Getting Beyond Them and Us—to We
October 28 to 30, 2011
Throughout the centuries, the church has struggled with the call to be both distinctive and open to others, to both proclaim and receive. Whether the issue was circumcision or peacemaking, the deeper concern has always been—how do we talk to each other about talking to each other? How can we be so attractive that people will want inside the church door? How can we be attracted to people whose theology challenges us? How can we extend a hospitable hand to all people and continue to be distinctively Anabaptist? How do we eliminate the invisible barriers?
The Anabaptist Vision and Discipleship Series for 2011 will address these issues and look for practical ways to think and talk theologically about these issues.
Teachers and Resource People
Joanna Shenk
Joanna Shenk has been traveling around the United States since August of 2009, connecting with discipleship communities influenced by Anabaptism. In her forthcoming book, “Widening the Circle: Experiments in Christian Discipleship” (Herald Press), she will share the stories of these communities. She is supported in this work by Mennonite Church USA where she serves as associate for interchurch relations and communication. In addition to her community networking, she is a writer and editor and serves on teams committed to undoing racism in the church and is leading the Women in Leadership Audit project. Joanna graduated from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart, Ind.) with a master’s in theological studies.
Anton Flores
In 2006, Anton Flores-Maisonet left his tenure-track social work faculty position at a United Methodist college to follow a call to live in solidarity with newcomers from Latin America—particularly unauthorized and unwelcomed immigrants. As the co-founder of Alterna in LaGrange, Ga., he now devotes his full-time energies without compensation to developing this Christian missional community comprised of U.S. citizens and Latin American immigrants. Anton has taught three summers in Guatemala at the Central American Study and Service (CASAS) program and at the Latin American Anabaptist Seminary (SEMILLA). He has also been a guest speaker at Bluffton (Ohio) University and Goshen (Ind.) College. Anton and his wife, Charlotte, have two sons, Jairo (13) and Eli (9).
Hal Shrader
Hal L. Shrader is the Lead Pastor of Trinity Mennonite Church, an urban, missional, Anabaptist community in the Phoenix, Ariz., area. Hal is gifted at making space for people who like Jesus, but, for a variety of reasons, might not be too crazy about church. He has a master’s in theology from Pepperdine University (Malibu, Calif.), where he shook John Howard Yoder’s hand. Before moving to the desert, he served with his wife Christine, and two daughters, Mollie and Madison, in Chile for three years. Prior to that he was a student ministries pastor in Ventura County, Calif., for ten years.
Schedule
Friday, October 28
5 p.m. Registration begins
7 p.m. Worship and Plenary 1: Hal Shrader
8 p.m. Talk Session and orientation to Open Spaces
Saturday, October 29
8:30 a.m. Open prayer time
9 a.m. Worship and Plenary 2: Joanna Shenk and Anton Flores
10 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m. Open Spaces
11:30 a.m. Plenary Session3: Hal Shrader
12:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. Open Spaces
2:30 p.m. Break
3 p.m. Open Spaces
4 p.m. Panel with local Mennonites
6:30 p.m. Meal
7 p.m. Plenary 4 with Anton Flores and Joanna Shenk
Sunday, October 30
9 a.m. Open discussion time
10 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m. Worship with Hesston Mennonite Church