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Joe White, Keynote Speaker
Joe and his wife Heidi are the founders and lead pastors of Neighborhood Church. Joe is the preaching pastor and directional leader for Neighborhood Church and has a heart for church planting, leadership development, and urban ministry. He grew up in Fresno’s highest-crime, lowest income neighborhood as the son of urban missionaries and has been nurtured and trained in CCD principles (http://www.ccda.org/about/ccd-philosophy) his entire life. He has a BA in Biblical Studies, a Diploma in Urban Ministry, a Diploma in Christian Studies, and a Master of Divinity. He lives in the Jackson Neighborhood with his wife and 4 kids. They absolutely adore their neighbors and neighborhood. Joe’s passions are rock climbing, mountaineering, ice-climbing, and skiing. Click here to listen to his keynote message.
Break Out Sessions:
1. Developing Relationships with Kids that Change Lives - ENP - (Brian Semsem & Jenessa Hefler)
Do you desire to be a more effective mentor? Do you want to see the next generation living in the fullness of who God created them to be? Come learn a Grace-based model on how to develop even better relationships with the kids in your community. Click here to listen.
2. Foster Care and Adoption: Why should I care and how can I help? - Whitney Bunker (City Without Orphans) and Ashley Phelan (Central Valley Christian Alliance for Orphans - CVCAO)
On any given day, close to 1,500 Fresno County children are in the care of child protective services. And, these numbers are only expected to rise as the opioid epidemic continues to grow. These children are modern day “orphans” – and desperately need the Church to rally and respond (James 1:27). Whether you're seriously interested in foster care and/or adoption, or simply curious to learn more about it and how you can help, this workshop was designed for you! You will be inspired, informed, and provided with easy opportunities to take next steps towards orphan care, fostering, and adoption. We'll share valuable insights, stories, and first-hand experiences and provide a time for Q&A. You will leave equipped with tangible personalized resources for your family and church. Click here to listen.
3. History of the Pain and New Signs of Hope in SW Fresno - Tiffany Mangum of Southwest Fresno CDC (Community Development Corporation) & Cherella Nicholson Saint Rest EDC (Economic Development Corporation)
Representatives of Westside Church of God and Saint Rest Baptist Church, Cherella Nicholson and Tiffany Mangum came to Discover Fresno to talk about the history and current state of community of southwest Fresno. Nicholson reached out to southwest community members who shared the lack of businesses and abundance of vacant buildings in the region. Click Here to listen.
4. How to Creatively Engage Today's Youth - YFC - Jameson White
Learn specific tools for radically engaging kids in Christ-sharing relationships through time, listening, and connecting stories. In an age of screens when kids are seeking relationships and reality through a digital medium they are more isolated than ever and desperately in need of nourishing, flesh-and-blood connections. The Good News of God who comes to be with us in person, Jesus, is a radical pattern to follow and a life giving story for kids to encounter in you! Click here to listen.
5. Human Trafficking? In my town?! - World Impact - Kim Contreras
Join us as we look at the layers of what Human Trafficking is here and the privilege we have to engage this critical work. Unfortunately we were unable to capture this recording.
6. Know and Love Thy Neighbor - ESA - Paul Hartounian & Alan Doswald
Jesus said His greatest commandment was to Love God, and to Love Your Neighbor. What does that look like in today’s culture? Come learn practical ways to love those near to you, your neighbors. Click here to listen.
7. Racial Reconciliation Panel - Brian King / Carolyn Flores-Conrad / Manuel Contreras - Facilitated by Andrew Feil
This breakout will focus on the topic of race and ask diverse voices in our community to weigh in on what it means to them, what it means for the church today and how the gospel invites us to respond in racial reconciliation and racial justice. Click here to listen.
8. The Love Approach: Equipping the Church to be a Voice for Life! - Kristi Burkhart of Pregnancy Care Center
You will leave equipped to promote a culture of LIFE in our community. This is a practical and interactive workshop exploring a Christ-like philosophy to providing help and hope to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy." Click here to listen.
9. Understanding and Engaging Homelessness in Fresno - Fresno Rescue Mission - Matt Dildine
Understand how to help the homeless and how NOT to help the homeless. Click here to listen.