Rethinking Forum 2025
The 23rd Annual Rethinking Forum
June 14th-16th, 2025
&
Indian Student Ministry (ISM) Day
Thursday, June 13th, 2025
Dallas, TX
What is the Rethinking Forum?
The Rethinking Forum (RF) is an annual gathering of like-minded Alongsiders, presented by the MARG Network, and the only event of its kind in North America. At the Rethinking Forum you will have the chance to meet fellow practitioners and hear from leading voices in the field who come alongside Hindu people. Come join us as we learn, share, network, and grow.
More information about Rethinking Forum 2025 will be forthcoming, including the conference theme and specific details will be posted in the coming days.
This year’s conference will continue RF’s tradition of highlighting both the frontier edge of scholarship and the time-tested practical wisdom of fellow Alongsiders. Last year’s Rethinking Forum featured excellent content including presentations, discussions, and break-out activities for the 125 participants. On last year’s theme of “Ways I’ve Changed as an Alongsider”, presentations included perspectives from Hindu and Indian Christian followers of Jesus, the role of arts in walking alongside Hindu people, lifelong Alongsider testimonies, and New Testament wisdom for cross-cultural workers. For one perspective of what attending an RF is like, check out this article.
At RF, in addition to the godly and practical presentations, we prioritize collaboration amongst all participants, both in-person and digital. Break-outs are scheduled for both in-person and digital attendees that cover a wide variety of topics. For in-person attendees, we again host the very popular RF Town Hall meeting. Many RF participants report that the people they meet at a Rethinking Forum are their highlights of the conference.
We are bringing back the dedicated Indian Student Ministry (ISM) Day for this year’s RF based on the great feedback from last year. Indian international students continue to make up a growing proportion of the international students on college campuses across the United States, and many long-serving ISM staff and volunteers voice a desire to learn more about this important student group. Come spend a day hearing from ISM leaders about their time walking alongside Hindu students!
We are excited to again host this year’s Rethinking Forum in Dallas, TX this summer. We are returning to Dallas after a year away on the East Coast. Two large hub airports, DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field, make Dallas an ideal host city for people flying in to the Rethinking Forum.
This conference is run by Alongsiders and for Alongsiders. Please make plans now to join us this June in Philadelphia for the Rethinking Forum and/or the ISM Day. We think you’re going to love it!
Registration will open in the coming days! Please sign up below for one of the overnight guest, commuter, or digital attendance options. We look forward to seeing you at RF 2025! If you’re still deciding about whether or not to register, the best way to keep informed with further details about the conference is by subscribing to get email updates from the MARG Network. Click here.
Who is it for?
Rethinking Forum 2025 (RF ’25) is designed for people who share both a love for Jesus and a love for Hindu people. We call these kinds of people “Alongsiders”, people who want to help Hindus explore what devotion to Jesus means. There are a wide variety of opinions within the network regarding appropriate convictions and practices, and we embrace the diversity.
This article, What is an Alongsider?, identifies both character qualities and activities we strive to model.
Testimonials from last year’s Rethinking Forum in Dallas:
“The Rethinking Forum has helped me grow tremendously in my understanding of my Hindu friends’ culture and beliefs! The variety of speakers sharing their expertise and experiences have given me a more holistic understanding of my Hindu friends and how to love them well…”
“The RF conference is incredibly helpful in understanding Hindus and how best to come alongside them with the love of Jesus!”
“It was so encouraging to hear from others who have a passion to come alongside Hindus, as I do..it felt like I wasn’t so alone…”
“Rethinking Forum is a phenomenal way to network with other like-minded individuals who desire to humbly love Christ, their Hindu neighbors, + walk alongside them… Highly recommend this conference! You can’t get content like this anywhere else.”
“I was definitely challenged at this year’s Rethinking Forum. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy myself–I had a wonderful time meeting people who share a common vision, especially one that is rare where we come from. But boy were we challenged. I’m thankful for the decades of experience and wisdom that is represented in each conversation that was had at the forum. “
“As a digital participant, I felt it was so well managed and I felt so cared for. It was an excellent experience!”
“The RF seems to be the largest and most diverse gathering of people befriending Hindus in the United States…”