these have in common? They’re all brought about partly by God’s work at Urbana 2012. AND Urbana 2015 is growing into the best Urbana yet for Christian academics living missionally in the secular academy. 

Through connections created or sustained by Urbana 2012, the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN) was able

• to engage with the authors of Faithful Is Successful,
• foster missional conversations among academics across the country, and
• take further steps in supporting a community of Christian scholars.

At Urbana 2015 (December 27 – 31, St. Louis, MO), we’re ready to do even more:

S. Joshua Swamidass connects with Emerging Scholars, including J. Nathan Matias and Katelin Hansen at ESN’s Urbana12 Reception featuring Greg Jao on Your Mind’s Mission (InterVarsity Press, 2012).

1. A set of seminars designed to engage believers in higher education.

With the return of dynamic offerings that were packed out last time, like Greg Jao on Your Mind’s Mission, Josh Swamidass on Grad School for God’s Global Mission, and a panel on The Secular Academy as a Mission Field (2012 Resource List), Graduate and Faculty Ministries and ESN are ready to provide content supporting Christian scholars in missional living.

Urbana ’12 was my sixth Urbana conference. I loved partnering with other faculty and InterVarsity staff to encourage conference attendees to see graduate school and an academic career as potential callings from God. — David Vosburg, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Harvey Mudd College. Note: We look forward to David once again serving on the Urbana GFM/ESN resource team.

2. A Graduate and Faculty Ministry (GFM)/ESN Lounge. 

GFM/ESN are also welcoming Christian academics to connect through a lounge space designed specifically to offer support through professional advice, spiritual formation, and friendship among believing academics. Furthermore, we’re planning opportunities to engage with others in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.

Graduate school is a time of great focus, so Urbana is an important reminder of the global Body of Christ and how we fit into the work that God is doing around the world. This perspective affects how we conduct our daily research and studies, and indeed how we shape our careers. — Katelin Hansen. Note: “Congrats!” to Katelin for completing her PhD in Neuroscience (The Ohio State University). And we very much look forward to having her join the Urbana15 GFM/ESN resource team.

3. Other Opportunities in the works.  

Stay tuned for more information on ways ESN will be engaging scholars and Emerging Scholars at Urbana, including a focused scholarship program. Note: Don’t miss Urbana GFM on Facebook :)

Please take a few minutes to pray for God’s provision for the Emerging Scholars Network as we press into this crucial engagement of emerging Christian academics. As you have the ability, we invite you to prayerfully consider becoming part of the support team through giving at the close of our fiscal year (June 30).

Image courtesy of White77 at Pixabay.com.

Support ESN Connect: http://blog.emergingscholars.org/about/esn-connects/.