2013 How-To Convention Oak Park Community A NEW DAY DAWNING Church of God Ecclesiastes 11:7 NLT UPDATED! 2 New Conferences Added Saturday, January 26, 2013 Schedule 8:00 am Registration 8:30 am General Session 9:40-10:50 am Session 1 11am-12:10 pm Session 2 12:15-1:15 pm Lunch 1:20-2:30 pm Session 3 2:40-3:15 pm Wrap Up Keynote Speaker: Sam Skillern Sam Skillern is the Executive Director of the Salem Leadership Foundation, a faith-based communityimpact organization that was founded in 1996. SLF is well-known for its work building bridges between the faith community and the community at large, especially schools, government, business, the human services and law enforcement. SLF is also active working across the denominations and between different religions, helping people-of-faith practice the Sacred Art of Servanthood, as modeled in the ministry of Jesus. Sam is a Salem son who graduated from South High and Oregon State before heading to Seattle for a 14year career in consulting and community-building ministry. Sam and his family live in a historic 1916 Craftsman home and worship (Salem Alliance Church) in the Grant neighborhood of north-central Salem, which is also the location of SLF’s offices. During the General Session, Sam will discuss: Building a City of Shalom “Not every city is named ‘Salem’ but every city (and town) can experience God's Shalom (peace and wellbeing) as His people work together to restore the streets, repair the walls, and love their neighbors.” Registration is only $25 per individual if postmarked by Jan. 15, 2013. Groups of 8 or more can register from the same church for $150 if postmarked by Jan. 15, 2013 (more info on back). Choose your conferences from pages 2-3; then turn to page 4 to register and to get directions to Oak Park Community Church of God in Salem. OT H E R C O N F E R E N C E O P P O R T U N I T I E S How to Get Out of the Church Building and into the World How to Have a Better Board Meeting How Can Our Worship be More Meaningful And More! Page 2 CONFERENCE OPPORTUNITIES SESSION 1 (Choose ONE conference from Session 1 and enter it on the registration form) 1. Building the Case: Two Greats and a Good —Sam Skillern (Executive Director of the Salem Leadership Foundation ) The Great Commission and The Greatest Commandment are bookends to wonderful (and simple) Biblical guidance on how God's people are to build His kingdom. In the midst, and surprisingly connected, is a pretty 'good' story that everyone knows. 2. How is Your Church Reaching Out to Your Community? —Randy Kerr (Senior Pastor, Sunset Park Community COG , St. Helens) Making important connections in your community. Finding creative ways to blessing the community around you and reaching your community by serving your community. 3. How To Involve Your Congregation in the Great Commission —Missions Commission (Laypersons: Jack Hansen, J. Brown, Patty Deacon, Donna Johnson, and Leslie Marchant.) This session will be a basic introduction to Global Missions resources and the Missions Commission of Oregon and Southwest Washington. 4. How to Work with Returning Vets —David Betts (Layperson at Hoodview COG, Woodburn, OR - Chaplain) In this workshop we will cover the major issues returning Veterans deal with such as PTSD and suicidal ideation. 5. Part I—How to Teach the Topics No One Wants Us to Talk About —Janice Collazo (Youth Ministries at First Church of God, Albany, OR) The church can no longer skirt around the real life topics that are affecting our church families. From homosexuality to affairs - if we can't humbly and boldly speak about God's desires and standards in the church, then how can He use us to change our community. Join us and learn the issues you MUST teach about in the church. Be prepared to ride the waves, because you will stir the waters. 6. How I Moved into the Downtown Neighborhood —Ken Lloyd (Pastor of a church for homeless youth in downtown Portland) and Bruce Steffensen (Director of Spiritual Formation & Leadership Development, Association of the Churches of God, Oregon & SW Washington) Ken will tell the story of how he moved into the “neighborhood” of the homeless youth in downtown Portland. We will discuss how his story might inform the stories of our local churches. 7. How to Develop an Intentional Plan for Stewardship in Your Church —Kirk Bookout (Stewardship Ministry Group, COG Ministries, Anderson, IN) Teaching stewardship is part of the discipleship process. This includes calendar issues, the culture of the church, roadblocks, offerings, special gifts and more. 8. How to Have a Better Board Meeting —David Shrout (Executive Director, Association of the Churches of God, Oregon & SW Washington) How to have a board meeting that will get results, everyone will be heard, and you can do all of this in less time. SESSION 2 (Choose ONE conference from Session 2 and enter it on the registration form) 9. Building Bridges: People of Faith + People of Goodwill —Sam Skillern (Executive Director of the Salem Leadership Foundation ) The key to city Shalom is collaborative interaction 1) within the church community, and then 2) with community partners. 10. How to Love and Care for Your Wife —Steven Shomler (Great Marriage Resources, Portland) When a woman feels loved and cared for by her husband, the husband's quality of life vastly improves! Conversely when a woman does not feel loved and cared for by her husband, both the husband and the wife can end up having an experience of marriage that is less than the very good gift God intended marriage to be. We will look at a few doable, practical ways a husband can serve his wife so that she feels both loved and cared for by her husband. "Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church - a love marked by giving not getting." Ephesians 5:25 The Message Version. 11. How To Find and Raise up the Next Generation of Leaders —Jess Bielman (Executive Director Contextualized Ministries, Warner Pacific) At WPC we are engaged in a three year process of changing the way we develop ministers for our urban, Northwest, 21st century context. Come hear about the 7 ½ things we have learned about working with this generation of leaders. 12. How to Think Like a Missionary —John Johnson (Professor of Ministries and Missions , Warner Pacific) All ministry is cross-cultural. How can we be prepared to think and act as a cross-cultural worker in our world? 13. How Can Our Worship be More Meaningful —Kelly Ballard (Assistant Professor of Music/Choral Studies & Worship Arts, Warner Pacific) Dr. Kelly Ballard brings an inspirational message for all worshippers as he encourages leaders to maximize their unique, God-given worship expressions. Worship is most meaningful as it is offered in the collective offering of the gathered community. This practical seminar will help you find, strengthen, and engage your church's best voice. 14. How to Use SHARE in Leadership Development —David Shrout Executive Director, Association of the Churches of God, Oregon & SW Washington) and Jon Nutter (Senior Pastor, Hucrest Church of God, Roseburg, OR) SHARE = Sustaining Health And Relational Excellence The goal of SHARE is to provide self-directed and collaborative practices to sustain and nourish Church of God congregational leaders and staff as they seek to serve and advance the Kingdom in healthy relational networks of interdepend- CONFERENCE OPPORTUNITIES ence. The bottom line of SHARE is to create healthy leadership teams who work well with one another and are capable of extending their leadership beyond the local level through strategic covenant partnerships with other likeminded leaders to see the Kingdom advance. Join us as we explore the basic theology and practice of the SHARE approach. Both pastors and lay persons alike can benefit from this seminar. 15. How to Teach Adults —Bruce Steffensen (Director of Spiritual Formation & Leadership Development, Association of the Churches of God, Oregon & SW Washington) There are many types of learning styles, but most of the ministries that churches offer only cater to one learning style. Come hear ways to teach in a way that fits more learners. 16. Part II—How to Teach the Topics No One Wants Us to Talk About —Janice Collazo (Youth Ministries at First Church of God, Albany, OR) The church can no longer skirt around the real life topics that are affecting our church families. From homosexuality to affairs- if we can't humbly and boldly speak about God's desires and standards in the church, then how can He use us to change our community? Join us and learn the issues you MUST teach about in the church. Be prepared to ride the waves, because you will stir the waters. SESSION 3 (Choose ONE conference from Session 3 and enter it on the registration form) 17. How to Choose and Measure Projects You Support —Bob Edwards (Director, Global Missions, COG Ministries, Anderson, IN) The Missions Committee has dozens of requests yearly asking for support. Most of them seem to be the kind of projects that you would like to support, but how do you choose what to support and what to reject...and why? This session will examine qualities to look for in projects, and use an adapted assessment grid from Jonathan Martin’s book, “Giving Wisely.” 18. How to Keep Your Kids from Leaving the Church —Kevin Bryant (Vice President for Institutional Advancement and External Relations, Warner Pacific) & Jess Bielman (Executive Director Contextualized Ministries, Warner Pacific) Kevin Bryant has raised three children in the church. Jess Bielman shepherds 18-24 year olds as they make decisions about church. Come hear these friends discuss the “do’s” and “don’ts” of working with this generation and advocating for God’s church. 19. How to Live Next Door to a Church —Matt Ingalls (Senior Pastor, River Street Church of God, Newberg, Oregon) Listen in as a couple of church history enthusiasts look back on our story compared with the story of our neighborhoods. The vast majority of Christian churches are and have worshiped in neighborhoods and almost all of our churches at least wonder about the peo- Page 3 ple who live next door. The issue of neighborhood ministry is one that goes right back to the beginning and is an issue that creates a whole lot of questions to reflect on: Why is it that churches get big while their neighborhoods fall apart? Why is it that churches move out of neighborhoods? Is neighborhood ministry just a fad? What can we learn about our own struggle to connect with our neighborhood from monks and reformers? What did they do that was successful and what can we learn from the failures? 20. How Can the Church Help the Pro-Life Effort —Katie Ortlef & Team (Oregon Right to Life, Salem, Oregon) Come learn from an Oregon Right to Life Education Foundation presenter what you can do to educate and involve your church members in pro-life work. Several ideas for basic educational activities and resources will be given during this workshop. 21. How to Create “Outside of the Box” Ideas for Your Children’s Ministry —Brenda Winslow (Better Children’s Ministries, Sweet Home, OR) This session will give you fresh ideas, bringing new people into your church and new kids into your ministry. We will discuss ways to make your church unique in your own community and fun ideas to keep your kids engaged. Many of these projects can be done with very little money or effort on your workers’ part. 22. How to Get Out of the Church Building and into the World —Toni Drager (Care & Outreach Ministries, First Church of God, Albany, OR) Have you spent so much time in church and Sunday School that you don't have any friends that are not Christians? Then this is the class for you. This is a 101 class on exploring ways to get involved and make a difference in people's lives for Christ. 23. How to Reach Out to International Students in Your Community —Missions Commission (Laypersons: Jack Hansen & Terry Shrout) With approximately 800,000 international college students studying here in the U.S., find out how your congregation can become involved with this cross-cultural ministry. The time commitment and resources needed for this local missions opportunity are quite minimal, and you don't even need a passport or immunizations! 24. How to Respond when Mother Nature Goes on a Temper Tantrum —Barbara Darnall, Ron Bishop, & Gary Ihle (Laypersons from Portland Area Churches of God) A guide to personal and community survival in the wake of both natural and man-made disasters. List for equipment, food, clothing, and pet supplies are included. The guide contains Government relief agencies’ numbers as well as information about participating churches. This will tell you what you need to know to take care of your loved ones, including the family pet(s) in a post-disaster environment. DRIVING DIRECTIONS Oak Park Community Church of God 2990 Lancaster Dr. NE—Salem, Oregon 97305 http://oakparkchurch.net/Oak_Park/Home.html From I-5 SOUTH: Take the Market Street Exit # 256 and turn right onto Market Street. Then turn left (north) on Lancaster Drive NE. The church is located at 2990 Lancaster Drive NE and is across from Wal-Mart. From I-5 NORTH: Take the Market Street Exit # 256 and turn left at the end of the exit onto Market Street. Then turn left again (north) on Lancaster Drive NE. The church is located at 2990 Lancaster Drive NE and is across from Wal-Mart. REGISTRATION: How-To Convention 2013 Oak Park Community Church of God January 26, 2013 Name Phone Address Home Church Email INDIVIDUAL RATE: GROUP RATE: $25 if postmarked by January 15 $30 if postmarked after January 15 $150 per church group (up to 8) postmarked by January 15* $175 per church group (up to 8) if postmarked after January 15* NUMBER ATTENDING: Registration fee includes lunch. *FOR GROUPS: We need the total number attending in your group for an accurate lunch count. With group registrations, $5.00 will be added to the group registration for each additional person beyond 8. (Example: Early registration for 10 people from your church would be $160.00: $150 registration fee for 8 people plus two additional attenders at $5 ea). Attach a separate piece of paper for conference choices for each person in your group. SEND REGISTRATION and MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Association of the Churches of God P.O. Box 18000 Salem, OR 97305 Your early registrations are appreciated! CONFERENCE CHOICES: Choose one conference from each session and indicate below. Session 1 Session 2 Session 3