Reconciled One to Another, Ministry in the Age of #Black Lives Matter

Reconciled One to Another, Ministry in the Age of #Black Lives Matter

By Marlene Bagnull, Litt.D., Director, Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference, Special to ASSIST News Service

LANGHORNE, PA (ANS – July 9, 2016) -- With the breaking news of more bloodshed on our streets, this time in Dallas where five police officers were killed, two workshops at the August 3-6 Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference take on added urgency.

On Thursday, August 4, Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts will present a workshop specifically designed for pastors although all are welcome to attend. In “Reconciled One to Another – Ministry in the Age of #BlackLivesMatter” she will show how “the Body of Christ is most effective when all its parts are at its maximum potential.

As a result, we should be the greatest advocate for cultural and racial diversity and reconciliation in all of society. In the age of social media and digital publication, it is increasingly becoming the responsibility of the church to voice its role in social justice and political issues and to do so in a way that doesn’t compromise the Gospel but actively inserts a Christ-centric perspective into the global conversation.

This workshop will equip pastors and ministers with the necessary practical and spiritual tools to appropriately and effectively extend both their evangelism and ministry efforts beyond conventional boundaries—particularly as it relates to the intersectional issues of race and faith.”

Thursday afternoon Lewis-Giggetts will present a second workshop, “Reconciled,” that will focus on how to give voice to the Church’s role in social justice and political issues in a way that doesn’t compromise the Gospel but actively inserts a Christ-centric perspective into the global conversation.

Author and educator Lewis-Giggetts is the author of nine books including The Integrated Church: Strategies for Multicultural Ministry (Beacon Hill). Additionally, her writing on race and faith has been published in local, regional, and national print and online publications such as The Guardian, UrbanFaith.com, The Chronicle for Higher Education, Ebony.com, Ministry Matters, TheRoot.com, and more.

The Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference (GPCWC), now in its 33rd year of ministry, was one of the first Christian writers’ conferences to make it a priority to include a number of Black authors and editors on faculty. Yolanda Powell, author of Soul Food & Living Water: Spiritual Nourishment and Practical Help for the Black Family, says the conference is, “A not-to-miss gathering where writers and editors from multicultural and diverse backgrounds converge and connect in Christ.”

The theme of the conference, from Habakkuk 2:2, is “Write His Answer.” Through keynote addresses participants will be encouraged to “Transform Our Culture” by Dr. Ted Baehr, founder and chairman of The Christian Film & Television Commission (TM) and to discover how “prayer can move your author mountains and heal your life’s divides” by award-winning author Patricia Raybon. Other keynotes include “Be Prepared - Living and Writing His Answer in the Last Days,” “Guarding the Treasure,” “A Writer's Dream,” “Write His Answer Right,” and “How Then Should We Live.”

A faculty of 55 authors, editors, and agents will teach 8 continuing sessions and 61 workshops including 6 workshops in the “Issues” track where participants will consider “America at the Crossroads,” “The Cross Is the Main Thing,” “What Would God Have Us Say,” “Stereotyping,” “Stand for Truth,” and “Reconciled.”

The conference is held on the campus of Cairn University in Langhorne, PA. For more information, please go to: http://philadelphia.writehisanswer.com.

Photo captions: 1) Dallas Police officers during the shootout. 2) Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts. 3) Patricia Raybon. 4) Dr. Ted Baehr. 5) Marlene Bagnull.

Note: GPCWC is directed by Marlene Bagnull, the author of five books including Write His Answer - A Bible Study for Christian Writers that has been in print for 25 years. She gives Write His Answer seminars around the nation and also directs the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. Visit her website at http://writehisanswer.com.

** You may republish this or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net). Please also tell your friends that they can have a complimentary subscription to ANS by going to our website and signing up there.