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USA Student Christian Movement in the Midst of Resurrection

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Steering Committee gathers from across the United States to plan rebirth of movement.

Forty years after the heyday of student activism in 1968, Christian student activists from across the Christian spectrum are rising as a force once again. The planning of a beautiful revival to face the great challenges of the 21st century and take steps towards realizing the Kingdom of God has gained traction in the hearts of students near and far and this weekend a steering committee laid down the first concrete steps towards further organization and action. 

Following a historic conference in January bringing together progressive Christians with a global vision of change, students in the United States are reclaiming their prophetic voice. "Raising New Prophets: Arising of a Movement," the first North American Regional conference of the World Student Christian Federation in decades, was organized to re-energize a student Christian movement in the U.S. Now, 9 months later, a steering committee is deep in strategic planning sessions towards grassroots networking of ecumenical communities on campuses nation-wide.

Included within this session are meetings with theologians from different seminaries in New York, the trustees who carried the spirit of the movement from previous incarnations, and representatives of the National Council of Churches and World Council of Churches

This effort will culminate in October of 2010 with the official launch of the renewed student Christian movement in the United States. Student representatives from seminaries, colleges, and universities across the country will come together to discuss how they will collectively put their faith into action towards progressive Christian concerns.

The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) is a network of more than 100 national movements in every region of the world. Founded in 1895, the WSCF was a precursor to the World Council of Churches (WCC) and now has advisory status with the WCC as well as consultative status with the United Nations and UNESCO.

"Students have struggled, and sometimes even died, to build a movement that follows the radical life of Jesus Christ," said Alice Hageman, an alumni and chair for the trustees of the U.S. Student Christian Movement (SCM), which voted itself out of existence in 1969. "It is they who paved the way."

Current leaders of the ecumenical movement recognize the debt they owe to the Student Christian Movement. The rich legacy has fostered nascent leadership for over 100 years, including the involvement of such figures as Martin Luther King Jr. and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

For more information, see www.wscfusatrustees.org and www.wscfglobal.org

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