2019 Training Events Focus on Leadership, Christian Witness, Christian Living

As we make our entry into 2019, a few thoughts about our life and ministry together.  

First and foremost are these “not to be missed” District-wide training events scheduled for 2019 that address the topics of leadership and Christian witness and living – a mailing to the congregation will be forthcoming that outlines these training events in greater detail but they are being shared with you now so that you have the dates along with a brief description of the event itself: 

• Every One His Witness is a one-day workshop developed by Rev. Mark Wood who serves as the Director of Christian Outreach for our Synod; and Mark will be our workshop presenter and equipper on March 23, 2019 at Zion, Westwood NJ.
• Missional Lifestyle Training is a two event workshop developed by Rev. Greg Finke that equips a person to join Jesus in His mission.  In addition to the two days of training in 2019 is the video training curriculum that supports the missional lifestyle.  Missional lifestyle training – session one (March 30, 2019) and missional lifestyle training – session two (October 12, 2019) will take place at Somerset Hills, Basking Ridge NJ.  The overall purpose of this training is to help participants gain important ministry insights for joining Jesus on His mission and turn those insights into self-identified, simple actions in their everyday lives.
• A Door Set Open is a one-day workshop developed by Rev. Dr. Peter Steinke to be held on September 7, 2019 (at a location still to be determined).  A fundamental premise of the training is that “churches resist change least when it involves mission and when that mission is grounded in hope” and is based upon these words from Revelation 3:8:  “I know your works.  Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.”  Peter Steinke will be our presenter and equipper.
• Teaching Fish to Walk is a one-day workshop developed by Rev. Dr. Peter Steinke on the topic of adaptive leadership, to be held on September 21, 2019 (at a location still to be determined).  In the words of Peter, who will be our presenter and equipper, “today’s culture offers us both great challenges and opportunities for ministry.  Easy answers won’t cut it; we need to change and adapt.”

A second series of training events will be offered onsite at a requesting congregation when there are at least 10-12 participants who have registered from that congregation (and then circuit congregations will be notified of the event and invited to send participants).  These one-day workshops are:

• The Divine Drama: The Biblical Narrative is a 16 unit teaching resource that grants a comprehensive overview of the biblical storyline and the key themes from the sacred Scriptures.  With 136 full-color teaching graphics, the Divine Drama equips participants to relate their faith to daily life.
• Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory is a workshop that addresses this reality:  if western societies have become post-Christian mission fields...how do we lead a congregation to be faithful to the mission that God has put before us when the world has changed so radically…and...what kind of leadership does it demand of those of us who have been called to lead God’s people at this time and in this place?
• Life is All About Stories is a workshop that affirms that every person has a story, filled with many conversations, scenes and snapshots.  Moreover, every person lives by a script; that is, he or she has been scripted by their 1st skin (sinful human nature) and 2nd skin (the cultural ideas and narratives that norms its “design for living”).  God has a story that makes sense of every human story and He has made known this story so that every human being can make sense of his or her story in light of His story and His promises of salvation in Jesus Christ.
• The Parables of Jesus is a workshop that studies twenty parables of Jesus so that the participants will become “wise scribes, trained for the kingdom” (Matthew 13:52).  These parables are organized under these main subject headings: (1) the fundamental human condition; (2) God’s response to the human condition; (3) humankind’s response to the Gospel of the Kingdom; (4) brothers and sisters, what should we do?; and (5) brothers and sisters, how should we then live?
• Celtic Evangelism is a workshop that explores the missionary methods of St. Patrick and how these methods might be beneficial to our ministry efforts as we seek to evangelize populations who are increasingly “secular” – people with no Christian memory or knowledge of the biblical narratives connected with the story of salvation in Jesus Christ.
• Biblical Worldview and Trinitarian Apologetics is a workshop based upon 1 Peter 3:15: “always be prepared to give the reason for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and respect.”  Francis Schaeffer suggested two purposes for Christian apologetics: (1) the defense of the Christian faith because in every age historic Christianity will be under attack; and (2) the responsibility to communicate the Gospel in our generation.  Moreover, such an apologetic should be thought out and practiced in the rough and tumble of living in contact with the present generation so that one is conversant with the reality of the questions being asked by one’s own and the next generation.

A third series of resources and learning objects will be offered only on the internet for missionary formation, with the presentations videotaped and placed on the Kairos Network website for individuals and congregations to view and download. The focus of these resources are: (1) the mission of God; (2) discipleship; (3) body life; (4) worldview; (5) culture learning; (6) core biblical narratives of an apostolic church; and (7) core ministry practices of an apostolic church.

To request an onsite workshop, please contact Caren Vogt at the New Jersey District office at 908-233-8111 or via email at vogtc@njdistrict.org.

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