Annual Gathering 2021 was held as an ONLINE EVENT on Saturday, October 2, 2021.
The theme this year is “Church Together,” with the theme scripture passage being Romans 12:3-5.
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.
VIDEO RECORDINGS OF ALL SESSIONS – CLICK HERE.
PROGRAM – CLICK HERE.
SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY
9:00-10:00 am – WORSHIPFUL WORK: Annual Meeting
Carrying out the business of the Region, including election of new Board members.
10:15-11:45 am – BREAKOUT SESSIONS: 3 Options (see below for descriptions/click on names to see Bios page)
A – “Mindful Self-Compassion for Caregiver Fatigue” (Dr. Barbara Moser)
B – “Exploring ’Hybrid’ Church- A Spiritual Practice in Community” (Rev. Jacki Belile)
C – Thematic Bible study: “Better Together: The Body of Christ working in unity” (Rev. Dr. Marcus Allen)
12:15-12:45 pm – PLENARY SESSION: Lunchtime Speaker (see below for description)
“Celebrating the Church When You See It” (Rev. Kerri Parker)
1:00-1:45 pm – EQUIPPING SESSIONS: 3 Options (see below for descriptions)
A – “Providing Mental Health Support in Church”
B – “Using Technology as Church Together”
C – “Hands and Feet Together: Church Mission in a New Era”
2:00-3:00 pm – CLOSING WORSHIP
Music from across the region. Rev. Dr. Demetrius Williams preaching.
Speaker Bios: CLICK HERE
SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
WORSHIPFUL WORK: Annual Meeting (9:00-10:00 am)
Carrying out the business of the Region, including election of new Board and Nominating Committee members. In order to vote at the Annual Meeting, you must register as a DELEGATE.
Who can be a delegate?
“All members of the board, one pastor from each ABC/WI active church” and “two individuals chosen by each active church and an additional individual for each fifty members, or any major fraction of fifty, above the first one hundred members; membership shall be according to the most recently submitted Church Annual Report” (from ABC/WI by-laws).
Each Delegate must have a separate registration.
3 OPTIONS for the 90-minute BREAKOUT Session (10:15-11:45 am):
A – “Mindful Self-Compassion for Caregiver Fatigue“
Description: Join Dr. Barbara Moser for a session in which she’ll introduce you to the concept of “self-compassion” which will help you live out the second of the greatest commandments to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). Our compassion and care for our neighbors can only be sustained by compassion and care for ourselves.
(Barbara Moser)
B – “Exploring ’Hybrid’ Church- A Spiritual Practice in Community”
Description: Join Rev. Jacki Belile for a session to discuss both practical and theological elements in choosing to be “church” in the current era. As we emerge from pandemic shutdown and “online” church, how will we do church differently moving forward? And what will that mean for our understanding of what it means to be the church? Rev. Jacki will share from personal experience at her small church in Chicago, as well as introduce themes, patterns and questions from the wider Body of Christ. Her touchstone verse in this epic era is 2 Timothy 1:7.
(Jacki Belile)
C – Thematic Bible study: “Better Together: The Body of Christ working in unity”
Description: Join Rev. Dr. Marcus Allen, pastor of Madison, Mt. Zion, for a thematic Bible Study exploring the metaphor of the “Body of Christ.” What does this image – from several passages in scripture – help teach us about what it means to be “Church Together”?
(Marcus Allen)
PLENARY SESSION: Lunchtime Speaker (12:15-12:45 pm)
“Celebrating Church When You See It”
Description: Join Rev. Kerri Parker, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Council of Churches for our plenary session over lunch when she’ll share stories of church unity, everyday ecumenism, and celebrating the diversity of the church.
3 OPTIONS for the 45-minute EQUIPPING Session (1:00-1:45 pm)
A – Providing Mental Health Support in Church
Description: Come together to share contacts and resources to help your church become more intentional in support of mental health. Facilitated by Rev. Walter Lanier, Pastor of Milwaukee, Progressive, Brenda Wesley and Thomasina Jenkins.
B – Suggestions and Resources for Using Technology as Church Together
Description: Come together to share and to receive suggestions, ideas, and examples of using technology to “be church” in a new and altered environment. Facilitated by Rev. Eric Lundquist.
C – Hands and Feet Together: Church Mission in a New Era
Description: How has the pandemic changed the way churches do mission work? How do we continue to be the “hands and feet” of Christ TOGETHER? What has changed in the past year? Facilitated by Cathy Muro.
PLENARY Session: Closing Worship (2:00-3:00 pm)
Description: Join together with people and congregations from around Wisconsin. Celebrate our diverse gifts. Hear preaching on the theme of “Church Together” from Rev. Dr. Demetrius Williams, pastor of Community Baptist Church of Greater Milwaukee.
If you would like to take a look back at Annual Gathering 2020, “Glorious Transformation,” you can see videos of the different sessions by clicking HERE.