Rooted

Theology Over Methodology

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:13:42 +0000

Many conferences focus on the “how to” of student ministry; Rooted focuses on the substance: the message of the crucified Christ. What we do is driven by what we believe, or, in other words, our theology informs our methodology. Formulas work in chemistry, but when it comes to the many variables of life, formulas have a hard time keeping up. That’s why ministry done in one place does not always work in another. So, while many conferences focus on how to do different aspects of ministry, this conference follows one singular train of thought: the Gospel.

Gospel-Centered Ministry

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:47:40 +0000

Rooted is a conference about centering student ministry on the Gospel. It’s about putting aside youth ministry as rules, entertainment, and a pep rally, and focusing on what Christ accomplished on the Cross. Rooted is about considering how the Gospel can be more central and foundational in our student ministries.

Speakers

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:13:52 +0000

Ashley Null has served as a chaplain for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. He is canon theologian for the Diocese of Western Kansas, visiting fellow at Cambridge, and a recent recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. He received his MDiv from Yale Divinity School and his PhD from Cambridge. He is one of the world’s foremost experts on Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation.

Brian Habig planted, and now pastors, Downtown Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina. He previously served as a campus minister with Reformed University Fellowship at Mississippi State University and Vanderbilt University. He is also the co-author of The Enduring Community. Brian earned his Masters in Divinity from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO. He led break-out sessions at the Together for the Gospel Conference.

A conference for whom?

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:49:25 +0000

Rooted is a conference for people ministering to students, including youth pastors, college ministers, teachers and others, who want to better serve students with the Gospel, need to be refreshed by the message of God’s grace, and wish to grow theologically.

Why another youth conference?

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:18:20 +0000

In a ministry world dominated by conferences focusing on the “how to” of student ministry, Rooted provides an opportunity for student ministers to discuss and consider the Gospel and biblical theology in the context of youth culture and student ministry. Rooted is the conference about substance over style, Message over method, Cross over context. The hope of Rooted is simply to proclaim that the message of the crucified Christ not only belongs in student ministry, but forms its only center.

Since the Church’s beginnings, the Gospel has presented a challenge. Many, fearing its foolishness, shy away from what Paul describes as the “message of the cross”, which simultaneously reveals the depth of our sinfulness and the unending love of the Father. In its place, “a different gospel” takes root, marginalizing Jesus to either a therapeutic life-coach or a mere example for our moral performance.

This diluted, performance-based message is seen most clearly in student ministry. From this conviction, the Cathedral Church of the Advent presents Rooted: A Theology Conference for Student Ministry. Our prayer is to see ministers and ministries increasingly rooted in the Gospel. more…

Why another youth conference?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:37 +0000

The Gospel for Us

Students ministers preach a Gospel of freedom, where God measures us not on our efforts but on the performance of Jesus Christ on the Cross. While student ministers offer this message of grace and freedom, too often in this mission, we link our identity to attendance, appointments, and productivity. Rooted first offers a time of remembrance for student ministers to see the Gospel translate them into people freed from a performance-based identity.

The Gospel for Them

While we may know the importance seeing the Gospel amplified and applied in our ministries, the question remains on how this reality actually occurs. Rooted presents an opportunity for student ministers to consider and learn how our ministries become more deeply centered on the Gospel.