AEC2002
Leonard
Sweet to address 2002 Council on young adults and the church
CHICAGO — Leonard Sweet, a
popular futurist theologian, speaker, and writer, is the keynote speaker for the
upcoming three-day Anabaptist Evangelism Council to be held here at the Sheraton
Gateway Suites Chicago O'Hare the weekend of February 15-17, 2002.
The widely-known speaker will give six presentations—one Friday night, four
on Saturday, and one on Sunday—on the AEC theme "Connections: Young Adults and the
Church." Sponsored by the inter-Anabaptist based New
Life Ministries, this is the fifth annual Council that brings together
theologians/scholars and church development practitioners in a kind of
think-tank gathering that explores the cutting edges of outreach and evangelism
in an Anabaptist church setting. Worship will be led by a group of young adults.
Sweet, whose popularity is expected to draw a record number of participants,
has been called "one of the church’s most important and provocative
thinkers of the 21st century." He is currently the E. Stanley Jones
professor of evangelism at Drew University in Madison, NJ, where he has been
vice-president of academic affairs and dean of the theological school for five
years.
Among the characterizations of his gifts by some of America’s
denominational leaders and agencies is that Sweet is "one who sees things
the rest of us don’t see and dreams possibilities beyond most of our
imagining." He has authored more than 100 articles, 400 published sermons
and 18 books, among which is a best-seller FaithQuakes (1994), selected
that year as one of the "10 best religion books" and "10
must-read books." Upcoming books include Forget the Vision Thing: It’s
All About Voice, Why Be Normal When You Can Be NUTS, and in 2002 The
Jesus Meme and Glory Crowns the Mercy Seat: The Act of Abductive
Preaching.
In addition to Sweet’s presentations, Council participants will attend a
Saturday night young adult service known as Axis at Willow Creek
Community Church, a north Chicago suburb megachurch that has become,
for many denominations, a model for church outreach and evangelism.
Registration costs, which includes five meals but not lodging, for the
three-day event are $179 per person up until December18; $199 after that cutoff
date. Registration is limited. Scholarships are being offered by the Church of
the Brethren and the General Conference segment of the Mennonite Church USA.
Special overnight rates at the Sheraton Gateway for attendees are $79 for double
or single occupancy. Transportation is provided from the O’Hare International
Airport and free parking is available for those coming by car.
Sweet’s books and literature will be available for sale at the Council.
Details of the conference were released following the semi-annual meeting of New
Life Ministries, held this year at the Lititz (PA) Church of Brethren October
4-6. Call Joan Hershey, coordinator of New Life Ministries, 1-800-774-3360 for
more information or check the New Life Ministries web site at www.NewLifeMinistries-NLM.org/council.htm#2002.
Further information will also be released through the New Life Ministries E-mail Update.
by Dick Benner, October 10, 2001
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