The Ever Evolving
CHURCH

Empower & Equip

November 16, 2024
9:30 am – 2:00 pm

Forest Park Christian Church
9102 S. Mingo Rd., Tulsa, OK 74133

Schedule

9:30  Registration
10:00  Worship
11:00  Workshops
12:00  Lunch
1:00  Workshops
2:00  Closing

Registration

Registration Closes Nov. 6th

$35 per person – Adults 19+, includes lunch
$20 per person – Youth (10-18), includes lunch
$20 per person – Host church volunteer, includes lunch

Guest Preacher Rev. Kelley Becker

Kelley earned a Master of Divinity from Phillips Theological Seminary and is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Rev. Becker is Senior Minister Disciples Christian Church, Bartlesville, OK.

She is passionate about sharing God’s love by creating inclusive community, embracing diversity, and showing compassion to all human beings. She is an outspoken ally of the LGBTQ community, an advocate for people who are experiencing chronic homelessness, and a voice for accessible healthcare. Kelley loves working with and learning from people from other cultures and who express their faith in different ways. She reminds us often that we are called to welcome and care for immigrants and refugees.

Kelley, and her husband, John, are the parents of two sons, Christopher and Andrew. Christopher is the father of two sons whom their grandparents adore. Kelley’s hobbies are biking, reading, and traveling to warm, sunny places. A scripture verse that speaks to Kelley and her ministry is Micah 6:8, “Make justice happen, now. Love passionately as God loves, now. Be God’s image in the world, now.” (translation by Dr. Lisa Davison, Phillips Theological Seminary)

Workshops

Life Cycle of Churches

Instructor: Rev. Susan Payne

Time waits for no one – including congregations! Congregations go through “life stages,” similar to any living organism. We will look at the lifecycle of a church, explore possible courses of action, and assess attendees’ potential role in the process of congregational transformation.

Social Media for Congregations

Instructor: Rev. Mark Taylor

We will discuss some best practices for using social media in congregations. From big picture items like identifying your target audience and boosting engagement to some practical approaches to developing templated designs to make posting easier and more effective.

Environmental Justice & The Church

Instructor: Rev. Sharyn Cosby

As people of faith, we can only fully advocate for vulnerable communities by examining the environmental movement. Considering environmental justice through an understanding of intersectionality allows us to see the injustices happening in vulnerable communities and the how church can/should respond.

Mission Trips Forum

Instructor: Shauna Becker & Rev. Julia Jordan Gillett – Panel Discussion

Learn from a panel discussion of Mission Trip How To’s, plus new models for all ages and multi-church trips.

Who Are the Disciples Today?

Instructor: Rev. Dr. Lisa Barnett

A quick look at our beginnings and onward to exploring who we are today as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Elders Best Practices

Instructor: Rev. Dr. Joshua Bell

Join in a workshop focused on enhancing the leadership skills of elders in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Oklahoma. Together, we’ll explore best practices, address common challenges, and strengthen our commitment to serving the needs of our communities.

Grace-Filled Conversations Post-Election

Instructor: Panel Discussion

In the book, The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus: What’s So Good About the Good News, Rev. Dr. Peter Gomes writes, “Good news to some will almost inevitably be bad news to others.” On this side of the election, Disciples can be an example for our society about how to maintain relationships and have significant conversations when we don’t agree on Government policies, politicians, theology, or the color of the new carpet in the worship space.

Engaging Children's Faith Development

Instructor: Rev. Dr. Olivia Bryan Updegrove

Faith Tutors offers resources for busy families and individuals seeking practical ways to engage in Christian faith at home, along with support to churches and faith communities with a focus on making faith a meaningful part of everyday life.

Chalice Puppet School - For Older Children & Youth

During workshop times, Pastor Paul Ragle will be working with kids and the Chalice Puppets. It’ll be a fun learning a few puppetry skills and we’ll prepare something to share at the closing worship.

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