Grace Brethren adults and teens who wish to gather together for fellowship, learning, service, and networking will have three major opportunities this summer.
Equip05, the adult annual conference will be held July 31-August 5 in Winona Lake, IN. The Brethren National Youth Conference, for teens and their leaders, will be July 23-29 at Cedarville University in Ohio. A new conference for Twenty-Somethings, entitled “Driven,” will be held on the campus of Kenyon College near Columbus, OH, the dates of June 15-18.
Equip05, according to 2005 moderator Dan Allan, will include the regular activities of national conference-plenary sessions, corporation meetings of the cooperating organizations, etc.-but will have a strong emphasis on learning and training.
A number of for-credit courses are being offered at reduced rates through Grace College and Seminary, many taught by the world’s leading experts in their fields. Other courses, workshops, and learning opportunities will be available for all interests and ages, covering such topics as intercultural communication, church-planting, effective worship, lay counseling for women, personal spiritual growth, and much more.
Brochures and information on Equip05, including course fees and housing options, are available at www.fgbc.org or by calling Fellowship Coordinator Tom Avey’s office at (574) 269-1269.
BNYC, which annually draws more than 2,000 teens and their leaders, this year focuses on the theme “24/7: You Do the Math,” which emphasizes Scripture’s teaching in 1 Peter 3:15 to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have.”
Organized and directed by CE National, the BNYC program this year features speakers Josh McDowell, Francis Chan, Ryan Dobson, Toby Travis, Shawn McBride, and many more. A special service opportunity will be a “blitz” focusing on inner-city ministries in Dayton and Springfield, OH.
Ed Lewis is CE National executive director, and Dave Rank is BNYC coordinator. Registration information is available at www.bnyc.net or through www.cenational.org or by calling (574) 267-6622.
“Driven,” the new conference for young adults in the years 19-29, will include speakers and workshop topics such as “Worshiping God as a Lifestyle,” “Spiritual Survival in the Suburbs,” “Urban Life and Ministry,” and more. Dynamic speakers, exciting worship, connection times with missionaries and ministers, interactive discussions, “hang time” with new friends and much more will be featured.
Sponsored and directed by a coalition of young-adult pastors, the conference is open to all young adults. Complete schedule, program, and registration information is available on the new Driven website at www.driven05.org or by calling CE National at (574) 267-6622.