Friday, June 14
3:15pm – 5:00pm
This session will look at texts of violence from the Old Testament that have sometimes been appealed to in order to either justify modern acts of violence or to disparage the Bible as unethical. We will consider various Christian responses to such texts and critically assesses their interpretive approaches. This session will suggest better ways in which Christians should understand and appropriate such Old Testament texts for the church and the broader culture today.
Target Audience:
Pastors, lay leaders, teachers, and any involved in Christian ministry.
Speaker Bio:
Paul Evans, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Old Testament,
McMaster Divinity College
Paul was raised in British Columbia, a pastor’s son, and acquired a passion for the Bible early in life. Before teaching at the university level, he previously served in pastoral ministry in both Alberta and Ontario and continues to be enthusiastic about the Church and its mission. Paul has taught Old Testament studies at McMaster Divinity College since 2009 after having taught previously for three years at Ambrose University and Seminary in Calgary, Alberta. Paul specializes in Old Testament studies and in his teaching and research emphasizes the theological significance of the Old Testament and the value of its application for the Church today. Paul frequently preaches in local churches in Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area.
Target Audience:
Anyone interested in a better understand of MAiD.
In 2022, 4.1% of all deaths in Canada were the result of using Medical Assistance in Dying. As churches, we have long been part of people’s dying and bereavement processes. How do we negotiate the reality of MAiD in loving ways, while maintaining our theological convictions? This learning session will include a presentation from registered social worker and MAiD facilitator who will explain the current legal and practical realities of MAiD in Canada. The remainder of the workshop will allow for discussion and learning together as Christian leaders about how we respond to these realities in ways that honour Christ.
This Learning Session is a pre-recorded presentation that will be facilitated by CBOQ Staff. Please note that CBOQ does not endorse the stance of Bridge C-14.
Speaker Bio:
Lauren Clark
President and CEO
Bridge C-14
Lauren Clark grew up in Sarnia, ON and now calls Ottawa home. Lauren has always been passionate about grief, bereavement and end of life care and was fortunate to have met a special individual through her work that helped charter the course for the last seven years.
Lauren has been volunteering with Bridge C-14 since its launch in November 2017 and took over the organization as President & CEO in June 2019. Lauren’s professional role is that of a Social Worker at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH). She was a member of the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) Team at TOH and with the Champlain Regional MAiD Network until 2021.
Lauren holds a Social Service Worker diploma from Lambton College, a certificate in Dementia Studies from Lakehead University, as well as a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work from Carleton University.
Lauren was named as one of the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW) Inspirational Leaders for 2019 for her work with MAiD, has spoken at local, provincial, national and international conferences, and has been a guest instructor for the NICE Advanced Practice Gerontological Social Work course for health professionals working in the Sinai Health System, the NICE Learning Series on Aging, and with Wilfrid Laurier University’s Death, Dying and Bereavement Certificate Program. Lauren is also the instructor for the Bridge C-14 Educational Series.
Lauren is most proud of her role, though, as wife to a very supportive husband, adoring mama to 2 young children, and fur-mama to 2 cats and a puppy.
Intercultural competence is an essential component of a leader’s self-awareness, attitude, knowledge and skillset for serving in a multicultural context. This interactive workshop will explore how your cultural lens impacts cross-cultural interactions and will outline a developmental process for growing in intercultural competency.
Target Audience:
Anyone who lives, serves, or ministers in intercultural spaces.
Speaker Bio:
Dorothy Pang
Interim Director
TIM Centre
Dorothy Pang is the Interim Director of the Tyndale Intercultuarl Ministries (TIM) Centre. Dorothy brings 25 years of experience in law, business, and executive leadership to the TIM Centre team. She is passionate about creating collaborative environments where diverse teams can thrive and organizational health is optimized. She holds a Certificate in Intercultural Studies from UBC and is a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (ID) and a certified facilitator of the Intercultural Conflict Styles (ICS) assessment. Dorothy is a dynamic facilitator and public speaker.
Gen Alpha (those born between 2010-2024) is more digital, social, global, mobile and visual than any generation before them. They will also be the largest generation in the history of the world, topping out at over 2 billion globally…and yet we are just beginning to learn about how they think and create and are inspired. In this session we’ll explore some of the findings from McCrindle Research, who coined the term “Gen Alpha,” and discuss how we can love, serve, and lead this amazing generation.
Target Audience:
Youth leaders, church leaders, parents.
Speaker Bio:
Tim Teakle
National Director of Church Experience
Alpha Canada
Tim Teakle is a husband to Carolyn, a father of 4, and the National Director of Church Experience for Alpha Canada, whose mission is to inspire and serve the Canadian church in its mission to help people discover a relationship with Jesus Christ, using Alpha. In his 20+ years of ministry, Tim has developed a passion to help people discover that sharing our faith is not just something we HAVE to do…it’s something we GET to do. Tim was a youth pastor for 10 years before working with Alpha’s youth department prior to his current role.
Jesus calls us to make disciples of all nations. How can we do this well, and what could this look like for your local church? For the past 150 years, Canadian Baptist Ministries has helped CBOQ churches partner in global mission. In this session, the CBM team will share the exciting ways that God is currently at work through their global partnerships, and how your church can intentionally partner to support these ministies and engage your people in mission.
Target Audience:
Pastors, Church leaders.
Speaker Bio:
This workshop will challenge us to rediscover that loving our neighbors means loving our neighborhoods. Unpacking the themes of Jeremiah 29, Brooks shows how Christians can be fully present in local communities, building homes and planting gardens for the common good. His holistic vision and practical work offer good news for forgotten people and places. Community stakeholders and civic leaders will rediscover that faith institutions are viable partners in community transformation in ways they may never have considered.
God has always been at work in neglected neighborhoods. Join Pastah J on this journey and discover new hope for your community.
This Learning Session is a pre-recorded presentation that will be facilitated by CBOQ Staff.
Target Audience:
Churches, faith institutions, community organizations, politicians, stakeholders and residents who want to see their communities flourish.
Speaker Bio:
Jonathan Brooks
Co-Lead Pastor
Lawndale Christian Community Church
Jonathan Brooks is a lifelong resident of Chicago, IL and serves as Co-Lead Pastor at Lawndale Christian Community Church in the North Lawndale neighborhood. He previously served as Lead Pastor of Canaan Community Church in the West Englewood neighborhood for fifteen years. As an educator on many different levels and a firm believer in investing in your local community, Jonathan has a deep desire to impress this virtue on the students and young people in his congregation, classroom and community.
Pastah J, as he is affectionately called, is a sought after speaker, writer, artist and community activist. He has contributed to numerous blogs, articles, albums and books and recently released the book Church Forsaken: Practicing Presence in Neglected Neighborhoods.
Jonathan has a Bachelor of Architecture from Tuskegee University, Master of Arts in Teaching from National Louis University, Master of Divinity from Northern Seminary and is currently pursuing his Doctor of Ministry in Christian Community Development. He is married to Micheál Newman-Brooks and has two beautiful children.
You can learn more at pastahj.com
As the world embraces Generative Artificial Intelligence, should the church consider leveraging AI for its mission? If so, then how? If not, why not? In this interactive session, ministry leaders will delve into theo-futures thinking, and thoughtfully examine the theological, practical, and ethical considerations surrounding artificial intelligence in ministry. This description was generated using ChatGPT, an AI language processing model.
This Learning Session is a pre-recorded presentation that will be facilitated by CBOQ Staff.
Target Audience:
Ministry Leaders.
Speaker Bio:
Joel Murphy, Ph.D (Cand.)
Facilitator of Trend Research & Analysis
Acadia Divinity College
Joel Murphy leads the work of the Futuring Hub for Theo-Futures Research (Acadia Divinity College) as the Facilitator of Trend Research and Analysis. Joel is a PhD Candidate in Educational Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University. He also holds a Master of Arts (Saint Mary’s University) and a Bachelor of Theology (Acadia University). Joel has worked in para-church and denominational ministry roles and now lives in the Annapolis Valley, NS with his wife Kathleen, their daughter Adley-Jo, and their two English bulldogs (Winifred and Moose).
