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ReNew: Resourcing Pastors for Ministry

February 11–12, 2020 at CMU

PAST RENEW CONFERENCES

Christians are Made, Not Born: Transforming Faith Formation

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

What might Tertullian's claim that "Christians are made, not born..." mean for the church today? How can our commitment to Christian formation nurture faith and form disciples in our children, youth, and young adults—and indeed within the whole congregation?

ReNew 2020 will explore what faith formation means in our time: How might congregations create an ecology for growing mature Christian disciples of all ages who witness faithfully in a variety of church and community settings? How might they more effectively nurture faith throughout all stages of life, with each segment of the congregation growing in faith, and each using their gifts to support the growth of others.

Keynote Resource

D r. Andy Root

Andy Root is Professor and Carrie Olson Baalson Chair of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary, St. Paul Minnesota. He is often mentioned as one of the leading scholars in youth ministry in the world. Two of his most recent books are Bonhoeffer as Youth Worker and Faith Formation in a Secular Age: Responding to the Church's Obsession with Youthfulness. He has also offered important texts on pastoral ministry more generally, asserting that "The theological substance of youth ministry is no different than ministry generally; my concern is to discuss how real people (whether young or old) experience the living presence of God."

Bible Study Presenter

Tom Yoder Neufeld

Tom is Professor Emeritus, Religious Studies and Theological Studies at Conrad Grebel University College. His areas of specialization include Jesus (Recovering Jesus: The Witness of the New Testament), peace and the Bible (Killing Enmity: Violence and the New Testament) and the book of Ephesians (Ephesians in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series). He is a dynamic and engaging presenter.

Additional Plenary Presenter

Lynda Loewen

Lynda is Instructor of Psychology at Canadian Mennonite University. She will make a presentation titled "Resilient by Design: Wounds and the Wisdom of Faith."