Autumn University Conference
3rd-5th November, 2017
Quinta House, Oswestry, UK
What is the University Conference?
The Uni Conference began in the 1990s when Christian students from around the UK met together to spend a weekend in God’s Word and to encourage one another in their student witness on their various university campuses. Fast forward to the present, and this conference now takes place twice a year, once in the Autumn and once in the Spring, and has become a special time for groups of representatives from most of the major UK cities and universities, from all over Europe, and even from further afield to be gathered together, to dive into the Word of God with fellow students, and to have their hearts enlarged for what the Lord is doing beyond the city and country where they live and study.
The conference typically takes place in Christian conference centres in the UK such as Cefn Lea, Ledbury, Bower House, and Quinta Hall, where accommodation and meals are included as part of the conference package. The Spring 2017 conference was a landmark event with the conference taking place at De Hoof in the Netherlands, the first time it was based outside the UK. This opened the doors for many more students from the mainland European countries to attend, and the prayer is that will continue so that each year there could be one conference in the UK and the another on the continent, allowing many more the opportunity to join these special times.
Who comes to the conference?
The conference is primarily for university students (both undergrads and postgrads) and those who are university-aged (i.e. recent graduates are welcome to come back!), and is also open to those aged 16 and over who are in A Levels or equivalent (parent consent is required). The majority of those who attend the conference are Christians. Those seeking to know more about God and His Word, the Bible, are also invited to attend.
Just in the past year, registrants have come to the conference from:
- Within the UK and Ireland: Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Coventry, Dublin, Durham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Gloucester, Lancaster, Leicester, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton, and Southend-on-Sea
- Mainland Europe: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland
- Even further afield: Australia, China, Colombia, Egypt, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, Malawi, Malaysia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States
As you can tell, this is a special opportunity to be with students from many different backgrounds and even different languages, and to see and experience the Body of Christ. It also means that if you have friends in other cities or even countries, you can invite them to register and to meet you at the conference!
What happens at the conference?
Each conference has a particular theme – the theme for Autumn 2017 is The Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus. The conference goes from Friday dinner time to Sunday lunch time and the schedule consists of lots of singing, messages based on the conference theme, and small group times so everyone has the opportunity to participate and fellowship. The accommodation and meal arrangements are also good times to get to know other students from different places, and are included in the registration fee along with pickup shuttles and conference materials. During the afternoon there is free time for activities such as badminton, basketball, football, hiking, etc, and this time can be used to rest or study if needed.
What’s so great about the conference?
There’s something to be said about taking a break from everything and going away to a “high mountain” (and when we go to Wales, we literally are in the mountains!) to be with the Lord. During these times, many testify that they receive a fresh vision of the Lord and what is on His heart, have a deep enjoyment of the Lord in His Word and in the Spirit, and experience being built up together with those they go to the conference with (travelling together and staying together) and also those they meet at the conference. Most importantly, during the conference there are many opportunities to take walks with the Lord and for personal prayer and reflection, and it is these intimate times with the Lord that can be real landmarks in our Christian experience and walk with God.
Please pray and consider before the Lord whether you would like to join us to go to the University Conference in Shropshire from 3-5 November, and register on unistudents.eu. The deadline is this Wednesday, 25th October 2017, and the registration fee is £75. If the only thing holding you back is finances, please get in touch (cambridgechristianstudents@gmail.com) as there is a bursary available.
Important links:
- Register now for the University Conference, Autumn 2017 in Shropshire
- Transport form (travelling to and from Cambridge)
- More videos, audio messages, and testimonies related to both the upcoming and previous University Conferences.