The Seminar
Since the kingdom of God was central to how Jesus changed the world, it is a central focus throughout the seminar. The kingdom was the primary theme of Jesus’ teaching and was proclaimed by the Christians in Acts as well.
Seminar Sessions:
Understanding the Kingdom of God. This lesson begins with a popular, interactive learning game to engage participants, help them think, and give them an experience to help them remember what they will learn. It is followed by in depth teaching, supported by engaging graphics and note sheets, to help us more fully grasp the Kingdom of God.
How to Change the World like Jesus. An exploration and application of Matthew 9:35-38, the key passage upon which Empowering Subjects is based. Here Jesus specifically states what is needed to help all the harassed and helpless people in our broken world and tells us what we are to do about it.
The Good News of God’s Kingdom. A proclamation of the good news of God’s reign through Christ, modeled after the way the early spokespersons in Acts told it. It also includes some key implications for us his people. This lesson summarizes and wraps up the message of the kingdom taught in the earlier parts of the seminar.
Since the seminar portion focuses primarily on helping participants grasp the kingdom of God and pledge fealty to our King, it is appropriate and beneficial for the entire congregation, regardless of whether they are currently interested in reaching out to others. The seminar, however, also provides a strong basis and motivation for participating in the Follow-up Training for those who are willing to do so.
Video Samples of the seminar here
The Follow-up Training
The Follow-up Training is conducted locally and facilitated by your leadership, utilizing the resources of Empowering Subjects. The Follow-up Training consists of thirteen weeks of:
- Watching a 10 minute video that introduces the theme of the week
- Downloading about 15 pages of material to work through. This consists of reading, Scripture, questions, reflections, prayer, and practical applications. These pages will be put into a notebook to create a manual (150+ pp.). See Contents and Samples of Training Materials.
- Meeting with a small group of others from your congregation who are also working through the material. This is for encouragement, sharing, learning, problem solving, and prayer.
- Additional Support Resources from Empowering Subjects include a blog, in-depth articles, and ongoing relationship and contact with Marvin.
What You’ll Learn
In the Follow-up Training you’ll learn to change the world like Jesus. We use the SHARE acronym to remember a broader range of things Jesus did in Matthew 9:35-38.
The Follow-up training is:
- Voluntary. Since the Lord of the Harvest is the One who sends out workers, we do not try to compel people to participate in the training. It is for those who want to be equipped to change the world like He did. (Note: workers refers to anyone who does what Jesus did, not just full-time church workers.)
- Substantial. This is in keeping with the importance of the mission and the power of the Enemy. If we were to dumb it down, we would not be doing anyone a favor.
- Rewarding. The sacrifices made for training or service will yield the blessing and fulfillment of being a useful tool for our Master.
Other Notable Features of Empowering Subjects
- Opportunity
- Biblical
- God-dependent
- Christ-centered
- Balance
- Personal
- Choice
- Substantial
- Variety
- Practical
- Growth-oriented
- Authentic
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Want to talk about it?
Why Host the Empowering Subjects Outreach Training?
NOTE: “Outreach” here includes doing good deeds for people (service), telling good news to people (evangelism), and giving good teaching to those who response (discipleship).
Additional Equipping
After completing the basic Empowering Subjects Seminar and Follow-up Training described above, several other weekend workshops are available on specific aspects of the mission:
A Great Way to Tell the Good NEWS. This vital workshop builds on the Empowering Subjects Follow-up Training and further equips you to actually tell the good news to a friend. It uses the NEWS acronym to help you clarify and remember the gospel told to non-Christians in Acts. Includes how to find opportunities, Bible teaching about the NEWS, Ten Reasons this is a great way to tell the good news, a sample demonstration, what to do next with people, Q&A, and a follow-up guide to help you get started.
Sowing Seed Together, How to Conduct a Group Exploration of Jesus. This workshop explains how to create a group setting where non-Christians can come hear about Jesus (some might call it a group outreach Bible study). Includes the basic perspective that needs to be adopted, many practical specifics, special suggestions for the teacher, and a sample demonstration. An excellent add-on to the Empowering Subjects follow-up training that provides a way for your people to continue in what they have learned.
Renew/Refocus/Re-up, Renewing Our Devotion to the Mission. This is a review and refresher course for churches who have hosted the Empowering Subjects Seminar and Follow-up Training. If desired, it can also lead to forming new groups for those who want to repeat the Empowering Subjects Follow-up Training or do it for the first time.
Trained for the Kingdom, How to Nurture and Disciple New Believers. The importance and some ways of forming new believers into the image of Christ.
In addition, additional equipping can be tailored to the particular needs of your group or church.
Do you have concerns?
- If you are concerned about whether your members would participate in Empowering Subjects, remember, the Lord sends out the workers, so we are happy to work with whoever and however many people end up participating. Don’t underestimate the power of challenging people to step up instead of taking a laid back approach. In addition, the rich material on the Kingdom of God presented in the seminar portion of Empowering Subjects may motivate some additional people to participate in the follow-up training. Regardless, having even a few equipped workers is far better than having none.
- If you are concerned about whether people will be expected to reach out to others in old, confrontational, or unnatural ways, recognize that the Lord can give us opportunities to reach out meaningfully and appropriately. We are not limited to old school ways of doing so.
- If you are concerned about whether the follow-up training will expect a considerable amount of work, then know that yes, it will! The follow-up training is substantial because the stakes are so high, the enemy is so powerful, and most of us are not fit for work in a harvest field. Besides, we regularly work hard for other matters that are not as valuable as the pearl of great price. Jesus didn’t lower the bar of discipleship or training. Neither should we.
- If you are concerned about whether Empowering Subjects will change anything, then remember, we need to do what’s right regardless of results (cf. Ecclesiastes 11:4). It is the Lord who gives the increase, anyway, not only in outreach but also in training for outreach. Still, I am thoroughly convinced that good material + God’s work + open-hearted members will affect people significantly and lead them to be the workers Jesus said are needed. I’ve seen God change people through Empowering Subjects, and you can see or hear the perspective of some previous participants here. We need to do our part, pray, and rely on God to work.
Want to talk about it? Have questions?
Wondering how it all works?
Contact me and let’s start a conversation.
Many aspects of the gospel, kingdom, outreach, and evangelism have been addressed in my blog (here). Below you may subscribe to email notifications when there are new posts to the blog:
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