The Diocese of South Carolina is kicking off its 225th Annual Convention, which will be held at the Church of the Cross, Bluffton, by hosting a series of workshops on Friday, March 11 which are open to the public and which focus on reaching the community outside our church buildings with the theme, “Beyond the Walls.”
Register for workshops here.
Grandparenting Mini-Conference
The first offering of the day, beginning at 9 a.m. is a three-hour mini-conference on Grandparenting offered by Cavin Harper, founder and director of the Colorado Springs based Christian Grandparenting Network.
Does the Bible have anything to say about the roles of grandparents? Many grandparents today enter this role without any definitive understanding of what a grandparent is supposed to do. Few answers are provided by the Church, workshops, books or other resources, but that is changing. God has been building a movement of intentional, biblical grandparents who are committed to faithfully tell the next generations the truth about God and the Gospel so that they might know, love and serve Christ. That’s what this seminar is about. You will learn what God has to say about this new role many of us are discovering called grandparenting. And you will learn about some very powerful tools grandparents can use to impact the next generations for Christ. If you care about the hearts, minds and souls of your grandchildren, you will want to be part of this unique event. Note there is a $10 fee for this mini-conference.
Afternoon Workshops
During the afternoon the Diocese will offer a series of free workshops, each offered twice, with the first session from 1 – 2:15 p.m. and a repeat session from 2:45 – 4 p.m. The workshops will focus on reaching emerging cultures, building relationships with those who don’t attend church, identifying church-growth inhibitors, bringing new life to churches which are languishing and developing healthy marriage ministries and healthy men’s ministries.
Inhibitors to Church Growth
The Very Rev. Chuck Owens, Rector of The Church of the Cross in Bluffton, has been working with parishes and dioceses in Canada and Ireland for six years to identify and overcome the obstacles limiting their effectiveness. He will offer to do the same for us in a session entitled “Inhibitors to Church Growth.” “Most of the obstacles to growth can be found in the pews and pulpits of our churches,” says Owens. What might they be and how might we address them? Honest answers will be given in this offering by the Rector of one of the largest and fastest-growing parishes in the Diocese.
Church Outside the Walls
The Rev. David Dubay, Rector of Holy Trinity, Windemere, and head of the Church on the Move (a ministry to the Latino community) and the Rev. Gary Beson, Vicar of one of the Diocese’s newest congregations, St. Timothy’s, Cane Bay, which recently held the Tattoo Art Exhibit, will co-lead a workshop on taking the church “outside the walls.” They will share lessons learned from their own experiences in evangelism and reaching the unchurched, dechurched and lapsed.
Developing a Healthy Men’s Ministry
Jay Crouse, Diocesan Coordinator for Men’s Ministry, who has served as a men’s ministry leader for over 25 years and who, for the past 15 years, has worked in full-time ministry to men, will be leading a workshop on creating a structure and a strategy to develop a vibrant men’s ministry. This workshop will focus on equipping the men of your church as disciple makers in their homes, workplace, community and the world.
Remissioning the Church
John Burwell, rector of Redeemer, Orangeburg, firmly believes that God has great days and greater community impact ahead for our parishes and missions. Your church can soar! Join John for “Remissioning the Church” as he shares insights, encouragements and practical applications gleaned from growing the Kingdom of God in South Carolina over the past 31 years. , John has been involved in four church transformations in our diocese including Holy Cross, Sullivan’s Island, Good Shepherd, Charleston, All Saints Florence and Redeemer, Orangeburg. He has also taught leadership and stewardship principles in over 50 churches throughout the United States.
Building a Healthy Marriage Ministry
A Team from Family Life Ministry will be with us to lead a workshop on how to build healthy marriage ministries our churches. Over the past 40 years FamilyLife has helped tens of thousands of churches minister to marriages. They’ll be with us to answer the question, “Why Marriage Ministry” and give a new vision for what marriage ministry can look like in the context of our churches. They will walk through the five steps to develop proactive and sustainable marriage ministry.
Engaging Every Generation
Dave Wright, a sought-after speaker on youth ministry who serves as the Diocese’s Coordinator for Youth Ministry, and Peter Rothermel, our Diocesan Coordinator for Faith Formation will lead a workshop on “Engaging Every Generation”. Passing the faith to the next generation is the most vital task facing the church today. This workshop will present a simple model that can: Serve the needs of every generation; Work in churches of any size or context; Develop without adding programs or budget; Equip people to grow in their faith; and Fulfill God’s plan for the church.
Reaching Emerging Cultures
The Rev. Greg Smith, Chaplain for St. Alban’s Chapel at the Citadel will lead a workshop aimed at helping churches reach young adults in “Emerging Cultures.” “How do you reach a younger generation who believes sexuality is malleable, truth is relative and nothing matters anyway?” asks Smith. He’ll cover this topic with lessons learned through more than 20 years in full-time ministry to young adults.
All Welcome
“The public is invited to join us at these workshops aimed at reaching outside our church walls,” said the Rev. Canon Jim Lewis, Canon to the Ordinary. Register by clicking the “Convention” tab at www.dioceseofsc.org, under the “Convention” tab. Though there is a $10 fee for the Grandparenting mini-conference, there is no fee for the workshops. Participants are urged to pre-register. Seating is limited.
