Evangelicals Now
Christian news worldwide
magnifying glass Search archives
home Home check the archives Archives Subscribe Subscriptions Advertising Information & booking of classifieds Adverts Find a local evangelical Church Find a church for the search engines and extremely curious! About us Contact us Site Map
Printable
Version

The Third Degree

Forum 2005 - essential

September is an important time for students! It marks the end of summer and for many it’s the beginning of a new journey as they leave home — often for the first time.

It was also a key time for CU leaders across the UK as they gathered together for Forum 2005 — UCCF’s national CU leaders’ training conference. Over 400 CU leaders, 60 CU Staff Workers and 50 Relay volunteers attended this year’s event at the Quinta Conference Centre, Oswestry, from September 5 to 9. From Bangor to Bognor they were all united in heart and mind with a common purpose and vision — the evangelisation of our universities and colleges.

Forum has been running for a number of years and has proved to be a significant resource for CU leaders. This year’s conference was called Essential. Here are just a few reasons why...

Essential…for students

Terry Virgo (New Frontiers) was the main conference speaker and was invited to speak on selected passages from the book of Romans. Both students and staff were impressed by his winsome and personable nature and his ability to preach with great warmth, pastoral insight, clarity and biblical wisdom. Here’s what some students thought:

‘Terry’s morning expositions were really helpful. He was clear, passionate, relevant and engaging. His Bible talks really inspired faith in God’s promises about the future.’

‘There was a great emphasis on how the cross affects all areas of Christian living.’
‘He explained grace really well and brought tough doctrines to life.’

Essential…for future leaders

One of this year’s keynote speakers, Vaughan Roberts (St. Ebbes Church, Oxford), is certainly no stranger to UCCF or to Forum, having attended the conference as a student leader himself. He comments on how Forum equipped him to both live and speak for Jesus as a student leader and how the conference helped him in his development as a Christian leader:

‘I first came to Forum when I was 19. I was a very young student leader — a little bit scared about the huge responsibility I’d been given. Forum made a big difference to me. By the end of it I began to think I knew vaguely what I was supposed to be doing, and it equipped me to serve Christ in the coming years.’

Essential…for world mission

As well as student evangelism in the UK, Christian Unions have always been committed to student mission abroad. Thursday evening of the conference was world prayer night and saw many of the hundreds of delegates together for a half night of prayer. Lindsay Brown (IFES General Secretary) shared news from around the world, along with special guests from other foreign student movements.

‘It was really encouraging to see that God’s work is so much bigger than the things we are individually doing through CU. The half night of prayer at Forum helped me see that my CU belonged to something huge and it really expanded my view of what God is doing through Christian Unions outside of the UK’ (a student from Bristol University).

It turned out to be a remarkable evening — not only did Northern Ireland beat England 1-0 (boo!) but over £2,600 was raised in the offering for the continued development of student work in Rwanda (woo hoo!).

Essential…for gospel unity

There you have it! Forum 2005 — essential for students, future leaders, world mission, and let’s not forget gospel unity! Many of the delegates who attended the conference were from a variety of evangelical backgrounds and denominations, including staff, students and even the main speakers (at what other conference would you get Terry Virgo and Vaughan Roberts on the same stage together?)! Right from the word go the agenda was clear — Christian Unions are about uniting and mobilising evangelical Christians for mission.

‘I love the vision of UCCF and the CUs. It’s evangelical so it’s committed to the great truths of Scripture and it’s interdenominational — all those who love those truths are welcomed together’ (Vaughan Roberts).

Pod Bhogal