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Events

November 22, 2019 by ROBERT HYATT

ENG 20: Get to Know Our Presenters- Scot McKnight

At ENG 20 Reflecting the Son, you’ll experience a mixture of traditional plenary sessions and “TED”-type talks, along with workshop options in specific tracks around
theology, discipleship, leadership, and multiplication.   We’re excited that Scot McKnight is joining us as a featured speaker as we seek to recover Church in the image of Christ!

Dr. Scot McKnight is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His blog, Jesus Creed, is a leading Christian blog. A sought after speaker, he has been interviewed on several radio and television programs as well as spoken at numerous local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the United States and around the world. Scot McKnight is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Society for New Testament Studies.

For more info and registration on the Ecclesia National Gathering 2020, click here!

Filed Under: Ecclesia News, Equipper Blog, Events

March 19, 2018 by Ecclesia Network

Ecclesia National Gathering ’18 Workshops

Here’s a preview of the workshops we’ll be offering at the National Gathering!

  • Communicating the Gospel in An Age of Skepticism – Josh Crain

The place of religion in society has changed profoundly in the last few centuries, particularly in the West. What do these changes mean, and what, precisely, happens when a society becomes one in which faith is only one human possibility among others? Borrowing from experts such as Charles Taylor, James K.A. Smith, Don Beck, and Stanley Grenz, Josh Crain walks us through the cultural shifts that define 21st century Western society and how the church might continue to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus in this evolving context.

  • Contextual Apologetics – Lisa Fields

Historically, apologetics in America has been framed by white evangelicals.  While important work has been done in this area, challenges exist because the dominant culture is often disconnected from the needs and the nuances of other cultures that they are seeking to engage.  Therefore, a contextualized approach to apologetics is helpful in this endeavor. In this session we will seek to help the participants defend their faith in every cultural context.

  • Before the Bridge – Cyd & Geoff Holsclaw

When it comes to explaining salvation, many of us know the bridge illustration. But what if, instead of us crossing the bridge over to God’s side, it was God who came over to our side and built a house for us to live together with him? How might this house depict the reunion of heaven and earth (God’s side and ours), and even the reunion of God’s presence and our purpose in the world? Can we use the image of a house to quickly communicate the whole narrative of scripture and make it possible to proclaim good news answers to life’s really big questions? In this session, help us ‘beta test’ a new illustration for the gospel that we hope can be shared with people of all ages and faith backgrounds.

  • Proclaiming the Good News to Children/Youth – Juliet Liu

There are loads of curricula, books, and websites geared to share the gospel with children and youth. It can be overwhelming and exhausting to try to sort through all the possibilities. But how is everything we decide to read / say / do with kids shaped by who we are with kids? This session will be part theological foundations and part collaborative conversation / brainstorming. Bring your celebratory stories and your challenging struggles. All are welcome, whether you work with kids or not.

 

  • It Doesn’t All Point to Jesus: Preaching the Gospel Without Preaching the Gospel™ – Norton Herbst

Preaching is hard. Preachers have to be engaging, biblical, helpful, and above all, gospel-focused. Every week. But what does it mean to preach the gospel? How do you preach gospel sermons from the Old Testament without simply saying “it all points to Jesus”? And how do we avoid the tendency to develop a packaged summary of the gospel message—the Gospel™—that we simply append to every sermon? In this breakout, we’ll explore these questions about preaching philosophy, style, and methods as it relates to gospel themes. Norton Herbst will suggest some practical ways we can take more risks, incorporate creativity, and bring a holistic approach to preaching that can engage diverse audiences with the life-changing message of the gospel.  

  • The Gospel in the Life of the Pastor – Mandy Smith & J.R. Briggs

As church leaders our job is to proclaim the gospel to others, but we often forget that the gospel applies to us as well.  In the midst of the busyness and demands of ministry, it is too easy to lose track of the significance of the gospel in our own lives.  In this workshop, Mandy Smith and J.R. Briggs want to help create a safe space to share the challenges of ministry, apply the truth of the gospel to those challenges, and to pray with and for one another.

 

  • Incarnational Apologetics – Lisa Fields

Classical apologetics focuses on giving intellectual arguments for the hope that we have, while incarnational apologetics focuses on giving a defense for our faith through the way we live our lives. These two must work together in tandem for an effective defense of the Christian faith. The goal in this session is to highlight the importance and means of incarnational apologetic to the Christian walk.

  • The Power of the Gospel Across Cultures – Mia Chang & Danny Prada

One of the uniquenesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ is how it is has inhabited and transformed hundreds, if not thousands, of cultures and people groups around the globe throughout history.  For many years, those cultures were relatively isolated from one another. Today though, a wide range of ethnicities and cultures are in many of the communities that we are seeking to engage with the gospel.  As local churches, how can we proclaim this same good news, contextually and appropriately, across many cultures in our singular local churches. Further, how does the gospel help us live together amidst our differences in heritage and perspective.  Join Danny and Mia as they share the story of how diverse communities of biblical faith have developed in their congregations and how their learnings can apply to yours.

Filed Under: Ecclesia News, Events, General News

November 5, 2015 by Bob Hyatt

Online Learning Hangout with James Bryan Smith

Our next Online Learning Hangout will be Thursday, Nov 19th at 1pm PT/4pm ET.

This time we’ll be hearing from James Bryan Smith, who will be our keynote speaker at this year’s Ecclesia National Gathering.

Dr. James Bryan Smith (M.Div., Yale University Divinity School; DMin Fuller Seminary) is the Executive Director of the Apprentice Institute. Dr. Smith is currently a theology professor at Friends University, in Wichita, Kansas, and an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. He is the author of eight books, most notably The Apprentice Series (InterVarsity Press), which continue to shape the work of the Apprentice Institute. Dr. Smith’s other titles include Devotional Classics (with Richard J. Foster), Embracing the Love of God, Room of Marvels, and Hidden in Christ.

Join us!

At 1pm PT/4pm ET on Thursday Nov 19, just click here to watch

Filed Under: Events, Events Blog, Online Learning Hangout

October 28, 2015 by Bob Hyatt

Ecclesia Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Church Leaders Gathering – Saturday January 30th

Last year we launched an effort to more fully support, resource, and connect the “non-vocational” leaders of the churches in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.  On a very cold Saturday in January, nearly 100 people showed up at Eastpoint Church on their day off to get a jump start on the year ahead as a leader.  The response was overwhelming that this needs to be an annual part (if not more) of the ministry of Ecclesia.  

This year, our focus is on “The Faithful Leader:  Following Christ & Your Calling” and we will spend the day being encouraged around this theme, looking at our equipping (APEST) gifts, receiving some peer-learning on the ministries we lead, a being reminded of what it takes to be faithful over the long haul.
Registration and publicity will be launched in the next month – but save the date now!

Filed Under: Events

October 28, 2015 by Bob Hyatt

Ecclesia Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Church Leaders Gathering – Saturday January 30th

Last year we launched an effort to more fully support, resource, and connect the “non-vocational” leaders of the churches in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.  On a very cold Saturday in January, nearly 100 people showed up at Eastpoint Church on their day off to get a jump start on the year ahead as a leader.  The response was overwhelming that this needs to be an annual part (if not more) of the ministry of Ecclesia.  

This year, our focus is on “The Faithful Leader:  Following Christ & Your Calling” and we will spend the day being encouraged around this theme, looking at our equipping (APEST) gifts, receiving some peer-learning on the ministries we lead, a being reminded of what it takes to be faithful over the long haul.
Registration and publicity will be launched in the next month – but save the date now!

Filed Under: Events

March 15, 2012 by Bob Hyatt

Upcoming NE Regional Gathering

We’re excited to announce our next Ecclesia Network Northeast regional meet-up will be Thursday April 19th from 10 am to noon. These Northeast meet-ups are held quarterly and allow a purposeful time and space that has intention, but in a relaxed and relational context.
We will be meeting at Church On the Mall – a church located inside of the Plymouth Meeting Mall in Plymouth Meeting, PA. (The church is on the south side of the mall behind Whole Foods. Park near the Mack Cali office building across from the AMc theater and enter the mall to the left of the Mack Cali building.)

At noon, we’ll have a chance to enjoy lunch together at various restaurants nearby.
In our last meet-up, many said that it would be good to have discussion around the topic of Finances & the Church Planter/Pastor. Bruce Finn will help facilitate the discussion around this crucial topic and cultivate questions to enhance our conversation. Bruce – a Philly native – is a church planter, pastor and wise CP coach. He is the director of the Metro Philly Church Planting Partnership and the Philadelphia Church Planting Assessment Center. I’ve known Bruce for the past few years – his wisdom and experience will be a valuable resource for our time together.
Any questions? Contact us.

Filed Under: Ecclesia News, Events

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