Monday, May 18, 2015
Workshops for 2015 MIdwest Gathering
9:18 AM | 
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ARC Webmaster
Workshops and Experiential Learning Opportunities
For the 2015 ARC Midwest Gathering
Living God’s Love Out
Loud
How To Talk About Jesus Without Being a Jerk
Mike Bradley, Director, Alliance of Renewal Churches, Gilbert, AZ
The prevailing stereotype of Christians in our
culture is that we are arrogant and angry, judgmental and condemning; in short,
we’re jerks. In this workshop Mike will help us think through some things that
can help us be bold in talking to people about Jesus but without being jerks
about it. This workshop will help increase our effectiveness in living God’s
love out loud in our homes, and in the places where we work and play.
A Discussion on Church Planting for Evangelism and
Discipleship in the ARC
Tom Hilpert, Life Together Churches, Nashville, TN
Kevin McClure, Family Room Church, Roseville, MN
Tom Hilpert and Kevin McClure will help us cast
the vision for living God’s love out loud by planting churches for the express
purpose of evangelism and discipleship. They will help us consider various
models for church planting including house and cell churches. We will consider
the potential relationship between plants and existing churches. We will
discuss other issues that are involved in planting a church, especially considering
how the ARC can support, encourage, and equip leaders and their teams.
Preaching for a Response
Steve Perkins, Lead Pastor, Northgate Church,
Ramsey, MN
Throughout church history, from Peter
at Pentecost to Billy Graham in a stadium, “lost” people have responded to the Gospel
preached. “Altar calls” and the like are prominently featured in the stories of
countless Christ-followers who met Christ when they themselves stood up,
stepped out, and walked down the aisle. Join Steve Perkins, Senior Pastor of
Northgate Church in Ramsey, Minnesota, to learn how to preach toward a
response. Northgate has seen well over 700 people come to Christ in the past
five years using these methods.
Workshop – Living God’s Love Out Loud Through Story
Sharon Franta, Associate Pastor, Bridgewood Community Church, Blaine, MN
One way to live God’s love out loud is by
sharing and letting others into the profound and powerful parts of our stories. In this
workshop, Sharon Franta will help us identify slices of our life and understand
the significant impact these testimonies can have on the lives of others. In
addition to Sharon's teaching, there will be an opportunity to practice writing
and sharing our stories with one another through storytelling. We will begin to
see how our stories are a not only a means of sharing wisdom and blessing with
others; they are in fact spiritual legacies that we can leave along the way.
Workshop – Praying With Others To Be Baptized in the Spirit
Fred Thoni, Pastor, Elmwood E. Free Church, St.
Anthony Village, MN
What was the difference between the disciples in
the gospels and the strong, bold witnesses in the Book of Acts? It was their
experience of the baptism and filling of the Holy Spirit. In this workshop
Pastor Fred Thoni will lay the biblical foundation for our relationship with
the Holy Spirit today, and teach us how to pray for people to be baptized in
the Spirit. This workshop will include time for practicing and processing
praying with others to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
ELO - The Power of Blessing
Dave Heinrich, Director, Living Acts Ministries,
Fridley, MN
Steve Gaustad, Pastor, Home and Family Ministry
Center, Lino Lakes, MN
Practicing the power of blessing is one of the
ways we can live God’s love out loud. In this experiential learning opportunity
Dave Heinrich will help us learn the art of giving a verbal blessing in a
naturally supernatural way; nudging people one step closer to connecting with
God. Dave will provide some teaching and coaching, and then along with Steve
Gaustad, take us on a field trip to practice the art of giving a blessing and
watch God impact others with His love and power.
ELO – Go Small
Denise Siemens, Founder and Director of Arise! Women
We
all can learn to live God’s love out loud by going small. We're often under the
misconception that only when we “do something big for the kingdom,” or
"seal the deal" and convince someone to pray the sinner's prayer are
our efforts at evangelism successful. However, whenever we touch another
person with love, or any other fruit of the Spirit, we are establishing heaven
on earth and are bringing that person closer to the realization of the love of
God. On this experiential learning opportunity we will be handing out water
bottles at area parks and shopping centers and will be offering to pray
for those we contact.
ELO – Spiritual Treasure Hunts
Paul Anderson and Vivian Klebs, Harvest Project,
Roseville, MN
Spiritual treasure hunts
are a fun way to empower and equip us to live God’s love out loud. People are
God's treasures. He wants us to become intimate with Him, so when He highlights
a person or we get that Holy Spirit nudge to "go talk to that person,"
we actually obey. Love compels us, but the other side of this love coin is
obedience. Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice." He wants to give you
clues about where to go, what someone is wearing, what they might need prayer
for, and sometimes more unusual clues. It is a fun way to engage in hearing the
Holy Spirit, obeying by faith, talking to people, and then watching the
Presence come and work through you. Come join Paul Anderson and Vivian Klebs in
a brief workshop where we will talk about how we do this, have a short time of
prayer and listening about our “treasures,” and then go on a field trip to do
it!
ELO – Reclaiming a Neighborhood for the Kingdom of God
John Tolo, Director, Koinonia Project, St. Paul, MN
In this experiential learning exercise John Tolo
will lead a team to the Godtown Community House. There you will hear the story
of how God’s love is being live out loud in a neighborhood once known as
Frogtown, but now, is being called Godtown as it is being reclaimed for the
kingdom of God. John will share the vision for reclaiming neighborhoods for the
kingdom, identity some of the challenges and joys, share some practical
insights, and then put you to work in order to help you dream about how God can
use you to reclaim a neighborhood for God’s purposes where you live.
The Opportunity in Your Neighborhood
Dave Housholder, Robinwood Church, Huntington
Beach, CA
Sometimes a forgotten place for living God’s
love out loud is our neighborhoods, especially the neighborhoods where our
churches are located. Join Dave Housholder in going back to the future by
prayer walking the neighborhood around a church, something pastors and members
of churches did years ago that is gaining renewed traction today. One of Dave’s
missional disciples is going door-to-door, weekly, engaging people in the
walking distance around his church. For many people, this sounds scary, but
like praying out loud in a group, it gets easier quickly. In this ELO Dave will
provide us with some instruction, share testimony from his own excursions into
the neighborhood, and then lead a team out into the neighborhood to pray, to
love, and to be on the lookout for divine encounters that God may provide.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Accomodations for the ARC 2015 Midwest Gathering
Hampton Inn & Suites
579 Apollo Dr.
Lino Lakes, MN 55014
(763) 746-7999
August 12 – August 16, 2015
Must be reserved by July 12, 2015
Group Name: Alliance of Renewal Churches
Group Code: ARC
Group webpage: http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/groups/personalized/M/MSPLLHX-ARC-20150812/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG
(You can use the link above to make your room reservations.)
$134.10 + tax per night
2 Queen Beds
Fitness Center, Pool, Free Parking and Wifi
4.5 miles from Bridgewood Community Church, 7 minutes
579 Apollo Dr.
Lino Lakes, MN 55014
(763) 746-7999
August 12 – August 16, 2015
Must be reserved by July 12, 2015
Group Name: Alliance of Renewal Churches
Group Code: ARC
Group webpage: http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/groups/personalized/M/MSPLLHX-ARC-20150812/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG
(You can use the link above to make your room reservations.)
$134.10 + tax per night
2 Queen Beds
Fitness Center, Pool, Free Parking and Wifi
4.5 miles from Bridgewood Community Church, 7 minutes
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Keynote Sessions for the 2015 ARC Gatherings: Living God’s Love Out Loud
Thursday night – Established in God’s Love, Brendon Fairley
At last year’s Gatherings we centered our attention the scandalous nature and power of God’s love. In our opening session Brendon Fairley will connect that theme with the biblical call to evangelism, exhorting us to be established in God’s love as the foundation of everything we do to help people come into a life-changing experience with God’s love. Living God’s love out loud only happens when His love is alive in us, and Pastor Brendan will help us to go deeper in experiencing the Father’s love so that our witness to the world is built on the greatest reality of all: God’s unfailing love.
Friday morning – Receiving God’s Love, Mark Spencer
Every follower of Jesus has tasted the love of God. But tasting it once is not enough, as Paul makes clear in a letter to some friends: “May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” In this session Mark Spencer will address the importance of continually receiving God’s love and help us identify some of the things that hinder us from receiving it. Pastor Mark will also lead us in prayer to receive a fresh encounter with God’s love.
Friday evening – Giving God’s Love Away, Dave Housholder
Jesus sent his twelve closest friends out with this charge: “Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. …Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood! Tell them that the kingdom is here. You have been treated generously, so live generously.” As followers of Jesus we, too, are called to give away what we’ve received. In this session Dave Housholder will share insights that will better equip us to give away, naturally and generously, the love of the Lord in a culture that is increasingly postmodern and post-Christian.
Saturday morning – Experiential Learning, Various Presenters
After a time of worship and prayer we will choose from a variety of experiential learning opportunities to go into the community to live God’s love out loud. These opportunities will stretch us and help us think of ways we can live God's love out loud where we live.
Saturday evening - The Question Still Needs to be Asked, TW Norman
While sharing life with Jesus, the disciples are asked by Him, “Who do you say that I am?” As we share life with others and live God’s love out loud there will come moments when the question still needs to be asked: “Who is Jesus Christ to you?” TW Norman is an ARC pastor and evangelist who will exhort, encourage, and equip us so we will be ready to ask the question when the Holy Spirit prompts us. And TW will ask the question on this night of every person in attendance. Come witness the response to the Lord’s presence and power in our midst.
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