XSI 2021 - Rediscovering Community

The practice of neighboring is engaging your neighborhood in a meaningful way by building genuine relationships right out your front door. In our culture we have under-valued the power of hospitality with our neighbors. We can reclaim the ability to influence our neighbors for Christ by moving from acquaintances to relationships by sharing meals, remembering people's names and opening up our homes to the people living in our neighborhoods.

Times of crisis, fear, and uncertainty present unique challenges and opportunities for servant leaders. Nehemiah offers us an example of how we too can be bold, faithful and loving in the midst of overwhelming and uncertain times. The effective servant leader will cling to prayer, be bold in the face of opportunities, be creative in the face of setbacks, and will see opportunity in upheaval.

Leadership and character are related but they ae not the same. This workshop dives into how Christ-like character and leadership are connected and seeks to demonstrate how pursuing Christ-like character should lead to greater effectiveness in serving God. Thesis: Growth in character ought to drive development in competency as a leader. Expanding leadership influence must be sustained by continued growth in character.

Do I serve God in order to matter, or because I already matter? Any Christian that is trying to serve the Lord will wrestle with this question many times over. This workshop will explore approaching ministry God's way-not to prove myself to God and others-but to "love from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith."

This passage in Acts provides us with a picture of the "beloved community" of Christians, showing us the context, concept, and consequences of the Body of Christ as God designed it. We see the "big idea"--obedience, openness, and oneness--leading to a wonderful community that is appealing to those in the outside world, and invites them in.

Ephesians 4 gives us a great picture of what Christian community should look like. It shows unity and diversity, as God expresses His love and purpose through various gifts that each member of the community has. We should be diligent to play our role and help others discover and develop their role.

Making disciples from the Gen Z age bracket can be confusing yet, Jesus still calls us to do it. The gospel has always found a way to break through each generation. This workshop will look into the unique barriers to discipling high school student today, as well as practical ideas for how to do it well.

Do we recognize that the biblical call to evangelism is not just an individual call, but a corporate call? To fully embrace what God intended, we must understand the unique witness that the body has to a lost world and why our best experience of community comes from when we are focused together on those outside of it. In this workshop we will also brainstorm some practical ideas on how to utilize community in evangelism.

The parable of the Good Samaritan has applications for the church today as can be seen in the priorities of Dwell Global Partnerships. Jim Leffel describes this parable in contrast to religious and secular teaching on human suffering and how biblical missions addresses the spiritual and social crises of our day. Key Christian movements in church history and initiatives from Dwell partnerships with indigenous ministries will be used to illustrate these principles.

This teaching demonstrates the power of the simple act of establishing and growing relationships with your neighbors. We can trust that God may well have us in a particular location so we can meet the physical and spiritual needs of our particular neighbors, and even simple steps lead to people being more open to the gospel message as we offer our warmth and friendship.

The promise of God's rest is appealing but can be surprisingly difficult to understand and experience. This workshop explores the idea of God's rest using passages like Hebrews 3-4 and Matthew 11, examines how to recognize if we are or are not experiencing God's rest and provides help for leading others into this blessing from God.

Cynicism is the belief that people, organizations, and authorities are mainly driven by selfish motivations. But if we adopt this worldview and live by it, we and our loved ones will pay the price. As Proverbs 9:12 says "If you scoff at wisdom, you will be the one to suffer." Although we shouldn't be na?ve or gullible regarding the dangers of a fallen world, God shows us a different way: By transforming our minds, God can grow us into men and women who can courageously love others in a fallen world.\r\n

God sent Elijah out into the wilderness, by himself, under desperate circumstances. God used this time and it had a profound impact on Elijah's view of reality and his spiritual state. This workshop will study 1 Kings 17-19 where a man went from quarantine to intensive ministry to rejoining the pack.

Forgiveness is necessary to healthy Christian community. It calls on us to lay aside our right to make someone pay, even for grievous wrongs. While difficult, it reflects our appreciation for all our wrongs that God has forgiven.