Bridge: Partners for Discipleship is a new program sponsored by Abilene Christian University’s Siburt Institute for Church Ministry and the Graduate School of Theology. The purpose of this program is to partner with local churches to raise up and further equip leaders within the church. We are excited to come to San Antonio for this Bridge event.
FAITH FORMATION IN A DIGITAL AGE
This year’s focus is “Faith Formation in a Digital Age,” a topic we often associate with young people. However, it truly affects us all as we engage the opportunities and challenges that ever-developing technology creates for Jesus-followers in our world. Theologians, psychologists, and doctors are only beginning to understand the impact that things like smartphones are having on us. But we all know that technology means change, and change can be challenging. We hope you will join us as we consider biblical insights, think about theological implications, and discuss the real-life ministry impact the digital age has on us and our people.
COST AND REGISTRATION
Tickets for our Bridge gatherings cost $60 each, or you can bring your spouse and get two tickets for $100.
WHO SHOULD COME?
This event is designed for a variety of individuals in the church, including elders, ministers of various kinds, deacons, Bible-class teachers, and ministry leaders, as well as any followers of Christ who long to grow deeper in their understanding of God’s mission for the world.
SPEAKERS
Mark Hamilton, “Is the Digital Me the Real Me?”
Today we live in the middle of a technological and social revolution, whose outcomes no one can predict. Today the boundaries between the creators and consumers of information have dissolved, and we are all our own publishers. Therefore, the urgent question for Christians is, how do we keep our integrity as church and as individuals in the church in a world where I can communicate anything I want to? How do we grow as moral people who pray and confess Jesus as Lord of every aspect of our lives in such a world? What does the good news sound like in this changing world? This talk will address these and related questions in light of Scripture and the experiences of Christians during previous revolutions.
Mason Lee, “Dimensions of Faith: Challenges and Opportunities of Faith Formation in a Digital Age”
Christian faith is a relationship of trust in the God whose love and faithfulness are revealed in Jesus Christ. But what does it mean to form and grow this faith? And how does our Digital Age present challenges and opportunities for faith formation? This talk explores the many dimensions of Christian faith – belief, relationship, commitment, and mystery – and how our digital age presents us with unique obstacles to the formation of those faith dimensions in ourselves and in our communities. But it also considers ways that our digital age opens opportunities for the formation of these dimensions that may not have been possible before. This session will develop a holistic vision of faith formation, consider the unique challenges and opportunities for formation in our digital age, and offer some ways of engaging faith formation in this environment as individuals and communities.
Amy McLaughlin-Sheasby, “Awe and Wonder as Spiritual Practices in a Digital Age”
If your life is anything like mine, many voices vie for your attention every day, and the more digital our world becomes, the more voices there are. Some of these voices might be trivial, but a great many of them are actually very important. We only have so much attention to give. How should we direct it? In this session, we’ll consider the ideas of awe and wonder and how holding onto a sense of ourselves as small beings in a large creation can help us navigate the onslaught of information that comes over us each day.
SCHEDULE
Friday evening session | 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Welcome, worship time, first keynote address, Q&A with the speaker
Saturday morning session | 9:00-12:00 p.m.
Welcome, second keynote address, Q&A with the speaker, panel discussion with ministers
Lunch | 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Saturday afternoon session | 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Third keynote address, Q&A with all three speakers, closing worship time
The event includes:
- Presentations from ACU Bible faculty: Dr. Mark Hamilton (’89 M.Div.), Dr. Mason Lee (’14 M.Div.), and Dr. Amy McLaughlin-Sheasby (’ 15 M.Div.)
- Interactive times of worship, Q&A with the speakers, and a panel with local ministers
- Opportunities to fellowship with other Christians from your area
- Breakfast and lunch on Saturday and snacks and coffee throughout the weekend
- Any handouts or electronic resources provided by the speakers
Learn more at siburtinstitute.org/bridge-san-antonio.