Learning to Create New Ministries at School of Congregational Development

NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 7, 2010/GBOD/ — The annual School of Congregational Development will bring together an outstanding group of speakers and workshop leaders on July 29-Aug. 2 to help United Methodist Church leaders learn to develop better disciple-making faith communities.

SCD 2010, sponsored by the General Board of Discipleship, Path 1 and the General Board of Global Ministries, will be held at the Renaissance Hotel and Nashville Convention Center and area churches.

“The School of Congregational Development is the one place where United Methodists gather together to learn to dream and to learn how to create new ministries,” said Craig K. Miller, Director of pastoral leadership for GBOD. “That's what makes it unique because we have bishops, district superintendents, conference leaders, pastors and laity all gathered together for the same purpose of learning together.”

The registration fee through July 1 is $425. After July 1, registration is $475.

Participants can choose from a variety of learning options which includes 16 Intensives, 25 Ministry Tracks, 11 Teaching Churches and 15 Workshops for Leader Development.

Plenary and worship leaders include:

Bishop Dick Wills of the Tennessee Annual Conference

Rev. Sharma Lewis, senior pastor at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, McDonough, Ga.

Rev. Sam Park, lead pastor at Community Church at Holliston, Pasadena, Calif.

Dr. David Owens, faculty director of the Professional Development Institute at Vanderbilt University in Nashville

Rev. Rudy Rasmus, pastor of St. John’s Downtown Church, Houston

Rev. Dottie Escobedo-Frank, pastor at CrossRoads United Methodist Church, Phoenix

Dr. Tony Campolo, author and professor emeritus of sociology at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pa.

Sessions will meet on Thursday to Saturday at the Nashville Convention Center and McKendree United Methodist Church in downtown Nashville. Participants will visit teaching churches in the area on Sunday morning, and Brentwood United Methodist Church will host workshops on Monday.

On Sunday evening, participants will join people from area churches for special music and worship to support the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s work in Haiti and flood relief for Nashville and the surrounding area at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Campolo will speak and music will be provided by recording artist Richie McDonald, former lead singer with the group Lonestar, and the choir from Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church.

SCD was developed by the General Board of Discipleship and the General Board of Global Ministries originally to work with new churches and over the years has developed strategies to also work with bishops, district superintendents, conference leaders and local churches. In the past 15 years, the school has grown from about 10 attendees to more than 600 last year in Chicago.

The Nashville event will be hosted by the Tennessee Conference, McKendree UMC and Brentwood UMC.

For online registration, go to www.scdumc.org. For questions, contact Deborah Carvin at GBOD by phone at 877-899-2780 Ext. 7051 or by e-mail at dcarvin@gbod.org.