Brite Divinity School and Tarrant Area Community of Churches join Life in the Trinity Ministry as sponsors of  “Emerging Christianity,” a two-day conference to be held Dec. 3-4 at Brown-Lupton University Union. Renowned leaders in the Emerging Christianity movement will address pastors and lay leaders during the event. A pre-conference workshop also will teach church leaders new approaches to attract youth to new faith communities.

“The Emerging Christianity movement is attracting people from all over the world, mainly those who are disillusioned with the institutional and organized church,” said Joe Stabile, founder of Life in the Trinity Ministry and pastor of Cochran Chapel in Dallas. “Rather than letting these people of faith and sincere seekers disappear from traditional churches, Emerging Church leaders are trying to show them new ways of following Christ.”

Keynote speakers at the conference will include some of the founders and most notable leaders in the Emerging Christianity movement:

•    Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest and internationally known speaker, is best known for his numerous recorded teachings and spiritual books. He is founding director of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

•    Phyllis Tickle, considered an authority on religion in America, is founding editor of the religion department of Publishers Weekly. She is the author of more than two dozen books on religion and spirituality, most recently The Great Emergence, How Christianity is Changing and Why. She is frequently quoted in print publications, including USA Today, Christian Science Monitor and The New York Times, as well as in electronic media.  

•    Brian McLaren, author, speaker, pastor and networker among innovative Christian leaders, thinkers and activists, is a frequent guest on television, radio, and news media programs. His work has been covered in Time magazine (where he was listed as one of American's 25 most influential evangelicals), Christianity Today, Christian Century, the Washington Post, and many other print media. His 2004 release, A Generous Orthodoxy, has been called a "manifesto" of the emerging church conversation.

•    Suzanne Stabile, an internationally renowned teacher and director of retreats, offers a unique and creative approach to the practice of spiritual formation. A master teacher of the Enneagram, Suzanne and her husband, Joseph, are the founders of Life in the Trinity Ministry and the Micah Center in Dallas, Texas.

•    Tony Jones, author of many books on Christian ministry and spirituality, is a popular speaker and consultant in the areas of emerging church, postmodernism and Christian spirituality. Jones is theologian-in-residence at Solomon's Porch in Minneapolis.



SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Pre-conference Events
Thursday, Dec. 2        9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Social Media Bootcamp        
The Micah Center, 9027 Midway Rd., Dallas

Friday, Dec. 3            1 – 5 p.m.
Will there be Youth Ministry in the Emerging Church?    
Brite Divinity School, Weatherly Hall
                    

Conference Events with Keynote Speakers
Friday, Dec. 3            7 – 10 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 4        9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Brown-Lupton University Union