Engage 2024 Breakout Topics

Join with others from across the church and the country
as we dive into topics shaping our daily mission.

Morning

These breakout sessions will focus on the biblical and theological foundations for our justice tracks: Homelessness, Human Trafficking, Immigration/Racial Justice, & Creation Care. As Christians we are not left alone to address these injustices through our own wisdom or by our own power. Rather, we have the Holy Spirit to empower us, Jesus to model for us, Scripture to inspire and instruct us, and the tradition of the Church to ground us in the work of the saints who have gone before us. Each breakout speaker will draw on the riches of our Christian faith to bring hope and meaning to our current and future justice work.

Afternoon

As Jesus instructs us at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, we want to be both hearers AND doers of His Word. Sometimes, it can be too easy to move into action, rushing in before we have done the necessary and humbling work of prayer and listening. Other times, it can be too hard to move into action, when we let our fear, pride, or perfectionism keep us from starting. These breakout sessions will be practice-oriented. How can we move into action in our community in thoughtful ways? Each breakout session will focus on the history of engagement in their particular justice area in Santa Barbara or elsewhere, a brief survey of current stakeholders, possible exploration of case studies, and tangible suggestions for where to start serving, leading, learning, or advocating.