Inviting the Next Generation into God’s Mission

Inviting the Next Generation into God’s Mission: TeachBeyond at Urbana 25

A team of  TeachBeyond members spent the final days of 2025 at Urbana. This student missions conference happens every 3 years, inviting young people to seek God’s will for their lives through potential missions opportunities.

Around 7,000 students and young adults attended the 4-day conference, which was held in Phoenix, Arizona. They heard from over a dozen speakers, attended seminars and met with representatives from various missions organizations.

TeachBeyond has been recruiting at Urbana since 2009. For this conference, Chloe Powell joined the team representing TeachBeyond. She is a recent college graduate joining the Mobilization team in the US.

“I went into Urbana unsure of what to expect, having never attended before, and I left feeling deeply encouraged by how the Lord was moving and working in the hearts of the younger generation,” Chloe said.

“While I had seen glimmers of this with my peers, it was powerful to see it on such a large scale with people from all over the world. Through meaningful conversations with so many people, I witnessed such immense passion and hope as they shared their callings with me. I had conversations with individuals who had previously never considered education as a means to reach the nations; however, they left intrigued by what that might look like for them.”

The TeachBeyond booth had a library theme, inviting Urbana attendees to read the stories of current missionaries at the study table or “check out” specific opportunities at the circulation desk. Hundreds of people visited the booth to pick up temporary tattoos or have a conversation about how they could get involved.

During the conference, TeachBeyond President David Durance hosted a seminar on how education is opening doors to the Gospel. More than 200 people attended the session, and even more wanted to attend, but were unable to because of capacity limits on the room.

Having so many people take an interest in the mission of  TeachBeyond  was an encouraging way to end the year. Urbana 25 was an example of how students and young adults are choosing to open themselves up to the potential of serving God through missions.

As the conference came to a close, Chloe reflected on a statement she had heard from one of the speakers.

“During one of the big room gatherings, Dr. Ed Stetzer made a statement that I think summed up the conference well: ‘Put your yes on the table and let God put it on the map.’”

“I saw so many young individuals stepping out in faith, as they were open to following God's call on their lives,” Chloe said. “God was clearly planting seeds and opening doors, and I’m eager to see what this next generation will do for the Kingdom.”