A: FUTURE PROOFING MINISTRY
Succession: it affects us all. How do we transition as leaders from being the Senior Pastor to retirement, or other/wider ministry callings? How does a church or ministry recruit or raise up a successor? Can the former senior leader remain in the church/ministry, or should they move on? Can we lead from a distance if God moves the senior leader to another region or country? What if you're a young person with time, energy and a calling: how do you discern the right place to put yourself?
SPEAKERS: JENNIFER LAWSON-WALLACE & DANIEL ALCOCK
Jennifer Abigail Lawson-Wallace
is a warm and amiable person who believes her ministry is void if it is not actively and pro-actively reaching out to people. Her love and passion for the Lord Jesus Christ is quite contagious. JALW is the founder of Women In Tune and co-founder of Cedars House Christian (International). She’s also the CEO of JALW Consultancy, which seeks to help leaders raise the bar of integrity, accountability and excellence in ministry. She has authored several books and many discipleship and training manuals which are being used to disciple and build the Church in many nations.
Daniel Alcock
Following God’s calling; over the last three years Daniel has made a substantial transition from ‘conventional church ministerial work' to ‘state funded faith based roles’. Having established and facilitated Home Office contractual requirements for Christian faith at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre, he joined and now chairs Northumbria Police's Strategic Independant Advisory Board.
Late May, thanks to CiC input, Daniel will train as a Military Chaplain at RMA:Sandhurst having been offered a commission 17 years under the average intake age. Daniel is completing an Ma in Theology and Ministry at Durham University.
B: HUMAN IDENTITY IN MINSITRY
Many church denominations have spent much of the last few decades debating issues around human identity and the role in church life of people who are disabled, disenfranchised and/or different in some way to traditional concepts of ‘typical’ human identity. How do we balance our core values of compassion, integrity and cooperation with our evangelical doctrinal understandings of God and the Bible?
Based on testimonies from both lived experiences and lessons learnt from the journeys of our brothers and sisters in other denominations, this seminar is sure to stimulate lively discussion and debate!
SPEAKERS: TREVOR HOWARD & VICTORIA LAWRENCE
Trevor Howard
Trevor is an ordained minister, Bible teacher and inter-church consultant.
In his role at CiC, Trevor works with National Co-ordinators as they develop the work of CiC in their nations.
Victoria Lawrence
is an ordained minister, Ambasador/Council member of Churches in Communities She is the founder of The Father’s Joy Ministries – A ministry dedicated to supporting family raising children with special needs through offering of practical help, prayers, sign posting, conferences, seminars, empowerment SEN activity centres and Inclusive Church workshop for church workers. She is the Lead, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion with Bible Society of England and Wales and Church Engagement Manager especially for Black, Caribbean, Asian Ethnic group. A loving mother of three children with the youngest 23yrs living with autism but thriving. A Member, Board of Trustee at London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.
C: CULTURAL EXPECTATIONS ON LEADERSHIP
Churches and the communities in which we live and minister are becoming increasingly multicultural: whether it's prisons, the armed forces, hospitals, the local football field, pubs or our high streets. However, our world view and perceptions are always formed through our experience of culture, whether that's a mono-cultural life in a remote village in Scotland or Africa; through to the variously diverse and ghettoised natures of urban living in the biggest cities. We all bring different perspectives of what we expect of our leaders: how they should live, pray, preach, sing, lead boards, committees and meetings. Underlying worldviews influence our leaders and us; shapes churches and ministries as well as creating potential tensions around what people believe is right and wrong.
We will be hearing from two ministries: one that has grown from a few women gathering for mutual support for their families to a multinational ministry impacting tens of thousands of women across Africa and beyond; and the other based in the melting pot of a rural British non-denominational college grappling with training the next generation for leadership in churches and chaplaincies. There is much we can learn.
SPEAKERS: rev. ELAINE ROBERTS & dr. KEITH FOSTER
Rev. Elaine Roberts
has been in full-time Christian ministry for over three decades.She has travelled to over 25 nations, worldwide and authored many books like, Seven Tears of Joseph, all said to be thought-provoking and life transforming.
An inspirational and gifted five-fold apostolic leader, founder of World Mandate Ministries and Every Nation Bible School UK; Elaine ministers’ Biblical truth with Godly wisdom. Her spiritual authority equips and releases individuals seeking to make a godly impact in their homes, churches and communities.
Elaine is married to Peter, their two beloved children, live in Heaven. She relaxes by spending time with family and friends and going for walks.
Dr. Keith Foster
Keith has been involved in Bible college education for 11 years, previously teaching on a BA (Hons) in Theology and Mission for a Birmingham based Bible college; and now as Head of the Applied Theology faculty at Waverley Abbey College, being responsible for both vocational and post-graduate courses in Chaplaincy, Church Ministry and Spiritual Formation.
D: UNDERSTANDING CHURCH TRENDS POST COVID
As we move on from the heights of the Covid-19 pandemic, do we go back to church as it was before, or are we reinventing what we do? What is God encouraging people to do? Do we gather in large groups or meet with the very local? How do we help society to heal and encourage healthy human interaction in a virtual, AI-influenced world?
We will hear from two people who are doing very different things: one a testimony of the success of ultra-local micro-churches and another embedded deeply in the larger structures of multiple societies growing bigger churches to foster influence.
Is there a right and wrong way? Can we validate small church? Is ‘mega church’ the real aspiration? Can God allow both to co-exist for everyone’s benefit? Great testimonies and lively opinions guaranteed!
SPEAKERS: DR. HUGH OSGOOD & ANDY BOXALL
Dr. Hugh Osgood
is a senior UK church leader, who is passionate about equipping fellow leaders and encouraging churches.
He has held a number of national and international appointments, having served for eight years as a President of Churches Together in England. He continues as the Co-Convenor of the UK Charismatic and Pentecostal Leaders’ Gathering and as the founding President of Churches in Communities International.
Andy Boxall
Apart from being a follower of Jesus, my greatest joy is being husband to Andrea, dad to our girls and grampie to two grandchildren. We all currently live around the city of Birmingham where my wife and I were called to lead a church in 2016.
This was the culmination after many years working in various roles for different churches within the denomination we served. However, since the summer of 2021, when everything dramatically changed, God has called us to a new adventure, discovering how to live intentionally on mission and re-imagine church to see God’s kingdom extended.