CURRENT EVENTS.
Our conferences and events are intended to help us catch a vision for God’s plan for the church, take steps in becoming more welcoming, and receive inspiration and ideas from local churches that are unfolding God’s glorious vision in practical ways.
DIGITAL MISSION AND MINISTRY FORUM
REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!
Are you serving in digital mission and ministry, such as online worship, evangelism and discipleship, or do you want to be? The Digital Mission and Ministry Forum aims to serve you, inspire you and create an opportunity for you to be supported and networked.
At this FREE online Zoom event on Saturday 5 November, you’ll hear, learn, discuss and explore the possibilities of forming meaningful relationships in an online world. Guest presenters will share about the practical aspects, evangelism, discipleship and theology of being involved in mission and ministry in a growing online world. There will also be an opportunity for you to ask questions, share ideas and meet fellow theologians and practitioners.
RECENT EVENTS.
RIDING THE WAVES OF CHANGE
OPEN DAY CONFERENCE HELD ON 29 JUNE 2022
The waves of change have battered the church for many years, gradually eroding our beaches and clifftops. The pandemic increased their size and ferocity. Instead of bemoaning the carnage we see around us, what can we do to learn to ride these waves of change so that we use their power and strength to grow our ability to share the good news of Jesus Christ? That was the question behind the one-day conference held at Adelaide West Uniting Church, 312 Sir Donald Bradman Drive, Brooklyn Park on 29 June 2022.
Video recordings of the speakers are available for viewing below.
Speakers were members of the International Research Consortium (IRC).
Riding the Waves of Change explored how
- churches have attempted to ride the waves since WWII
- to move churches struggling with social change and decline into an effective missional mode
- to assess a congregation’s willingness/likelihood of successful missional change
- leaders create a holding space through liminal movement.
Revd Dr Ian Robinson, Emeritus Scholar in Mission and Leadership, United Theological College in Sydney, presents our Introduction to the Open Day, on how the churches have attempted to ride the waves of change since WWII. Three kinds of response are needed. He observes a large number of approaches that appear to be effective today. He uses interdisciplinary studies to canvas how ‘nuanced leaders can teach others to be nuanced’. Thirdly, we need to move beyond our anxieties and cultural defaults to build shared authentic spiritual practices.
Prof Patrick Keifert, Church Innovations USA, presenting research from the UK, Europe, South Africa and the US, and engagement in Australia, on how to assess a congregation’s willingness and the likelihood of successful missional change as we come out of COVID. This builds on the book Pat recently published with Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, How Change Comes to your Church (Wm. B. Eerdmans, August 2019).
Associate Prof Marius Nel, New Testament, Stellenbosch University in South Africa, presents New Testament foundations for spiritual formation. He will differentiate between individualistic spiritual exercises that often have little value for the mission of the church and Paul’s approach to spiritual formation that is communal, emphasises cognitive change, has an ethical component and is focused on the cross. He reflects on how practices like Dwelling in the Word are practised in the missional church movement in South Africa.
Revd Canon Dr Nigel Rooms, Partnership for Missional Church, Church Mission Society, the Church of England, presents Riding the Waves of Change by holding Liminal Space. In this workshop we will be introduced to a modified version of Otto’s Scharmer’s “Theory U” as a way of understanding how we experience change and discover God’s presence and activity within it. Key to riding the waves of change is how leaders create a ‘holding space’ through liminal movement in a safe enough fashion.
A variety of images from the IRC Open Day on 29 June 2022
PAST EVENTS.
New Horizons 2021
New Horizons – Bridging cultures with the gospel
Our third and final conference for 2021 was held in September and wow what a turn out it was! We had over 50 delegates joining us for the online event and we would like to thank all those who attend. This joint conference from the New and Renewing Churches and Cross-Cultural Ministry departments aimed to provide support to leaders and congregations as they respond to new opportunities for mission and ministry. It also assisted in building the capacity of LCANZ members to meaningfully engage with people of other cultural backgrounds.
If you would like to view any or all of our video resources from the conferences series please visit our Cross-Cultural Ministry’s events page.
SENT Conference 2019
SENT conferences bring together pastors, congregational members, church planters and others keen to explore the nature of evangelism, church planting and missional leadership in the LCA/NZ. SENT 2019 focused on the mission of the church, with particular reference to the person and work of the Spirit. This theme tied in with the release of the book and associated video resources by Noel Due and Steen Olsen called Spirit Filled: Normal Christian Living. SENT was offered in Adelaide and Brisbane in 2019.
You can find the book Spirit Filled: Normal Christian Living in our store.