Mike Slaughter to share at Annual Conference

Our Annual Conference efforts to support and resource you as you grow healthy vital congregations continues with the coming of Mike Slaughter to our Annual Conference session in June.

Let me share with you why I am excited about his coming! Slaughter is a well known United Methodist pastor, author and prophet. He has been invited to lead us in a time of renewing our faith and our commitment to the task of making disciples of Jesus Christ. In his book, Change the World, Slaughter says: “We are facing challenging times. This is not a time to fear of to insulate ourselves from the human pain and suffering around us. If the world is ever going to take the good news of the gospel seriously, then we must take a serious look at our paradigms for ministry, repent, and realign our priorities and resources with the message and mission of Jesus.”

Do you feel like you have lost the energy and excitement of being a disciple of Jesus Christ? Has your congregation lost touch with the community that lives and works within blocks of your church? Are you seeking ways of sharing your faith with others? Do you sometimes feel that the congregation where you worship is in a rut; with little excitement about doing ministry? Slaughter’s encouragement is for us to “reconnect with the true message and mission of Jesus: to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, and freedom to the oppressed.” While those words are familiar, it is too easy to become self-focused, forgetting that Christ’s followers are living with a mandate from our Savior, Jesus, to look outwardly at the community and the world outside the walls of our churches.

The Mike Slaughter training event will take place on SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2011, at the Salem Conference Center. Beginning at 8:30 am, and ending at 3:30 pm, the event is open to the public! A small fee will be charged for those who are not members of the Annual Conference. Registration will be online for your convenience.

I am hoping that you will come and listen and learn and to engage your congregation in dialogue about what God is calling you to do and be in your communities. Learn how you too can inspire your congregation to BE THE CHURCH THAT CHRIST COMMISSIONS US TO BE! This is an opportunity that should not be missed!