How does Jesus see and interact with women in an ancient patriarchal society and what does this mean for what it looks like to follow Jesus and step up for Him in today’s world? Join us as we do a quick survey of women in the Bible, dialogue about the barriers that women often face in feeling valuable in the Kingdom of God, and come to a place of understanding of the way Jesus wants us to see and value women in every facet of life, including building the Kingdom.
Where is God when “doing life” hurts? The common saying is: “tough times don’t last but tough people do.” The truth is – tough times can last a lot longer than tough people will. Where is God in that pain? What does Jesus have to say about suffering? Join us as we wrestle with these difficult questions.
In a world as religiously and culturally diverse as ours it seems, at best, uninformed and, at worst, bigoted to claim that there is a single way to know God. How can Jesus be for the whole world when the whole world isn’t for Jesus? What about all the other religions? Is it narrow-minded to think that Jesus is the only way to God? Join us as we explore reasonable answers to questions like these and consider why Jesus in a world of other options?
The #BlackLivesMatter movement has caused our country to wrestle with issues of justice. But what about #AllLives, #BlueLives, or #MilitaryLives? Let’s dispel the rumors and barriers surrounding #BlackLivesMatter so that we can clearly see God’s call for Jesus-centered action. As society tries to answer these questions, its consciousness is being transformed. As Christians, we should know where we stand and what it means to act but there is much hesitation. Let’s remove barriers together and uncover Jesus’ call to for us to humbly live out justice.
Immigration isn’t primarily political. Jesus himself was an immigrant coming from heaven to earth. He crossed the biggest divide of all time to settle in a foreign land that he was not from. Scripture is full of migration and an immigrant experience, but here in North America, we have unfortunately let politics and government shape our views on immigration instead of scripture and the life of Jesus. What happens when our faith begins to shape our engagement with the immigration conversation? How does it open our eyes to new possibilities on how to reach our campuses and love our peers? Let’s engage this topic together. You may just find out that you too aren’t a native of this land.
We are all created for the purposes of God but often wander aimlessly in life looking for our calling. Unfortunately, many students explore options without prayer and others prayerfully consider without looking at their God-given options. Come discover a unique method of exploration and prayer to uncover your calling into Jesus’ kingdom work.
The story of God cannot be told without including the way he has used people to spread His kingdom. The job title of kingdom ambassador is not optional for followers of Jesus, but the secular culture of college campuses makes it a daunting task. We’ll explore Biblical models of evangelism and give you practical solutions to use when sharing your faith in everyday conversation. Additionally we’ll point you in the direction of resources you can use to answer your friends’ tough questions about God.
Each day, our five senses are bombarded with millions of options to consume. We live in an age that finds its citizenship in cyberspace. We are a generation that lives alongside the commentary of advertising, saturated in the sounds and messages of pop culture. While today’s technology is a gift to us, it also provokes our difficulty to cultivate and savor solitude with Jesus. In this seminar, we will deal with our need to spend time unplugging from all of this input to hear the voice of God and follow his lead in our lives.
Too often our struggles with our sexuality and in our relationships are based on a misunderstanding of God, his kingdom purposes and true purity. Confusion and guilt cloud our understanding of our desire to be in a relationship or to enjoy our singleness. Join us for an honest discussion about the challenges of dating, singleness and sexual purity as we seek to grow in deeper devotion to God.
Where do we as women get our identity? The media and American culture tell us that we are created to be sexy. The “church” often tells us that we are created to be quiet and to help. But who did God create us to be? And how do we get our identity first from a loving God when we are bombarded by messages attempting to convince us of our inadequacy and need to change? In this seminar, we will explore the uniqueness which God created in us as women and the ongoing journey of embracing our true identity as women of God.
Imagine what God could do with a generation of men who intentionally stand shoulder to shoulder to fulfill the purposes of God in college and beyond. This seminar will be an opportunity for men to wrestle with the unique challenges they face in following Jesus, to get a vision for the life God is calling them to and be equipped to stand together in pursuit of his kingdom coming more fully in this generation.
In 1 Cor 15 Paul writes that our faith is useless and we are to be pitied if Christ did not rise from the dead. As an eyewitness to the resurrected Jesus, Paul didn’t have to worry about his faith. We are 2,000 years removed from the event in question and are often faced with criticism from skeptics about Jesus’ resurrection. Investigate the historical evidence for what the early church considered to be it’s central message, learn how to use this information in conversation with unbelieving friends and apply the hope of a risen savior to the rest of your Christian walk.
Jesus says the smallest of seeds grow and overtake the rest of the garden. Our communities are these seeds and our campuses are the garden. In this seminar we will look at how these communities can transform lives and renew the campus; equipping you to lead mustard seed communities to advance the kingdom on your campus.
Jesus has shaped you during your college years to impact the world around you for his purposes. Unfortunately, many students struggle to maintain their fervor for ministry after college. Come hear what Jesus is doing around Florida and the world and learn how your life now can prepare you to step off your college campus and into the mission of God for the rest of your life.
Storytelling moves hearts. We see this in movies, around campfires and dinner tables. Stories unify us, captivate us and help us make sense of the surrounding world. But how do we leverage this ancient and powerful tool to lead others to the kingdom? How do we move the gospel from four propositional points to a living story that captivates hearts? Come learn how to tell stories well and leverage them for kingdom transformation.
You have a dream for your campus or maybe you’re always the one asking who is still missing from your fellowship. God has an answer. Let’s get to work. It’s time for you to reach a new people group on campus, maybe athletes, engineers, Middle Easterners or maybe God is saying reach a new campus entirely. But planting a movement on campus from scratch- where do you start? How do you strategize, who do you look for, why is it important? Missional movements start with a vision to see God do something incredible on campus. We want to give you some essential tools to help you get started. So stop wasting time, let’s start something new..
In an increasingly multiethnic world, God’s call for us to love our neighbors takes us to places where we are crossing cultures every day. You may be one of many who have had a challenging time navigating through this world full of differences. This seminar will give you insights into what to expect when we interact with others, why our words and actions can be misinterpreted, and how to grow in self-awareness so that we are equipped to be agents of reconciliation.
Nothing has exposed the gap between the church and the broader society quite like the cultural argument over sexuality. Can I be gay and Christian? Is the church LGBT affirming or not? How do I love my LGBT friends and keep my beliefs? It has become very difficult to discern God’s voice in all of it. But there is hope when we see each other as image-bearers and the world through the lens of mission. This seminar will help you discover a biblical and holistic vision of sexuality surrendered to Jesus that offers good news to the world.
These optional ethnic specific gatherings allow students to share about the unique challenges facing their community as they follow Jesus, to grow in their identity a vital part of the kingdom of God and enter back into our multi-ethnic community in a deeper way. If you have questions regarding these gatherings definitely ask a staff.
We all need friends and trusted people in our lives to help us process our challenges, our opportunities. our struggles, and our key decisions. nothing can replace a good staff worker or a great community.
But sometimes when you are trying to make a decision or trying to find a way through a challenge, it can be really valuable to have someone wise who doesn't know you that well, someone who is totally objective to give you advice or perspective. coaching, for your life.
We know many of you are processing things this weekend, changes you might be feeling you should make, relationships, major, future... decisions. so we have set up a coaching bar with some great people who can just listen and help you, coach you, about anything in your life.
if you think that might be helpful for you, can you can stop by our coaching bar in the office area Saturday between 4:30-5:30pm
We will have a time of intercession for our campuses and for more of God in our lives from 10:30pm until 11:30pm on Saturday night. This time is totally optional. We will blend music, prayer and scripture for a passionate expression of intercessory prayer. You can come for as long as you like and leave when you want to.
We have put together a book table for you of InterVarsity Press titles that we thought would help you to grow. Reading is an awesome way to be discipled by great men and women who you may never meet. Because we are InterVarsity too, we are able to offer these books at 60% the usual cost. So, buy a book. And then don’t forget to actually read it.
Limited edition SB T-shirts are for sale in the banuqet room for $10. First come, first serve. Limited quantity available. Also, check out the book table!!!! Reading is good. Please do not take a shirt or a book without putting money in the appropriate box. Keep the t-shirt and book money separate. Honor system- so please do not borrow or take (ie, steal :))
InterVarsity is a part of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES). As is our tradition at Sonburst, on Sunday morning we take an offering for students & ministry friends around the world. This year the money you give will go to benefit LINK staff who are partnering with IFES students in Cayman. Tomy and Bri are UT alumni!
Aside from Fire by Night we really want to encourage everyone to go to bed as soon as you can. Staying up is fun, but missing God is uncool. You can stay up any time, but getting as much rest as you can may help you hear Jesus better at the conference. Even if you feel like you do not need sleep, your roommates might, so show them some practical love by shutting off the lights and keeping the room quiet.
Speaking of sleeping… We are not the only people in these hotels. There are hundreds of other guests who will most likely want to go to bed before we do. Please show them love and help us to keep a good reputation with the hotel by being quiet in the halls and not making too much noise in your rooms.
PARKING:
Please pay attention to street signs when you look for parking near the HUB. You may park in the school parking lot, the gravel lot and all along 2nd Ave. DO NOT PARK ON STREET BY BOX LOFT APARTMENTS- YOU WILL BE TOWED.
If you are staying at the hotel, you will all need to check out of our rooms before you come to the conference. Pack most of your bag Saturday night so it will be easy to get to the HUB by 9am Sunday- we don't want you to miss anything.
IF YOU RODE A BUS TO SONBURST:
Please check out of the Hampton Inn Sunday morning, put your luggage in the Hampton in Conference Room (they will have luggage tags for you). You will be able to load your luggage on the bus when the confernce ends. Get started early enought ot make it to the HUB for 9am worship.