Moments captured by Sadie Schoenfelt during worship services at Urbana 2025.
It was just hours after Blacknall member Sadie Shoenfelt landed in Phoenix for Urbana 2025 when she walked into the city’s cavernous convention center among thousands of other people from across the country and the world. Giant screens positioned around a stage made it possible to see worship leaders and song lyrics from afar, but it was what happened immediately around her that left her in awe.
“I look around and there’s so many people kneeling, clapping, putting their hands up, and singing in English and other languages,” said Sadie, who attended the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship event Dec. 28 - Jan. 1 with the help of a grant from Blacknall. “I just cried. It was so beautiful to see how the Lord has made disciples of every nation.”
Sadie joined our services this past Sunday to share about her time at Urbana. Watch her message on YouTube.
It was the first of many transformative moments for Sadie, who grew up attending Blacknall and is nearing the end of her freshman year at Belmont University in Nashville. She started college with a plan to major in corporate communications, but her long-standing involvement in the Young Life youth ministry and her trip to Urbana shifted that path.
“I felt like the Lord was calling me to do mission work and I felt a pull to change my major to ministry,” she said. “I think it’s something the Lord has placed in my heart.”
The call to discipleship resonated deeply, and a seminar by World Relief provided an on-the-ground perspective. Sadie was already familiar with the Christian humanitarian organization, which serves immigrants, because World Relief’s Durham chapter is a Blacknall ministry partner. She heard about the power of local mission work and how it could show up in her everyday life: tutoring refugees, volunteering in Nashville, or even striking up conversations with staff at Belmont to hear their stories and share God’s love. “I don’t need to wait to start doing something,” she said.
Another meaningful moment highlighted the vastness of God’s love when Sadie watched a group of Native American dancers perform as worship. The experience brought her to tears as she considered the profound joy and gratitude to God from people whose families had overcome so much. Leaving Urbana, Sadie said she felt empowered after witnessing so many signs of the Spirit at work — during worship, through speakers and in conversations with brothers and sisters in Christ.
“It felt overwhelming, but I realized I learned so much,” she said. “I’m so passionate about the Lord and finding new ways to show people God’s goodness.”