Workshops and Meet-Ups GFM Staff Conference 2022

We were honored to host these excellent presenters and guest speakers. Please reach out to them if you have follow up questions or attended online and would like to learn more about these topics.

Workshops

Can These Dry Bones Live?

Reviving the Witness of Christian Communion in Divided Times In the middle of a global pandemic, contentious election, racial protests, and cultural concerns, many of our churches, friendships, and families have been torn apart. I have spent the last three years serving on a church committee where, miraculously, these same divides exist, but we learned to become people of deep love and affection, unceasing prayer, and unity in purpose. Our tendencies toward tribalism, while often rooted in essential concerns and corrections, may be impeding our hope for revival. Come hear the story of how God is renewing me through unique friendships and consider what you might learn about steps you can take on campus, in church, or in your communities toward revived Christian witness across social barriers.

Leader: Lisa Liou

Deconstruct/Reconstruct: Healthy Models of "Decolonizing" Faith From 500 years of the Brown Church

In university settings, it is common to hear students speak of "decolonizing" or "deconstructing" their faith. This workshop explores what this means, the good and the bad, and explores healthy models of spiritual deconstruction and reconstruction from the "Brown Church"--the 500-year justice tradition of Latina/o followers of Jesus. From the Spanish conquest to Jim Crow segregation, to the contemporary exploitation of undocumented immigrants, Latina/o Christians have developed theologies and ecclesial models which have enabled them to keep Jesus and His Church at the center, while at the same time rejecting racial injustices of many kinds. This workshop will examine these theologies and models as means of equipping staff for constructive conversation and discipleship of young adults and professors who are asking similar questions in our present historic moment.

Leader: Robert Romero

Evangelicalism in Campus Conversations: Shepherding Faculty and Grad Students with Honest Realism and Informed Vision

What does our campus work say to those who are done with the evangelicalism they’ve encountered? When evangelicals make a mess, who cleans it up? Based on Dan’s new book, Struggling with Evangelicalism, this workshop offers a framework for helping faculty and grad students (and I staff!) process these kinds of questions with honest realism and informed vision rather than cynical resignation. By deepening our awareness of evangelicalism as a shared space, we gain appreciation for the particular blend of resources God has given to faith traditions and movements like InterVarsity who trace their roots through this space. If you long for a healthier, less toxic evangelicalism, this workshop suggests pathways that impart hope and cultivate resilient campus communities where discipleship can grow.

Leader: Dan Stringer 

Meet-Ups

Session One

  • Serving Internationals in Non-ISM Chapters, BJ Hall
  • Mental Health in Academia, Renee Nicholas 
  • GFM’s Invitational Culture: Bright Spots and Fresh Ideas, Moy Mendez & Rick Mattson
  • Working with or alongside Christian Study Centers, Steve Hinkle & Hank Tarlton
  • Using Podcasts for Ministry, Emily Hill
  • Leveraging Urbana for Ministry on Campus, Melodie Marske & Sara Chang

Session Two

  • Navigating Tensions around ‘Faculty/Staff’ vs. purely Faculty Groups, Hank Tarlton & Joe Thackwell
  • Holy Creativity in Reaching Black Grad Students and Faculty, Denise Margaret-Thompson & BSAP Team
  • Area Director Conversations to Advance Evangelism, Susan Park
  • Recruiting and Training Volunteers for Campus Ministry, Bok Chew
  • Thinking of Academic Departments as Unreached Corners, Timothy Wang
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