If you’ve loved the SALT conference in the past or are interested in join us this year for the first time, keep January 18-20, 2013 free in your calendar! Stay tuned for more information. But be prepared to be challenged by the Word of God, engulfed in a great community, and blown away by our amazing God!

Over thirty Hindu, Muslim, and Christian students joined together one Thursday night to have an interfaith dialogue and learning time.

A SALT staff member worked with two students at University of Chicago (the president of the Hindu Student Sangam and an officer from the Muslim Student Association) to co-host an event called “Astha: A Forum of Faith” on Thursday, April 26. A professor from College of DuPage, Dr. Kent Richter, spoke to the students about the principles behind Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity and the bridges between the religions. He ended with a question about whether the religions really do point to the same thing, or if the differences are just interpreted within each religion’s lens.

Then each student group had a practitioner share about how to live out the faiths. A SALT student shared her testimony about how Christ has changed her life. Two Hindu students and one Muslim student shared their stories of how they came to decide to follow their own religion. Many of the students who attended gave feedback about learning more about other faiths, and they really appreciated getting to hear from their peers about the practical application of what would otherwise just be some religious principles.

Watch the event here.

SALT Conference 2012

“A great conference for all South Asian young adults in North America … absolutely be assured of great worship, fellowship, teaching and fun … great returns for your investment of money, time and efforts indeed!” — Sam George, author of Understanding the Coconut Generation.

“The SALT Conference is an opportunity to celebrate and learn about the risen Christ in our South-Asian context. It is a platform to see Jesus clearer in a richer way, which will always propel us to serve Him better, follow Him closer and love Him deeper as we fulfill the Great Commission as a whole!” — Robin Koshy, pastor

Under 18? Download the general-liability-release-under-18 and have your parents sign it. Don’t forget to bring it with you to the conference!

Students and leaders from across the United States will be converging in Dallas for the biannual Connext Conference. This multi-organizational conference seeks to gather young Christian leaders of the South Asian community to connect, encourage, equip and serve together for Kingdom Impact.

A three-day gathering of young South Asian Christians to transform participants personally, professionally and spiritually in their leadership calling, abilities, and development and to identify, invest, resource and further support key emerging leaders in the community on an ongoing basis.

SALT Movement attended the conference in 2009 when it was hosted in Chicago.

Click here for more information and to register.

ANN ARBOR, MI, March 18, 2011 – South Asian college students from three student run organizations will gather for “Astha: A Forum on Faith.” It is an event about Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. The lecture will be Wednesday, March 23, 2011.

The event is being co-hosted by three University of Michigan student led organizations: SALT Movement (South Asians Living Transformed), the Muslim Engineering Students’ Association, and Hindu Students Council.

The purpose of the event is to foster a place for South Asian students of different faiths to interact with each other. The hope is to bring together people of all faiths and worldviews to engage in enlightening discussion, listen to an insightful talk, and socialize while eating together at the close of the event.

Free Indian food will be provided after the lecture.

The keynote speaker at Astha is Dr. Kent Richter. Dr. Richter is Associate Professor of Philosophy/Religious Studies at the College of DuPage. He specializes in Comparative Religions and World Religion, Philosophy of Religion, History of Western Philosophy, and Christian Theology. He has earned a Ph.D. from Stanford University, and he has numerous publications as well as authorship of multiple books.

“Astha: A Forum on Faith” will be held on the campus of the University of Michigan at the Psychology Atrium, East Hall, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, on Wednesday, March 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

To register, click here.

MORE THAN JUST A RACE…
The smell of urine sat stale in the humid motionless mid-day air. The sound of tuberculosis-induced coughing could be heard throughout the closet sized rooms. Heading up the dilapidated stair steps where rats sat in the comfort of safety, the sight of sex slave after sex slave waking from a night of forced sex to begin readying themselves for another night of work was overwhelming. The daily reality of a sex slave was present before me, but only for a time. I left that place. They cannot.

More than three million individuals around the world are being exploited annually in the multibillion-dollar sex trade, one million of which are children. The total global market of sex trafficking is estimated to be more than $32 billion. Of the people who earn this staggering number, 50 percent are minors (children and early teens) and 80 percent are women. For many in the Western world, the problem is unknown. For those who are aware, it is faceless and nameless and is met with initial concern. However, that initial concern often erodes into a wish-that-it-were-not-so malaise that never produces action. For others the problem seems so overwhelming that one begins to ask, in light of such insurmountable problems how can I do anything to bring change? Yet each slave has a name, a story, a life, and if others step into her need—a hope. Regardless of the anonymity of those enslaved, regardless of the insurmountable odds, the question in need of an answer is not how can I do anything, but more so, how can I not do something?

DO SOMETHING…
Join in the Aruna 5K Run for Their Freedom. The proceeds of the race go to help fund the Aruna Project, whose primary purpose is to aid in the rescue and rehabilitation of those enslaved.

Located in one of the largest red light districts in all of Asia—a two square mile area that holds over 25,000 captive for Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE), the staff of the project are well acquainted with the needs of the women and children. From sexual education to skill and trade development, from personal mentorship to a caring hand, the staff seek to establish ongoing relationships with those enslaved and work hard in the process of their “rescue” from the brothels.

For the sake of those in such dire need, join in a race or consider hosting your own. Together we can make a difference. Together we can bring hope to the hopeless. Together we can help to bring an end to the sex slave trade in this place—one life at a time.

SALT Movement is hosting an Aruna 5k near Schaumburg, IL on April 16, 2011 starting at 10 AM. It will be at the Busse Woods Forest Preserve, S Arlington Heights Rd, Elk Grove Village, IL. It is a charity run. It will not be timed and the level is amateur. We hope to have individauls find sponsors to make donations to Oasis, our partner organization who works directly with those in need.

Registration for this Aruna 5k is live. Registration costs $15. (The walk in registration fee is $25, but please register online.) We ask that those who register print a donation sign up sheet as you seek to have others make donations for the cause. The link for the sign up sheet will be in your registration confirmation email.

To register, click here.

Pray.

v. \ˈprā\

1. to worship the Lord in song and speech and art

2. to communicate with the Lord about your life, the lost, your ministry, and missions

Date: The SALT  conference is February 11–12, 2011.

Pictures from SALT 2011.

Location: Chicagoland, Holiday Inn Rolling Meadows.

Cost: $80. Register by feb. 1 and pay only $70. Get $10 off per first-time attendee you bring (up to two). Plus, get $10 off if you’re a first-time attendee.

This year’s speaker is Sam George. He is the Executive Director of Parivar International, author of Coconut Generation, and co-author of Before the Wedding Bells.

Worship will be led by Redemption27.

Liability release for under 18

Here are some amazing events:
*Fall Retreats
*IndyCC
*SALT 2011 Conference
*Big Break in Florida
*Aruna 5k

The SALT Movement Student Leaders Summit was August 28 in Chicago. Student leaders at UIC, NIU, OSU, and U of M meet to share plans, pray for one another, share ideas, and gain vision for leading our movements.

Thanks to MaKenzie Frank for taking the picture.

Summer project offers the opportunity for students to take the good news of forgiveness in Jesus to virtually anywhere in the world with Campus Crusade for Christ so ultimately everyone will know someone who truly follows Jesus! Every summer, thousands of college students from all over the world choose to spend their summer in community with one another as they take the message of Jesus to hundreds of cities, campuses and communities in the US and all over the world. The Summer Project experience ranges in possibility from doing campus ministry to working with AIDS orphans; from working with artists in NYC to medical missions opportunities; from working with inner-city kids to sharing your faith on a beach! Summer Project experiences vary in length from one week to ten!

SALT Movement’s partnership location is the Gateway Summer Project.

Check Out the Summer Projects Website!

Check Out the Summer Projects Facebook Page!