EDM 2023
From May 8-11, 2023, a few of our UBF campus ministry leaders and student leaders (from Chicago, Minneapolis, Springfield, Toledo, and Madison) attended a collegiate ministry staff conference, EDM 2023, in Fort Worth, Texas. This conference was hosted by Via, previously known as Campus Ministry Today. EDM stands for evangelism, discipleship, and mission mobilization, 3 components that ultimately encapsulate God’s heart for His people.
Each day consisted of multiple main sessions and workshops by some of the top leaders in campus ministry, such as Steve Shadrach and Paul Worcester (authors of Fuel and the Flame), Todd Ahrend (The Traveling Team), Ben Nugent (The Navigators), Scott Martin (Chi Alpha), and many others. And throughout the day, there was a chance to network with staff and leaders from different campus ministries, sharing and learning how God has been working through our respective ministries. Altogether, there were over 750 campus ministry staff from over 325 unique campuses. It was an eye-opening experience, and our team was so encouraged to be surrounded by people with the same gospel-centered vision, mission, and heart.
We are most thankful to our dear brothers and sisters in Christ from Arlington UBF, Texas. Monica H. provided our team with transportation and delicious food each day as well as a place to stay. Joshua and Gloria C., and their daughter Sarah, gave rides and invited us to lunch and dinner. José also drove us around, and even took a day off work to accompany and pray with us. His sister, Kim, took the time to visit as well. On Thursday, they gave a tour of the UTA (The University of Texas at Arlington) campus and prayed earnestly for their ministry and the students there. Our UBF coworkers returned with practical ministry tools and strategies for reaching students with the gospel, making disciples, and mobilizing them for the lost. Most importantly, they returned with a greater vision: that their campuses would be a sending base of missionaries to the nations, the ultimate heartbeat of the Great Commission.
