Monday, May 18, 2015

Workshops for 2015 MIdwest Gathering


Workshops and Experiential Learning Opportunities
For the 2015 ARC Midwest Gathering
Living God’s Love Out Loud
Friday Workshops

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.

  Saturday Workshops and ELOs – Experiential Learning Opportunities 

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.



 ELO – Back to the Future: Prayer Walking Your Neighborhood
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.

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