Seminar

Description

Speaker

Following Jesus as Women - Olivia Ruhl

As women we have been created in the image of God. As christian women we are being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. But how does this play out in our day-to-day lives? What does it look like to follow Jesus as a woman, being renewed into His image, in the various situations, callings and personalities He has given us? In a time when we can become fixated on either cultural trends or stereotypes, we will discuss how women can keep their eyes fixed on Jesus, the one whom all things were created by, through and for… including our womanhood.

Olivia Ruhl lives in Alton, NH, where her days are spent serving alongside her husband, Ben Ruhl, in church ministry, and caring for their daughter, Davie. Prior to life in Alton, Olivia attended Moody Bible Institute where she received her B.A. in Women’s Ministry and Biblical Exposition, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary where she received her M.A. in Ministry of Religion.

Following Jesus as Men - Ben Whittinghill,

God is still looking for men whose hearts are completely his. The home, the church, and the world’s dire need is for men who walk intimately with Jesus. The hope of this breakout is to encourage men to live in a way that makes evident that we've been with Jesus and that he is our life. 

Ben Whittinghill is the lead pastor of Rivertown Church in Brattleboro, VT. He’s a graduate of the University of Georgia and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and serves on the leadership team of Small Town Summits. He and his wife Kayla have five sons and one daughter.

Following Jesus in Raising Kids- Chap Bettis

God did not just bless you with a child but a human soul that will live forever. Unfortunately, we are raising our children in a culture that actively opposes the message of Jesus. While youth ministry is very helpful, God puts the primary responsibility for discipleship on us as parents. In today's hostile environment you must have a strategy. In our short time together we will think about Jesus' Great Commission promise to be with us as we make disciples and how that applies as we seek to love and disciple our children. 

Chap Bettis is the author of The Disciple-Making Parent: Raising Your Children to Love and Follow Jesus Christ  which has been endorsed by numerous Christian leaders including Dr. Al Mohler and Tim Challies. He also is a frequent conference speaker and the executive director of The Apollos Project, a ministry devoted to helping parents disciple their children. For the previous 25 years, he was lead pastor in a New England church plant.. He and his wife Sharon, have four adult children and reside in Rhode Island. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram @chapbettis or blogging at TheApollosProject.com.

Following Jesus in Serving Your Community - Andrew Bermudez

We explore community engagement with other area churches, schools, local and state government, and non-profit agencies.  The discussion will be directed by scripture and what God has commanded us believers and following the blueprint that Jesus left behind by the way He lived and His interactions with the world.  Can your church truly be effective in sharing the gospel in your community if you never actively serve and help meet the needs of your community?  Just as salt is not tasted until it is out of its container, so too, Christians cannot spread the “taste” of the gospel until we are out of our buildings and in our communities.  This is why I believe this topic and discussion is so important for all believers to wrestle with.  We each must answer the call the God has placed on our lives as individuals, but also as a body of believers in the community. 

After graduating college in 2001 I served for 10 years as a youth pastor, before and after school program director and summer camper director of Columbus Baptist Church, in Columbus, NJ.  I then moved to Maine in 2012 where I served as assistant pastor at First Baptist Church for 4 years before being commissioned as lead pastor in 2016.  My heart and my passion is in serving the community in the name of Jesus.  I am involved in many areas and on many area boards, with the most recent, serving on town council since November 2019.  I have been married to the love of my life for almost 19 years and we two sons (12 & 9) and one daughter (7).

Following Jesus & Your Job - Paul Parisi

Following Jesus and your job – we follow Jesus – how does that affect our jobs? How should it affect our jobs? We will talk about the radical application of the good news of Jesus Christ to Monday’s and the rest of the week. How should the most defining part of our lives change what we do and how we do it at work? What is the real model for work in the twenty-first century? Is a job a necessary evil, a burden, a privilege or maybe even the way we have been given to work out the mission God has given us?

Paul Parisi hails from a family of entrepreneurs and problem-solvers. He is a serial entrepreneur that has been involved in the computer industry for over 30 years, starting and selling several technology companies. His most recent startup is SaviorLabs, a consulting firm that helps organizations implement technology for growth. Paul lives in Boxford, Massachusetts with his wife, Heidi of over 30 years, his two children, and two dogs, Jack and Jill.

Following Jesus & the Arts - Garrett Soucy

In Matthew 16, Jesus condemns those who know how to interpret nature accurately but not necessarily the times in which they live. Christian artists are ones who ought to be speaking prophetically to the people of their own day, both within and without the Church. What does it look like to employ a Godly imagination in a supposedly post-Christian, post-COVID era? Does art cease to be of great import when the times become dire? Join Garrett Soucy for further discussion on this and more.

Garrett Soucy is a pastor, writer, and musician on the coast of Maine, where he lives with his wife and ten children. His articles have appeared in Modern Reformation, Plough, Theopolis, and elsewhere. He has been called one of the best lyricists working today. He is the author of Who is this Rock. You can contact him or check out his work at Tributeblog.me.

Following Jesus & Marriage - Tim Counts

God has created marriage to be a picture of the gospel while at the same time the gospel serves as the engine for marriage. But how do you follow Jesus in marriage? Tim is looking forward to sharing how the gospel is good news for your marriage, how marriage is uniquely designed by God to “show them Jesus,” and how pointing to Jesus in and through your marriage is not only possible but is God’s beautiful design. 2020 has brought challenges and opportunities for marriage, and we can grow and help others to grow as we follow Jesus in marriage.

Tim Counts is married to his best friend, Melanie, and they are the proud parents of three children. He serves as the pastor of Northshire Baptist Church in Manchester Center, Vermont and on the Leadership Team for Small Town Summits. Tim is passionate about helping marriages grow and has written marriage articles for ministries such as HomeLife magazine, Desiring God, and The Gospel Coalition. Tim also writes regularly at his blog, He Must Become Greater.

Following Jesus & Answering Hard Questions - Rebecca McLaughlin

When it comes to hard questions from non-believing friends, how we respond can be as important as what we say. Drawing on experience with apologetics and insights from the world of communication studies, Rebecca will walk us through 4 steps we might consider working through when answering hard or hostile questions in public or private conversations

Rebecca McLaughlin is the author of Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion (Crossway, 2019) and 10 Questions Every Kid Should Ask (and Answer) About Christianity (Crossway, 2021). She holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from Cambridge University and a BA in Theological and Pastoral Studies from Oak Hill Theological College in London. She attends Hope Fellowship Church and lives with her husband and 3 kids in Cambridge MA

Church Planting Discussion - John Ames & Paul Buckley

What is the Missio Dei? A right understanding of this Latin term and the theological perspective that it promotes will transform a church planter’s efforts. Rather than striving to create the perfect church with an ironclad set of core values, a smooth vision statement, and an efficient business plan, the Missio Dei offers another approach. Join me as we entertain what could be if church planting concerned itself with joining God’s mission rather than inviting Him to partner with our own.

John Ames is the church planting pastor of Faith Community Church in Providence, Rhode Island. He is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Missiology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to serving in Providence, John worked in church planting and urban ministry in both Boston and Waltham. He is an avid soccer fan and enjoys live music. John is married to the love of his life, Jenny, and they have a six year old son named Micah and a two year old girl named Mikayla.

Small Town Discussion - David Pinckney

Covid-19 has made small towns relevant again.  To Jesus they have always been relevant as He skipped the two major cities of his day, Rome and Alexandria, to focus his gospel work on the rural region of Galilee.  Today in response to pandemic fears and the discovery of remote working options, many of the small, forgotten and isolated towns of New England are seeing a surge of prospective new residents.  Rural ministry was important before Covid but now there is increased mission potential.  Join us as we discuss dynamics of small town ministry. 

David is a Pastor at River of Grace Church, Concord NH and strategist for Acts 29’s Rural Collective.  He also serves as a leader with Small Town Summits.   He and Sharon have been married for 32 years and have five adult children.  He enjoys history, travel and most New England sports teams.

Urban Ministry Discussion - Tim Zulker

Tim Zulker is the Executive Director of The Philip Center. In 2003 he founded The Philip Center with his wife Cindy with a vision to see the church in New England grow through evangelism and church planting. He was one of the planters of Godspeed Church in East Providence, RI in 2005. Prior to founding The Philip Center, Tim had been in campus ministry, serving with Princeton Christian Fellowship at Princeton University from 1983 to 1994 and then with Cru at Brown University from 1994 to 2003. Tim holds degrees in English Literature (MA) from Boston College and Christian Thought (MA) from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.