Missions Conference February 25 - March 1
_______
Our Mission to the College Campus
Independent Presbyterian Church memphis, tn
— RUF Missions Conference 2015 —
Inspiration behind the Conference There is no doubt the four years we spend in college are formative years. College is a time that shapes our understanding of ourselves, the world, and God. The university has been called the “marketplace of ideas.” What better place to have ordained men speaking biblical truth into the lives of students than in that “marketplace?” For almost 45 years RUF has been placing ordained campus ministers on the college campus to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Over those 45 years, thousands of lives have been changed through this ministry, including my own. The second semester of my freshman year of college, my roommate invited me to a campus ministry that was affecting his life immensely. After attending an RUF group meeting, my life was never the same. I not only heard the gospel preached in a profound way that night, but I was welcomed and loved by the community of students and ministers involved. Since that night I went on to become an RUF intern and campus minister. As a campus minister at the University of Arizona I witnessed students’ lives changed. The gospel of Christ is indeed powerful and brought students to salvation at Arizona. Students came with questions that needed to be answered, hurts that needed to be pastored, and hopes that needed to be confirmed. My students were not unusual. There are thousands upon thousands of college students every year yearning to be comforted in their pain, renewed in their faith, and satisfied in Christ. It is safe to say, through my experience in RUF as a student and campus minister, God has not only shaped my understanding of Jesus and his love for me, but also my understanding of gospel ministry itself. For these reasons and many more, I am so excited to host our first ever RUF Missions Conference. We desire to educate pastors, church members, parents, and students, on what God is doing through RUF on college campuses. The conference will provide opportunities to meet campus ministers, hear testimonies of what God is doing on their campuses, and learn more about Our Mission to the College Campus. Many of us are familiar with RUF in the Southeast, but what is God doing through RUF in New York and California? We will hear from campus ministers who are doing great work in these different regions of our country, as well as the campuses in the Southeast. We look forward to learning about RUF campus ministry with you. - Parker Tenent, IPC Assistant Pastor and Local Outreach and Evangelism Committee Leader
— RUF Missions Conference 2015 —
The Effects of RUF on the Individual “College is often where life makes up its mind. Students are asking big questions about themselves, the world, and God. RUF gives us the great privilege of pastoring students during these formative years, the fruit of which can last a lifetime.” – Brent Webster, RUF Campus Minister UC Berkley
“I was converted my sophomore year at MS State through the ministry of RUF. I was running away from God, but He was seeking me. My wife was also converted through RUF, so we will always be thankful for this ministry. I did not think that I would ever be a pastor, but I could not get away from the calling. I ended up going to seminary after coaching baseball for a couple of years, and then RUF seemed like the best fit for our family.“ – Seth Still, RUF Campus Minister Delta State
“Stanford is a campus where churched students come to abandon their faith, and non-churched students assume they will never have to deal with God. Despite all the accolade, success, and excitement that an elite school in Silicon Valley promises and provides, I can’t help but walk across campus and into students’ lives and sense that their hearts, like all of ours, are crying out for connection and security....the kind of which is offered in Christ alone.” – Britton Wood, RUF Campus Minister Stanford University
“I became a Christian through RUF. I like to tell people, Tim Keller didn’t help me here—it was RUF. Once I became a Christian, I always wanted to be a pastor at RUF. In fact, I was a pastor of a church in Boston, and left that job to become a RUF pastor.” – Michael Keller, City Campus Ministry, New York City
“I became a Christian through RUF at Mississippi State. Seeing the Lord work through RUF in a very real and practical way is what gave me the desire to be an RUF Intern and staff member for six years and now care for the interns on campuses all across the country.” – Casey Cockrum, RUF National Intern Department Staff Counselor
— RUF Missions Conference schedule —
Wednesday, February 25
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Congregational Lunch with Michael Keller at IPC speaking on “Campus Ministry in New York City” $6 for lunch Wednesday Evening Church: Nursery and children’s activities will be provided from 6:15 p.m. - 7:25 p.m. 5:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. Dinner 6:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. RUF Campus Ministers will share stories and experiences from their campus ministries. • Joe White, RUF Campus Minister UCLA • Alex Watlington, RUF Campus Minister University of Southern California • Britton Wood, RUF Campus Minister Stanford University • Brent Webster, RUF Campus Minister UC Berkeley • Bryce Hales, RUF Campus Minister University of Utah 7:00 p.m. - 7:25 p.m. The Reverend David Jones
Friday, February 27
Nursery will be available from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. with reservations only. Childcare for K-5th grade will be provided in the Romper Room from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Children should eat with parents in the Fellowship Hall.) Dinner is $6 per person, $3 per child, not to exceed $20 per family 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Friday Night Tailgate Meet and Greet time for campus ministers and congregation 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Panel discussion: God’s Grace in RUF • Elbert McGowan, RUF Campus Minister Jackson State • Matt Howell, RUF Campus Minister University of Tennessee Knoxville • Amy Hudson, RUF Campus Minister Meredith College • Britton Wood, RUF Campus Minister Stanford University • Simon Stokes, RUF Campus Minister University of North Carolina • Way Rutherford, RUF Campus Minister Baylor University
— RUF Missions Conference schedule —
Saturday, February 28
Nursery will be available 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. with reservations only. (Nursery age children should eat breakfast with parents in the Fellowship Hall and bring a sack lunch.) Childcare for K-5th grade will be provided in the Romper Room from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., lunch will be provided. $6 per person for box lunch RUF Campus ministers and staff will lead seminars on various topics 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Continental breakfast at the church 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Seminars (see below for seminars available) 10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Break 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Seminars (see below for seminars available) 11:30 a.m. Box lunch with panel discussion: Past, Present, and Future of RUF • Les Newsom, RUF Mid-South and Alabama Area Coordinator • Tom Cannon, RUF National Director • David Jones, Pastor of Grace Presbyterian Silicon Valley, CA
Sunday, March 1
Sunday Morning Worship Preaching: The Reverend David Jones 8:30 a.m. Service - Testimony from Jason Sterling, RUF Campus Minister about RUF Campus Ministry at University of Mississippi. 11:00 a.m. Service - Testimony from Brian Sorgenfrei, RUF Campus Minister about RUF Campus Ministry at Mississippi State University. 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. City wide RUF Alumni worship service at IPC in the sanctuary. Worship led by The Reverend Richie Sessions, preaching The Reverend David Jones. Nursery will be provided
Se m i n a r s O ffer ed
(you may choose two seminars to attend)
A Life of Repentance with Way Rutherford, RUF Campus Minister Baylor University Beauty and Body with Casey Cockrum and Leslie Janikosky, RUF Staff Christianity, Art, and the Artist with John Craft, RUF Campus Minister Rhodes College Understanding and Transitioning Your College Student with Les Newsom, RUF Area Coordinator for the Mid- South and Alabama Cross-Cultural Ministry with Seth Still, RUF Campus Minister Delta State Sexuality on the College Campus with Brent Webster, RUF Campus Minister UC Berkley The Hope of Glorification with Brian Sorgenfrei, RUF Campus Minister Mississippi State University
Featured Speaker The Reverend David Jones, Minister of Grace Presbyterian Church Silicon Valley, CA Reverend David Jones is the pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Silicon Valley, California. Grace Presbyterian is a multi-site church in the Peninsula/ South Bay area. The church began in in April 2001, and has since grown from about 50 to 600 people at two sites. David has been happily married to Mindi since 1997, and together they have two wonderful little girls, Kylie and Jaden. Before becoming the Pastor of the Palo Alto site, David served as the campus minister of Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) at Stanford University for eight years. David and Mindi originally met in Dallas, Texas, in 1996, while Mindi was working as an Asset Manager with GE Capital and David was serving as Director of Sr. High Ministries at Park Cities Presbyterian Church. In 2000, they moved to Philadelphia, where David worked towards his M.Div. at Westminster Theological Seminary and Mindi continued to work for GE Capital. In 2003, they moved to the Silicon Valley.
Other Speakers Tom Cannon, RUF National Director Les Newsom, RUF Mid-South and Alabama Area Coordinator Pat Roach, RUF West Coordinator
Registration for nursery, childcare, and the conference are available online.
RUF Campus Ministers Attending Dawson Bean, RUF Campus Minister University of Tennessee Martin Chad Brewer, RUF Campus Minister University of California Irvine Trey Bundrick, RUF Campus Minister University of Arkansas John Craft, RUF Campus Minister Rhodes College Bradford Green, RUF Campus Minister University of Central Arkansas and Hendrix College Bryce Hales, RUF Campus Minister University of Utah Matt Howell, RUF Campus Minister University of Tennessee Knoxville Amy Hudson, RUF Staff Meredith College Ryan Hughs, RUF Campus Minister Colorado State University Johnathon Keenan, RUF Campus Minister University of Memphis Michael Keller, City Campus Ministry NYC Elbert McGowan, RUF Campus Minister Jackson State Way Rutherford, RUF Campus Minister Baylor University Brian Sorgenfrei, RUF Campus Minister Mississippi State University Jason Sterling, RUF Campus Minister University of Mississippi Seth Still, RUF Campus Minister Delta State Simon Stokes, RUF Campus Minister University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Sam Taaffe, RUF Campus Minister Middle Tennessee State University Alex Watlington, RUF Campus Minister University of Southern California Brent Webster, RUF Campus Minister UC Berkeley Joe White, RUF Campus Minister UCLA Jeff Wilkins, RUF Campus Minister Tennessee Tech University Britton Wood, RUF Campus Minister Stanford University
The Importance of RUF on the College Campus “By placing trained, adult stable men on campus, students often receive more involved pastoral counseling and relationship from their RUF pastors than really any other church situation they will have in the future. What is not to like about that? RUF helps train up men and women for the church, by the church, so that when they get to the level of leadership in the church where they are serving, they have a lot to offer.” – Michael Keller, City Campus Ministry, New York City “My hope is that IPC would be greatly encouraged by how God is working on today’s college campuses, that they would be moved to pray for the harvest at various universities, that they would catch a vision for the strategic nature of reaching college students for the sake of the kingdom, and that this conference births an excitement about the ways the Gospel is advancing on dark, unchurched campuses like Berkeley.” – Brent Webster, RUF Campus Minister UC Berkley “I want more people to see the impact the Gospel is having on campus and how important it is to have a pastor on campus with our students. I want more people to hear our stories and get excited about what God is doing on our campuses.” – Seth Still, RUF Campus Minister Delta State
www.indepres.org