On September 18 and 19, the Francis Schaeffer Institute (FSI) at Covenant Theological Seminary will host Sent into the World: A Missional Recovery of Ecclesial Identity. Led by various scholars and ministry leaders, the weekend conference aims to encourage participants to “join God in His mission to bless and heal the nations as the good news of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ is made known in and through the Church: the sign, instrument, and foretaste, of God’s salvation.”
“Despite being part of a 40-plus-year conversation, the missional discussion still suffers from the accusation of novelty,” explains Mark Ryan, Director of FSI. “This conference aims to clarify the missional recovery of the church’s identity and to remind us that mission has always been central to the Church’s calling. [And] although some increased traction has been made of late by various thought-leaders and practitioners within denominations like the PCA, this conference aims to introduce the conversation to a new generation of pastors and, most importantly, to ground the missional task of the Church in Scripture.”
The featured speakers are Dr. Michael Goheen, Director of Theological Education and Scholar-in-Residence at Missional Training Center—Phoenix; Dr. Michael Williams, Professor of Systematic Theology at Covenant and Adjunct Professor of Systematic Theology at Redeemer Theological Seminary; Dr. Darrin Patrick, Founder and Lead Pastor of The Journey (St. Louis), Vice President of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network, and Chaplain to the St. Louis Cardinals; Dr. Luke Bobo, Curriculum Director and Resident Theologian at Biblical Business Training; and Rev. Josiah Bancroft, Director of Missions for Serge.
“At a time in which the cultural horizon seems to have rather shifted, what better point of focus might we adopt than recalling our being sent into the world and our existing for the sake of the world, as well as our being graciously empowered for both?” Ryan says.
“Regardless of how we as individuals might view aspects of the ‘missional conversation,’ I believe that all of us who are committed to the evangelical and reformed faith stand to benefit from considering afresh the centrality of mission to the storyline of Scripture as well as Jesus’ own sending of us as his Church into the world.”
General admission is $10; $8 for students. Register at https://fsi2015.eventbrite.com.