BeADisciple.com Brings Online Workshops to the ChurchInformation and communication technology is coming to the Church. It can be seen in worship, on web pages, and in email communication. Now the Church has the opportunity join the explosion in online education.
The Institute for Discipleship, located at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas, is a continuation of the life-long Christian ministry of Richard and Julia Wilke, co-authors of the widely-used Disciple Bible Study series. The mission of the Institute is to provide educational opportunities that nurture and enrich Christian leaders, lay and clergy, for effective living and ministry. The Institute provides the top tools for online teaching and learning at
www.BeADisciple.com.
Online learning means that participants in a workshop can be located anywhere in the world. In a workshop with 10 people, two people could live in the same town, while three others live in completely different countries. Participants need not incur the expense of travel in order to gain the content and the community experience of a workshop.
Online workshops are not simply correspondence courses; however. The workshops begin and end at specific times, with specific due dates of projects and for mastering material before the workshop moves on to another topic. This timetable allows the community to develop since all the participants are involved with the same materials at the same time.
Daniel Benedict, Worship consultant and former Director of Worship Resources for the General Board of Discipleship and now living in Hawaii, says of online instruction, “As an instructor living in the middle of the Pacific, difference in time zone and geographic realities could make it impossible for me to teach except in very limited and local contexts. However, online teaching opens up the world to me and to students. I am grateful to God for the times in which we are living and this venue for the opportunity to serve and relate with clergy and laity across the globe and across the church.”
The Institute currently has 18 trained instructors, certified to offer online workshops. The two-week training workshop, “How to Provide Your Workshop Online,” teaches potential instructors how to use the software tools to present their workshop content to their participants online. It has been offered eight times in 2007.
Since its first offering in the fall of 2006, BeADisciple.com has run 15 successful workshops. As awareness and interest in this format continues to grow, so will the number and variety of workshops being offered. To keep up with the latest online workshops, register today at
http://www.BeADisciple.com.
The Congress on Evangelism 2008: "Spirit of Faith Come Down," January 2-5, 2008, Savannah Convention CenterThe theme of this year's Congress on Evangelism will honor Charles Wesley's birth (December 18, 1707). It will be one the largest United Methodist gatherings to focus on the historic recollection of this brother in Christ. One of the powerful verses we pray will be the Wesleyan’s zeal again: “O that the world might know the all atoning Lamb! Spirit of faith, descend and show the virtue of his name; the grace which all may find, and saving power, impart, and testify to humankind, and speak to every heart.” Both John and Charles came to the beginning colony of Georgia and labored in the Gospel’s outreach. Charles will especially be our guide as we step on the very soil in which the Wesley’s preached and claimed the new land for Christ!
The Congress on Evangelism is sponsored by the Council on Evangelism and the General Board of Discipleship with the support of The Foundation for Evangelism. The congress meets every January at different locations presenting motivational speakers and workshops based on evangelism.
The Foundation for Evangelism chooses and sponsors every other year the Denman Lecturer at the congress. These are a series of lectures on evangelism given by a distinguished pastor or lay person.
The Foundation for Evangelism also provides a limited number of scholarships for the event to first-time attendees.
REGISTER NOW -- Registration has been ExtendedRegistration Information: $175 married couple or $135 single
Keynote SpeakersBishop James E. Swanson, Sr., Episcopal Leader of the Holston Conference
Dr. Evelyn Laycock, retired Director Lay Ministry Center for the Southeastern Jurisdictional Council.
Dr. Robert Tuttle, Professor of Evangelism at Asbury Seminary, Florida Campus.
Dr. Bill Bouknight, former pastor, Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee
Bible Study LeaderRev. Grace Imathiu, pastor, Bible Teacher, and Evangelist
Worship Leaders
Dr. William Goold, Professor of Church Music, Asbury Theological Seminary
Dr. Swee Hong Lim, Music Leader, Lecturer at Trinity Theological College in Singapore where he teachers Worship, Liturgy, and Music.
Workshop LeadersBishop James Swanson, Swee Hong Lim, Bob Tuttle, Tom Albin, Tom Atkins, Terry Carty, Joe Do. Connelly, Jon Exman, Gary Exman, Stephen Handy, Diana Hynson, Brian Hull, Carol Krau, Jonathan Norman, Mike Pasquarello, Patti McGinn Pasquarello, Marilyn Walker, Jim Walter
HousingRoom Rate: $99.00 (Single/Double) at both hotels. Special rate is only available January 2-5, 2008.
Westin Savannah Harbor Resort Hotel1 Resort Drive, Savannah, GA Phone: (800) 228-3000 • Fax: (912) 201-2001 (mention Congress on Evangelism)
The Marriott Savannah Riverfront Hotel100 General McIntosh Blvd, Savannah, Ga 31401 Phone: Phone: (800) 285-0398 • (912) 233-7722 (mention Council on Evangelism)[Water taxi service across the Savannah River]
To dowload a descriptive brochure CLICK on the following web address:
http://www.congressonevangelism.org/fileadmin/home/COEBrochure08.pdf
United Methodist Generation-Next Leaders Meet in NashvilleNASHVILLE, Tenn., November 26, 2007 /GBOD/ -- Elaine de Leon of the Greater New Jersey Annual (regional) Conference and seminary student at Wesley Seminary in Washington, D.C., has a passion for supporting young adult ministries. She came to the Summit to be heard. She finds value in getting to be a part of conversations that need to be heard in a place like this.
Like Elaine, 70-80 United Methodist young adult leaders from across the country attended The General Board of Discipleship’s (GBOD) second Young Adult Leaders Summit, which met in Nashville November 15-17.
The Summit brings together young adult leadership from regional conferences across The United Methodist Church for networking, training and empowerment.
“This event is a great way for young adult leaders to connect with other leaders engaged in similar responsibilities as their own to share insights, support and ideas,” says Bill Lizor, GBOD’s director of Young Adult and Single Adult Ministries.
Sessions focused on current research, discipleship and spiritual formation, and effective young adult ministry models.
To get an overview of current research, the group viewed the video, “Generation Next: Speak Up, Be Heard,” a research project developed by PBS and Films for the Humanities and Sciences.
According to the PBS Web site, “the aim of the Generation Next initiative is to unravel this generation of young people who are hooked to technology, generally supportive of gay rights and racial differences, partial to postponing adulthood and swamped in debt.”
In addition to being both surprised and appreciative of the diversity in the places that were visited, the voices that were represented and the differing viewpoints, Elaine de Leon says she was glad the video talked about “the economic debt because that’s a reality that is under talked about.”
“I get the sense, especially as a young adult, that people believe that young adults leave the church to pursue careers — because that’s so much more important to them — and to climb the corporate ladder. Some of the reality is that you have to have the job to pay off your college loans,” she said.
Following a session on “Effective Models of Young Adult Ministry,” led by Bill Lizor, participants engaged in conversation around developing a theology or paradigm for young adult ministry and a group process to identify, clarify and prioritize resourcing needs related to young adult ministry.
“We’re starting a young adult ministry group and council so we want to get a good sense of what other groups are doing, what’s working and what’s not. We’re hoping to get answers to questions and to leave with more questions,” said Chris Naitland from Portland, Oregon, in the Oregon-Idaho Conference.
Carl Thomas Gladstone and Anna Stroud of the Wesley Project led worship and devotion time during the gathering. Gladstone has produced a digital release of Charles Wesley hymns that appeals to young adults in particular.
Regional church conferences could send 3-5 leaders of young adult ministries from any level — conference, district and local church — to the Summit.
The Summit got under way Thursday with an opening session led by Vance Ross, the associate general secretary for the Discipleship Ministries Division.
Ross challenged the young leaders to be proactive and to make a difference today. “Now is the time for young adults to take action,” he said.
GBOD’s mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, GBOD is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at (877) 899-2780, Ext. 7017 or visit www.gbod.org.
Wesley Theological Seminary Announces Upcoming Doctor of Ministry Programs
“Life Together” and “Missional Evangelism” add specific concentrations for ministry settingsWASHINGTON, DC (WTS) – Wesley Theological Seminary announces the approaching application deadline of February 15, 2008 for two unique Doctor of Ministry tracks beginning in Washington, DC in May 2008 –“Life Together” and “Missional Evangelism.”
“Life Together: Spirituality for Transforming Community” is designed to help pastors lead through periods of intentional growth and change with special attention to the local congregation as a transformed and transforming community. Participants will explore how groups (congregations, ministries, and communities) are transformed through the use of classical and contemporary texts and the spiritual disciplines of the church. Graduates of this track will be better equipped to lead congregations from aggregates to community, from self-absorption to mission, and from accommodating practices to welcoming practices grounded in a biblical spirituality.
Jesus called the apostles to “Go and make disciples.” Our “Missional Evangelism” track examines the biblical and theological foundations of the church’s focus on making disciples of Jesus Christ. Participants will explore best practices that are sensitive to post-modern sensibilities, taking into account local church story, size, and context. Many of today’s best practices manage to combine ancient passion and vision with twenty-first century awareness. Topics addressed in this program include Historical Models of Missional Evangelism; Salvation in the New Testament; Preaching to Those on the Edge of Faith; God's Welcome: Hospitality for a Gospel-Hungry World; and Making Disciples Across Class and Culture.
Other upcoming Doctor of Ministry tracks at Wesley include “Pastoral Theology, Care and Counseling” and “Arts and Theology” beginning January 2009.
“The Doctor of Ministry program is a natural continuing education step for dedicated clergy who want to pursue focused study,” said Dr. Lew Parks, Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program. “Beyond earning the degree, Doctor of Ministry graduates function as resource persons for the local and regional church.”
Applications are being accepted through February 15, 2008. Details are available at WesleySeminary.edu, and program questions can be directed to Dr. Lew Parks at
LParks@WesleySeminary.edu or (202) 885-6481. For application materials and information, contact the Office of Admissions at Wesley Theological Seminary, 4500 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20016.
Admissions may be reached by phone at (202) 885-8659 or (800) 882-4987 or by email:
admissions@WesleySeminary.edu.
