Additional Cornerstone Seminars 2012

Cornerstone Festival updated its Seminars page to include a fifth tent with more great speakers. Many of the presenters are associated with The Anchor ministries, if you’re familiar with that.

Also, I saw on The Asylum’s facebook page a comment from someone who will be speaking at that tent all week. 

See the topics and descriptions for these new additions below, and check out my seminars page for the full list of seminars with newly added descriptions and speaker bios for all seminar tents.

Tent 5 - Disenfranchised Church

• The Disenfranchised Church - Chris Benek
  Through a historical understanding of the philosophies of Marx, Nietzsche, and Kierkegaard and the theologies of Paul Tillich and Dietrich Bonhoeffer this seminar will explore what it means to be human in the Imago Dei. It will further investigate how we can incorporate persons who are disenfranchised from the church into the corporal presence of Christ on Earth through ethical practices that encourage both reconciliation and healing. 
  Christopher Benek serves as the Associate Pastor of Family Ministries at Providence Presbyterian Church in Hilton Head, SC. He has two advanced degrees in Ministry/Theology (Ethics) from Princeton Theological Seminary and is working on a third at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in the world’s first ever Doctor of Ministry in Science and Theology. Rev. Benek has been internationally recognized by media sources for his preaching, social activism and religious commentary as presented on christopherbenek.com

• W(REST)LE - Ryan Adams
  “And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God [was].” Our story is Israel’s story. And Israel’s story is Man’s story. God calls us us engage Him, to wrestle with Him, and in this, we find rest. We find identity. There is intimacy to be discovered in the revelation of unknowing, and in the process of moving forward, we get back to the beginning. 
  Ryan Adams is the Director of the Anchor/Come&Live! School of Ministry. A native of Northern Ireland, Ryan found himself in Nashville as a school teacher with much to learn about the world. In 2010, God called him to step into ministry full time in relaunching ASM and joining the staff of the Anchor Fellowship. The awareness of infinite character of God reconciling the world has, and continues to be, a beautiful process of discovery for Ryan as he continues his journey of faith.
• The Bride Has Lost Her Glory - Josh Stump
  Historically and personally, the Church is the Bride of Christ. Yet when one looks at the current state of her, it would be difficult to see the glory which her bridegroom ascribes. These sessions will be devoted to identifying why She has lost Her way, and how She can find Her way back again. We ALL need the church, and it takes humility to come back to Her and see Jesus’ first love. We can begin the process of forgiveness and reconciliation right now. 
  Joshua Stump is the founder and director of Anchor Mission USA, a national church planting organization. Over the past 20 years, Josh has done everything from ministry in the music industry to founding the Anchor Fellowship to teaching overseas the revelation of God’s heart for his people. Josh’s lifelong passion is to see the Bride of Christ regain her glory and shine light into a darkened world. He currently resides in Nashville, TN with his wife and two children.
• Adam, Dexter, Batman, and the Difficulty of Hiding in Plain Sight - Rich Whitman
  What does Jesus’ humanity reveal to us about the courage to be in community with self, God, and neighbor? Is the story you’re telling yourself about yourself true? Do you believe it? 
  Rich Whitman is the founding pastor and teaching pastor at the Anchor Church in Lansing, Michigan. He has B.A. in Religion & Theology from Olivet Nazarene University in Kankakee, Illinois, and a M.A. in Christian Thought from Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He and his wife Jennifer have 3 children and currently reside in Michigan.
• The Poor Prophets - Matt Bridge
  We would like to study what Christ meant when he spoke of the message of Moses and the Prophets in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. This lecture will focus on the way in which the Church treats one of the most basic of God’s mandates, how we care for the oppressed. 
  Matt Bridge has been the pastor of Saint Joseph’s Mission in East Nashville for the past two years, where he lives with his wife and two children. One of the most inspiring of his quotes is, “faith without works is just boring”. 
• The Untouchables - Shane Cox
  Who are the modern day “untouchables”? Do they live across the street or above your apartment? Do they walk the streets of your city? Do they work in the next cubicle? Do they serve in your community? Do they sit in front of you in class? Do they live in the downtown shelter or mission? Do they ride your bus route? Do they enter your church space? Do they look back at you in the mirror? These are some of the questions we will ask as we search our own hearts for the “untouchables” (the dissed & fraternized). 
  Shane Cox is married to his beautiful wife Heather and together they have two rad kids Elijah and Abigail. He’s the pastor/planter of Take Hold Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He tries to love God with everything he’s got and love his neighbor as himself. This is a tough mission and he fails daily/miserably, but this is the task he’s been assigned. This is the command we’ve all been given. The big question is this…how do we love, serve, and touch the “untouchables”? 
• Roundtable – Discussion
  Disenfranchisement has several meanings but with regard to the Church we take it to specifically mean: to deprive persons, by way of control that is unauthentic, from the inherent rights and privileges of liberty which are engrafted in faith in Jesus Christ. 
  We believe there are millions of people who, through action and inaction, have been wounded and rejected by the Church. Our desire is to honestly and humbly invite people to share their stories of disenfranchisement and to contribute their voice to a growing chorus of people who recognize something within the current church that has caused exclusivity in the midst of an inclusive gospel. As we share these stories, we intend to seek out ways to address hurt and draw together those members that have drifted apart. So much healing comes through confession alone, and from raising the conversation to a level where it cannot be ignored. It is our hope that the conviction of reality will stimulate the church into action. 
• REFUGE – a space to seek solace and quietude, to find rest and process with God.
  This time can be used for meditation, study, prayer, or liturgy. All seeking refuge are encouraged to share their story of struggle with church/disenfranchisement, if so inclined. There will also be a “wailing wall”, a place write out and articulate the ways that you have been disenfranchised by the Church. 

The Asylum

• Escaping the Cauldron – Kristine McGuire
  Topics will include: Overview of The Occult; What is Wicca and Witchcraft?; What is “Christian” Witchcraft; Talking to Witches, Wiccans, and Pagans; Mediums, Ghosts, and Ghost Hunting; Spiritual Warfare; Plus question and answer sessions
  Kristine McGuire is a Christian wife, mother. She is an inspirational speaker/writer, sharing her testimony and encouraging others in their walk with Christ. In addition to writing for Kristine ReMixed, Kristine is a featured columnist  for Positively Feminine.  Her book,Escaping the Cauldron, will be published by Charisma House in September 2012.The book is an informative memoir, recounting her journey from committed Christian to witch, medium, and ghost hunter for eight years until restored to faith in Jesus Christ. Kristine enjoys spending time with her husband and children, taking long walks, listening to music of all kinds, and experiencing God’s daily gift called life.