Gospel and Outreach

The Big Story: Sharing the Gospel in an Increasingly Unchurched Culture
James Choung
Do we present a gospel that is too small? If our gospel is concerned primarily about the after-life, our unchurched friends will find our message arrogant and irrelevant. This seminar will present a clear, field-tested way to present a larger vision of the gospel -- one closer to what Jesus taught -- in a way that may connect more with our friends who live in an increasingly unchurched culture, while encouraging believers to share a faith that feels more truly like good news.

I Once Was Lost: Understanding the Postmodern Skeptic’s Path to Faith
Don Everts
How do people come to Jesus in today’s postmodern culture?  Over the last decade Don Everts and Doug Schaupp have listened to the stories of over two thousand people who have come to follow Jesus.  While the stories were all diverse and varied, certain common themes began to emerge.  The better we understand these “Five Thresholds” that most postmodern skeptics cross on their way to faith, the more natural and relaxed… and even fruitful our witness can become.  Come hear an overview of the “Five Thresholds” and stimulate your own thinking about how people come to faith these days, and what that means for our own relationships and ministries.      

Jesus with Dirty Feet: Proclaiming Christ into Postmodern Ears
Don Everts
Our task has not changed since the earliest days of the church: to hand on that which we have received.  But how exactly we go about proclaiming Jesus to our own generation is the task every preacher and evangelist must carefully ask.  What are some of the characteristics of our own age that we should keep in mind as we speak of Jesus?  And how does that practically affect how we should go about preaching and teaching and speaking of Jesus to those who don’t know him?

Leading a Marginal Church: How to Spend Ourselves on Behalf of the Poor
Robert Gelinas 
Jesus said that his gospel was good news to marginalized and the miserable the poor and the poor in spirit.  This session will focus on the values, convictions, habits and practices of leaders who hear the cry of the vulnerable and call their congregations to spend themselves on behalf of the poor.

Organic Outreach for Ordinary Churches: Growing an Evangelistic Vision that is Natural, Contagious, and Compelling
Kevin Harney
God has a vision.  He wants to see local congregations engage their community and change the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In this seminar we will look at simple concepts that are having a revolutionary impact on churches and their communities.  Outreach should not be a church department, a committee, or a yearly weekend emphasis.  It should be an organic part of all the church does.  Join us and learn how you can help your church begin a new season of evangelistic passion, fruitfulness, and growth.

Culture Pubs™: How to Start In, With and For the World
Alex McManus
When seeking to reach the world with Christ, how far is too far? When do we know if we've crossed the line? This session will work through questions of apostolic mission through the "out of the box," field-oriented experiences of the Voxtropolis® Culture Pub™.

Acts of Translation: Making the World Human Again
Alex McManus
How can we best translate the core message of God's activity in the world to non-believers? First we need to understand the core message ourselves. Jesus did not come to teach Christianity. He came to make the world human again. Making the World Human Again explores the relationship of the Christ following faith to both the world and the Christian religion.

SERVOLUTION: Starting a Revolution through Serving
Dino Rizzo
As a pastor I believe that outreach can’t be just something the church does, but rather the primary expression of who we are.  Serving the poor and hurting, the lost and forgotten – that is the heart of Jesus.  But often it is hard to know where to start.  In this session, we will explore how the best place to start is sometimes just finding something to do that you can do and do it and then keep doing it.  Then watch and see who God brings your way to serve.  Servolution will revolutionize your church and your community.

Engaging the Poor: Going Where You Can Serve Jesus in Person
Dino Rizzo
One thing that stands out about Jesus’ ministry was his compassion for the poor.  He related to them so well that he even taught that if we serve the poor and hurting, we are actually serving Him.  There are so many people right around us every day who are poor – we just need to learn to see them and how to engage them.  In this session, we will share the incredibly important truth that we are closest to Jesus when we are serving the poor.