What is Compass?

Compass summer conferences will aim to achieve the following:

1. TRAIN future leaders who will strategically influence the nation
2. EQUIP students to survive university with their faith intact
3. MAXIMISE students' and recent grads effectiveness for Christ in their future profession

How will it be achieved?

The conference will achieve this vision by:

1. Inspiring, informing and challenging students toward a biblical worldview
2. Providing confidence to tackle contemporary issues
3. Develop essential leadership skills

After the Compass conference the student or recent grad will be involved in the following:

1. On going connections with mentors in their specific areas of interest
2. For year 12 students about to enter university to be linked with other like minded Christians and to be plugged into like minded Christian university groups.
3. For recent graduates entering the workforce they will be linked in with other like minded Christians in their field of interest.
4. Further training in their specific areas of interest.

When and where?

The second Compass Australia Conference will be 18- 25 January 2009 at the University of Queensland (UQ).

Nominations will close 7 January 2009.

How much?

The cost of the whole conference will be $675, which includes all food, accommodation and teaching materials.

Content and curriculum

The teaching program will be based around the creation, fall and redemption 'Kingdom of God' approach to all of life . The conference will involve the following areas and is based around lectures and small group discussion with of course debates, seminars, electives and sporting breaks and beach trips.

Core Lectures:

The Big Picture I What is a worldview? Clash of Worldviews I Clash of Worldviews II God I God II Primacy of Scripture Imago Dei Relativism Tragedy of the Fall Visions of Humanity I

Visions of Humanity II Problem of Pain, Evil and Suffering I Problem of Pain, Evil and Suffering II Living Redemptively Glimpse of Redemption New Heavens and New Earth Engaging the Culture I Engaging the Culture II Beyond Compass A cause greater then yourself The Big Picture II

Special Lectures:

Leadership Science Politics Law

Media Arts History

The core teaching staff for 2009 includes:

• Rod Thompson
  Dr. Rod Thompson is the Head of Theology at Laidlaw College (formerly BCNZ) in Auckland. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, he is married with four children, and has worked as a teacher in Christian and State schools, as a Presbyterian Minister for 15 years, as programme leader of the Worldview Department at MASTERS Institute in Auckland and as the Executive Officer for Vision Development at Christian Parent Controlled Schools Australia.
   
• Paul Henderson
  Paul Henderson is the Director of Research and Programmes at Maxim Institute. He joined Maxim Institute in 2002 and was appointed as the director of Maxim Institute’s research and internship programme in 2005. He was educated at Ampleforth College, Aberdeen University and Sidney Sussex College at Cambridge University. He is the author of three books, Kids Adrift: values confusion in New Zealand schools, Vying for our Children, and Silent Legacy: The unseen ways great thinkers have shaped our culture (co-author). Paul has a background in education and business, with a focus on strategic planning and market analysis.  An internationally recognised speaker, Paul has addressed conferences in Malaysia, Canada, America and Australia. He is married to Liz and they have three daughters.
   
• Greg Fleming
  Greg is the Chairman of the Compass Foundation. He started his career in finance before spending four years as General Manager of Parenting with Confidence. In partnership with Bruce Logan, Greg founded the Maxim Institute (an independent New Zealand policy think tank) in November 2001, which he leads as CEO. Greg hails from the Wairarapa and is married with four children.
   
• John Stonestreet
  John Stonestreet is the Executive Director of Summit Ministries in Colorado. He is a camp and conference speaker to thousands of students, teachers, and parents every year on worldview, education, leadership, apologetics, and contemporary culture. He also directed the Bryan College Worldview Team for four years. John is married with two daughters.
   
• Mark Strom
  Dr. Mark Strom is Principal/CEO of Laidlaw College in New Zealand For the past 17 years he has worked as an adviser to corporate, government, educational and community leaders. Mark's PhD research brought together in dialogue Paul, the ancient Graeco-Roman world, and the issues of leadership in contemporary evangelicalism and society, and he is the author of  Reframing Paul: Conversations in Grace and Community, The Symphony of Scripture,  and  Arts of the Wise Leader.
   
• Jim Wallace
  Brigadier (ret.) Jim Wallace AM is the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby, one of Australia's fastest growing political organisations, which aims to see Christian values better acknowledged in the way we are governed, do business and relate as a community.
  
  He is a sought after commentator on Defence and security issues having left the Army as a Brigadier in late 2000 after a 32 year career which included command of the SAS Regiment, Special Forces and the Army’s mechanised Brigade of three thousand personnel and most of the Army’s fighting vehicles. He is a graduate of Duntroon in Canberra, the British Army Staff College and the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies.
  
  Jim has also lived in the Middle East and visited Palestinian refugee camps as an unarmed United Nations observer. In 1984 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to counter-terrorism. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Australian Defence Studies Centre and was recently appointed by the Minister of Defence to the Council of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Jim worships with his family at the Hughes Baptist Church in Canberra.

Nominations

Because of the targeted and strategic nature of this course only those candidates that have been nominated by a Christian person of authority and assessed as suitable will be accepted. Persons of authority include, but not limited to, teachers, principals, senior / youth pastors and chaplains. Parents/relatives or friends can also nominate.

As a minimum the nominee must be:

1. A committed Christian
2. Aged between 17-26
3. About to enter University, currently at University or recently graduated

As a guide the criteria for the person that we are looking for is as follows:

Year 12 Student	A passionate or high level achiever Keen to live out Christian faith Wanting a career where they can influence for Christ in a strategic capacity Wants to make an impact on the world
University Student	Likes to debate and dialogue on current topical issues Finds faith is challenged by lecturers and other students and seeks genuine answers to tough questions Wants to find mature, wise Christians who are advanced in their own field of study
Recent Graduate	Wants to see Christ honoured at work but unsure how Serious about engaging in policy issues related to the vocation

Click here to nominate someone for the Compass 2009 Conference.