The World's Largest Missions Bookstore: IVP at Urbana 22
34,000 books. 5,000 people. 192 organizations. 1 life-changing conference.
The Urbana Missions Conference is a milestone experience that gives attendees a bigger vision of God’s heart for the nations, allowing Christians of all ages to discover how God is calling them to use their gifts and passions in his global mission. This four-day conference gives participants exciting opportunities to engage in multicultural worship sessions, seminars, prayer ministry, dynamic Bible teachings, and eye-opening testimonies from the global church.
Urbana began over seventy years ago in 1946 in Toronto, Canada, with five hundred seventy-five students. Since then, the conference has called nearly three hundred thousand people to whole-life, whole-world discipleship. The Urbana 22 Conference, held December 28-31 in Indianapolis, Indiana, included more than five thousand attendees and nearly two hundred seminars and organizations.
Urbana Bookstore Curated by IVP
IVP employees and volunteers participate in a decades-long partnership with Urbana by constructing and serving at the expansive pop-up bookstore on site. With more than thirty-four thousand books representing more than seven hundred titles, the Urbana bookstore is the largest missions bookstore in the world.
For Al Hsu, senior editor for IVP, Urbana 22 was the tenth Urbana Missions Conference he attended. “When I attended Urbana 93 as a college student, I was amazed and overwhelmed by the big picture of what God was doing in the world," he said. "So I found my way to the IVP bookstore at Urbana, where I bought every Book of the Day and dozens of other books to help me navigate my next steps after the conference. I literally brought two boxes of books home with me on the bus! The books students encounter at Urbana can help them discern their vocation and get them to wherever in the world God may be calling them to serve.”
Books of the Day
The Urbana 22 Books of the Day
At each Urbana, IVP books referred to as "Books of the Day" are specially selected to guide attendees through their Urbana experience and beyond. These companions help readers grow spiritually, discern their vocational path, and serve faithfully in any context.
IVP Authors at Urbana
Throughout Urbana's long history, hundreds of IVP authors have participated by leading seminars, attending book signings, and speaking at large group plenary sessions, where conference attendees gather for worship, messages, prayer, and Bible exposition.
At Urbana 22, Bishop Claude Alexander (Necessary Christianity and Becoming the Church) served as the Bible expositor, guiding attendees daily through the book of Acts. Alexia Salvatierra (coauthor of Faith-Rooted Organizing) and James Choung (True Story, Real Life, and Longing for Revival) were main stage plenary speakers. Dozens more were involved with seminars and other events. You can meet many of the authors who attended Urbana 22 below, and see all of them here.
Urbana 22 Highlights
IVP staff take a break from setting up the bookstore to check out the photobooth.
Attendees participate in multicultural worship at the opening plenary session.
The Urbana bookstore is packed with readers between sessions.
Author Bridget Gee reads her book Single, Just Because, with other attendees.
Students try to decide how many books they can take as they browse the bookstore.
IVP staff serving as cashiers ring up bookstore customers.
A group of IVP authors attending Urbana pose with their books.
Author Terry Wildman signs a copy of First Nations Version for IVP editor Al Hsu.
Emcee Anna Lee-Winans promotes Book of the Day The Way Up Is Down in a plenary session.
This student picks up a huge haul of books to bring back home to Canada.
Jen Pollock Michel interviews Book of the Day authors Irwin Ince and Sheila Wise Rowe for the Englewood Review of Books Podcast.
The entire IVP team that made the Urbana 22 Bookstore a success.
More Resources for Daily Growth
Whether or not you attended Urbana, you might be interested in ways to keep your learning going strong—built into your daily routine at home. These resources will encourage you and help you find the perfect books to guide your growth.
John 3:16 Is God's Mission Statement—Here's Why
To understand our roles in God's global mission, we first need to understand that mission. In this article, author Paul Borthwick shares eight ways that John 3:16 describes the missionary heart of God so that we can find our place as missionaries and disciples in God's kingdom.
Get in The Word with Truth's Table
Want to experience the entire Bible in just fifteen minutes a day for one year? Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a daily Bible podcast from IVP featuring two cohosts of the popular Truth's Table podcast—Christina Edmondson and Ekemini Uwan—who narrate the entire Bible and offer daily prayers over the course of a year.
Terry Wildman on the Making of "First Nations Version," a New Indigenous Bible Translation
In this interview, Terry Wildman tells of his encounter with a Hopi version of the New Testament, and how that experience planted the seed that became The First Nations Version of the New Testament, reflecting the oral storytelling of Native cultures.
IVP Book Drop
IVP Book Drop is a monthly book club perfect for readers who want to grow spiritually, hear from diverse voices, and start powerful conversations on today's most important cultural topics. Join IVP Book Drop Today for Only $9.99 a Month!
Spiritual Formation and Books: Reading as a Spiritual Practice
How do we grow closer to God? As Christians, we desire to become more like Christ. What does it look like to devote ourselves to spiritual formation? IVP's divisional vice president and associate publisher Cindy Bunch dives into what Christian spiritual formation really is and how books play an important role in our spiritual growth.
Daily Quiet Time Bible Study
Do you want to discover the riches of Scripture? Do you want to draw closer to God? The Daily Quiet Time Bible Study was designed for your personal time of worship and study. Check back every day for a new study, and join the millions who have used this free devotional resource.
2 Simple Ways to Revitalize Your Church with Group Prayer
Churches are struggling to meet the needs of their congregations and to entice people to return to church after pandemic living. But instead of rolling out fancy programs, ministry veteran Carolyn Carney says we can revitalize our churches through the simple yet powerful act of group prayer. Read this article for two practical tips on building prayer in your congregation.
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