A common objection to social activism is that the church's mission is to evangelize the lost and not get involved in "worldly" affairs. Christians are to preach and teach the gospel and let believers go out into the world as individuals to work for good in their own spheres.

While this is certainly true, other Christians have advocated for more public and widespread responses to injustice. Does the Bible command social activism? How do you demonstrate this from Scripture?

In this workshop Dr. Carl Ellis, Jr. will explore the biblical basis for social justice. Looking especially at the Old Testament, we will see how God is concerned not only for one's individual salvation but also for the the good of the society as a whole.

The Christian life is not one of moral change or doctrinal agreement; it is a vital union with Jesus Christ by faith. Abiding in Jesus (Jn. 15) is the life we are called to.

But what does that mean, and how do we “abide" in our Savior in a practical sense? Pastor Joe will walk us through Jesus' words and the way of painting communion with him.

Prison, jail and barbwire: Scary words, aren't they?

Many men and women in our communities have experienced the harsh reality of jails and prisons. Learn how to make disciples of those who have been affected by the criminal justice system.

Churches in the city generally have more needs and less resources. This creates extra tension as we desire to do things in excellence, but we are limited. In this session, we’ll look at several practical and creative ways to gain new funding and not stray from your mission.

A community of faith must know one another in order to live out the biblical commands to love one another. We will explore how the house church is an exceptional catalyst for authentic biblical community that embraces the challenges of life together.

I was a fresh 15 when the idea of straitening my hair became repulsive to me. Everywhere I looked, the tyrant of popular culture demanded universal alignment to euro-centric beauty standards. Now we find a black girl's bellowing cry of self-acceptance echoed from the hashtags and streets, to the throat of our old enemy, pop culture.

As God's design of our beauty is finally being affirmed on a larger scale, another enemy craftily inserts his distortions into the mix. How do we fight the temptation to exalt our beauty and character above others? How do we affirm our identity unapologetically, holistically and righteously? Let's have a candid conversation about our experiences and consult God's Word in handling these glowing, magical embers.

Every marriage demands that we care for our spouse. Often times we end up building an identity around our spouse instead of Jesus. In this session, we will discuss what it means to build a marriage on Jesus and not the performance of me or my spouse.

We’ve all heard the popular narrative about college students.

You’ve come across the statistics about the overwhelmingly large number of them who leave their faith at home with their parents, while they venture out into the “real world.” You’ve probably even heard about drug dealers, liquor stores and club owners who target them with “college specials” and “college night." It’s no secret — everyone wants a piece of these students in order to profit from them.

What role should the church play in the life of college students? Whose responsibility is it to love and serve them? Is the “popular” and “publicized" narrative really true? Does the church exist in the wild? How can we be a blessing to college students next door to us, on the pew behind us or on the campus near us?

As a pastor’s wife, have you found yourself asking these questions: What is my role? Who are my friends? How can I be expected to shepherd anyone when I don’t feel equipped to do so?

Come join us in this discussion as we work through how to properly care for the pastor’s wife. Learn how to shift your focus from desperately searching for a job description to thriving within the call that you’re living out.

Are black Christians being forced to take a stance that they don’t fully believe in? Why are we silent or intimidated to engage in the discussions that are happening on the political landscape (gender identity, women’s rights, respectability in black community)? How should the Christian engage in political and social tension today?