“Finding God at Iowa” Lunch Forum:

UI Faculty, Staff, and Students Speak from the Perspective of Their Christian Faith

Join Us To:

  • Be inspired as Christian faculty, staff, and students share how their faith impacts their lives, scholarship, and service.
  • Be challenged to think through how Christian convictions shape one’s view of issues in the academy and in society.
  • Be connected with other Christians on campus, in a wide variety of fields and from a wide variety of traditions.

What We Do:

Ever since 1997, on the “First Friday” of every month, from September through May (except for January), the Forum has met in the Iowa Memorial Union. We gather at 12:00 noon, usually in River Room #1—but check the schedule to be sure. Some buy lunch at the River Room Café on the first floor of the IMU and bring it to the meeting room, some bring a sack lunch, and some are content with food for thought. The speaker gives a 20-25 minute presentation, then we have a time of discussion until we dismiss promptly at 1:00 p.m. We want to encourage a sense of community, and the discussion time is very important.

How You Can Participate: Contact us, and we will put you on the email notification list for reminders of upcoming speakers. Then come join us!

  • Stimulate Christians to consider the implications of their faith for their lives, scholarship, work, and civic engagement.
  • Share with the University and the wider community important contributions of Christian scholars, artists, and practitioners in all fields of endeavor.

    • To that end, the Lecture Series was established in 1976, and since then we have brought over 65 top speakers to campus. Each speaker gives a public lecture, and most also offer at least one other colloquium, seminar, or workshop. Theologians, philosophers, novelists, sociologists, physicists, legal scholars, business executives, educators, journalists, biochemists, actors, visual artists, futurists, musicians, and others have offered lectures.

    An ecumenical committee of faculty, students, and staff helps select the speakers. Various local churches and campus ministries help Geneva Campus Ministry to fund the series. Often the University of Iowa Student Government and various UI departments also serve as co-sponsors. All lectures and most colloquia are free and open to the public.

    How You Can Get Involved:

    Contact Ed Laarman to confirm meeting plans, then come check us out! Ed will send weekly email notices to those who are interested.

    What's Coming Up