a conference for
graduate students,
faculty, and
professionals

Frequently Asked Questions

We've tried to crawl inside your brain, but don't be frightened. We're just wondering what questions you might have about Following Christ 2002. Here are our guesses — with the answers.

Skip down to questions about:

The big picture

Registration and costs

Family policies

The hotel and reservations

Getting there

Tracks

Scholarships

Cancellations

The FollowingChrist.org website

When is Following Christ?

Following Christ will begin with dinner on December 28, 2002, and end with breakfast on January 2, 2003 — ninety-eight-and-a-half hours' worth.

Where is Following Christ?

Following Christ will take place at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. See below for further info specifically about the hotel. (You can also peer down at the Marquis from about 20,000 feet courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey and Terraserver, but you probably weren't asking for that much detail....)

The name "Following Christ" sounds familiar; did you host one of these before?

Yes, InterVarsity's first national conference of this kind for grad students, faculty, and professionals (called "Following Christ/Shaping Our World") was held in Chicago in 1998. We also sometimes remind people of a conference InterVarsity hosted in the late 1980s, called "Marketplace." We get that all the time.

How big is this conference going to be?

We're planning for 1,500 delegates, so we're in the ballpark of your average national professional society meeting. The fifteen tracks will average about a hundred delegates each, but we'll get right down to discussion groups of eight to ten.

Who should attend Following Christ?

We think that anyone should come to Following Christ who holds a graduate degree in any academic or professional field — or who is pursuing one — and who wants to think together with other Christians about what it means to follow Christ as a working professional or academic.

How do I register?

You register for the conference online here at FollowingChrist.org. Just click the Registration link (always in the left navigation bar) and following the instructions. You can make full or partial payments by Visa or Mastercard from these secure, encrypted pages. You can also download a registration form there, print and fill it out, and mail it to us with a check or credit-card number.

What does attending Following Christ 2002 cost?

Until November 15, the registration fees run as follows:
$225 for students and post-docs
$275 for faculty, professionals, and others
Note: After November 15, 2002, a $50 late fee will be added to every registration.

All amounts are given in U.S. dollars. Speaking of which, did you know that the word "dollar" comes from the Anglicized name of a German coin (the thaler) applied to the Spanish peso in the American colonies before the Revolutionary War? And that the dollar sign looks like an "S" because it was adapted from the symbol for the British shilling? Go figure.

Do I need to pay in full when I register?

No, you can make a payment as small as $50. When you register online, you create a log-in account for yourself (with a user name and password that you choose) so you can log in later to make further payments, update your contact info, use a scholarship, etc. You can log in at any time: just look for the "Log in" link in the left navigation bar. (It's always there. Scary, huh?)

If you registered by mail and would like to make an addition payment, please email us at registrar@followingchrist.org, and we'll help you.

What is included in the registration fee?

Registration covers the conference program and materials, breakfast and dinner (beginning with dinner December 28 and ending with breakfast January 2), New Year's Day brunch, and a MARTA (Atlanta public transportation) pass good throughout the entire conference.

Conference registration does not include housing costs. You are responsible for your own hotel reservations at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. (Instructions about how to make them appear below.) InterVarsity has secured an excellent room rate of $73 per room per night, which can be split among as many as four adults. (Do the math: this means you can stay for as little as $18.25 a night — practically cheaper than staying home.)

{gulp} No lunch?

But wait till you see the great food court located right next to the hotel, a minute's indoor walk away. You have lots of reasonably priced choices there (and it's one of the reasons we selected this hotel).

Can my family come with me to Atlanta?

"May your family come with you?" Yes! Their participation in the conference itself, however, is subject to a number of qualifications.

Obviously, your spouse may register as a delegate for the conference, as may your college-aged or adult children. Due to the professional nature of the conference, younger children are not permitted to register as delegates (and so may not attend conference sessions).

But if your family simply would like to be in Atlanta with you without participating in the conference program, we encourage them to come along. We offer meals-only options for them to eat meals with you at the conference — or of course they can fend for themselves. The meals-only option costs $180 for adults and $90 for children aged two through twelve. (Kids under two are free; kids over twelve eat at the adult price.) Please purchase a meals-only package for each person who needs one; see our Registration pages for instructions.

How do I make my housing reservations?

You are responsible for your own hotel reservations, which should be made as early as possible, either by phone or online. Note: After December 6, 2002, we can guarantee neither room availability nor our special rate.

To make your hotel reservations online:

1. Go to the Atlanta Marriott Marquis page
2. In the left-hand column, click on "Make reservations"
3. Fill in your check-in date, your check-out date, and the number of guests
4. Move down to the "Group Code" box and enter "INCINCA"
5. Click on the "Check Rates & Availability" button
   (The system should then give you a room rate of $73 per night. Be sure to read the rate rules!)
6. Click on "Reserve it"
7. If you like, take the opportunity to choose any room options you would like
8. From there, follow the on-screen instructions to complete your housing reservation

To make your housing reservation by phone, call 888/236-2427 (toll free in the U.S. and Canada) and indicate that you are with the group "InterVarsity Christian Fellowship." You should be given a room rate of $73 per room per night. The Marriott agent will ask you for all the other necessary information.

Can I make reservations to arrive early for the conference, or stay late?

Please note that a limited number of rooms have been blocked for our conference on December 27 and on January 2. If you need to arrive early or leave late and you have trouble making on-line reservations with the early arrival and/or late departure, it means that our room block is full on the extra day(s). If that is the case, please make your reservation with the regular conference dates (check-in on December 28, 2002, and check-out on January 2, 2003) and then contact Lynn Walrath at info@followingchrist.org for assistance in adding the extra days to your reservation.

Can you tell me more about the hotel in general?

You can get some hotel information (though not too much) at their Marriott page. But you might get a better feel for this dramatic hotel right here at FollowingChrist.org with our brief photo essay, "'A' Is for Atrium."

How do I get to the Marriott Marquis?

If you are not within driving distance of Atlanta, you will want to fly into Atlanta's Hartsfield International airport. The easiest way to get from the airport to the hotel is by taking MARTA, the local subway system. You will have received your free pass on MARTA in the mail prior to the conference.

The entrance to MARTA's Airport Station is located inside the western end of the airport's main terminal. The fare gates are just a few feet from the baggage claim areas. Follow the signs; they are plentiful. You want to take MARTA to the Peachtree Center stop, one stop past Five Points (at the very center of the city). The ride is a little less than twenty minutes long.

After you get off the MARTA train, take the East Peachtree/Harris Street escalators up to the next level. Go right and into the Peachtree Center. Walk through the food court, following the signs for the Marriott Marquis. You will come to a glass walkway. Follow the walkway and at the end take the first left. Stay to the right and go about a quarter of the way around the circle. Follow the signs for the Marriott Marquis Guest Registration. The entrance to the hotel is on the left.

But if you are driving:

From I-75/85 South take exit 249A/Courtland St. Go to the third light. Turn right onto International Blvd. Go one block to Peachtree Center Ave. Turn right. The Marriott Marquis is two blocks down on the right.

From I-75/85 North take exit 248C/International Blvd. Turn left on International, then right on Peachtree Center Ave. The Marriott Marquis is two blocks down on the right.

Here's some help from MapQuest for those last couple blocks.

Does the hotel have hair dryers in the rooms? An exercise club? What about Internet access?

There is a hair dryer in every room. The hotel has an indoor pool and work-out room. And as a matter of fact, I'm posting this very document to FollowingChrist.org using the high-speed Internet access in my room while I'm here for a planning meeting. (Seriously.) It'll run you about $10 a day for unlimited access.

What are these tracks I read about?

There are thirteen disciplinary and two non-disciplinary tracks at Following Christ 2002. Because all Christians active in the academy or marketplace have much in common, we rightly gather all together for a conference like this. But because the various disciplines encompass different problems, methods, tools, languages, aims, and measures of success, it is no less appropriate for us to caucus with our colleagues by discipline. That is what the thirteen disciplinary tracks are for.

In such a setting we are able to pursue several of our most important goals for the conference overall:

• to consider ways to practice the disciplines in the light of the kingdom of God
• to explore examples of skill and creativity ("best practices")
• to consider ways to engage and enrich the world with good news and good deeds
• to deliver biblical, theological, and discipline-specific teaching
• to join with colleagues for mutual encouragement and challenge

By the same token, the two non-disciplinary tracks offer top-notch teaching on serious topics that will be of interest to academics, professionals, spouses, or other delegates who would rather zero in on a particular issue than work within a particular discipline.

We kindly refer you to the Tracks page to find out more about each of the fifteen tracks we're offering.

Do I have to choose a track?

Yes, you must choose a track in order to register for the conference.

What if I want to change tracks?

You may change tracks at any time prior to the conference online right here at FollowingChrist.org using the log-in feature. Please note, however, that this freedom to change tracks does not allow you to switch to a meals-only package; that requires canceling your registration. If you didn't register online, please email us at registrar@followingchrist.org for help in switching tracks.

Are scholarships available?

Yes, there is a limited amount of scholarship help available for delegates to Following Christ 2002. You make application for assistance through local InterVarsity Grad & Faculty Ministries staff members.

How do I get a scholarship?

Contact your local InterVarsity Graduate & Faculty Ministries staff member to apply for a scholarship. If you do not know your InterVarsity Grad & Faculty Ministries staff, please contact C.K. Anderson by email at ckanderson@ivcf.org or by phone at 608/274-4823 x415, and she'll put you in touch with a suitable IVCF staff member.

When you have received a scholarship code from the FC'02 Registrar, you can log in at FollowingChrist.org to apply it to your account. Easy as pie (though admittedly not quite as tasty).

If I hope to get a scholarship later, should I register now?

Yes, but read on. If you hope to receive a scholarship from Grad & Faculty Ministries, we recommend that you register now and put down only the minimum $50 deposit. Then, once you receive a scholarship, you can apply it later toward your balance due. We recommend this approach for two reasons: First, your paying that $50 deposit will be required whether you get a scholarship or not. And second, scholarships used can't exceed your remaining balance due, and we can't give refunds for any earlier overpayment. (Think of a scholarship as a coupon: you can't get cash back.)

Know anywhere else I can raise some cash to cover my costs?

Great idea! For further tips on how you might find funding as a delegate to Following Christ 2002, we plan to publish an article here giving some fund-raising advice later this summer.

What is the cancellation policy?

You may cancel your registration in writing by sending a letter to Following Christ, P.O. Box 7895, Madison WI 53707-7895. There is a non-refundable $50 registration deposit. Any registration fees you've paid in excess of that $50 will be refunded to you after your cancellation request has been received. Note: this cancellation policy also covers requests to substitute a meals-only package for full conference registration. (Note also that your hotel reservations have a seventy-two-hour cancellation policy, so remember to comply with the Marriott's requirements.)

I have questions about this website, FollowingChrist.org. Can you help me?

Perhaps we can help you help yourself. Try reading our About the Site page, and see if that works.

How'd we do? If you have another question or two that you don't see answered here, please let us know by email. We'll be happy to help you — and maybe even add your question to this page so your puzzlement will have been a blessing to others.