April 9: East-Central MN Church Summit on Holy Sexuality
Saturday, April 9
9:00-11:30am
New Hope Community Church
33030 Vickers Street NE Cambridge, MN
Click here to register.
East-Central MN Church Summit on Holy Sexuality
A compact morning conference for pastors, ministry leaders, and anyone interested in understanding Holy Sexuality from the historic Christian position. This session will be offered in East-Central MN, as an extension of the in-depth day-conference hosted at Bethel University on April 7.
The Summit.
On April 9 Transform Minnesota & Bethel University will host a church summit to learn about and discuss a Biblical theology of sex, issues of same-sex attraction, transgenderism, and pastoral ministry to LGBT persons. This summit is designed for pastors, youth leaders and other Christians, in the north metro, who are seeking to understand matters of sexuality and gender identity from a Biblical perspective anchored in the historic Christian position. We seek to foster dialogue among pastors and leaders to pursue answers to questions such as: How can the church teach and live both grace and truth in regard to sexuality? How can the church minister effectively to LGBTQ individuals and their extended families? How can the church offer biblical, effective, and compassionate ministry, within the historic Christian position, to sexual minorities?
The Bible.
Teaching and ministry surrounding matters of sexuality, gender and marriage must be rooted in a Biblical vision of God’s created purposes when He made us male and female with sexual capacities, and instituted marriage as the ideal context for procreating and nurturing human life. (Read more about our beliefs)
The half-day conference.
Session I – God’s Good Gift of Sex
Dr. Clark will begin the conference by exploring Biblical teaching showing that sex is a good gift from God, and that God’s boundaries for sex and design for marriage are intended to protect us in both body and soul. This session will include time for Q & A with the speaker.
Dr. David Clark is Vice President and Dean at Bethel University where he has taught doctrine, apologetics, and ethics, as an associate professor of theology. He has pastored at Faith Covenant Church in Burnsville, MN, has served the wider church through a public speaking ministry, and has written or co-written eight books and dozens of articles.
Session II – Translating Vision to Ministry
Dr. Yarhouse will help us apply this Biblical vision to pastoral ministry (or parenting) to LGBT persons. He will help us understand various sexual and gender identities. And he will talk about three main perspectives – or lenses – through which most people interpret questions about sexuality, orientation and gender today: Integrity, Disability or Diversity. This session will include Q & A with the speaker.
Dr. Mark Yarhouse is professor of psychology at Regent University and founder of the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity (ISSI). He is a committed evangelical Christian who is highly regarded as an expert in issues dealing with sexual and gender identity. He is author of Homosexuality and the Christian and Understanding Gender Dysphoria.
Fees:
$15 (early) individual rate, available until Monday, April 4
$20 (regular) individual rate, available Tuesday, April 5 – at the door.
$20 couple rate
$40 group rate (for churches that bring their staff)
Registration begins at 8:30am. Light refreshments will be provided.