+ Being Human // Jo Frost and Peter Lynas

Auditorium

Today's cultural conversations are increasingly complex and confusing. Whether we're sat round the kitchen table, chatting in the workplace, or debating laws in parliament, the stories that shape who we are and how we are to live are often polarised and contradictory. This seminar will help you understand what these stories are, where they're coming from and how we can offer an alternative good, true and beautiful story of what it means to be human today.

Peter Lynas is UK director at the Evangelical Alliance, Jo Frost is director of communications and engagement, and together they co-lead the Being Human project, an initiative from the Evangelical Alliance, helping everyday Christians live out and share the biblical vision of what it means to be human.

+ Evangelism and ethnicity // Sarah Shin

Room G1&2

This seminar provides church leaders with some basic orientation and skills for helping individuals and groups engage in evangelism across cultural, ethnic, and racial difference. Participants are given tools to deepen their self-awareness and to help guide church leaders in thinking about how to grow a faithful multiethnic witness.

Sarah Shin (Catalyst Vineyard, Aberdeen) is a theologian, speaker, and author who brings 12+ years of experience working in university student ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (USA), where as the Associate National Director of Evangelism she helped create tools for evangelism in ethnic-specific and multiethnic/multiracial contexts. She and her husband are Korean Americans who have a big heart for Scotland. Sarah brings a wealth of experience, including training church leaders in the Vineyard USA and other denominations and teaching about evangelism, ethnicity/race, and scripture at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (US) and Westminster Theological Center (UK). Her book Beyond Colorblind has been listed by Christianity Today as a helpful text for engaging initial conversations about race/ethnicity, diversity, and faith.

+ Engaging in the public square // Damilola Makinde

Room F5

Many of us have considered loving our neighbours through bringing in their bins while they’re away on holiday, but have we also considered loving them through our ballot papers? How do we practice neighbour love and witness to gospel truth in this deeply contested cultural moment? How might a church community proactively engage in local and national political conversations, staying steeped in prayer and courageous in action? In this seminar, we’ll dive into 2 Kings 5 to explore the postures and practices of faithful cultural and political engagement.

Damilola Makinde serves as advocacy engagement lead at the Evangelical Alliance. Her working life to date spans the lines of law, public policy, missional engagement and church ministry. She is passionate about being a witness to Jesus in public through thoughtful Christian engagement in the key cultural and political issues of our time.

+ Spiritual Formation for Leaders // Alexander Venter

Room F1

Spiritual formation for leaders is framed in the pursuit of healthy leadership. Alexander first describes the importance of healthy leadership for integrity and longevity in fulfilling one's call under God. That has three constituent parts: spiritual formation, psycho-emotional healing, and personal growth. Alexander then focuses on spiritual formation: what that means; why it is critical for leaders; and how we 'do it'... with the heart motivation of learning to lead as Jesus would if he were you.

Leadership in God's Kingdom is leading like Jesus led, which implies intentional spiritual formation toward Christlikeness.

Alexander is married to Gillian and they have two adult children and one grandchild. Alexander has been a Vineyard pastor since 1982, after doing an internship with John Wimber. He has planted and pastored churches in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Alexander has authored 7 books: Two volumes on Praying the Psalms; four volumes in his "Doing" series; and recently, "Know the Real Jesus: A Portrait of the Historical Jesus".

+ Parenting for the long haul: helping your family flourish in ministry // Rachel Turner

Room G3

Parenting as a church leader is filled with amazing opportunities and some unique challenges. We have to parent in a goldfish bowl, navigate the needs of our family and our churches, deal with confidentiality, the pressure of congregational expectations and more.

The good news is that church leadership is a context where our families can thrive, not simply survive. Based on years of research and the book "Parenting as a Church Leader", this seminar will empower parents in ministry leadership to help their children thrive at home, in church, and in their own connection with God. With plenty of time for Q and A's, and foundational and practical approaches to parenting in ministry, this seminar will hopefully leave you feeling affirmed and more confident in your parenting for the long haul.

Rachel Turner is the discipleship lead at Hope Church, Harrogate, and the founder of Parenting for Faith. She is the author of ten books for families, parents and church leaders including Parenting as a Church Leader, Comfort in Uncertain Times, It Takes a Church to Raise a Parent and her new release Parenting Teens for a Life of Faith. She lectures on leadership and intergenerational church at the Institute for Children, Youth and Mission (CYM) and St. Padarn’s Institute. She also consults and speaks internationally and is a huge Star Trek fan.