Current
Consultation
April
11-12, 2008
Location: Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Deerfield, Illinois
The consultation begins each day at 9:00 a.m. in the Rodine Building at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (see directions). Lunch and refreshment breaks provided both days. Supper Friday night only is provided with nothing following in the evening. Saturday we will close the consultation at 4:30 p.m. at latest. The most cost effective way to secure a hotel room is to use a discount internet service such as hotels.com, or travelocity or other. The closest areas to the campus are Deerfield, Bannockburn, Lincolnshire, Vernon Hills.
Stories: Sharing Truth in Word-Pictures: A Thought Paper for the April 11-12, 2008 Consultation
God at Work in His Church Today: A Continuing Story
God is at work leading his people toward mature faith and responsible service. At the 2008 Ward Consultation we will engage stories that provide insight, offer hope, and call for new ideas in fostering learning among the people of God. Together we will strive to understand the nature of God’s work in maturing his church today. Three tasks will follow the discussion: clarification of the story now taking shape about how God is maturing his people, development of proposals for projects related to participants’ areas of interest, and exploration of a design for ongoing research.
RATIONALE FOR
THE CONSULTATION
We
acknowledge that the church is growing rapidly in the majority world; but
leaders report that there are not enough people prepared to lead these
congregations or help them move to a more mature faith. While the term “a mile
wide and an inch deep” may not be a fair descriptor, it does point to the
historical reality that a rapidly growing church does confront challenges in
relation to the maturing of believers and equipping of leaders. We want to know
what local initiatives may be emerging to meet these needs, and what can be
learned from them.
Most conferences offer space and time for reading of papers and/or speeches. We want instead to talk and think together about how maturity comes about. We will engage stories that describe perspectives on what God seems to be doing in furthering the maturity of his church. More Information... Guidelines for stories
Registration Fee:
Please send on or before April 1, 2008, $75 to confirm your meals, refreshment
breaks, and Consultation materials.
Schedule:
The Consultation will begin at 9:00 a.m. each day (have breakfast before you
come). Lunch is provided each day. We will have supper together on
Friday after which the evening is free for personal networking or other
activity. We will conclude the Consultation at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday,
April 12.