Morning Workshops
M1: The Church in the Mission of God and Our Culture
Theologian John Franke is the Coordinator of the well-known Gospel and Our Culture Network, the group that produced Missional Church in 1998. He continues to study contemporary culture and to identify ways in which the Gospel of Jesus Christ may be presented to those living in this culture.
M2: From Romania: A Ministry Model
Explore a new model for youth ministry—that just might work in your church! The “IMPACT” model started in Romania and is now the largest youth movement in the country and is growing in Honduras, Moldova, Appalachia, and churches in Iowa. Explore how a spirituality of Action and Community “problem-solving” can make the Good News come alive for youth anywhere. Americans Dana and Brandi Bates created this model in Lupeni, Romania in 1999 and want to tell you about it.
M3: Goleta-Ghana: Expanding the Church to Church Partnership
Goleta Presbyterian Church and Ebenezer Presbyterian Church of Patriensa, Ghana, have been partners for many years. Recently they have been pursuing new directions in mission that move out from the two-church partnership, reach all of the churches in the presbytery, and involve the leadership of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and its many churches in development work together. The workshop leaders will describe the history and current state, and encourage churches to join with GPC in partnerships in Ghana. The workshop will be led by Sarah Blackmun-Eskow, Judy Duchesne-Peckham, and Janet Votaw.
M4: Caring for God’s Creation
Martin Robertson, a Santa Barbara educator, has begun a ministry of caring for the earth. Working on 40 beautiful acres in the SB foothills, he and his “A Rocha” colleagues are tending a 3 acre organic farm, conducting pollinator studies, planting natives, conserving a stream and riparian areas, conducting educational programs, and more. The Santa Barbara branch of A Rocha offers the produce of their land to low income families and the homeless.
M5: Urban Mission: Hollywood Young Adult Volunteers
Presbyterian World Mission Director Hunter Farrell is excited about the team of young adult volunteers who have been discovering the face of God amidst the broken, overlooked, and ignored in Hollywood, CA. He, colleague Matthew Schmitt, and some young adult volunteers will share.
Afternoon Workshops
A1: Translating God’s Word
The Bible is the most translated book in human history. The fact that Christian faith translates into vernacular languages serves at once to revitalize local cultures and challenge our understanding of Christianity itself. What are the challenges to translating God’s Word? What are the social and cultural implications of doing so? And what drawbacks might exist? Is Christianity just another form of colonization or a movement that has surprised even the missionaries that introduced it? This workshop, led by Westmont’s Charles Farhadian, will explore some of the fascinating yet troubling aspects of the translation movement, and how those issues might impact our lives as followers of Christ.
A2: Developing New Missional Communities
Craig Williams, founding pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Trabuco, CA, now serves the denomination in church growth and development, serving the Western United States. He will share what he has learned about developing missional communities in our challenging culture.
A3: God’s Word in the Jails
Rev. Ivan Vorster is Chaplain at the Santa Barbara County Jail. Ted Baehr and Dave Bazinet, members of the First Presbyterian Church SB congregation, have joined him in service there, bringing new tools to the ministry and drawing more attention to it. They will describe their ministry of bringing God’s presence into the “tanks” and will present opportunities for your involvement.
A4: Stop Human Trafficking!
While conservative estimates report that there are over 40 million slaves in the world today, Bethany Hoang and Andy Hein, leaders at the International Justice Mission, are part of a movement that believes that we can see slavery come to an end in our lifetime. IJM is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. In this workshop, Bethany and Andy will help us understand the disturbing facts about modern day slavery, human trafficking and the abuse of those in poverty. They will also unveil ways that you can help to bring rescue, healing and justice to those who are violently oppressed in the world today.
A5: Missions with Impact
“Have you ever wondered what life is like for those who’ve been oppressed for choosing Jesus? Have you ever heard the story of someone who lives in extreme poverty or pondered the value of short term missions? Come join the conversation and get a hands-on experience of what God is doing across the globe and how you can be part of a bigger story – with or without buying a plane ticket to Africa…” — Bree Bouma, Director of IMPACT.