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You may register at the door Monday morning at 8:30 am.  

Convocation 2014 

"Heads, Hands, Hearts, and Smartphones"

Elizabeth Drescher describes what will happen at Convocation 2014 this way:

"Northern New England has been a region of religious diversity, challenge and change since the first settlers appeared at the turn of the seventeenth century. Religious diversity and challenge continue to be part of the landscape today. Among today's biggest challenges for ministry leaders in northern New England are:

1.  Understanding the growing population of the religiously unaffiliated - the so-called "Nones" - who now make up twenty percent of the U.S. population, and a full third of Americans under age thirty.

2.  Understanding the spiritual lives of Nones as thay are shaped by an increasingly digitally-integrated culture where "networked, relational, and incarnational" practices have replaced the church marketing and spiritual messaging practices of the Broadcast Age. 

This participatory workshop aims to prepare ministry leaders for the challenges of digitally-integrated ministry with Nones through rich content-sharing from new research on the spiritual lives of Nones, hands-on digital ministry practice with peer mentors, and vibrant worship that applies key concepts and practices explored through the day. Its aim is not merely to share new ideas and insights - though there will be plenty of that - but to shape new, collaborative ministry networks that can continue to practice and learn together long after the workshop is over."

With "Heads, Hands, Hearts, and Smartphones," Convocation 2014 with The BTS Center will equip ministry leaders for the adventure of life on the new American religious frontier.

Join us January 20 - 21, 2014 at the Marriott Sable Oaks for a new and exciting Convocation format. Renew existing friendships, create new ones, learn and worship together with heads, hands, hearts, and smartphones.

Convocation 2014 Presenters

Elizabeth Drescher, PhD, teaches religion and pastoral ministries at Santa Clara University. Her research and writing focuses on the spiritual lives of ordinary believers. A senior contributor to the online magazine “Religion Dispatches.” She is also the author of Tweet If You (Heart) Jesus: Practicing Church in the Digital Reformation. She is currently at work on Choosing Our Religion: The Spiritual Lives of America's Nones. Her web site is www.elizabethdrescher.com.

The Rev. Keith Anderson is a pastor at Upper Dublin Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ambler, PA. He served as pastor at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Woburn, MA from 2003 to 2012. He is the author, with Elizabeth Drescher, of Click 2 Save: The Digital Ministry Bible. His blog, PastorKeithAnderson.net, was ranked among the top 100 religion blogs by Technorati. He holds an MDiv from Harvard Divinity School and an MTS from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.

The Rev. Cameron Trimble is the Executive Director of the Center for Progressive Renewal (www.progressiverenewal.org). She most recently served as an advisor to the Congregational Vitality and Discipleship Team of Local Church Ministries for the United Church of Christ, developing a national strategy for birthing new churches, and as Associate Conference Minister of Church Development in the Southeast Conference of the UCC. Rev. Trimble is an adjunct professor teaching church planting and renewal with the Pacific School of Religion and Chicago Theological Seminary. She has co-authored the book Liberating Hope with Michael Piazza in 2011. 

Schedule of Events 

PLEASE NOTE that all Convocation 2014 activities will take place at the Marriott at Sable Oaks, including the Alumni/ae Association Annual Meeting and Banquet on Monday evening.

• Registration Fee: $125
  
• Call 207-871-8000 by 12/30/13 to reserve a room - mention The BTS Center
  
• A light breakfast is included on Tuesday morning for those registered for event; other meals are an additional cost
• Though not shown on the schedule, there will be short breaks in the Tuesday morning and afternoon workshop sessions

Register Now!