Workshop Two

Saturday April 12, 2008 - 9:00 am to 10:30 am

Spiritual Renewal in the Life of the Church - Rev. Rhonda Gibbs, Church of God
This session will help encourage the church to be more open to letting the Holy Spirit be free in our service. The teaching will expand upon the importance of taking God out of the box.

Tough Skin, Soft Heart: Spiritual Formation for the Woman Leader - Dr. Mary Rearick Paul and Rev. Dr. Jossie Owens, Church of the Nazarene
A presentation and discussion of the importance of practicing spiritual disciplines for women in ministry leadership. Particular emphasis will be placed on the practice of the disciplines of prayer, scripture reading, and meeting with soul friends.

Healing our Images of God - Major JoAnn Shade, The Salvation Army
This workshop will consider how the images we have of God impact our walk of faith. It will provide resources to heal distorted images of God, as well as ways to cultivate healthy god images in our ministry contexts.

As a pastor, counselor and poet, the presenter brings both doctoral study and personal creative work to the topic of God Image.

Wesleyan/Holiness Theology - Dr. May Lou Shea, Church of the Nazarene
Why did the Wesleyan/Holiness movement affirm women preachers and other traditionally silenced members of society? In this workshop we will explore holiness doctrine to see how it supported women's call to preach and how it provides a usable past in acknowledging women's gifts for ministry today.

Worship Arts: Thinking Outside the Box - Lucinda Brown, Free Methodist Church
Over the centuries Protestant, especially Evangelical, churches have tended to focus on music when it comes to the worship arts. While there is no dispute that music is an integral part of corporate worship and often even private devotions, we must ask ourselves, "Is music in itself all that God intended for His people in worship?" Why and when did the visual arts disappear? Have we merely perceived that a God who is extremely colorful and creative has limited us so? Part of the answer is that overt religiosity; judgmental and critical spirits have too often relegated the arts to being evil influences rather than open avenues to God and our neighbors. We invite you to explore these thoughts in an upcoming workshop.

God created the arts primarily for the purpose of expressing our love to Him. These gifts were given that they may be given back to Him in worship. Additionally, the arts are powerful vehicles of expression, and a means to communicate the gospel to a lost and dying world. There is tremendous power within the visual arts, dance, drama and literature; something that the enemy knows and has stolen for his own purposes.

In the postmodern world of today there is resurgence, or what some consider a Renaissance within the arts in worship. God is speaking to artists of many mediums about refocusing on Him, engaging with community and with each other regarding spiritual matters. Where the enemy has stolen the arts and polluted them with messages of the world, this international movement is reclaiming the arts for the glory of God.

Our workshop will cover the broader subject (beyond music) of the arts in worship. It will also discuss ways that women in clergy can help lead and influence, as well incorporate more of the arts into congregational life, ministry and outreach.

Connected for Life-long Ministry - Dr. Judith Schwanz, Church of the Nazarene
Most ministers desire to continue in ministry over the long term. In this workshop we'll discover keys to nurturing the relationships of your life - with yourself, with others, and with God. These relationships will strengthen your ministry today and bring renewed vitality for life long service.

Called to be Sign-Readers: Reading the Signs of God in the Emerging Culture - Rev. Sarah Thomas Baldwin, Free Methodist Church
When Jesus came and walked among us he gave us signs of the kingdom of God already among us and not yet. Today, the Holy Spirit continues to give us signs of God with us. As the emerging church must become sign-readers and sign-proclaimers. What are the signs that we see in pop culture and in the realities of the present day that remind us that god is with us? This interactive workshop will look at signs of God in music, film, art and the church and give us opportunity to be sign-readers together and learn about how to point out the signs within our congregations.

Communicating in a Post Modern World - Captain Lisa Smith, The Salvation Army
Note - this session is repeated in Workshop 3
One of our greatest challenges as Christian leaders is finding ways to communicate the truth of Christ to a post-modern generation that, in the words of Ravi Zacharias, "listens with its eyes and thinks with its feelings." In this workshop the presenter will explore the elements of post-modern thought, discuss their implications for ministry, and share some practical ideas for communicating the message of Christ in ways that make sense to today's world.

Preaching I . . . The Call to Preach - Dr. Diana Swope, Church of God
During this workshop we will discuss the call to preach. We will use the book Irresistible Urge to Preach: A Collection of African American "Call" Stories by William H. Myers to facilitate our discussion.

Removing the Blinders: Sex Trafficking, Prostitution and the Global Sex Industry - Lisa Thompson, The Salvation Army
Note - this session is repeated in Workshop 3
This workshop will provide an overview of sex trafficking - what it is, how it works, who it affects - and will explore it's symbiotic relationship to prostitution and the burgeoning global sex industry.