Good Friends Are Hard to Find

Patrice McCormac

1 Samuel 23

Our culture is plagued with loneliness. Part of the problem is that we are often more concerned about whether people are being good friends to us than if we ourselves are being a good friend! As we examine the biblical story of David and Jonathan's friendship however, we see several key elements of good friendship. To be a good friend, we must warn our friends of danger even when it may be risky for us. We should speak and wish well of them, encourage, and initiate choosing to commit to the friendship. As we move away from our own selfish tendencies and toward these habits, we move toward becoming a good friend to others.

Preserving the Unity in Your Community

Mary Beth Gladwell

John 13:5

The depth and length of relationships that we have with one another, in the Body of Christ, is the final apologetic. To maintain unity we must engage the battle in our thought life, practice forbearance with one another, and practice humility.

The God Who is There in Conflict

Bev DeLashmutt

Romans 2:1-3

Unresolved conflict stirs up many negative emotions, including confusion for how God is involved. God does, however, have a will for conflict, and it is that he seeks to be glorified. He is glorified both through resolution and when even one person obeys his principles for conflict. This means that no matter how the other person may respond, we are responsible for our own response. We are called to withhold judgement, address our own failure first, relate wisely, seek God for our needs, and treat the other as we want to be treated. Through these steps, we can have a more God-centered approach and response to conflict.

Winning Men in a Culture of Passivity

Doug O'Malley

James 4:17

The statistics exposing the passivity of men in our culture are grim, and the church is by no means exempt. Passivity is a lack of action or response, a sin of omission. This workshop provides practical resources for challenging Christian men in this area, ranging from conversations we should ensure we are having, to group ethos changes, to suggestions of how to help motivate them towards God. Jesus wants to draw all men to himself, and we should fight diligently to win men into lives devoted to Christ.

21st Century Evangelism (Part 2) - Questions, Problems, and Other Headaches

Randy Newman

James 4:17

While God's power is the driving force in evangelism, personal interaction and conversational skills are extremely important as well. This breakout session is a continuation of the 3 part series by Randy Newman on 21st Century Evangelism. In this session Newman does a Q & A with the audience to answer specific questions about evangelism, and then splits the audience into pairs to practice listening and asking questions through a series of exercises. \r\n

Satan Is on Your Leadership Team

Ryan Weingartner

James 4:7-8

While Satan may not be visible to us, we can be sure that he is actively involved on our leadership teams. One of his particular ministries is accusing people to each other, dividing teams of Christians. In order to combat Satan and his attempts to thwart our mission and unity, we must first recognize his presence and identify is common targets. Then in our awareness, our commitment to spend time together, and our focus on positive things we can in turn thwart the evil one.

Helping Kids Develop Healthy Relationships

Beth Himsworth

James 4:7-8

In parenting, there is more to preparing your child for building healthy relationships than merely giving your child unconditional love and affirmation. Beth Himsworth uses the model of a child's moral compass, with the four points referring to God, Engagement, Suffering and Wealth/Work, as vital aspects of developing your child's inner core that allows your child to have lasting, healthy relationships for life.

Simple Living

Joe Botti

James 4:7-8

Simple living is the family unit serving God, while combating the disconnected family, with each member going in different directions. Simple living is also helping our kids to find their own relationship with God, not their parents' relationship with God. And finally, simple living sets the stage to help our kids live out a lifestyle of ministry.

Marriage: The Key Aspect of Family

John Rue

James 4:7-8

John and Connie Rue discuss how investing in your marriage is the best way to invest in your children. Our children need to see us parents growing in our love for the Lord and for each other. We don't need to be perfect, of course, but they need to see us progressing in our personal growth, not giving up but persevering in spite of inevitable failure.