Global Outreach for a New Generation

NEXT! is a bold attempt to bring together three groups of people in dialogue around topics like short-term mission trips, intergenerational missions, and ministry with youth.  How can Pastors, Youth Pastors & Workers, and Missions Committee Members & Enthusiasts all work together to develop global and local outreach that is integrated, intergenerational, and intentional?  Come and help create an action plan for doing intergenerational missions well.  Everyone is welcome.  Everyone needs to be heard.

Date:  October 30, 2010     Time:  8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Location:  Ivanrest Christian Reformed Church - Grandville, MI

3777 Ivanrest Ave. SW Grandville, MI  49418    www.ivanrestcrc.org  
Click here for a map.

Registration is now open.     
 

Click below or scroll down to find out more.

• Keynote Speaker - David Livermore
• Keynote Session 1 - Yes You!: How People Like Us Can Change the World
• Keynote Session 2 - Serving With Cultural Intelligence
• Key Objectives
• Workshops
• Inter-mission
• Action Plan
• Program
• Cost
• Registration

Keynote Speaker:  Dr. David Livermore, Ph.D.

David Livermore is the executive director of the Global Learning Center and an assistant professor of intercultural studies at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In addition, he is a visiting research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and a senior research consultant with the Cultural Intelligence Center in East Lansing, Michigan. Dave has done training and consulting with leaders in 75 countries across the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe.

In addition to regular teaching responsibilities, Dave averages 35 international speaking engagements annually, addressing an average of 7500 leaders over a year.  Dave has authored several books, including:

• Serving With Eyes Wide Open: Doing Short-Term Missions with Cultural Intelligence
• Cultural Intelligence: Improving your CQ to Engage our Multicultural World
• Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The New Secret to Success

Dave has been interviewed and referenced by major news sources such as Atlantic Monthly, CBS News, Christian Post, Christian Science Monitor, Christianity Today, The Economist, Forbes, The New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. 

He has a B.S. in Education from Calvin College, an M.T.S. in Systematic Theology from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in International Education from Michigan State University.

Click for more information on David Livermore and on the Global Learning Center.

Watch a YouTube video of David taken from the Round Trip Missions DVD Curriculum.

Embracing Cultural Confidence

 

The Pros and Cons of Your Team

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Keynote Session 1:  Yes, You!: How People Like Us Can Change the World

God is inviting you to make the world a better place!  Not just the missionaries or relief workers.  All of us.  But what does that mean?  David Livermore will challenge us to consider the ways Christians of all ages and backgrounds can get involved in global mission, including but not limited to, short-term missions.  We'll cover material that is sure to challenge, inspire, and equip all of us to more effectively join God in His work near and far.

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Keynote Session 2:  Serving With Cultural Intelligence

Missionaries and relief workers used to spend years learning about the culture where they were going to work.  Many short-term missions teams go through a couple sessions of cross-cultural training and off they go to serve in a foreign place.  Cultural intelligence is an evidence-based way to become more adaptable to whatever cultural contexts we encounter, whether overseas or in our own backyards.  It’s uniquely suited to those of us who travel widely but not deeply or have just a little cross-cultural engagement here at home.  David Livermore will introduce us to this skill set and suggest ways to use it in our missions efforts.  

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Key Objectives

• Encourage dialogue around the topic of intergenerational missions among three groups - Pastors, Youth Pastors & Workers, and Missions Committee Members & Enthusiasts.
• Provide training for doing short-term missions well.
• Make pastors, youth pastors & workers, and missions advocates & enthusiasts aware of resources and services needed to do missions well.
• Provide short-term missions practitioners with a winsome look at recent learning on cultural intelligence.
• Develop an action plan for an integrated approach to intergenerational outreach.

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Workshops 

For more information about the workshops and workshop leaders, click on a title.  (Some information is still on its way.)
When registering, please sign up for first and second choices.  Some workshops may be filled.

1. Bringing the Learning Home: Short-Term Missions - Steve Van Zanen - Director of Missions Education & Engagement, Christian Reformed World Missions
2. Business as Ministry for a World Without Poverty - Greg Elzinga - Director of Marketing and Membership Development, Partners Worldwide
3. Equipping the Sending Church for Missions - Mary Dykstra - Volunteer Opportunities, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
4. Finding Your Roseland:  Turning Your Short-Term Mission Trip into a Long-Term Relationship - Ty Hogue - Student Ministries Director, Harderwyk Ministries
5. Fundraising Ideas for Short-Term Missions - Trish De Jong - Missions Resource Consultant, Christian Reformed World Missions
6. Generational Fragmentation Within the Church:  Marketing for Our Future or Selling Out? - Lynn Barger Elliot - Youth Ministry Adjunct, Calvin College
7. Launching & Landing a Successful Mission Team - Carol Sybenga - Program Manager, ServiceLink
8. Life Changing Missions Trips - Jerry Meadows - Missions Program Director, Youth Unlimited
9. The Missional Church and the Changing World of Young Adults - Ben Becksvoort - Great Lakes Team Regional Leader, Christian Reformed Home Missions
10. Tips for Starting a Mentoring Program in Your Church - Nalini Suganandam - Placement and Training Manager - Christian Reformed World Missions & Christy Carlin Knetsch - Director of Youth Ministry, Madison Square CRC
11. What is Social Justice and Where Do I Fit In? - Thyra Van Keenen - Intern Congregational Justice Mobilizer, CRC Office of Social Justice
12. Why Give a Tweet? - Jerod Clark - English Language Producer, Back to God Ministries International
13. Young People, the Church ... Where are They? - Darwin Glassford - Associate Professor of Church Education, Calvin Theological Seminary

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Inter-mission

Short, informal information sessions on practical ways to engage in outreach and ministry with youth.  For more information about a session, click on a title.  (Some information is still on its way.)  No sign-up required.

Some of the Inter-mission leaders and topics:

• Hope Equals - Mariano Avila - Coordinator, Hope Equals
• The Network - Mike Bruinooge - Director, The Network
• Round Trip (short-term missions curriculum) - Trish De Jong - Missions Resource Consultant, Christian Reformed World Missions
• Praying Together - Doug Kamstra - Prayer Mobilization and Discipleship Team Leader, Christian Reformed Home Missions;  Pastor, Calvary Christian Reformed Church
• Plugged-in to Missions: A DVD Curriculum for World-Minded Christians - Al Karsten - North America Director, Christian Reformed World Missions
• Q&A with the Executive Director of Youth Unlimited - Jeff Kruithof - Executive Director, Youth Unlimited
• The Perspectives Course - Mark Sigmon - Grand Rapids Area Coordinator, Perspectives
• Mold Me, Fill Me, Use Me ... (resources for teens) - Jolanda Howe - Training and Consulting Coordinator, Faith Alive Christian Resources 

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What's NEXT? - Developing an Action Plan for Intergenerational Outreach in Your Church

Not only do we want to share ideas with one another and learn more about global outreach, we want to take action.  We want to develop an action plan for doing intergenerational outreach in our churches as effectively as possible.  Here are some possible steps we can take.

• Gather together all the ideas and suggestions generated at the conference.
• Establish some basic "next steps" churches can take in order to integrate their intergenerational outreach programs.
• Set up a task force that will get broad input from the denomination and meet over the next year to develop suggested guidelines for doing intergenerational missions.
• Identify ways we can keep in touch and continue dialoguing about intergenerational missions.

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Program

8:30-9:00       Registration                   1:00-2:00   Plenary Session 2
9:00-9:30       Welcome & Worship       2:10-2:40   Discussion of PS 2
9:30-10:30      Plenary Session 1         2:45-3:45   Workshops                
10:45-11:30    Discussion of PS 1        3:50-4:30   What's NEXT? - Action Plan
11:40-12:50    Lunch                           4:30-4:45   Closing
(12:20-12:50) Inter-mission (optional)           
 

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Download a Brochure

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Cost

Costs include registration, workshop materials, and lunch.
Cost is the same in U.S. or CAN dollars.
Half day is 8:30-12:50 or 11:40-4:45.

• Early payment (by October 15) - $30 full day / $20 half day
• Late payment (after October 15) - $35 full day / $25 half day
• Students - $20 full day / $15 half day
• Group rate (6 or more from one church or school) - pay for 5 attendees and the rest are free

Pay online or mail a check and the completed registration form from the brochure to the address below.  Make check out to CRWM and put NEXT! in the memo line.
     Attention:  NEXT!
     Christian Reformed World Missions
     2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE
     Grand Rapids, MI 49560 [add U.S.A. if mailing from Canada]
    

Registration 

Register using any of these convenient methods. 
Please register by October 22.  Discount for early payment is October 15.

• Click here to register online (includes payment options).
• Contact (U.S.) Bill Thornburg - bthornburg@crcna.org; 616-224-0848.
• Contact (Canada) Trish De Jong - tdejong@crcna.org; 800-730-3490.
• Download a brochure with a mail-in registration form.
• Deadline for early payment is October 15.
• Click here to pay online (U.S.).
• Click here to pay online (Canada).

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