To say that we live in a divided world is to state the obvious. Less obvious perhaps is to believe that worship might become a vehicle for reconciliation, or that theology might serve as an invaluable aid to mend our personal and social brokenness, or that the arts might forge unity across the divides — whether political or economic, racial or relational, linguistic or cultural, whether in the academy or in the public square, whether inside the church or outside of it.
But that is exactly what this conference wishes to suggest.
A primary goal of this conference is to show how worship, theology and the arts can become sources of good news to our divided world as well as resources to make tangible that good news by God’s grace. A secondary goal is to generate practical helps that extend beyond the immediate context of the conference in order to serve the broader community. This would involve not just the presentations themselves, but online resources: for instance, a one-page resource for small groups on art and racial reconciliation; a Spotify playlist for both pastors and worship leaders; a top 10 Most Common Mistakes on multicultural worship; an annotated resource on global worship; or a handout for church leaders on art in a post-Christian society; and the like.
In the end, our wish for this conference is that it become an intellectually stimulating, relationally rich, and missionally inspiring event for pastors, worship and ministry leaders, artists, creatives, and teachers. We welcome you to join us!
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
David M. Bailey believes that the Church should lead by example in cross-cultural engagement and reconciliation. He’s the founder and executive director of Arrabon; a ministry that equips and empowers Christians to effectively engage in the ministry of reconciliation. David is an active speaker, consultant and strategist for many national organizations about cultural intelligence and culture-making. He is the co-author of the Race, Class, and the Kingdom of God Study Series. David is the executive producer of documentary 11am: Hope for America’s Most Segregated Hour and the Urban Doxology Project. He’s rooted at East End Fellowship and serves as a teaching elder. David’s greatest honor in life is to be married to his wonderful and beautiful wife, Joy.
Talk title: “Worshiping Woke: Formational Worship Beyond the Four Walls of the Church”
CONFERENCE SPEAKERS AND TOPICS:
- • Rob Johnston: “Could That Be Worship Too?: Thinking Beyond The Walls Of Your Church”
- • Todd Johnson: “Reflections On Genuflection: Kneeling At A Line In The Sand.”
- • Kutter Callaway: “The Aesthetics Of A/Theism”
- • David Taylor: “Angry Words, Healing Words: Violence, Profanity and the Psalms”
- • Mako Fujimura: “Cultural Estuary: Art, Reconciliation and Diversity In Culture”
- • Ed Wilmington: “Divided Worship: The Little Children Suffer”
- • Alexis Abernathy: “Music Worship Leaders and Corporate Formation”
- • Roberta King: “Praising Allah In The Sanctuary: Loving Our Religious Neighbors In Musical Spaces”
- • Shannon Sigler: “Incarnation & Hospitality: How Artists Can Create Spaces of Mutuality in the Church”
- • Lauralee Farrer: “Hope For the Divided Self of the Artist”
For more information contact
David Taylor at david.taylor@hopemail.org