A keynote address focused on the big picture, the metanarrative, this opening session sets the broad context for the conference within scripture and our Anabaptist faith tradition in order to equip students to step out of the boat in Christ-likeness and counter-cultural living.

Keynote 2: Stepping Out of the Boat: Following Jesus in the Shadow of the Empire, Tom and Christine Sine.
This generation will graduate into a future increasingly shaped by a new global economy. This new global economy will offer a host of new opportunities and challenges for their lives. We will ask: "how can we prepare students now to engage these challenges and opportunities after they graduate?" This new global economy is also taking on the characteristic of empire. The marketers of the global mall are increasingly becoming more sophisticated in seeking to influence the young everywhere. We will ask: "how are these other 'educators' seeking to shape the aspirations and values of the young we work with?" and "How can we prepare the young to faithfully follow Jesus in the shadow of the empire?"

Keynote 3: Stepping Out of the Boat: Caring for God’s World – Leaving a Hopeful Trace, Doug Graber Neufeld.
Consumerism implies entitlement, the presumption that we can do what we wish with our resources. We in the U.S. and Canada use a disproportionate share of the world’s resources and in so doing hurt both others, and God's creation; we need to recognize our global responsibility. How can we practice the way of Jesus with our lifestyles in the face of issues such as climate change, food security, health, and land use? In the area of environmental awareness, young people and people from other cultures often have unique insights into the nature of these problems and their solutions. How does that affect the way we teach our students? How do we help our students being hope to a world that faces environmental challenges?

Keynote 4: Stepping Out of the Boat: Seeing Christ in the Other, Luke Hartman.
Why, from an Anabaptist-Mennonite point of view, is inclusiveness important? How do the teachings and life of Christ challenge us in this area? We tend to fear the unknown; personal and collective prejudice (related to dominance) can get into the way. Authentic cultural understanding moves us beyond simply “welcoming” the other to valuing him or her as ourselves and acknowledging how much we have to learn from the other. How can we move from where we are towards Christ’s call for inclusiveness?