Association of Christians Ministering among Internationals
ACMI 2008 Annual Conference May 29-31
Strengthening the Workers to Serve with Integrity
Colossians 1:10-14 “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way…”
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Workshops
Integrity in ministry is vital if we are to serve with freedom, successfully raise up the next generation of workers, and set an example of healthy, balanced Christian ministry among internationals. ACMI ’08 seminars and workshops will focus on strengthening the integrity of international ministry workers and better caring for ourselves and each other.
For the first time ACMI will offer four 3 hour in-depth seminars that will look at the following topics:
Friday: Preventing sexual misconduct in ministry
Ministry among Hindus
Saturday: Ministry among Muslims
Shoulder to Shoulder: Jesus’ Model of Mentoring
These seminars will run concurrently with the traditional 90 minute workshops. Please see the schedule for detailed times.
The conference will also provide a variety of workshops on relevant ministry topics. Click here for a tentative listing.
Seminar Descriptions:
Preventing sexual misconduct in ministry
Timothy J. Teague, Ph.D., Director of Pastoral Counseling, Truro Church
We can all become vulnerable enough to fall into sexual sin, even in ministry. Are you aware of the safeguards to protect your life, family and ministry? Ministry professionals and volunteers need to take precautions for their own protection and the protection of those they serve. This seminar will equip you to better guard your heart, your relationships, and your ministry whether you serve in a staff or volunteer capacity. Don’t be uninformed or leave your co-workers ill prepared in this area.
Tim has been married for 32 years and has two young adult children. He has been in ministry for 25 years and has co-authored materials for the prevention of sexual misconduct.
Ministry among Hindus
H.L. Richard, Executive director of the Rethinking Forum
Dr. N. Jawahar Gnaniah, Pastor of East West Community Church
Indians are the largest national group among international students and most are Hindus from the higher castes. What does it mean to be a high caste Hindu? What forms of religion and irreligion are manifest among these students? Why are Hindu students so indifferent to the approaches of International Student Ministry? What does contextualization mean in work among Hindu students? Are there models that are working in campus ministry among Hindus? Are there resources that can help us understand these people? These and other probing questions about Hinduism and ministry among Hindus will be discussed in the Hindu Ministry Seminar. Bring your questions and problems and insights to contribute to the interaction.
Presenters include H. L. Richard, who was involved in grass roots Christian ministry in India for ten years before devoting another ten years to study of Hinduism and Christian work among Hindus. He has published books on pioneer workers among Hindus and numerous articles in missiological magazines related to Hindu ministry. Dr. N. Jawahar Gnaniah is the founder and pastor of East West Community Church in Anaheim CA. He did his doctoral studies at Fuller seminary related to Hindu ministry. He has a passion to reach the Indian diaspora and has conducted training seminars on Hindu ministry across the U.S. and in England, Malaysia, Singapore and India.
Ministry among Muslims
Jenn West, Intervarsity, North Carolina State University
Nairy Ohanian, pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling for Missionaries, formerly worked with IVCF/IFES staff in the US and abroad
This seminar will feature a panel of practitioners with experience among diverse groups of Muslims and with different approaches to ministry. The first 90 minutes will cover basic Muslim evangelism and will be suitable for people just starting out. The second 90 minutes will allow veterans to go deeper on issues they are currently facing in ministry, including evangelism and discipleship issues, and allow additional time for question and answer. The second hour will build on the perspectives presented in the first hour.
Panelists include Nairy Ohanian, who spent five years in a secular Middle Eastern nation ministering among students through an Internet café and English language club. A plenary speaker at Urbana ’03, Nairy has trained staff of the International Fellowship of Evangelical students in evangelism. Jenn West was involved in planting a church among Turkish Kurds in London with Operation Mobilization. Jenn received training in a variety of approaches to Muslim ministry while in London. Currently she staffs the InterVarsity international fellowship at North Carolina State University. The third panelist is a man who presently works with Muslim students at a state university which has one of the largest Muslim student populations in the U.S. He has also worked as a teacher in a country with a substantial Muslim population and made extended visits to a number of Muslim countries.
Shoulder to Shoulder: Jesus’ model of mentoring
Alicia Britt Chole, Truth Portraits
Jesus ministered to the multitudes, counseled the questioning, and purposefully invested his life in a few. He concentrated his life in a handful of followers because Jesus’ prize was not information, it was impartation. The power of Jesus' mentoring was neither programs nor paper: it was life. Jesus made disciples shoulder-to-shoulder. In this workshop, Alicia will guide us through an inspiring and practical study of Jesus as he calls, teaches, corrects, empowers, and commissions the Twelve.
Alicia speaks to leaders, professionals, women’s groups, ministers, and college students concerning spiritual life, self-deception, conflict, disillusionment, commitment, choices, mission, and mentoring. She has authored several books and audio/video series including Anonymous: Jesus' Hidden Years and Yours; Pure Joy; Reflections of a Young Atheist; The Making of A Mentor; Real Life, Real Pain, & A Real God; Choices: To Be or Not To Be a Woman of God; Until The Whole World Knows; and Sitting in God's Sunshine.