Sparks: Taking Healthy Risks for Yourself and Your World

Fri 10 AM | Convo Hall 6
Sat 4 PM | Convo Hall 6

Victor Udoewa

It’s easy to coast through life and be safe. But what if the life we long for only comes through growth? And what if the growth only emerges at the end of the tunnel of risk? What might it look like to engage in a life-long continuous journey of positive risk?Welcome to Sparks. Sparks is a 5-week experiment in which a group of people meet each week to challenge each other, individually, to take 1 positive risk in the next 7 days to make themselves a better person or their world a better place. Come converse about the anatomy of a good challenge, best tips on how to run such a group in your town, and example stories from multiple cycles of Sparks. We’ll talk about the types of sparks people take, examples of the growth arc that occurs, and variations you can try to customize it for your own situation.Come and learn about what kind of fun, difficulties, joy, mayhem, joy, discomfort, and growth can emerge when people enter into a life of continual risk and discover beauty, joy, and love.

Victor Udoewa

Victor Udoewa is a design engineer who co-creates solutions for social problems in community and international development. After designing at USAID and Google, he’s brought that creative spirit to found or lead alternative faith communities, and experiences. Recently, he designed the Lenten experience “Faithing Your Practices” in DC, founded Sparks-DC where people are challenged each week to take one positive risk, and co-led Borough Commons in the UK. He also co-leads the Emergent Conversation and Iona DC communities. He has served as music minister, youth pastor, and college worker in churches around the world. As a former teacher, he teaches teachers as an educational specialist and adjunct professor of education focusing on science and math education. He still conducts medical and engineering research and is a certified counselor focusing in HIV/AIDS, crisis pregnancy, post-abortion, and miscarriage counseling. He enjoys his a cappella group, teaching salsa classes, and his beautiful, growing family.
https://18f.gsa.gov/

Sessions:
235 Sparks
236 Borough Commons: Church as Common Property