Impact Seminars
Developed as a resource for persons in active ministry, impact seminars facilitate meaningful dialogue on important theological and practical topics.
2022 Seminar — The Neighbor Next Door: Project 250 in Practice
Description
Who are we? Who is our neighbor? How do we neighbor well?
From rural farmlands to city blocks, our congregations exist in unique communities. We seek to love and care for our neighbors by understanding the religious, socioeconomic, generational, and racial makeup of our communities. With this information in hand, pastors can better discern how to love, care for, and serve their community well.
Using MissionInsite demographic reporting, this seminar will allow pastors to utilize data about their congregation and community to better understand the demographic realities of each. Positioned under Project 250, this seminar will provide tools for pastors to use as they engage with their communities now and in the future.
Objectives
- Strengthen knowledge of our neighbors by assessing key community demographics including generational, socioeconomic, racial, and religious statistics
- Consider and develop ways in which our churches can neighbor well in their communities
- Utilize a theology of neighbor framework to make data-informed ministry decisions
- Use community demographics of congregations in real-world applications
Cost
This is a free event, but registration is required at least one week before a seminar begins.
2022 Dates and Locations
| September 22 | Cedar Grove BIC (Mifflintown, Pa.) | 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST | Register |
| October 6 | Mission Hill (Chambersburg, Pa.) | 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST | Register |
| October 10, 17, 24 | Webinar Series * | 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. EST | Register |
| October 31 | CrossRoads (Salina, Kans.) | 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. CDT | Register |
| November 3 | GracePoint (Chino, Calif.) | 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. PST | Register |
| November 10 | Lancaster (Pa.) BIC | 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST | Register |
| November 19 | Cristo Vive (Hialeah, Fla.) | 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST | Register |
*The webinar series is hosted by the Great Lakes Conference and is open to those unable to attend other in-person seminars.
**Please note: As of May 7, 2021, our course registration system has changed. You will need to create an account with our new system to register for courses.
Resources
In order to best benefit from the seminar, a recommended reading list is available below. Familiarity with these materials will provide a foundation for our topic and enhance our group discussion.
- Bass, Diana Butler. “Finding God in the Neighborhood.” The Atlantic. October 6, 2015.
- Smith, C. Christopher. “Becoming a neighborhood church.” The Christian Century. May 2, 2019.
- Zscheile, Dwight. “Who Is My Neighbor? The Church’s Vocation in an Era of Shifting Community.” Word & World. Vol. 37, No.1. Winter 2017.
- Pathak, Jay and Dave Runyon. The Art of Neighboring. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2012.
- Sparks, Paul et al. The New Parish. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014.
Main Presenter
Jennifer Lancaster is the Project 250 Coordinator for BIC U.S. She has a background of teaching in higher education with a PhD in Religion from Temple University and an MA from Lancaster Theological Seminary. She is passionate about seeing the Brethren In Christ grow and develop in long-lasting, sustainable ways. She lives in Lancaster, Pa. with her husband and daughter and enjoys exploring outdoors, visiting National Park Service sites, and bicycle riding.
About Project 250
Project 250 is a collection of five initiatives to guide us to the Brethren in Christ’s 250th birthday in 2028. This year’s impact seminar is in direct response to priority five: Growing to Reflect the Demographic Realities of Our Communities. We’ve partnered with MissionInsite to obtain the demographic reports for each congregation that will be used in this seminar.