Posts Tagged ‘conference’

(The following is a reprint of our press release - but since space is filling up fast at this event, we thought we should get something up right away!)

Multnomah Biblical Seminary's Institute for the Theology of Culture: New Wine, New Wineskins will hold two seminars to promote unity in the church and outreach to the poor on April 9th and 10th, respectively. Together, these seminars make up the annual Spring conference that New Wine puts on in the community.

People often think caring for the poor in the analogy of giving a poor man fish to eat or teaching him to fish so he can eat forever. Neither approach moves beyond charity, which keeps the poor dependant and demeans their humanity. Instead, Christians must help the poor become entrepreneurs so that they can own the pond together.

An Evening of Inspiration, April 9th

At the introductory seminar, "An Evening of Inspiration: breaking down barriers", Dr. Paul Louis Metzger will discuss how the white church has historically failed to build a relationship with the black church. Together, Dr. Metzger and Dr. John M. Perkins will urge the church to long for unity and will lay the foundation of what "owning the pond together" means.

Owning the Pond Together, April 10th

The second seminar, "Owning the Pond Together: developing communities through entrepreneurship", suggests that community development involves partnering with the poor by thinking creatively and fostering micro-enterprise. The seminar stresses the importance for Christians to move beyond charity and toward cultivating community through effective business practices. In this way can Christians and the poor own the pond together and protect the community from being sold out to the highest bidder.

Perkins, Metzger, and Pastor Eric Bahme will present the importance of partnering with the poor and how to put "owning the pond" principles into practice.

Church Partnership

Following Perkins and Bahme's lead, churches can help form local enterprises that meet local needs and employ indigenous people by partnering with the poor, sharing skills and economic resources and investing capital so the poor will have ownership in the community. Churches can also become partners to foster business ownership among the local people.

Registration

• An Evening of Inspiration
  Free to the public
  Friday, April 9, 7p.m., at Emmanuel Temple Church (1033 N. Sumner).

• Owning the Pond
  Registration and fee required
  Saturday, April 10, from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Eastside Church (9727 NE Sandy Blvd.)
  Register for the seminar at https://www.multnomah.edu/newwine/register/.