Seminars
Visit the Conference Schedule page to see the daily schedule at Faithwalkers
Thursday December 31 // 2pm - 3:15pm |
Becoming a Peacemaker // Greg Burlile |
If you put two people in a room, conflict is almost inevitable. The same is true in your family. Brothers, sisters, moms, and dads are not immune to conflict. As a college student or young adult, how can you biblically resolve conflicts with your siblings and parents? Come to this seminar to learn some biblical principles to resolve conflicts with your family members, roomates, etc. |
Evangelism for the Rest of Us // Ed Russ |
Making disciples and evangelism is such a scary thing for many of us — we want to participate and be blessed by making disciples but many of us feel it is just beyond us. I’m thinking of introverts (like myself) or others who just flat out find the prospect of evangelism scary. I want to give practical tools, encouragement, and share my stories as a way to maybe help some folks get over a hump. |
Facing Father Issues (men only) // Dave Blum |
Most men in America today face some kind of an issue regarding their father. This is true whether the father was (or is) a godly Christ follower or an atheist. Because all of us are sinners, fathers and sons experience hurts, unmet expectations and unresolved conflicts in their relationships with each other. For us as sons, if our father issues are not addressed, they will affect us as we walk with Christ, minister to others and raise our own sons. We encourage fathers, would-be fathers and young men to join us during this seminar as we approach this subject from a biblical perspective that is both honest and honoring to your father. We will explore ways to identify these issues and to face them head-on, to find healing and grace that only the Heavenly Father can give. |
Faith Based Initiatives // Mark Trujillo |
An insider's guide to working with government entities and other other secular nonprofit organizations to bless your city. Let's examine the Bible to answer questions of church and government involvement in helping the poor, and discuss the ways the church and state are working (or not working) in our country. |
High School "Whirled" View // Carl Baum |
Are you a public, private, or home-schooled high school student or soon to become one? This session is just for you! Join us as we talk about how the pressures, hidden influences, and even the desire for acceptance can combine to make the high school years difficult for Christians to handle. A significant portion of the time will be devoted to a Q&A session in which no topic is off limits. |
Is God Anti-Gay? // Chris Martin |
It’s a question pastors, leaders and everyday Christians are being asked. If you are a Christian it is nearly impossible to talk about your faith without this subject being raised. And on top of answering the questions of others, we may struggle with our own doubts. Confusion in the Christian community has been accelerated by those who claim to love the Bible and suggest the Bible itself supports same-sex, monogamous relationships. This seminar will help us understand what God has said about this question in the Scriptures and offers a positive and liberating way forward through the debate. |
Married Women's Q&A // Fran Miller & Panel |
Wives and mothers...we have a treat in store for you. This will be a "question and answer" time that will enable you to hear from women in GCC churches who for 20, 30 or 40 years have walked in the grace of God in their marriages and families. Fran Miller, whose husband Steve is an elder in Oak Ridge Community Church in Maryland, will moderate this Q+A time. So...come with your questions...and come ready to be encouraged! |
Ministry—Bringing About the Impossible // Jason Williams |
So much of what we are called to do in the Christian life requires more than we are able to do. Come and let's discuss how God gives us His power for doing the impossible. |
The Big Fat F (or 2) (women only) // Joan Stockdale |
Fear and failure are 2 famously defeating facets of life, that frankly, don't have to be. Together we will look into the lives of ordinary men and women, who, having faced ordinary fears and failures, found forgiveness and freedom in the face of our faithful Father. (OK, so more than 2!) |
Triumphant Through Trials // Tom Short |
Trials. We all face them. They can be a defining moment in your life that will propel you forward with the Lord or shipwreck your faith. In this seminar, we will look at how God uses trials and how He wants us to respond to trials. And, I’ll be sharing a few of my own and how God used them to form me into who I am today. |
Urban Outposts // Dave Brunelle |
God made cities. God loves cities. In this seminar we'll look at some of the reasons why, as well as some of the unique needs and opportunities of urban ministry. |
Thursday December 31 // 3:30pm - 4:45pm |
Brotherhood (men only) // Keegan Rice |
What can we learn about brotherhood by looking at the lives of Jonathan and Daniel? We will look at the things which either build up or tear down your relationship with your brothers in Christ. |
Cross Cultural Missions // Timmy Powers & Joe Dunn |
Do you think God may be calling you to minister in another culture? Do you wonder what the life of a cross-cultural missionary is like? Do you want to know how you could prepare yourself for ministering in another culture? Come hear the answers to these as well other pertinent questions from experienced cross-cultural missionaries. |
Godly Relationships // Tom Millar & Panel |
Come hear the experiences and journeys of three couples as they navigated the various stages of interest, pre-marriage relationships, engagement, and marriage. The Bible is often vague or completely silent on how to correctly handle such relationships, so we will discuss what biblical principles we can put into action in this area of godly romantic relationships. This will be a panel-style session, designed to give you the opportunity for Q&A and to hear about the challenges, successes, and encouraging results of these couples as they have pursued Christ-centered relationships. |
Hearing God's Voice // Tony Pierson |
Obviously when we hear God’s voice speaking directly into our lives, these can be significant defining moments in our lives. In addition, these moments can give us the extra motivation needed to work through difficult times, challenges to our faith, or temporary “death of vision” times. We will discuss practical ways to hear God’s voice, to determine if it is God speaking, our own flesh, or even Satan/demons. We will explore how God spoke to the prophets in various ways throughout the Bible as well. |
How to Reach a Changing Culture for Christ // Tim Haring |
The world is constantly changing, and although our message doesn't change, we need to be aware of cultural changes if we were to be effective at reaching people in our generation for Christ. In a word, we need to be “missionaries” to our culture. I helped start a church in Morgantown, WV. In time, it became the largest church in the state, and the three churches we have helped plant have all done well. This seminar will explore our story and some of the things we have learned over the past 30 years in ministry. |
Mind Games // Frank Liu |
Anxiety and Depression have become words woven into the fabric of our culture. Understanding of them, however, has not...particularly in the church. In this seminar, our goal is to not only take a deeper look at these two issues, but to craft both a biblical and clinical path towards healing and care. |
Reaching Your Family for Christ // Steve Nelson |
Being a witness for Jesus Christ to our family (parents, children, siblings) is often difficult. After all, they know us and have seen our failures like few others! How can we effectively demonstrate God’s love and be a part of their salvation? Come discover how you can impact your family in word and deed. |
Understanding Islam // Tom Short |
Islam is in the news and it is unlikely to pass from the headlines anytime soon. How much do you know about this religion that is growing in numbers and influence? In this seminar, we will look at what Islam believes, how it differs from Christianity, points of discussion you can have with Muslims and, if time allows, comment on how we should view Islam from a public policy point of view. |
Victorious Secrets // Jack & Joan Stockdale |
As believers, we need to understand the nature of sexual lust, the destructive power of porn, and how to walk in freedom. Anger, pride, unbelief, greed, gluttony, idolatry are readily discussed with our Christian friends. Our struggles with these sins and invite their encouragement and assistance to overcome them. The man or woman who struggles with pornography however senses a deep level of shame and scorn, both personal as well as from other Christians, which drives him or her further into darkness and secrecy. If lust is enslaving you or people in your world whom you wish to help, come and learn how to walk free in a life of peace and joy. |
Your Father Would Like to Speak to You // Ronnie Van Huss |
Many Christians consider a ‘quiet time’ to be a difficult, boring spiritual discipline and feel guilty when they don’t do it or don’t like it. We will explore some methods and thoughts to make time alone with God both desirable and fruitful. He wants us to look forward to every opportunity to we have to speak to Him and listen to His voice. Time alone with God can be meaningful, fulfilling, and empowering. Let’s pray and read scripture because we really WANT to. |
Saturday, January 2 // 2pm - 3:15pm |
Can You Completely Avoid Suffering as a Christian? // Mark from FL |
Persecution is normal...according to the Bible and 2000-odd years of Church history. Is this bad? Should more be done? What about my life, and the difficulties I face – where do they fit in all this? We'll take a look at both God's reality and how we are to live, drawing from the book, "The Insanity of Obedience". |
Covenant Friendships // Andrew Roberts |
The friendship between David and Jonathan is perhaps one of the most profound and deep ever recorded in ancient literature. Why? They were positioned to be enemies, they both lived under a maniacal king, and they lived in a desperate, war-torn, every-man-for-himself age. Yet, their friendship became the most dear thing each other possessed. Greater than martial valor, children, wives, and popularity, their friendship was built on one thing: a covenant. Come learn what if means to build covenant friendships that stand the test of time, many of which will define you as a man or woman of God. |
Daddy Issues (women only) // Gisela Liu |
Earthly fathers influence how we see and relate to God the Father. That's nothing new, so what happens when our earthly dads are passive, irresponsible, harsh, or absent? How can we trust and view God rightly? This seminar will speak honestly about the effects of "daddy issues" and the hard work we must do to trust our Heavenly Father. We will apply the balm of Scripture to past hurts and wrong thinking to make sure daddy issues don't become Daddy issues! |
Doctrine Slam // Carl Baum |
Canon. Inerrancy. Trinity. Providence. Soul. Spirit. Sin nature. Covenants. Christ. Atonement. Resurrection. Ascension. Grace. Election. Regeneration. Conversion. Justification. Adoption. Sanctification. Glorification. Union. What do all these words mean? How do they fit together? Join us for an insanely rapid-fire presentation of key doctrinal ideas and concepts. Warning: We cannot promise that your brain won't explode. |
Guardians // Matt & Jan Gordon |
The world is calling for our children's minds, time, passions, and souls. As our children mature they should stand out as lights, very different from the world, such that onlookers are “surprised that you (they) do not run with them” 1 Peter 4:4. We will share some practical insights on how to actively guard our children who deal with the reality of being in the world but not of the world. |
How God Will Use You & Your Friends // Berk Wilson |
In Acts 19 we are told that in two years ALL the people in Asia Minor heard the gospel. That's millions of people. The gospel spread all by personal interaction and gossiping the gospel. For the last few years we in the Southeast have been learning and yielding our hearts and practice to be in a position to see God do more with our little. At this seminar you will hear stories of how God is using friendships centered around Christ and His gospel to see new areas open up for our Lord. And watch out – you may catch a vision that you and your friends see God use you to advance His kingdom. |
I Have a Question // Q&A Panel |
Before you leave the Faithwalkers conference, what question would you like to see answered? Here is your opportunity! Come to this seminar and hear from 5 veteran Great Commission pastors as we have an open-ended time, answering any and every question you have about God, the Bible, the church, relationships, our culture in America, Great Commission Churches...you name it! We will give our best shot at seeing your questions answered. |
Living in Light of Eternity // Doug Brown |
Jesus prayed for His followers that though they are in the world they are no longer of the world. The question then is, how do we live in a world that we no longer belong to? How do we guard our heart from the seduction of the world without becoming isolationists or monastic? How can we instead insulate our heart and influence the world we live in without it conforming us into its mold? In this break-out session, we will discover how to live and finish well in these difficult days. (Prerequiste: Please read John 13-17, 2 Tim. 3-4, Ps. 73, Rom. 12:1-2, Col. 3:1-4) |
More Than a Lady in Waiting // Barbara Wilson & Panel |
As single women, it can be easy to live our lives waiting; waiting for a husband to come along, waiting for a career to take off, in short, waiting for life to start. But God calls us to live for Him now, not just in the future. He has a mission for us today. Join us for this panel discussion to find out what His mission looks like and how we can start living it out right now. It's your time to transform from a lady in waiting to a lady in action. |
Reaching the Unreached Next Door // Ken Young |
An enormous opportunity exists as so many refugees, students, long-term and temporary workers, and immigrants move to the US every year. Many are from countries that represent the unreached peoples of the world. We can welcome, connect with, and serve the strangers next door. As migrants come to faith in Jesus, there are numerous opportunities for equipping, partnering with, and sending these believers back to their people as missionaries to multiply disciples and churches. We will talk about how to reach internationals, equip them, and support them upon their return to their home countries |
Tactics for Defending Your Faith // Tom Millar |
In this seminar, you will learn effective techniques you can begin to use immediately to help you stay in the driver’s seat when you are asked or challenged about your faith. You’ll also learn how to shift the burden of proof back to the person making claims about your faith by learning some simple questions you can ask. As we engage with people about our faith, we want to honor 1 Peter 3:15, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." |