RE:image
Rediscovering the Language of God

As a part of our 20th anniversary celebrations, Iowa Religious Media Services presented a full day of cutting-edge Christian education and worship experts speaking about the tools and techniques for tomorrow's churches. Below are pictures from that event, held Saturday, August 26, at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ in Des Moines, Iowa. Click here to learn about the speakers at the event.

The Faces of RE:Image:

· Tex Sample

· Midnight Oil (Len Wilson and Jason Moore)

· Corey Nelson

· Cheryl Fournier

· Judy Rogula Eilders

· Matt and Mary Beth Mardis-LeCroy

· Wanda Stahl

· Beth Miller

Tex Sample
Keynote Address: Prophetic Ministry with Multi-Media 

Setting the tone for the entire conference will be Tex Sample’s opening remarks entitled Prophetic Ministry with Multi-Media: From the Critical Distance of Print to the Critical Immersion of Multimedia. To reach the generations formed by our electronic culture, churches must engage in an evangelism that makes use of new technologies and cultural expressions, incorporating the ways the “electronic generations” receive and process the information communicated by new media. The Coordinator of the Network for the Study of US Lifestyles, Tex works as a consultant with the church and other organizations.

Afternoon workshop: The Cultural Impact of Music

The Cultural Impact of Music  will offer a multi-media presentation on the ways that music impacts a culture.  This workshop will give attention to the role of music and beat, looking both at music in the 20th century and more recent expressions.  It will suggest ways that music can be used for worship and the ministries of the church.  Both constructive and destructive influences will be addressed.  Following the presentation participants will engage in comment and discussion.

Midnight Oil
Worship in the Digital Age

Len Wilson and Jason Moore are passionate about worship that authentically communicates to today’s digital culture. “Our work is all about helping people hear, see, know and become transformed by the Story of Jesus.” They ask questions like “Why is it such a struggle for so many people to find God at church when Jesus says all we have to do is knock?” Len and Jason believe it is because the Gospel gets lost in outdated presentation. Their newly released third book, Design Matters: Creating Powerful Imagery for Worship, helps designers of worship experiences communicate effectively in today’s image-driven culture, reaching out to a world that is conditioned by television and videogames. In addition to assisting Tex Sample with the keynote address, Midnight Oil will present a workshop that will last the entire afternoon.

Corey Nelson
New Directions in Youth Ministry

Youth are members and leaders of today’s and tomorrow’s church. Corey will demonstrate fresh, faith-centered ways of mission interpretation, theatre, worship design and execution, global (multi-cultural) worship that help develop strong, faith-centered adults. Corey served as a Presbyterian Young Adult Volunteer in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Ghana, West Africa. He returned to the United States where he created and directed the Thuma Mina Mission Theater Company-a touring mission interpretation drama group of young adults. Corey is the associate pastor at Clarendon Hills Community Presbyterian Church in Illinois.

Cheryl Fournier
Intergenerational Faith Formation: A Model for Lifelong Learning

Whole community catechesis promotes faith formation as a lifelong process that can be greatly supported by intergenerational learning and interaction. Through inter-generational learning, people from all ages and stages of life are invited to learn and pray together in developmentally appropriate ways. This workshop not only explores the vision and practice of this type of learning, but also the practical applications of intergenerational faith formation. Cheryl serves the Catholic Diocese of Des Moines as the Director of Adult Faith Formation and has been involved in the field of religious education for over twenty years.

Judy Rogula Eilders
'The Way of the Child'

This exciting new curriculum is designed to help children 6-11 grow into a deepening awareness of God. It recognizes that children have an innate spirituality with a natural acceptance of mystery, an amazing capacity for awe, a vital imagination, a longing to be their unique selves, and an ability to be open to and receive God’s love. The Way of the Child can be used in a variety of settings: Sunday School, weekday camp, after-school programs. The resource presents experiential sessions to use in a sustained program, is user-friendly, supports families, and is affordable and adaptable. An ordained Deacon and Cokesbury regional trainer, Judy has spent her career in Christian education and is currently at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids.

Matt and Mary Beth Mardis-LeCroy
Developing Spirituality in the Life of the Church: A Holistic Approach

We are living in a time when people hunger and thirst for something deeper, a time when many congregations are rediscovering and reclaiming their call to nurture the life of the spirit. This workshop will offer an introduction to a full range of programs and resources for cultivating the life of the spirit in the context of a local congregation. Participants will be invited, not only to learn and discuss but to experience a holistic approach to spiritual growth in the church. The Rev. Mary Beth Mardis-LeCroy is Associate Pastor for Spiritual Development at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Des Moines, Iowa. The Rev. Matthew Mardis-LeCroy is Minister of Spiritual Growth at Plymouth Church in Des Moines. They are both graduates of Princeton Theological Seminary.

Wanda Stahl
Godly Play

The goal of Godly Play is to teach children the art of using the language of Christian tradition to encounter God and find direction for their lives. This is done through the natural language of children – story. In this session participants will examine the four types of stories used in Godly Play and experience a representative class session. For the past fifteen years Wanda has served as Christian formation director at Trinity Episcopal church in Waterloo, Iowa, with twelve of those years as the principal story teller in the Godly Play class room. As a certified Godly Play teacher, Wanda has helped to start Godly Play programs in twelve churches in northeast Iowa.

Beth Miller
Sunday SOL Café: Light for Teen Souls

Is your youth Sunday school ho-hum, floundering, mostly junior highs or youth who are forced to come? Looking for new and creative formats for providing meaningful classes that youth will choose to participate in? Learn principals of learning/teaching styles, moral development, factors that lead to developing a mature faith and current brain research to help you develop a vital Sunday morning youth program. You will be provided with a formula for creating a program to meet the needs of your church.

Beth Miller was on the Design Team and wrote the prototype for the Faith in Motion junior high Curriculum for Cokesbury. She is the author of two books in this series, Surviving Life's Jungle: Depending on Grace and U-Turns, Saying No to Bad Directions. Beth is also the author of Worship Feast: Dramas and  Ready to Go Retreats and Lock-ins, and is a contributing writer of Worship Feast: Services. Eight years ago she developed a format for Sunday School at Ann Arbor FUMC based on several "options" for youth to choose from. New classes are offered every eight to ten weeks through out the year. This model has been copied and facilitated by several churches around the country. Find out why FUMC, Ann Arbor has more senior highs than junior highs in Sunday School. Beth has been the Director of Youth Ministries at Ann Arbor, MI for the past eleven years and is also the Director/Founder of The Strangely Warmed Players.

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