Satan Is on Your Leadership Team

Ryan Weingartner

James 4:7-8

While Satan may not be visible to us, we can be sure that he is actively involved on our leadership teams. One of his particular ministries is accusing people to each other, dividing teams of Christians. In order to combat Satan and his attempts to thwart our mission and unity, we must first recognize his presence and identify is common targets. Then in our awareness, our commitment to spend time together, and our focus on positive things we can in turn thwart the evil one.

Helping Kids Develop Healthy Relationships

Beth Himsworth

James 4:7-8

In parenting, there is more to preparing your child for building healthy relationships than merely giving your child unconditional love and affirmation. Beth Himsworth uses the model of a child's moral compass, with the four points referring to God, Engagement, Suffering and Wealth/Work, as vital aspects of developing your child's inner core that allows your child to have lasting, healthy relationships for life.

Simple Living

Joe Botti

James 4:7-8

Simple living is the family unit serving God, while combating the disconnected family, with each member going in different directions. Simple living is also helping our kids to find their own relationship with God, not their parents' relationship with God. And finally, simple living sets the stage to help our kids live out a lifestyle of ministry.

Marriage: The Key Aspect of Family

John Rue

James 4:7-8

John and Connie Rue discuss how investing in your marriage is the best way to invest in your children. Our children need to see us parents growing in our love for the Lord and for each other. We don't need to be perfect, of course, but they need to see us progressing in our personal growth, not giving up but persevering in spite of inevitable failure.

Sharing Your Faith with Parents

Liz Sweet

Nina Hoyt

Hebrews 12:1-3

It is because of the great commission that we share the good news of Jesus with our family. Not only does God want to reach our family, but he wants to transform us through the process. It is important to remember God's role as we love our families and pursue the biblical love that God wants to produce in us as we step out in faith. Some practical ways we can be effective in sharing our faith include: praying; practicing gratitude; remembering it's a spiritual battle; listening; learning love languages; initiating spiritual conversation; practicing forgiveness. \r\n

Building a Family Around the Word

Chris Risley

Psalms 78:5-7

Many parents don't have a specific goal for their children to shape their parenting. As Christian parents, however, our goal should be to have our children grow to love the Lord wholeheartedly. This means we need to address our relationship with God, with our spouse, and with our kids. In order to give to our family amidst our own imperfections and anxieties, we need to be receiving from God ourselves. Through prioritizing our marriage, spending ample time getting quality time with our children and raising them according to God's priorities, we can build a successful family around the word of God.

How to Ask Good Questions

John Ross

Genesis 4:4-7

Learning to ask good questions unlocks new potential to more effectively share our faith, develop deep relationships, and help others move toward Christ. This workshop helps describe what good questions consist of and explains how to actually ask these questions while talking with others. Before asking our questions, we should prepare ahead of time and be willing to adjust our approach during the conversation. As we listen wisely in conversations, we can walk away more prepared to ask further questions later that may go deeper. The workshop ends with several case studies to practice asking good questions in specific contexts.

Bonhoeffer - Community Under the Word

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 2:14

Dietrich Bonheoffer, a leading figure in the Christian church in Nazi Germany, became the director of the Confessing Church's underground seminary. During his time there, he lived with a dozen or more Christian men in community, something that resembles Xenos' ministry house model today in some ways. From Bonheoffer, we can learn keys to rich community, including being wary of romanticizing community and being watchful that we are living under the word in this area. This means that in the context of community we are practicing confession, thankfulness, self-control, and humility.

Recovering From the Fall

Dennis McCallum

Genesis 3:7-19

The effects of the fall on a individual human can be substantially (but not completely) reversed through gradual spiritual growth. The theological alienation humans experience is reversed through turning back to God and beginning a relationship with Him. Psychological alienation is healed by no longer propping self up as a god but instead putting self under God's leadership. Sociological alienation is reversed by moving away from a self-centered relationship and towards a God-centered relationship. Ecological alienation is healed as humans take a stewardship perspective of God's Earth.