REFOCUS 2010: Preaching & Theology Conference for pastors & seminary students
Willingdon Church
April 7-9, 2010
Burnaby, BC
"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake..." Phil 1:29
Paul's words in Philippians 1:29 seem almost unintelligible to Canadian Christians. He states that God has in his boundless mercy allowed, even granted us the privilege of not only believing in Christ, but also suffering for him. For many Christian leaders, suffering is to be avoided at all costs, or at the very least the thing we ask God to remove from Christians who serve in repressive, restrictive countries. But according to Paul in Romans 5:3, suffering is the tool that God uses to produce perseverance in us. Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 4:12 that suffering should never surprise us, or even alarm us, but is rather an occasion for rejoicing. We are given the invitation to participate in the sufferings of Christ. In short, suffering is the call of the Christian minister. While the teaching on this subject matter is clearly present in Scripture, most pastors have not been trained to think about it, or even to welcome it, as an opportunity to strengthen character and identify with their savior.
reFocus Canada is not another 'how to' seminar, rather it is a call for like-minded pastors to enter fully into obedience to the Gospel we preach. We bring together a series of speakers who hold biblical faithfulness as the highest calling of those who preach and teach. Our purpose is to help pastors preach, teach, write about, and explain the truths of the historic Christian faith in contemporary Canadian culture. In a day of increasing relativism and uncertainty, we exist to help Christian leaders think and act for the glory of God.
For more information please visit www.refocuscanada.com or email refocus@willingdon .org