We will continue the “Stone House Revival” theme with a focus on “Restoring the Heart of God’s Home”. The theme is based on Peter 2:4-5: “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Speakers

Evening Speaker on the Deeper Life

Dr. Donald Wiggins served as superintendent of the C&MA North Central District from 2006-2018. Don and Linda live in Carver, MN and are the parents of five married children; all five are involved in Christian ministry as pastors, pastors’ wives, or international workers. Both Don and Linda graduated from Crown College. Don earned two graduate degrees at Trinity International University. He pastored churches in Ft. Myers, FL, Atlanta, GA, and Westmont, IL, and taught preaching and pastoral ministries at Toccoa Falls College and Crown College. Prior to his present ministry, Don served in two capacities at the C&MA national office, including vice president for Church Ministries, and served as superintendent of the Great Lakes District. He is coauthor of A Practical Theology of Assessment (2015). Now Don engages in coaching pastors, ministry assessments and guidance, leadership training, and interim preaching ministries.

“What would happen if our preaching, counseling, discipleship, and leadership was utterly infected with the liberating message that Jesus is not only Savior, but Sanctifier? Ordinary disciples would break free of bondage, drop petty disputes, soar like eagles, and give witness full of the Spirit! We’d see churches transformed, prayers answered, miracles breaking out, and communities changed. Where Jesus inhabits in His fullness, He does not disappoint. He delivers the true life of victory we so desperately need.”

Speaker on Alliance Legal Updates

Dr. Gary Friesen has served as General Counsel/Assistant Corporate Secretary for The Christian and Missionary Alliance since 2014. Formerly he served in various roles at Peacemaker Ministries, including Acting CEO, Executive Vice President, and Conciliation Director. He graduated from George Fox University and Willamette University College of Law, after which he practiced law in Oregon for eight years and led the church-based reconciliation ministry at Salem Alliance Church. Gary recently completed his PhD studies. Gary loves to teach, and has taught and consulted with Christian leaders across the globe. Primarily, he is passionate about seeing people everywhere experience the redemptive power of the gospel in their relationships, beginning with himself, his wife, and their four children.

“All faithful ministry involves risk. My role is to not simply minimize risk, but to create opportunity for the greatest possible level of ministry expression within our legal and cultural context.”

Speaker on Relationship Enrichment

John Van Epp, PhD, President and Founder of Love Thinks, LLC is the author of How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk (or Jerkette) and Becoming Better Together: healthy relationship goals for growing together when the world is pulling you apart. His background includes: Clinical Counselor in his 25-year private practice (retired), instructor of military chaplains for 15 years, adjunct professor of marriage and family coursework, founding pastor of a nondenominational church, and consultant for military suicide laboratory at Uniformed Services University.

From this rich experience, Dr. Van Epp has developed evidenced-based relationship programs about healthy dating, marriage, parenting, military resilience, and relationship counseling. All his programs utilize his innovative Relationship Attachment Model (RAM) and come in three formats: teach-out-of-the-box certification courses, plug-n-play discussion group courses, and online courses— both Christian and community (or non-faith) versions.

Dr. Van Epp and his relationship programs were awarded the Smart Marriage Impact Award in 2008 and have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Psychology Today, O-Magazine, and Cosmopolitan; and he has appeared on the CBS Early Show, Good Morning America, Fox News, and Focus on the Family. The extensive validity research on his programs are described in chapter 15 of the 2016 book by James Ponzetti (editor), Evidenced-based approaches to relationship and marriage education.

He has been happily married for thirty-nine years and is the proud father of two daughters.

"Love Thinks is all about relationships. Our mission since 1996 has been to develop engaging, entertaining, informative resources for personal growth and the development and maintenance of healthy relationships."

Venue

Great Wolf Lodge - Williamsburg, VA
549 Rochambeau Dr., Williamsburg, VA 23118

Due to popular demand, we are going back to Great Wolf Lodge this year!

We want to encourage official workers to bring their families. Family plays an important role in ministry.

Group room rates will be available three days pre-and post-conference. For more information contact Yenory at yorozco@cmamad.org or at 301-620-9934 Ext. 100.

Kids at District Conference

Bring your kids to District Conference! We will have childcare for kids ages 0-12 during three evening sessions and one marriage health seminar.

This is a great opportunity for the entire family to connect with the district family!

During the morning business sessions, pastoral spouses are invited to explore Williamsburg together. We will have local adventures planned every morning and in the afternoons the whole family will have free time together to play in the waterpark!

There will be a fee for kids. The fee covers meals, 4 sessions of childcare (with a snack), access to the waterpark during your stay, and breakfast and dinner every day! You will be able to add your kids when you register. View the Information Center for more details.

Have questions about bringing your kids? Email Erika Thornton at erika.thornton@greatcommissioncc.org

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Registration opens on June 11th.

Early bird registration will run from June 11th through July 27th. The last day to register is August 27, 2018.

Registration includes pricing for single, double, triple and quad occupancy.

Registration also includes pricing options for daily commuting attendees as well as one-day attendees. View the Information Center for pricing and more details.