New Evangelism Resource on the Way!

Good News!  A new evangelism resource is headed your way from Threads!  The new study, Engage, will be available starting August 1 and you can get your copy at lifeway.com.  For those of you making plans for the new school year, we just wanted you to have the low-down on this upcoming resource in order to be able to implement it into your Fall or Spring programming.  Also, it would make a great training tool to help prepare your students to take part in Engage24 on 10/10/13 (www.engage24.org).

Here are some of the specifics for what this resource will include...as well as info on the authors:

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Engage: A Practical Guide to Evangelism is a practically minded topical study on the various areas of evangelism — understanding the gospel, why we should share it, how to defend the gospel, and how to share it. Geared for a no-prep small group experience, it will be facilitator led with a strong discussion focus. Follow-up personal study experiences will be provided and strongly encouraged. (4 sessions)

OUTLINE

Session 1: What Is the Gospel?
Purpose: An explanation of what the Bible says about God, sin, and Jesus’ role in reconciling us to our Creator. What does the “good news” mean, and how does that shape my life?

Session 2: Why Share the Gospel?
Purpose: Understanding the heart behind telling others about Christ and developing a passion for evangelism

Session 3: How Do I Defend the Gospel?
Purpose: Prepare for spiritual attacks against the gospel when sharing with the lost.

Session 4: How Do I Share the Gospel?
Purpose: A practical look at how to share your faith story with unbelievers

AUTHOR BIOS

Session 1:  J.D. Greear is lead pastor of The Summit Church, a multi-site congregation in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.

Session 2:  Rob Turner is teaching pastor and team lead over Gathering Ministries at Apex Community Church in Kettering, Ohio.

Session 3:  Derwin Gray, a former NFL player, is the lead pastor of Transformation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Session 4:  Ben Reed is the small groups pastor at Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

2013 Collegiate Ministers Summer Fellowship

The Details

• Date: Monday, July 8th to Wednesday, July 10, 2013
• Location: The First Baptist Church of Denton, Texas
• Host: Austin Wadlow, the Collegiate Minister of FBC, Denton, Texas (940-382-2577)
• Cost: There is no registration cost. Those attending are asked to register with Austin at AustinW@Firstdenton.org
• Lodging: Holiday Inn – 4485 North I-35, Denton, Texas 76207 (940-808-0600) The rate is $69.00 per night. Each participant is responsible for booking their own room.
• Purposes:
• 1. Fellowship
• 2. Idea Exchange
• 3. Professional Development
• 4. Networking
• Schedule: The meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Monday and end at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday. There will be free time for golf, a movie, etc. on Tuesday afternoon.

 

 What Others are Saying!

 

 

“The annual Collegiate Ministers Fellowship meeting in Denton, Texas is fast approaching. In fact, at our age, life is always quickly approaching! However, with that in mind, we would like to express to you and the planners of this event how much we appreciate the efforts that is put into this form of meeting. It has to have a certain amount of information, fellowship, camaraderie, and just plain “Fun” in order to be successful; and we have enjoyed all the above mentioned. Thank you for the time and the love that you all have put into the meetings of the past and we look forward to yet another memorable meeting with you all in Denton, Texas in July!”

 

--Bobby & Dr. Debbie Lipscomb, Directors, Baptist Collegiate Ministries, Northeastern State University, Oklahoma

 

“We have been meeting during the summer as collegiate ministers for over 20 years, and it is one of my favorite times of the year. I have benefited from the personal relationships with other directors and have developed lifelong friends with whom we share a common journey. The summer meeting has also provided great ministry ideas from other campuses and other states that we have incorporated into our ministry. I have also benefited from the shared reading lists that we go over each summer. The time of fellowship and learning is a renewing process as we look toward the fall semester each year. Potential breakout options include: discipleship materials, financial management (personal and ministry), staff management, mission trip ideas (places and processes), and specialized ministries (Greek, athletes, internationals).”

--Keith Cating, BCM Director at McNeese State University, Louisiana

 

“Some of the best advice given to me as I started out in ministry was to connect with like minded people, learn from others and be knowledgeable about your peer’s ministries in your field. So when I was encouraged to go to the Collegiate Ministers Fellowship, it was a no brainer, I went! I found that the CMF was a wonderful place to connect, play, learn and develop friendships. I love the time spent sitting around a table sharing our weaknesses and strengths and encouraging one another. I loved bouncing ideas off of one another and hearing suggestions. I learned a lot from our conversations and really enjoyed hanging out. I have developed several friendships and prayer partners from this time and my ministry experience has been invaluable because of their support, encouragement and prayers. Also, this is one of the few opportunities for me as a minister where it’s about us as college ministers, our need for community, our need for learning and our need to relax. If I were to rate this opportunity--I would give it five stars! I am looking forward to this time and hope that you will join us in Denton, TX this July!”

--Sarah Farley, Associate Campus Minister, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana