September 17, 2004
A month from now, noted evangelist,
pastor, and educator Myron Augsburger and well-known author Sally
Morgenthaler will be the featured speakers at a Hesston College conference
on postmodernism. Titled "Faith in the Whirlwind: Living the
Gospel in an Emerging Culture," the conference will be held October
29-31. The annual Anabaptist Vision and Discipleship Series conference
is sponsored by the college's Bible and Ministry Center.
Conference convener Michele Hershberger,
chair of the Hesston College Bible department, says, "Whether
we like it or not, a new world is coming. We need to understand what
is ahead and what is already here.
"While we are still in transition,"
she continued, "no one can escape the movement toward this new
way of thinking and seeing reality."
Hershberger said Augsburger and
Morgenthaler will discuss the unique benefits and challenges of postmodernism,
how Anabaptism interfaces with the emerging culture, and concrete
strategies for the church in this new world. "Every pastor and
lay leader needs to know and understand the whirlwind of change that
we're living in," she says.
Hershberger explains that the
conference will emphasize open dialogue. "Morgenthaler and Augsburger
will enter into dialogue with each other and with participants,"
she said. "At least a third of each major presentation will involve
interaction with those attending."
Augsburger and Morgenthaler will
define postmodernism Friday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary of
Hesston Mennonite Church. The conference resumes at the church the
next morning at 8 when the featured speakers will address the question,
"What does it mean to be Anabaptist in an emerging culture?"
At
11 a.m. and at 2 p.m., conference participants can attend two of seven
workshop options--Art: Strong Voices of Silence; Postmodern Worship;
The Changing Face of Adolescence; An Anabaptist Theology of Culture;
Church Planting and Postmodernism; Transformation in Your Church (a
recap of last year's topic on transitioning); and Missions in the
Emerging Culture.
Augsburger and Morgenthaler will
explore "New strategies for being and doing church" at 4
p.m.
That evening at 6:30, a banquet
at Whitestone Mennonite Church in Hesston will include testimonies
from pastors about leading congregations in the midst of a postmodern
shift.
The closing session of the conference
Sunday, October 31, at 8:30 a.m. will highlight Augsburger speaking
on the topic, "Experiencing worship and evangelism in the presence
of God."
According to Hershberger, the
conference is particularly suited to lay leaders and clergy, including
youth leaders.
For more information about the
conference, or for a brochure that includes a schedule, registration
form, and lodging options, call 620-327-8290 or e-mail elaines@hesston.edu.
To register online, visit the Bible and Ministry page in the Academic
Departments section of the Hesston College website, www.hesston.edu.
The conference brochure is also available at the Hesston College website.