一年一度的 禧年会议 in Pittsburgh is run by the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO). 2月. 16-18, over 2,500 people from across the country came together for worship, teaching, 和 fellowship. 72 Geneva students 和 staff had the opportunity to attend the conference this year. To help offset the conference cost, 超过4美元,800 was raised by faculty 和 staff, which made the conference much more accessible for the students who wanted to attend. The conference is designed intentionally to cultivate growth, helping students to grow in their relationship with God 和 their relationships with other students.
The conference’s main gatherings work through the gospel narrative: creation, 秋天, 救赎, 和恢复. Multiple speakers share testimonies 和 teachings. 在创建会话中, art history professor 和 author Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt shared about the beauty of God’s creation 和 how humans are especially beautiful because we are made in the image of God. The following session featured missions pastor Ashley Anderson who shared a message on the 秋天, highlighting the brokenness brought into the world. Her teaching prepared students for the message on 救赎 given by pastor 和 author Claude Atcho, who reminded us that “into this decaying world, God has come down to set right all that we have broken.” The conference concluded with Abe Cho, senior director of training with City to City in NYC, speaking on restoration 和 the hope that we have for God’s restored kingdom on Earth.
Worship was a key element for the main gatherings, led by musicians Nikki Porter & 丹尼尔Snoke. The time of worship encouraged attendees to embrace the fellowship of the conference 和 was conducive for personal reflection 和 community expression. Abby Martin ’26 found the worship to be her favorite part of the conference. “You can feel the presence of God in the room, 和 it’s super special to be able to gather together 和 just join in our love for Jesus Christ.” For a glimpse into the experience of 禧年 worship, the CCO has posted the 禧年 2024 playlist on Spotify 和 苹果的音乐.
在主要聚会之间, students could attend a wide variety of workshops targeting elements of Christian life. Over the course of the weekend, over 60 workshops were offered. Some workshops focused on elements of personal faith, others gave insight into the work of evangelism, while others provided advice for navigating relationships. Erica Young Reitz, a Geneva alumna 和 author of 大学毕业后, led two workshops looking at the transition from college to professional life. Many workshops focused on the integration of faith into one’s vocational calling. The vocational workshop for history was led by Geneva’s own 埃里克·米勒博士, history professor 和 author. 通过这些研讨会, students were able to dig deeper into topics of their choice 和 experience valuable conversations regarding faith 和 life.
Students also had opportunities for networking. In the main hall of the convention center, several exhibitors were gathered to provide information about ministry opportunities, 研究生院, 还有暑期工作机会. MAHE项目总监 Henrique Alvim博士教授, Keith Martel博士, 和 director of graduate admissions 朱迪·威尔逊 represented bwin体育大学 和 provided information on bwin体育的研究生项目. The exhibitors allowed for valuable networking opportunities for students in their free time.
Another blessing of the conference was the Hearts 和 Minds Bookstore. 每年, owners Byron 和 Beth Borger attend the conference, bringing with them hundreds of books on nearly every topic. Whether a new Christian or a lifelong Christian, 新生或大四学生, a Bible or an engineering major, 每个人都有一本书. Byron provided several book recommendations during the main sessions, focusing on each area of the gospel narrative. Through their bookstore 和 recommendations, students are encouraged to learn 和 grow even after the conference is over.
Overall, the conference provided students with an amazing weekend of worship 和 learning. While only spanning a weekend, the conference provides a springboard for students to continue to learn 和 grow throughout the entire year. 约翰威廉, director of campus ministry at Geneva, 说, “You absolutely should come to 禧年 2025. If you are at all interested in what it looks like to engage in your faith more deeply, if you have questions about how faith 和 life integration occurs, if you are curious about who Jesus is 和 what that means for your life, if you want to make new friendships 和 be a part of a community that is coming together to worship the Lord, 那么朱比利是给你的, bwin体育可以做到这一点.”
If you did not have the opportunity to go to 禧年 this year, then mark your calendar for 禧年 2025 on Feb. 21-23. You definitely do not want to miss it!
Mattigan 伯利的24