Exploration

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EXPLORATION 2011, an event for young adults who feel God’s call to ordained ministry as a deacon or elder in The United Methodist Church, took place Nov. 11-13 in St. Louis, Mo.

The event provides a chance to explore the call to ordained ministry through worship, prayer, workshops, networking, and small groups.

For follow up information on EXPLORATION - including photos, videos, and reflections - please see our Facebook page or follow our Twitter feed.

Rev. Adam Hamilton

Rev. Adam Hamilton is the founding pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kan. He grew up in the Kansas City area, attending Shawnee Mission schools before graduating from Blue Valley High School. He earned a B.A. degree in Pastoral Ministry from Oral Roberts University and a Master of Divinity Degree from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.

Adam has received the B’nai B’rith award in Social Ethics, the Denman Award in Evangelism, and the Circuit Rider Award for excellence in church leadership. He was named Distinguished Evangelist of The United Methodist Church by the Foundation for Evangelism, and he was named one of the “Ten People to Watch in America’s Spiritual Landscape” by Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. He has been awarded two honorary doctorates and numerous other awards. He currently serves as a trustee at Saint Paul School of Theology and as a member of the Kansas East Board of Professional Ministry. He lectures on leadership, evangelism, and preaching across the country.

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection has grown from four people in 1990 to more than 12,000 adult members with an average weekly worship attendance of more than 7,500 in 2008. The church was listed as the most influential mainline church in America in a 2005 survey of American pastors. The Church of the Resurrection has a three-fold focus: 1. Reaching non-religious and nominally religious people and helping them become committed followers of Jesus Christ; 2. Equipping and inspiring members to live their faith in mission to the community and world; and 3. Acting as a catalyst for renewing the mainline church.

Rev. April Casperson

Rev. April Casperson was ordained as a deacon in 2011. She is a member of the West Ohio Annual Conference. She currently serves as the Director of Admissions at Methodist Theological School in Ohio, and has been serving at MTSO since 2007. April received a bachelor of arts in history and philosophy from Otterbein University, and received a Master of Divinity and a Master of Theological Studies with a concentration in Biblical Studies from Methodist Theological School in Ohio. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Higher Education from Ohio University.

Rev. Juan Huertas

Juan is an elder in the Louisiana Annual Conference where he is the senior pastor of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge. He is a graduate of Louisiana College (B.A. Religion) & Emory University’s Candler School of Theology (M.Div.)

Juan is a spiritual director and retreat leader. He is a member of the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and chairs the board’s identification and enlistment work.

He’s been married to Shannon, a graduate student in counseling, for 9 years. They have three children, Seth (7), Isabelle (4), and Lucas (21 months old).

He is also an avid reader and writer; you can read his musings at spiritstirrer.org.

Bishop Robert E. Hayes Jr.

Bishop Robert E. Hayes Jr. is the episcopal leader for the Oklahoma Area of The United Methodist Church. As bishop, he presides over 530 churches in the Oklahoma Annual Conference and almost 90 churches of the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference (OIMC).

Bishop Hayes says he felt called to preach at an early age. “When I was about 4 years old, I would pull up a chair to my father’s pulpit after church on Sundays and bang my hands on the pulpit, imitating my father. By the time I was 8, I was conducting elaborate funerals for deceased cats, birds, and other pets of friends. I preached my first sermon when I was 14. I’ve always felt like God wanted me to be a minister. It’s part of my life,” he said.

Hayes is the author of Strength for the Journey, a devotional collection published in 2007. He is a contributing writer in the Fall 2008 issue of Cokesbury’s Adult Bible Studies series. He also regularly writes an inspirational column for the bimonthly Oklahoma Conference Contact newspaper and for the Advocate, published by OIMC.

He is a third-generation preacher. His father, the Rev. Robert Hayes of Houston, also served as president of a Methodist college. His grandfather, too, was a Methodist minister.

Bishop Robert Schnase

Bishop Robert Schnase is episcopal leader of the Missouri Area of The United Methodist Church. Before moving to Missouri, he served as pastor for more than 20 years in South Texas, at First UMC, McAllen, and Wesley UMC, Harlingen. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. Most of Schnase’s previous writings have focused on ordained ministry. His most recent book is Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. He enjoys writing, reading, running (eight marathons since 1995!), canoeing, kayaking, biking, and bird photography. Schnase lives in Columbia, Mo., with his family.

Rev. Shalom Agtarap

Rev. Shalom Agtarap is the pastor of Ellensburg First UMC, a growing faith community in central Washington. She completed undergraduate studies at the University of Washington (Go Huskies!) and graduate work at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Shalom completed the Upper Room’s Academy for Spiritual Formation last year and as a result, drinks deeply from the well of guided meditation and spiritual reading. She loves to bake while blasting NPR or gospel music.

Friday, November 11

Noon                           Prayer Room Opens

Noon – 6:00 pm          Registration

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm      Small Group Leader Training

5:00 pm – 6:30 pm      Dinner

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm      Opening Worship

9:15 pm – 10:00 pm    Small Groups Meet

10:00 pm                     Late Night Activities and Entertainment

Midnight                      Prayer Room Closes

Saturday, November 12

6:00 am                      Prayer Room Opens

8:00 am – 9:00 am     Breakfast

9:00 am – 9:30 am     Morning Worship

9:45 am – 10:45 am   Small Groups Meet

11:00 am – 12:15 pm Workshop Session 1

12:30 pm – 2:30 pm    Lunch and Seminary/ Theological School Fair
Meet representatives from the 13 United Methodist Theological Schools

2:30 pm – 3:45 pm     Workshop Session 2

4:15 pm – 5:30 pm     Workshop Session 3

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm      Dinner

7:30 pm – 9:00 pm      Evening Worship

9:15 pm – 10:45 pm    Small Groups Meet

Midnight                      Prayer Room Closes

Sunday, November 13

6:00 am                      Prayer Room Opens

8:00 am – 9:30 am     Breakfast
Meet with Small Groups during this time

8:30 am                      Prayer Room Closes

9:30 am – 11:00 am    Closing Worship

Workshops are a time to learn more about a particular topic. You selected three workshops when you registered for Exploration. Please attend those workshops as rooms were assigned and leaders prepared materials based on the number registered for each session. You received information on assigned workshops and locations when you checked in. Check with the Event Office if you have questions about your workshop selections.

Workshop Times on Saturday

Session 1                            11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Session 2                            2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
Session 3                            4:15 pm – 5:30 pm

For Young Adult Participants

Workshops provide a variety of subjects for you to explore and discussions in which you can participate. Whether your interest in ministry is general at this time or if you are looking for something specific about an area of interest, you can find a topic of interest in these offerings.

For Other Attendees (Church leaders, annual conference representatives, campus ministers and chaplains, deacons and elders, staff of theological schools, etc.)

Two workshops are offered to find ways to be more effective in engaging vocation and call with youth and young adults as well as for networking and sharing ideas about best practices in developing ministries around calling and vocational discernment.

Workshops for Young Adult Participants

WKSP-001
Possibilities Amid Passion: I’m Called . . . But To What? Explore Your Options for Leadership
You have a passion for service, and you’re feeling a call to live out your passion through ordained ministry. The only problem? You’re unsure of what ministries match up with God’s call for you. Elder or Deacon; Chaplaincy or Christian Education; Music or Youth Ministry; or something completely unique — come to this workshop to learn about the many different ways of serving God as a Christian leader in the world.

WKSP-002
Chaplaincy, Counseling, Campus Ministry (Endorsement and Extension Ministry)
Ministry happens in a variety of settings — not just within a local church congregation! United Methodist elders and deacons can serve in chaplaincy (hospice, military, hospital prison), as a pastoral caregiver or spiritual director, or in campus ministry. If you feel a calling to serve God, but aren’t drawn to ministry within a local church, come to this workshop to explore opportunities beyond the church walls.

WKSP-003
New Church Starts and New Faith Communities
Come meet clergy who serve as new faith community planters. Learn about working with the United Methodist connection and get into the deeper theology behind new faith community plantings.

WKSP-004
Music Ministry as Vocation
Your musical talent is a gift from God. Are you considering using your talent in music ministry as an elder, deacon, or layperson? We will discuss the pastoral aspects of music ministry, theologies of worship and music selection, the difference between performance and worship, as well as participating on pastoral leadership teams.

WKSP-005
Choir Rehearsal for Saturday Night (Offered ONLY during Session 3—  Meet in Worship Area)
Saturday night worship will feature a participant choir. Come to practice with Mark Miller. All are welcome!

WKSP-006
Serving in Ministry with Youth (12 to 18 year olds)
The church needs ordained clergy who are called to work in youth ministry. If you are thinking about youth ministry as vocation, come check out the opportunities available in serving with youth.

WKSP-007
Serving in Ministry with Young Adults (18 to 35 year olds)
What happens to a member of a local church congregation after youth group? They become a young adult, and they have their own unique ministry needs. How can the church serve those needs? Come to this workshop to hear from those whose ministries are geared toward this age group.

WKSP-008
Christian Education as Vocation
Christian education is more than the Sunday School hour. Christian education is one place where the call to teach and the call to ministry intersect. Come explore the many opportunities to serve as a Christian educator.

WKSP-009
Local Church Ministry
Ministry within the local church takes many roles. Whether you envision yourself as a solo pastor, a senior or associate, or serving in a specialized ministry, there is a place for you.

WKSP-010
Orders of Ministry: Deacons and Elders
Deacons serve within and beyond the local church. Deacons are ordained clergy. They are called by God and ordained by the bishop to a ministry of Word and Service. A deacon connects worship and the ministries of the church with service to God and others in the world. Elders serve within the local church or in an extension ministry. Men and women can be ordained as elders by a bishop to minister through Word, Sacrament, Order, and Service. An elder preaches and teaches the Word of God, administers the sacraments of baptism and communion, equips the laity for ministry, exercises pastoral oversight, orders the life of the church, and leads in service of mission and ministry. Come to the conversation about the complementary roles of deacons and elders and how the orders can work together in ministry.

WKSP-011
Women in Ministry
Although women have been serving in ministry for much longer they were only first ordained in full connection in the Methodist tradition in 1956. A diverse group of women have been invited to share their stories and journeys in ministry, and to offer advice on practical ministry concerns for women.

WKSP-012
Living in the Fishbowl: Being a Young Adult in Ministry
Young adults face a unique set of challenges in ministry. This panel discussion will be an opportunity for you to ask questions about what it’s like to be a young adult in ministry. Topics may include relationships in marriage and in singleness, age and authority, overcoming the “Aren’t you cute?” reaction, self-care, and ways young adults can succeed in ministry over time.

WKSP-013
Navigating the Ordination Process
The United Methodist Church’s candidacy process is the discernment and application process for ordination. This workshop will address any and all questions related to the candidacy process. We will explain the process, give an overview of the steps to take, and give suggestions on how to work through the process, beginning with your local church or campus ministry, your district committee on ordained ministry (dCOM) and your annual conference board of ordained ministry (BOM).

WKSP-014
What to Expect in Seminary
Celebrate the educational ministry of The United Methodist Church. We are a denomination that values education and seminary-trained clergy. Come and learn about degree options, class requirements, spiritual development, campus community, seminary worship, seminary/life balance, and different seminaries throughout the United States.

WKSP-015
Funding Your Theological Education
You have scholarship options for seminary — some funds come from traditional sources and some from some surprising places. Come and discuss some of the resources available to you, including annual conference, denominational, and institutional scholarships.

WKSP-016
Cross-Cultural and Multi-Ethnic Ministries
Get an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities that cross-cultural and cross-racial appointments bring and discuss the growing number of opportunities available for ministry in a diverse world.

Workshops for Other Attendees (Ages 27 plus)

WKSP-017
Creating a Culture of Calling
Share best practices and network with other leaders about creating a culture of call in your ministry context including your local church, campus ministry, annual conference, as well as working with district committees and annual conference boards of ordained ministry.

WKSP-018
Maintaining Relationships with Young Adults
Come learn about technology, communication and boundaries when maintaining relationships with young adults in your ministry settings. Talk about innovative ways to connect to the next generation of leaders and share ideas for what has worked in your area of ministry.