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Gilford, NH |
Soul University
A Series of Conversations & Workships at SoulFest
Social Justice is an ongoing theme within Soul University as well as throughout SoulFest. Even though there may be several subjective interpretations of what social justice means, we cannot turn a blind eye to the injustices that exist in our world today. Soul University will feature conversations that inform, inspire, challenge and renew our individual commitments to living a life that stands up for those who cannot stand for themselves. Whether it be in our own home, neighborhood, city, or anywhere else that crosses our path, we will examine the importance of living a life that is critically concerned and actively engaged in fighting injustice wherever we find it.
If you desire and dare to grow beyond the place you've been at for years, if you desire to live the revolution Jesus started, if you desire to be a water-walker, transformed by True Love and if you desire to truly experience and express God's unconditional and transforming love throughout your day to day life, join in the conversations at Soul University and discover.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 5
Kevin Austin, Not For Sale Campaign
Mercy St. Cafe, 9:05AM Worship Takes Action workshop: Worship and Bible Justice. How do we as worshippers move from deep encounters with God to personal change and then engage the culture with acts of mercy? READ MORE 
Phil JoelMercy St. Cafe, 10:30AM The message about people being more deliberate in their pursuit with the Lord is the message that Phil Joel shares during his concerts. READ MORE 
Chris MacintoshThe Back Room, 11:15AM Christian Music As an Art Form, Striving For Excellence: If as Christians involved in the arts we wish to make an impact in the world around us, we must strive for excellence in what we do. Too often Christian musicians take the easy road and write safe and cute choruses to be used in youth group meetings or in church on sunday mornings. The same can be said of those involved in producing waif films that will never make it out of the church basement. If we truly desire to emulate our Creator we must product art that will have a deep and lasting impact on the world around us. READ MORE 
Brian Kemper, Stand TrueThe Back Room, 12:30PM Bryan Kemper is the founder and president of Stand True Ministries, a Christ-centered pro-life group determined to awaken the youth of this country and share the message of life and the Gospel of Christ. READ MORE 
Jim TrickMercy St. Cafe, 1:30PM Jim is a performing songwriter, speaker and retreat leader who uses his gifts and talents to challenge, encourage and inspire people of all ages to live deep, love without cultural filters and fall in love with the One who loved us first. READ MORE 
Sean Wrench, Forsaken GenerationThe Back Room, 1:45PM “About a year ago I walked into the first youth homeless shelter I had ever seen in my life. I was stunned to see a shelter filled with children that had no place to call home. Some with parents, some without. I later discovered that millions and millions of children across the country were homeless. It’s a problem that’s literally spinning out of control. I realized that I had to do something. Someone needed to stand up and help these kids. By ignoring these helpless children we just continue to perpetuate the problem. We’ve truly created a Forsaken Generation.” – Sean Wrench, founder Forsaken Generation READ MORE 
Mark Warren, Global Benefit/Walk4WaterMercy St. Cafe, 2:45PM Global Benefit is an advocacy organization that engages people to join the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease. It works to bring the most practical and effective projects together to allow communities to thrive. Our projects, and ideas come from our members and organizations that are already successfully addressing the issues of poverty and disease. They become our hands and feet on the ground, successfully multiplying our effectiveness. READ MORE |
FRIDAY, AUGUST 6
Kevin Austin, Not For Sale Campaign
Mercy St. Cafe, 9:05AM Worship Takes Action workshop: The problem of slavery and the Christian response. How to we as God's people infuse hope and worship-filled action into re-abolishing slavery? READ MORE 
rWorld Workshops: Simon Fowler
The Back Room, 10:00AM LOST: As an introduction to what it means to live relationally, our speaker will explore our world of relationships through the lens of the popular TV program LOST. What is happening to our relationships within our families, communities, schools, workplace and elsewhere? Why are relationships important? Most importantly, this introductory seminar will explore the relational nature of God and the Trinity and how that teaches us a radically different way to live in this iWorld. 
Andrew Schwab, Project 86
Mercy St. Cafe, 10:30AM Andrew Schwab is a notable author, journalist and lead vocalist for the rock band Project 86. He has written for magazine publications including: Time/Life, Relevant, AP, CCM and HM. He is a published author with 4 available books, including his latest FAME IS INFAMY. Seminar Topic: The Purposeless Passenger: 3 keys to Emerging from the desert to determine your life’s calling. READ MORE 
rWorld Workshops
The Back Room, 11:00AM Together Yet Alone: During this hour we will begin to uncover society’s relational distance from each other regardless of their physical closeness. What is multiplexity? Directness? Continuity? What do these words mean when speaking of relationships? This seminar will give some practical, everyday things you can do to start to living the relational life God intended. 
Eric Timm, No One Underground
Deeper Well, 11:45AM He’s part artist, speaker, author and all passion – this is what gives the Rev. Eric Samuel Timm relevance in today’s world. As he speaks, paints and performs, Eric captivates his audiences with his unique style and unforgettable one-of-a-kind live art performances. He is sought after for his ability to creatively present truth where words fall short. Eric stirs up what lays dormant and leaves his audiences inspired. When he speaks, they’ll listen - when he paints, people can finally see what they could never hear. READ MORE
rWorld Workshops
The Back Room, 1:00PM I Was Hungry and You Fed Me: Peering through the lenses of our relational eyeglasses we begin to think about our proximity to the poor and the Biblical and social responsibility associated with that. What is poor? Certainly it refers to economic means, but, if you go deeper, is there relational poverty also? What is the condition in your community: economically, yes, but, relationally also? What can you do about it? 
Ken Hefner
Mercy St. Cafe, 1:30PM Holy Worldliness: Making a case for loving God and loving the world at the same time. Holy is not the opposite of worldly rather it is a way of being worldly because Christ is making all things new including the earth, culture and popular culture READ MORE |
SATURDAY, AUGUST 7
Shawn Foster, YouthStorm
Mercy St. Cafe, 9:15AM Shawn, with over 20 years in ministry is the founder and president of YouthStorm, a partnership of the body of Christ to empower the next generation for Kingdom service. Through the dynamics of community living, grass-roots ministry, prayer, and mentoring, he is committed to Church reformation and community transformation in New England and beyond. READ MORE
rWorld Workshops: Simon Fowler
The Back Room, 10:00AM LOST: As an introduction to what it means to live relationally, our speaker will explore our world of relationships through the lens of the popular TV program LOST. What is happening to our relationships within our families, communities, schools, workplace and elsewhere? Why are relationships important? Most importantly, this introductory seminar will explore the relational nature of God and the Trinity and how that teaches us a radically different way to live in this iWorld.
Ken Hefner
Mercy St. Cafe, 10:30AM A Christian view of Popular Culture: Why we should care about artists such as Sigur Ros, The Hold Steady, Lupe Fiasco, K'Naan etc. and learn to listen to them Christianly. Ken Heffner is the director of student activities and the Festival of Faith and Music at Calvin College, a Christian college in Grand Rapids, MI. READ MORE
rWorld Workshops
The Back Room, 11:00AM Relationships & Social Media: Facebook, MySpace, Texting, Online Chat, Skype: All relatively new forms of social media and social interaction made possible through the internet and personal computing. This seminar delivers a positive approach to a part of our culture we cannot avoid. Chatroulette, if you haven’t heard of it, is a way of meeting random people online to ‘chat’. Unbelievable that people have time to do that rather than talk with people they actually know, but there it is! Come explore, discuss and learn how to preserve relationships in the increasingly challenging world of social media.
Mark Warren, Global Benefit/Walk4Water
Deeper Well, 12:45PM Global Benefit is an advocacy organization that engages people to join the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease. It works to bring the most practical and effective projects together to allow communities to thrive. Our projects, and ideas come from our members and organizations that are already successfully addressing the issues of poverty and disease. They become our hands and feet on the ground, successfully multiplying our effectiveness. READ MORE 
rWorld Workshops: Dr. Rev. Dale S. Kuehne
The Back Room, 1:00PM Beyond Ideology: Relational Politics: Relational language and analysis provides a great possibility of engaging with both sides of the political sphere in a way that both can, and hopefully will, embrace. The rising generation is desperate for a way to be politically engaged without being labeled ‘political extremists.’ How can we, as beings focused on relational living, transcend the ideological debate and raise the bar on political conversation.
rWorld Workshops: Dr. Rev. Dale S. Kuehne
The Back Room, 2:00PM The rChurch: The iWorld (the world of excessive individualism in which we presently reside) has impacted every aspect of our lives, including how we approach life in the Church. For many in our society the Church, as they presently know it, holds no appeal. Sadly that is often true for church-members who sense that there is more to being the church than what they are experiencing. This seminar will focus on first explaining what an rChurch looks like and second, looking at a case study of how the Emmanuel Covenant Church of Nashua, NH is being remade by this vision, and why it is attracting many people who would not attend an iChurch.
rWorld Workshops
The Back Room, 3:00PM Found: A Framework for Thinking and Acting Relationally. How do we move forward with relational thinking? How do we transition away from the iWorld and into a world built on relationships? This seminar will introduce practical approaches to making this transition and moving closer to a world where relationships matter.
Kevin Austin, Not For Sale Campaign
Mercy St. Cafe, 3:30PM Worship Takes Action workshop: Church and culture transformation. How do we help people in our churches actively engage in works of mercy and then how do we lead in enacting holistic change in society? READ MORE |
