How can you integrate your faith with your calling in life? If that is a question you have asked, then SAVE THE DATE! On Saturday, October 14th, from 9-3pm, we are hosting a “Calling Workshop” that will supplement our fall sermon series on Ezra and Nehemiah.
Our speaker for this event is Dr. Peter Amerman, Professor of Biblical Studies at Pillar College. Nehemiah shows us TEN STEPS to integrate faith and calling. Each of these 10 steps helps us get closer to our God given calling in life. What kind of leader are you? What kind of leader do you want to become? This seminar will look at the many facets of leadership and is applicable for people of all walks of life.
Registration is now open—reserve your spot today.
Brought to you by The Underground Sessions
Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. -Jude 3, ESV-
Save the Date: October 14, 2023 9am-3pm
Peter Amerman (D. Min, M. Div., BA) is Department Chair and Professor of Biblical Studies at Pillar College, Newark, NJ. He is also Pastor of Discipleship at Living Waters Church (Christian and Missionary Alliance) in Parsippany, NJ. He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Alliance Theological Seminary, a Masters in Divinity Degree from Lutheran Theological Seminary, and a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Religion/Philosophy from Roanoke College. He has pastored churches in the southern and northern New Jersey area since 1980. He teaches courses and runs a weightlifting program at the Market Street Mission (Drug and Alcohol rehabilitation) in Morristown, NJ, assisting men in their quest to be “strong in body, mind and spirit”. He also loves to look at the stars, planets and deep sky objects through his telescope. His passion is to go deeper with God through Jesus Christ, and to train and equip other men & women (especially leaders) in “whole-life” discipleship. His greatest blessing from God is his family- married to his best friend and ministry partner, Susan for forty years; blessed with two daughters, two sons-in-law; and seven beautiful grandchildren.
In recent years, Christians are encountering a hostile cultural climate. Our faith, once the bedrock of society, has lost respect. People are not indifferent towards Christians—they are indignant, both as a people and the beliefs we hold. Attacks have come even from within our ranks. And yet, the New Testament letter of Jude exhorts us to CONTEND for this Christian faith. What are we to do?
We must be prepared to respond.
On January 27-29, 2023, MBC hosted our first ever “CONTEND” Conference. This event is part of our Underground Sessions ministry, which seeks to model and equip Christians to have conversations in tough areas, particularly politics and culture. The focus of this weekend was equipping believers in the area of APOLOGETICS, so they can respond with love, grace, and boldness to the challenges of the day. On Saturday evening, we put this into practice by hosting an Underground Sessions event answering the toughest questions of today’s culture.
The word, “contend” is both a military and athletic term—it implies a struggle. Jude is exhorting his readers to preserve the faith. The purpose of this conference was just that—equipping followers of Christ to answer the tough questions, raise up a confident next generation, and engage the marketplace with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Conference Schedule
8am – Bookstore, Food, Connections Lounge
9am – Day Two Open, Worship
9:20am – Short Talk: “Apologetics and Kids” (Rachel Rickershauser)
9:35am- SESSION TWO: “Cultural Apologetics” (PAUL GOULD)
10:45am – BREAK
11am – Short Talk: “Apologetics and Teens” (Johnny Graves)
11:15am – SESSION THREE: “Cultural Intelligence” (DARRELL BOCK)
12:30pm – LUNCH!
1:30-3pm – BREAKOUT TRACKS (Local Leaders)
6:00pm – LIGHT DINNER!
6:30-8:30pm – UNDERGROUND SESSIONS Outreach Event (Teasi, Paul, Darrell)
- 10 Minute Talks + Roundtable
- Theme: Answering Today’s Toughest Questions
8:30pm – DESSERT SOCIAL
Speaker Resources
SESSION INFORMATION
SESSION ONE:
“Mama Bear Apologetics” (TEASI CANNON) The youngest and most vulnerable members of the Church are growing up in a society that is vastly different than the one in which many of us grew up. While unbiblical ideas aren’t new, their accessibility, volume, and frequency are. It’s been said we are navigating a battle of ideas, many of which strategically target the next generation of Christians, tossing them in an onslaught of animosity, skepticism, and sophisticated arguments that seek to demolish their faith. That’s where Mama Bears come in. And Papa Bears … and any Bears who love all our cubs and are willing to do what it takes to shore up our own faith so we can help them trust the authority of God’s Word, sort through the noise, and cling to the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
SESSION TWO:
“Cultural Apologetics” (PAUL GOULD) Christianity has an image problem. No one wants to hear what we have to say. All too often our lives are fragmented and unlovely. And we generally don’t see the world any different than anyone else. As a result we’ve lost the Christian voice, the Christian conscience, and the Christian imagination. The gospel is often viewed as unreasonable or undesirable or both. In our time together we’ll explore this question: Given this cultural moment, with all its challenges, how can the gospel get a fair hearing? To answer our question, we’ll take a look at Paul’s encounter with the Greeks in Athens and then apply our insights to this day and this age.
SESSION THREE:
“Cultural Intelligence” (DARRELL BOCK) How do we have cultural intelligence in a culture that is so pluralistic and contentious? How we see the challenge will determine how we approach it. Our weekend will give a fresh biblical look at how we should see our engagement, especially with those who are not a part of the church. We have no theology of cultural engagement in the church and we need it. We hope to give you a way of approaching engagement that is biblical and practical by looking specifically at 6 core texts and also how to have difficult conversations. We hope you can join us and be equipped.
BREAKOUT INFORMATION
BREAKOUT ONE:
“Lord, Where’s My Calling: When the Big Question Becomes the Big Distraction” (TEASI CANNON) This session will focus on understanding the difference between a calling and your divinely designed purpose. Once we get this paradigm shift, it can change our life today and forever—as well as how we represent our faith to others.
BREAKOUT TWO:
“Seeing Suffering as an Apologetic Opportunity” (PASTOR BOB AND AMANDA ERBIG) We live in a broken world and everyone experiences pain at some point in their lives. When the trials come, and they will, we have a choice: do we get angry at God? Or do we show others our hope in Christ despite suffering? While it is important to find healing in the midst of pain, these moments are also opportunities to grieve with people who have walked our same path. In this session, we will discuss how our suffering can be seen and used as an effective opportunity to point people to the hope we have in Christ.
BREAKOUT THREE:
“Evangelism to Muslims” (AMOON SHARON)
BREAKOUT FOUR:
“Navigating Your Faith In The Workplace” (JESSE NASH) For many of us, the vast majority of time spent with unbelievers, and our closest connection with those who need Christ happens at work. What does God ask of us in terms of fulfilling the Great Commission through our interactions at the workplace? How do we navigate tricky relationships and HR issues?
BREAKOUT FIVE:
“Sharing Christ with Tibetan Buddhists” (MARK AVERY) Imagine living with the idea that your past lives govern your present options, that black magic is as normal as technology, that a human is as inherently valuable as a worm, and that the only way to pay off your past is to suffer. Imagine a world where you don’t believe Jesus can save you, there is no way to know what will happen to you when you die, and if you ever achieve release from the cycle of rebirth, your ultimate destination is total obliteration. Then imagine the consequence of that worldview on every relationship, commitment, community, and challenge you will ever have. Now, let’s talk about sharing Jesus with a Tibetan Buddhist– a worldview that grew out of Hinduism has deeply affected global “new age” thinking, and is increasingly evident in America today!
BREAKOUT SIX:
“Don’t Have a Debate, Have a Discussion” (STEVEN DISEBASTIAN) Sharing your faith can be difficult, especially in these contentious times. Learn to use a simple technique of asking questions to create spiritual conversations while defusing heated debates.
