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Facilitators: Drs. Paul Klawitter, Kary Oberbrunner, Matt Harmon and Tom Julien
Postmodernity is shaping our culture. Some churches, attempting to be relevant to their culture, are assimilating emergent postmodern philosophies. Other churches, attempting to be faithful to Scripture, are freezing their forms.
The ecclesiological conversation is often confusing and heated, yet the Spirit of God desires to guide local churches through the fog into fruitfulness. Drs. Paul Klawitter, Kary Oberbrunner, Matt Harmon and Tom Julien, will facilitate dialogue around salient issues facing local churches. These men, representing three different generations, will share guiding principles for learning leaders who desire to be biblically faithful and culturally relevant as they navigate both inherited and emergent churches through today’s fluid postmodern culture.
GOALS:
- Learners will deepen their understanding of the postmodern world in which we live and become more culturally nuanced; they will gain fresh insights into Jesus’ design for the local church, and renewed confidence in the pertinence of Scripture in a fluid culture.
- Learners will interact with one another, Scripture, critical terms and concepts, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of both Inherited and Emergent Church realities.
- Learners will receive practical guidelines on how to grow in their relationships with God, believers and unbelievers, and how to guide the local church toward biblical relevance in this postmodern period in which we find ourselves.
WHO WILL BENEFIT:
- Any leader desiring to transform their world by being in it but not of it.
- Anybody desiring to know more about postmodernism, the Emergent Church Movement, and the Inherited Church.
- Anybody desiring to find their place in The Metanarrative.
Click HERE to register for this class.
PAUL KLAWITTER ’s heart is to see vibrant spiritual communities peppered across the European continent! He and his wife left for France in 1987 to share Good News with the students of the University of Burgundy in order to birth a church. In 2002, the Dijon church became fully French-led and is now praying and planning for the birth of a daughter church. Paul is the GBIM Europe Regional Director leading a team of 60 American and European missionaries serving in seven countries in five ministry contexts: SALT, publishing, the Château ministry, established and emergent churches. He has degrees from Penn State, Biblical Seminary and, in 2005, received his doctorate (Dmin) in missiology from Gordon-Conwell. His thesis, “Youth and Church: Shall the Twain Connect?” provides an exegesis of postmodern youth culture and tips gleaned from French church planters who are truly making youth into disciples—people who obey and serve Christ from a heart of love. Paul has had articles published on mutually enriching inter-generational mentoring and possible forms of church flowing from postmodern, youth-tribal social structures. Paul and Louise’s children, Phillip (18) and Elise (16), were instrumental in creating their own youth group this past year. Paul’s hobbies include a passion for guitar (Irish-rock-jazz-blues), reading eclectically (from science fiction to philosophy), and being a player/coach on the Dijon University softball team.
TOM JULIEN was born and raised in a Christian home and early in his life made a commitment to missionary service. Tom and Doris moved to Winona Lake in 1954 where Tom attended Grace Theological Seminary, graduating with an MDiv in 1957. In October 1958 the Juliens sailed for France under the Foreign Missionary Society of the Brethren Church. Four years were spent in traditional evangelistic activities in Lyon with little fruit. Sensing the gulf between Christians and non Christians and the sectarian image of evangelical Christians in France, in 1964 the Juliens began a new approach for evangelism and church planting and the Chateau of Saint Albain, a medieval castle, became an encounter center serving as a bridge between believers and nonbelievers. Tom served as France Field Superintendent, Europe coordinator, and in 1986 he became the executive director of Grace Brethren Foreign Missions, which became Grace Brethren International Missions in 1995. While in retirement Tom remains very active as a Special Assignment missionary. The Juliens have three children: Becky Schwan, serving as a missionary in England; Terry, a free-lance artist; and Jacqueline Schram, chairperson for the Language and Cultures Department of Grace College.
MATT HARMON brings a passion to equip people to encounter Christ through the Scriptures and lead others to do so as well. His research interests include the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament, Biblical Theology, Pauline studies, and the life/ministry/theology of Jonathan Edwards. He has served as full-time staff with Campus Crusade for Christ for eight years, doing evangelism and discipleship with college students. He has taught courses at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Wheaton College, as well in the local church. On a regular basis Dr. Harmon also teaches for Campus Crusade for Christ, helping to train staff in interpreting and teaching Scripture. In his spare time Dr. Harmon also teaches training workshops for Bibleworks. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society for Biblical Literature. <more>
KARY OBERBRUNNER , is founder of Redeem the Day Ministries and serves as Director of Grace Institute and Pastor of Discipleship and Leadership Development at the Grace Brethren Church of Powell. Kary believes that we can only grow in our faith when we’re real with where we’re at. He thinks God can handle our anger, frustration, and confusion, but that He won’t tolerate our hypocrisy. Kary is a fresh voice of authenticity for this generation, calling others to live lives larger than themselves. Kary has spoken across the country in many settings including colleges, camps, and conferences. He has a heart for the local church and understands, from personal experience, the daily joys and struggles of vocational ministry. Kary is a published author and writes regularly for several magazines on such subjects as holiness, Christian living, and cultural phenomenon. Kary strives, in his delivery style, to use verbal and visual illustrations, which drive home advanced spiritual principles. In church settings, he has frequently been told that his talks “connect” with eight-year-olds and eighty-year-olds. He “borrows” this style from Jesus’ example in the Gospels. Kary is married to his soulmate Kelly. They are the proud parents of Keegan. In his free-time Kary enjoys reading, the outdoors, discerning culture, and playing disc golf. |
