And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’"

 

 

The kingdom that Jesus brings is a kingdom that will be good news to the poor, it will bring release to the captives, give the blind their sight back and grant freedom for the oppressed. To follow Jesus is to join him in bringing this kingdom. The extent to which the realities of the poor, captive, blind and oppressed are transformed is the extent to which Jesus, working through his followers, has brought his kingdom.

 

Urbana 09 will be hosting three tracks devoted to the issue of poverty. These tracks will bring like-minded participants together in shared housing, Bible studies, seminars and small groups in order to tackle the critical issues surrounding the question of how the kingdom of God is to come to the world's poor.

 

The International Poverty Track will examine how the kingdom of God might look if it were established among the residents of developing world slums, street kids, sex workers and the estimated 2.6 billion people on earth who are attempting to survive on $2 per day.

 

The Domestic Poverty Track will ask how North America’s poor communities could be impacted by Christ and his kingdom if God’s people chose to live within these communities and work on their behalf.

 

The Advocacy Track will draw from the track record and experiences of World Vision, International Justice Mission and Sojourners in asking how we might become better advocates for the poor and defenders of the powerless by using our voice and our actions.

 

These tracks are community experiences. There will be hands-on opportunities to make a difference for the poor while at the convention. If you want to spend five days living and studying together with people who care about poverty, grab a friend and sign up for this world-class convention registering for any one of these tracks!