JOIN US IN NASHVILLE IN FEBRUARY FOR THE FIRST PEACEMAKERS RETREAT!

In a world full of chaos on every front, peace seems to be an unfathomable commodity. Yet Jesus still invites us into the blessing of making peace amidst a sea of conflict. No greater conflict exists in our culture – in our world – today than the struggle among Christianity and the gay community. Churches in dispute over what stand to take – to re-define scripture and accept men and women who have embraced a gay identity. Families in dispute as to whether or not we allow loved ones who identify as gay to come home for the holidays. The silence and the separation have been devastating and from this, a great chasm has grown between us, creating further alienation between anyone who claims to follow Christ and anyone who claims to be gay.

Ministers are often on the frontline of this conflict, and yet most express a sincere need for help in understanding. Youth ministers struggling with how to relate to a high school student who confesses feelings of attraction for his own gender. Campus ministers struggling with how to guide students’ thinking about LGBT (Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender) groups on college and university campuses. Pulpit ministers struggling to nurture congregations who want to show the love of Christ, but don’t know how to respond when it comes to this issue.

The Body of Christ is desperate for leaders who know how to address this issue, and more importantly, how to care for those of us who have been impacted by same-sex attraction. We need more peacemakers.

Is God calling you to be a peacemaker in this arena? A peacemaker in our churches? in our families? Bringing lives together to begin the conversation – to address the pain, the hurt in each others’ lives that’s behind the same-sex struggle – that’s what ministers are often called to do. Sometimes it happens one-on-one in an office. Sometimes it happens from the pulpit. Sometimes it happens at a soccer game, sitting in the stands, rooting for one of the teens in the youth group.

Wherever those moments occur, the conversation can be more comfortable and more productive for the Kingdom with better equipping.

That’s what the Peacemakers Retreat is all about….

Peacemakers is a three day retreat designed specifically for ministers, for the purpose of better understanding same-sex attraction. Led by Dr. David Lewis, pastoral counselor for the Cross Timbers Church in the Dallas-Ft.Worth, TX, metroplex, and Sally Gary, director of CenterPeace, ministers taking part in the retreat will gain greater insight into the same-sex experience and leave better equipped to respond as Jesus would to men and women who experience same-sex attraction.

Here’s what you can expect from Peacemakers –

• Rich discussion leading to greater insight about same-sex attraction
• Opportunities to ask questions and talk freely about what we don’t know
• Instructional sessions with David Lewis and Sally Gary
• Inspirational worship with Brandon Scott Thomas and the Zoe Praise Team

Download Brochure

When:
-February 11-13, 2010

Where:
-Hotel-style accommodations at the Scarrit-Bennett Center on the beautiful campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN

Who:
-Ministry staff – particularly for youth, campus, children’s, and pulpit ministers.
-Anyone engaged in small group ministry, community ministry, etc.