Roast and Dessert in Honor of the 30th Anniversary of Celebration of Discipline
To be held at (site TBA), this evening will feature stories about Richard Foster and the impact of the book Celebration of Discipline, a short address by Dallas Willard, and an ice cream social.

Life With God Plenary Sessions

What to Do After You Decide to Do What Jesus Said to Do: Did You Decide? - Dallas Willard
Suppose, having received Jesus Christ as your Master, you decided actually to do things he said. For example, you decided you are going to quit being angry and contemptuous with people, stop “looking to lust,” or you are going to let your “yes” be a yes and your “no” be a no. What are the next steps? This presentation deals with what you can go through, under Jesus's direction, that will bring you to where you easily and routinely do the things he said. Probably you will still not be perfect, but why not try?

Trusting Jesus: If We’re Saved by Grace Then Why Should We Do Anything? - John Ortberg
What kind of faith does (and does not) make a difference in our lives? What is the real connection between faith and works? What does "trusting Jesus" really mean? These and other questions will be explored within the context of intentionality in discipleship.

Living With the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Trinitarian Spirituality for Everyday Christianity - Lauren Winner
Academic theology has devoted an enormous amount of energy in the last few years to recovering a robust doctrine of the Trinity, but for most of us the Trinity is an abstruse concept not connected with everyday life. In this talk, Lauren will frame spirituality and spiritual practices as explicitly Trinitarian engagements.

I Am NOT a Social Activist: Making Jesus the Focus of Our Life in the World - Ron Sider
Biblical faith calls us to seek justice, care for creation, respect life, and strengthen the family. But Jesus is the focus, the means and the ends. We promote Jesus's kingdom agenda, not a secular political one, and then what God has in mind falls into place. Working in the power of the Risen Lord, we care for our own inner lives and nurture relationship, rather than relying only on brilliant strategies. And, as a result, Jesus receives the honor, as we co-labor with him in the vineyard of the world.

Spiritual Formation: Discerning the Next Thirty Years - Richard J. Foster
While celebrating the last thirty years of the influence of Celebration of Discipline we also want to consider the future and where Spiritual Formation work will have its most lasting impact. We will look together at human needs in the light of contemporary culture; the role of both churches as we know them today and nontraditional expressions of Christian faith; and the influence of two-thirds world expressions of Christian faith and witness. We will conclude with a mission call to bring the Spiritual Formation gospel message of Life in Christ which produces the transformation of the human personality to the ends of the earth.

Life With God Workshops
Each workshop addresses a field or focus of ministry looked at in light of the intentionality in discipleship and formation represented through RENOVARÉ.

Gold Refined in Fire: The Workplace as a Crucible of Christian Spiritual Formation - Justin Campbell
Transformation into Christlikeness is a work of God that we most readily receive in the context of and through the trials and tribulations of ordinary life. As it is concrete and particular, the workplace is, therefore, an ideal place for us to receive God's abundant provision of grace and the gift of becoming like Jesus, so that we may exercise responsibility for good, under God, in the very space where many of us are much of the time.

With God in Popular Culture: Engaging the World in Which We Find Ourselves - James Catford
Lifelong discipleship is personal but it's never private. So how do we "just do it" in today's media-soaked world of movies, arts, ads, and entertainment? Join us for a rich mix of tears, laughter, video clips, and conversation as we explore life with God in the public square.

Family Spirituality: Spiritual Disciplines for Everyday Life - Anne Grizzle and Martha Moore
Family is the fieldwork for our faith, the place where we learn to live and love in real relationships. Come hear stories of faith amidst bedtime routines and sibling fights and learn practical possibilities to live out disciplines of worship, study, prayer, thanksgiving, kindness, reconciliation, and mission in the middle of family relationships.

Spiritual Transformation: Celebrating the Disciplines as a Key Tool for 21st Century Evangelism - Todd Hunter
Recent research confirms what many have known in our guts to be true: today many young seekers find their biggest stumbling block to faith is the Un-Christian life of Christians. In this workshop Todd will unpack this new research and show how spiritual transformation, while historically and always the right course to pursue, has now become the make-it or break-it point for present-day evangelism.

Psychology and Christian Spirituality: Putting the Soul back in Soul-ology - Gary Moon
Many have said that modern psychology has lost its soul. It would be more accurate to say that over the past 150 years the discipline of psychology began to distance itself from its soul-care past. During the past decade, however, a shift has begun. In this workshop we will explore whether or not psychology and counseling can go "home again," and the implication for the sibling disciplines of applied psychology, pastoral counseling, and spiritual direction. We will also examine some practical implications for what psychology has to offer individuals who desire to live a with-God life.

Journey Inward, Journey Outward: Discipleship as the Fundamental Goal of Congregational Life - Dave Peterson
Over the past decades, discipleship was considered one of many options to choose from when attending church. Discipleship is often compartmentalized along with all of the other “things” we can choose to do at our churches. In many ways our congregations compartmentalize all parts of their Christianity and we, the leadership, have learned that sometimes our structures and programs lend themselves to compartmentalizing faith. The best discipleship is the kind that gets us outside of ourselves—it is the missional model that makes us inwardly strong but outwardly focused. It is about changing the model of church—from being attractional to being missional, and thus changing lives.

Walking with God: TOUCHed by the Compassionate Life - Juanita Rasmus
When we see the life of Christ we see a life with God where Jesus found himself walking out of silence to compassionately TOUCH the lives of those around him.

Founded on Formation: Spiritual Disciplines and the Missional Church Movement - Chris Seay
We often think of a younger generation as having thrown out the spiritual disciplines, when in fact, in the missional culture, they have rediscovered them. Instead of making spiritual formation a church program or required course, it is woven into the fabric of the community in special ways. Join Chris Seay to find out what a missional congreagation that embraces the practice of the disciplines looks like and how Eclesssia Church in Houston, his church community, continues to find God in a holistic approach to discipleship.

Christ versus the Powers of Darkness: The Battle for Minds and Souls in the Modern American University - Robert Sloan
Working from texts in Colossians and Ephesians, this presentation will center on the spiritual struggle in which Christian discipleship seeks to prevail. The clash of forces has never been more evident than in the university setting with its potential for spiritual and moral desocialization. Christian universities and Christians in state universities must find ways to engage the battle for the hearts and minds of young people.

Pages from the Book of Life: Formational Reading of the Spiritual Classics - Chris Webb
Who do you think is easier to read: Augustine or Ortberg? Bill Hybels or William Law? Even though Christian writings from past centuries can seem distant and daunting, they're packed with vibrant energy and a passion for Jesus—and can help shape our walk with Christ. In this workshop, Chris Webb will introduce some of the classics of spiritual writing—both the authors and their books—and help 21st Century readers discover how to read well and with understanding, so that we can "bring out of [our] treasure things new and old" (Matt 13.52) and learn to lead a closer life with God.