By Shannon Baker, BCM/D National Correspondent
MILTON, Del.—“The Pursuit,” an experience for students and young adults who want to pursue God’s call, engage their culture and impact their world with the Gospel, is coming to Delaware in February 2014.
The experience is scheduled for Feb. 7-8 at Eagles Nest Church in Milton, Del. The event is open to any college student, middle school, high school student or young adult, especially those considering ministry leadership. The cost is $40 per student.
These emerging leaders are introduced to networks of existing ministry leaders, coached in such a way that their God-given uniqueness is drawn out and are empowered to step into real-world leadership responsibilities in order to gain experience.
This year’s conference features Kneeland C. Brown, executive director of the Focus Leadership Institute at Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Jeff Iorg (pictured above), president of Golden Gate Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif., as well as other speakers from the region.
Past speakers have included Derwin Gray, pastor of Transformation Church, Indian Land, S.C.; J.D. Greear, pastor of Summit Church, Durham, N.C.; Frank Page, president and chief executive officer of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee; and Tony Beam, leader of the Christian Worldview Center in North Greenville University, S.C., among others.
The main sessions will focus on knowing God and doing His will, confirming the call, and accepting God’s challenge. Additionally, students will attend five breakout sessions of their choice, ranging from financially preparing for ministry, purposing marriages for ministry, developing leadership in a postmodern world, and understanding and confirming God’s call on one’s life.
Altogether there are 20 breakout sessions from which to choose.
Students also will have ample time to hang out with conference faculty to pursue any questions they may have.
“If we don’t equip students and young adults, what will our church look like?” asked organizer Jack Eason, executive director of The Crossover Group, who backs the conference.
His passion is to ensure the next generation is prepared to lead, he said, adding it’s not unusual for only a few students from churches to attend the conference.
“Most of these students feel isolated and alone because most of the youth group participants don’t share in this calling,” Eason explained. “The value in having a few hundred students in one place at one time who are focused on a calling and ministry leadership is huge.”
The Pursuit Experience was originally established in 1996 as a strategy of Crossover Ministries to provide a framework for developing emerging leaders to successfully answer God’s call to any ministry leadership role. It later emerged as Kaleo through the North American Mission Board, but has returned to Crossover Ministries after NAMB’s restructuring to focus on church planting.
Registration includes the conference sessions Friday-Saturday, breakouts, goodie bag, and lunch on Saturday.
For more information, visit online at www.thepursuitexperience.com, email at crossovermediagroup@gmail.com, or follow on Twitter @thepursuitexp.