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2017 Bast Preaching Festival with Dr. Richard Mouw

NOVEMBER 6, 2017 at the Haworth Inn and Conference Center

To watch the lecture videos, click here:

Session 1

Session 2

“How do we preach effectively about faithfulness to the Gospel in today’s complex culture? People in our congregations don’t even know how to talk calmly with each other about their political choices or their understandings of the ‘big’ cultural debates, about sexuality, immigration, “fake news,” our Muslim neighbors. Should our sermons get into ‘specifics’? If not, are we failing to be ‘prophetic’?”

At the Bast Preaching Festival, renowned speaker and author of Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivil World Dr. Richard Mouw will address these questions and more.

ABOUT DR. RICHARD MOUW

After earning his Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Chicago, Richard J. Mouw taught in the Calvin College Philosophy Department for 17 years. In 1985 he moved to Fuller Theological Seminary, and beginning in 1993 he served as Fuller’s president for two decades. He has now returned to full-time teaching at Fuller as Professor of Faith and Public Life. The author of 20 books, in 2007 Princeton Theological Seminary awarded him the Abraham Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Life. He served for six years as co-chair of the official Reformed-Catholic Dialogue and is a leader in interfaith theological conversations, particularly with Mormons and Jewish groups. In 2012 the American Jewish Committee presented him with its first Shalom Award for Interfaith Cooperation.

REGISTER NOW:

GENERAL REGISTRATION
STUDENT REGISTRATION
CURRENT DWELL GROUP MEMBER REGISTRATION

 

Learn more about the Bast Preaching Festival at WTS

Festival Schedule
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2017 Stoutemire Lecture with Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah

The 7th Annual Leonard F. Stoutemire Lecture in Multicultural Ministry

“Evangelicalism and the Failure of Racial Reconciliation”

with Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah

The Milton B. Engebretson Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism
North Park Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL

September 19, 2017 at 1:30pm in Mulder Chapel

Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah draws from his book, Return to Justice, authored with Gary Vanderpol, as he discusses the lessons learned from early attempts at racial reconciliation among U.S. evangelicals in the 1960s and 70s.

A greater awareness of the need for racial reconciliation has been noticeable in US evangelicalism over the last decade. More churches are seeking to become ethnically diverse as society moves towards greater diversity. While many streams engage this topic, we are oftentimes unaware of historical examples of attempts at racial reconciliation among US evangelicals. In this lecture, Dr. Rah examines the rise of African-American Evangelicalism in the 1960s and 1970s. Through key figures and stories, we will seek lessons to be learned from early attempts at racial reconciliation among US evangelicals.

Dr. Rah founded the Cambridge Community Fellowship Church, a multi-ethnic church focused on urban ministry and committed to living out the values of racial reconciliation and social justice in the urban context of Cambridge, MA.

He previously served as an InterVarsity staff worker at MIT.

Suggested readings to prepare for lecture:

  • Chapter 5: “African American Evangelicals” in Return to Justice (Brazos, 2016).
  • “Epilogue” to Soong-Chan Rah, Prophetic Lament (IVP Books, 2015).

In addition to co-writing Return to Justice (Brazos, 2016), Dr. Rah has written Prophetic Lament (A Commentary on the book of Lamentations from IVP Books, 2015); The Next Evangelicalism (IVP Books, 2009); Many Colors (Moody, 2010); and Forgive Us (Zondervan, 2014).

Videos:

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2016 Bast Preaching Festival

Proclamation–Celebrating God’s Word Through Preaching

WITH SPECIAL GUEST REV. DR. FRANK THOMAS OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

NOVEMBER 7, 2016 AT WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

frank-thomasFrank A. Thomas, PhD, currently serves as the Nettie Sweeney and Hugh Th. Miller Professor of Homiletics and Director of the Academy of Preaching and Celebration at Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Indiana. Indicative of his great love of preaching, an updated and revised version of They Like to Never Quit Praisin’ God: The Role of Celebration In Preaching, considered by many to be a homiletic classic, was released in August 2013.

For many years, Thomas has also taught preaching to Doctoral and Masters level students at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, and at Memphis Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the CEO of Hope For Life International, Inc., which formerly published The African American Pulpit. With a long history of excellence in preaching and preaching method, Thomas was inducted into the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers of Morehouse College in April 2003. Thomas also serves as a member of the International Board of Societas Homiletica, an international society of teachers of preaching.

Thomas is the author of American Dream 2.0: A Christian Way Out of the Great Recession, released by Abingdon Press in August 2012. He also co-edited Preaching With Sacred Fire:  An Anthology of African American Sermons, 1750 to the Present with Martha Simmons, published by W. W. Norton & Company in 2010. This critically acclaimed book offers a rare view of the unheralded role of the African American preacher in American history. Thomas is also the author of several other books on subjects from matters of prayer to spiritual maturity.

Thomas served with distinction as the senior pastor for two remarkable congregations: New Faith Baptist Church of Matteson, Illinois, and Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church of Memphis, Tennessee, for eighteen years and thirteen years, respectively.

Thomas holds a PhD in Communications (Rhetoric) from the University of Memphis, a Doctor of Divinity from Christian Theological Seminary, Doctor of Mini
stry degrees from Chicago Theological Seminary and United Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary, and a Master of Arts in African-Caribbean Studies from Northeastern Illinois University.

Thomas and his wife, the Rev. Dr. Joyce Scott Thomas, each earned their Certified Professional Coaching Certificate (CPC) from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). While they are equipped to coach in corporate, executive, business, life, personal, or group settings, they are most passionate about enabling pastors and pastors’ spouses, as well as coaching in the area of preaching. Thomas’ most recent book, The Choice: Living Your Passion Inside Out, published by Hope For Life International Press October 2013, explains and explores the spiritual and coaching process to live your passion from the inside out. Thomas is a nationally and internationally sought after keynote speaker and lecturer. Thomas and his wife have two adult children.

Watch Videos from the Event:

Session 1

Session 2

 

 

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Telling Stories in the Church Workshop

Love Stories? Jesus did too.

Telling Stories in the Church: A Workshop about Why and How Storytelling Matters

Information

When: October 21, 2016  8:30am-4pm

Where: Western Theological Seminary, 6th Floor Library

Cost: $50/person (limited to 30 people)  Student rate/$25.00 – Includes lunch.

Who should attend?

Do you love stories? Do you feel them tug at your heart? Do you wish you were better at writing and telling stories? Do you wish you could integrate stories into your sermons, children’s messages, or youth ministry? Then this workshop is for you.

What will you experience?

You will be able to articulate why stories are important to the life of the Church. You will be more comfortable using your voice, face, and body to tell stories. You will understand how to structure a story that moves people emotionally. You will consider how to tell stories about difficult topics to vulnerable populations.

Register Now!

Bio of Workshop Leaders:  

AdamNavis

 

Rev. Adam Navis (M.Div, D.Min.) has lived at the intersection of faith and writing for the last 15 years. He has worked in churches as well as the Associate Editor for the Words of Hope daily devotional. His doctoral thesis Story as Theological Form argues that when we have something to say about God, the world, or our role in it, we should consider telling a story.

 

Adam Mellema

 

Adam Mellema has been telling stories professionally for more than half his life. Mellema plays all the characters in his stories, drawing on a repertoire of published works, oral tradition, and his own life. Adam’s work as a storyteller has brought him all around the country, most recently as headliner for the renowned Jackson Storyfest. Adam lives in Los Angeles where—when not telling stories—he produces original television programming for kids and families.

 

 

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