‘Reckoning With Power': Discerning God's Power, Navigating Worldly Power in Leadership, Conflict, and Mission
February 10–11, 2025
Amidst the revelations of abuse of power, political division, and church conflicts, we have a moment to carefully consider the question of power—the way God's power in Christ is radically different than worldly power, and how we might discern and make space for God's power in Christ to be at work in the leadership and shaping of church and mission. Fitch comes to lead us through these questions at renew 2025.
"I pray that you might know … the immeasurable greatness of His power for those who believe … God put this power to work in Christ when He raised him from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavenly places... far above all rule, and authority, and power.” (Ephesians 1:17ff).
Keynote Speaker
Dr. David Fitch, B.R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern SeminaryDr. David Fitch is a long-time pastor in Chicago, and the B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary. He teaches on the issues the local church must face in mission, including cultural engagement, leadership, and theology.
Fitch written multiple books, including The End of Evangelism? (2011), Faithful Presence: Seven Disciplines that Shape the Church for Mission (2016), The Church of Us vs. Them (2019), and the forthcoming 2024 release, titled Reckoning With Power: Why the Church Fails When it's on the Wrong Side of Power (Brazos, January 2024).
Find Fitch on Facebook, Twitter, and Substack, and missioalliance.org/davidfitch-speaking.
David Fitch's Three Presentations
Reckoning with Power – Navigating power as leaders, as churches, and as Christians entering and engaging the world.
Navigating the Antagonisms of Our Time – Becoming the presence of Christ in the midst of divisions—political and otherwise.
The Many Gospels: How the Gospel Shapes the Church for Mission – Discerning the gospel, and how we preach, teach, and practice it for mission.
Schedule
(* denotes available online)
| MONDAY, February 10 |
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| 12:00-1:00 PM | Registration | Outside Chapel |
| 12:00-12:45 PM | Lunch be pre-registration | Dining Hall |
| 1:00-2:00 PM | *Welcome, Worship, Bible Study | Chapel |
| 2:00-3:15 PM | *Keynote Address #1 and Discussion | Chapel |
| 3:15-3:45 PM | Coffee and Conversation | Outside Chapel |
| 3:45-5:00 PM | *Stories of the Church and Conversation | Chapel |
| 6:00-8:00 PM | Dinner with Cheryl Pauls, CMU President | Cheryl's Home |
| TUESDAY, February 11 | ||
| 8:30-9:30 AM | *Welcome, Worship, Bible Study | Chapel |
| 9:30-10:00 AM | Coffee and Conversation | Chapel |
| 10:00-11:15 AM | *Keynote Address #2 and Discussion | Chapel |
| 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM | *CMU Chapel | Chapel |
| 12:00-1:00 PM | Lunch | Dining Hall |
| 1:00-2:00 PM | *Workshops | TBA |
| 2:00-2:30 PM | Coffee and Conversation | Outside Chapel |
| 2:30-3:30 PM | *Workshops | TBA |
| 3:45-5:00 PM | *Keynote Address #2 and Discussion | Chapel |
| 5:00-5:30 PM | *Worship and Farewell | Chapel |
Interactive Workshops (announced at a later date)
Presenters
Bible Teaching
- Dan Epp Thiessen, Emeritus Associate Professor of Bible
Pastoral/Church Stories
- Dave Ens, Pastor of One88 Community Church
- Tim Nielsen and Indy, Pastors at City Church
- Kevin Drudge, Pasto of Covenant Mennonite Church
renew is open to anyone involved in Christian ministry and leadership, regardless of specific congregational or denominational context.
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