ElderLink Atlanta 2008 will be held at the North Atlanta Church of Christ and will feature highly-qualified speakers and a wide variety of topics. ElderLink attendees will have an opportunity to hear church leaders share their understandings and experiences in dealing with the challenges elders face. Practical resources and strategies for responding to such challenges will be offered along with special topics of interest. Attendees will receive information rooted in scripture and Biblical principles.

Cost is $99.00 per person until March 24, 2008. Spouses of church leaders may register for $69.  After March 24 cost will be $124 per person.  Specific sessions are available for spouses.

Register on-line.

What Should I Expect?

Beginning with a continental breakfast and a time of worship and prayer, the forum will feature plenary sessions and a choice of several breakout sessions.

Meeting Site

The forum will be held in the Family Life facilities of North Atlanta Church of Christ located at 5676 Roberts Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30338. Telephone: 770.399.5222.

Lodging

If you need overnight accommodations, the following hotels are nearby.  Please call these hotels directly for rates and reservations.

La Quinta Inn
575 Old Holcomb Bridge Rd.
Roswell, GA 30076
Phone: (770)552-0200
http://www.lq.com/lq/properties

Doubletree Hotel
1075 Holcomb Bridge Rd
Roswell, GA 30076
(770) 992-9600
http://doubletree.hilton.com

Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center
246 Perimeter Center Parkway NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30346 USA
(770) 394-6500
http://marriott.com/hotels/travel/atlpc
  

Featured Speakers

Elaine Denman

Topic:  The Pain in the Pews:  A Spiritual Prescription to Unhealthy Relationships (Part 1 & 2)
We all know they are there, sitting in front of us, next to us, and behind us.  They come to worship and they bring their pain with them.  They may look happy and normal.  Who are "they?"  The hurting, unhealthy relationships all around us.  Can we begin to help that which is so hidden?

Elaine Denman holds an MA in Counseling Ministry from Lincoln Christian Seminary in Lincoln, IL as well as Master’s of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Her experience includes teaching Bible classes in Arabic on the mission field, speaking for numerous ladies days and lectureships and the creation of Ross Road Counseling Center in Memphis, Tennessee. She currently conducts seminars and retreats.  Elaine and her husband Darrell have ministered for 31 years in Louisiana, Jordan, Mississippi, Texas, Illinois, Tennessee, and Virginia.  Their son and daughter-in-law, Jonathan and Kate,  have one son, Josiah.  Darrell and Elaine reside in Manchester, TN where they work with the Forest Mill Church of Christ.

Virgil Fry

Topics:
Session 1:
Shepherding the Seriously Ill and Grievers:  Being Present in the Hard Times
Church leaders who take seriously Jesus' model of leadership keep learning to lead by serving.  This means being physically and spiritually present when people are in crisis.  
Session 2:
Shepherding the Seriously Ill and Grievers:  Taking Care of Yourself While Caring for Others
Being available to people in crisis is costly, and we can easily get so caught up in helping others we fail to address our own needs.  This session focuses on how to say "yes," to say "no," or to refer someone to another resource besides yourself.

Virgil Fry is executive director for Lifeline Chaplaincy, a hospital-based ministry in Houston and Dallas, Tx.  He is a chaplain representing Churches of Christ at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and the author of two books:  Disrupted: Finding God in Illness and Loss, and Rekindled: Warmed by Fires of Hope (Leafwood Publishers).  Virgil serves as adjunct professor for Abilene Christian and Pepperdine Universities, teaching graduate courses on ministry in times of crisis and grief.  A graduate of ACU (BA & MS in Ministry & Evangelism), he received the Doctor of Ministry degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.  He lives in Missouri City, Texas and is a member of the 1st Colony Church of Christ.

Earl Lavender

Topics:  A Biblical View of Suffering  Faithfully ministering to those who are suffering requires a deep understanding of what Scripture teaches us.  This discussion is not intended to provide informaition to give the suffering but rather to suggest a theological context from which to minister to the suffering.

From "The Problem of Pain" to "A Grief Observed"  C.S. Lewis went from one who could explain pain to one who experienced its deepest despair.  As leaders, we need to move from answers to presence.

Earl Lavender is director of Missions, Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN where he teaches classes in Missions, Christian Mind and Devotional Life, Christian Evidences and biblical texts.  He has ministered in Italy, Illinois and Tennessee.  Lavender presents a valuable approach to Bible study for individuals, families, small groups and church classes.  He holds a B.S. and an M.A. from Lipscomb University and a Ph.D. from St. Louis University. 

Carson Reed

Topic:   The Shape of Missional Congregations: Learning Communities as a Model for Congregational Leadership

In the rapidly changing environment and increasing diversity in American culture, church leaders are faced with mounting challenges to be faithful to God’s agenda.  One alternative to negotiate those changes and develop congregations that are more fully engaged in embodying the mission of Jesus is to understand the congregation as a learning community.  As a learning community, the local congregation becomes an active laboratory—engaging in cultural analysis, biblical and theological reflection, and ultimately, concrete ministerial action.  This two-part session introduces practices of learning churches, offers modeling from congregations, and presents a theological rationale for church leaders to consider the way of leadership that empowers congregations to participate in learning that shapes congregational identity and mission.

Carson E. Reed is the senior minister for the Northlake Church of Christ in Tucker (Atlanta), GA.  Prior to coming to Georgia in 2004, he served churches in Indiana, Tennessee, Kansas, and Oklahoma.  Carson serves as an adjunct professor for Atlanta Christian College.  He is also President of Encounter Learning Services, which provides consulting, training, and travel/study programs to individuals, churches, and businesses.  In 2006 Carson was a Reader at the Tyndale House, Cambridge University, doing research in canon and the authority of Scripture.  He holds the M.Div. from Harding University Graduate School of Religion and the D.Min. from Abilene Christian University.

John Siburt

Topics: 
Session 1:  Business Partners-Examining the Shared Investment Ministers and Elders Make in the Spiritual Formation of the Church
Elders and minister are in the same business, called by God to lead the church in God’s mission throughout the world and entrusted by God to grow the church spiritually into the image of Christ.  This session will examine ways that ministers and elders can best partner in the business of spiritual formation.
Session 2:  Tools of the Trade-Exploring the Resources of Communal Spiritual Formation Already at Work in the Church
In an age when the church continually seeks the necessary resources for effective ministry and spiritual formation, perhaps some powerful tools are already at work in the lives of its people.  This session will educate ministers and elders on how best to utilize the practices, people and processes already present in local churches.

John Siburt has served as the preaching minister at Richardson East Church of Christ in Richardson, TX since October, 2002.  He has extensive ministry training in a variety of contexts including churches, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and Parkland Hospital in Dallas.  John and his wife, Sarah, have two children, a daughter and a son.

Paul Watson
Topic:  When Sexual Abuse Occurs in the Church Responding to the needs of the victims and their families, of the abuser and his/her family, and of the church.
 
Session 1: The broader issue of sexual abuse, and particularly the sexual abuse of children. Prevalence of occurrence, warning signs for both victims and abusers, potential consequences of sexual abuse, and effective responses to those abused.
 
Session 2:  A case-study of an actual incidence of sexual abuse of children in a church setting and how the elders responded to the
needs of the victims and their families, of the church leader guilty of the abuse, and of the congregation. We will also look at how the elders interacted with the public health community and with the legal community, as well as with other churches.
 

Resource materials pertinent to the topic will be made available at each session.

Paul Watson holds a B.A. from Abilene Christian University, an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and a Ph.D. in Old Testament from Yale University. Paul has taught at Erskine College, Pepperdine University, and the Institute for Christian Studies in Austin TX, and served churches in Connecticut, South Carolina, California and Texas. He worked as pulpit minister for the Cole Mill Road Church of Christ in Durham, NC for 24 years until his recent retirement in June, 2007. Paul remains an elder of the Cole Mill Road congregation. He also serves as adjunct faculty member for the Institute for Theology and Christian Ministry in St. Petersburg, Russia, and for Regions University in Montgomery, AL. He and his wife Virginia have six children and seven grandchildren.

John York
Topic:  Leading Relationally (Rather than Judicially)
In spite of our efforts to move to a more pastoral model for leadership our tendency is still to function more like lawyers and judges, coming to decision in the same manner as the Supreme Court. These sessions point toward a different model for reading Scripture and thus a different model for decision making – one that focuses on the person(s) rather than the problem. 

John York is a professor at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN.  He received his training from Abilene Christian University (B.A. M.A., M.Div.) and Emory University (Ph.D., 1989). John also serves as a preaching minister at Woodmont Hills Church of Christ. Prior to joining the Lipscomb faculty, John served in full time ministry with congregations in Oregon, Texas, and Tennessee. He also taught at Columbia Christian College (now Cascade College) for seven years. He is a frequent speaker on college lecture programs and sermon seminars. John and his wife, Anne, have two sons, Matt and Brad.

SCHEDULE

8:15 a.m. Worship       

8:30 a.m. Plenary Session 1 
A Biblical View of Suffering

Presenter-Earl Lavender

9:15 a.m. Break

9:30 a.m. Plenary Session 2      
Leading Relationally Rather Than Judicially, Part I
Presenter-John York

10:15  a.m. Break

10:30  a.m. Breakout Session 1

The Pain in the Pews:  A Spiritual Prescription to
Unhealthy Relationships, Part I 
Presenter-Elaine Denman

Shepherding the Seriously Ill and Grievers:  Being
Present in the Hard Times
Presenter-Virgil Fry

The Shape of Missional Congregations: Learning
Communities as a Model for Congregational Leadership,
Part I
Presenter-Carson Reed

When Sexual Abuse Occurs in the Church, Part I
Presenter-Paul Watson

11:15  a.m. Break

11:30 a.m. Plenary Session 3      
Business Partners-Examining the Shared Investment
Ministers and Elders Make in the Spiritual Formation
of the Church
Presenter-John Siburt

12:15 p.m. Lunch        

1:15 p.m. Plenary Session 4 
Tools of the Trade-Exploring the Resources of Communal
Spiritual Formation Already at Work in the Church    
Presenter-John Siburt

2:00 p.m. Break

2:15 p.m.  Breakout Session 2

The Pain in the Pews:  A Spiritual Prescription to Unhealthy
Relationships, Part II 
Presenter-Elaine Denman

Shepherding the Seriously Ill and Grievers:  Taking Care
of Yourself While Caring for Others 
Presenter-Virgil Fry

The Shape of Missional Congregations: Learning Communities
as a Model for Congregational Leadership, Part II
Presenter-Carson Reed

When Sexual Abuse Occurs in the Church, Part II
Presenter-Paul Watson 

3:00 p.m.  Break

3:15 p.m. Plenary Session 5      
Leading Relationally Rather Than Judicially, Part II
Presenter-John York

4:00 p.m.  Break

4:15 p.m.  Plenary Session 6      
From "The Problem of Pain" to "A Grief Observed"

Presenter - Earl Lavender

5:00 p.m.  Worship       

5:15 p.m.  Dismiss