Faith News Network

No Limit is the theme of the 21st annual FOCUS Church of God Children’s Ministries Leadership Training Conference to be held March 5-7, 2015 at the Marriott Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Guest speakers for 2015 include Brian Dollar, of High Voltage Ministries. JumpStart 3 will be teaching scripture through contemporary and relevant music styles. Ben and Christine Christensen will entertain and minister through clowning, mime, and drama. His Little Feet, an international children’s music ensemble, will remind those in attendance of the call to the children of the world. Larry and Gina Bean will lead the conference delegates in worship. In addition to the variety of workshops, there will also be SMT’s, Specialized Ministry Tracks, providing an in-depth series of workshops. In these series of workshops, participants will have the opportunity for more in-depth training on specific areas of ministry. Becky Fischer will lead training on teaching children about the supernatural. Dale Hudson will lead training on leadership for Children’s Pastors. John Tasch will teach on limitless creativity.

In January 1994 at an interdenominational children’s ministry conference, nine local-church Church of God children’s covenanted to help advance Church of God ministry to children.

In September of that year, a two-day children’s leaders retreat was held near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Twenty-seven children’s leaders from nine states met and formed Children’s Pastors Fellowship, which later became the National Children’s Leaders Association.

In 2011, the name of the fellowship was changed from National Children’s Leaders Association to Children’s Leaders Association. The purpose for the name change was to be inclusive of many of the international leaders who are a part of this fellowship.

On May 13-15, 1995, the first national children’s ministries conference, called “For the Kids!” drew 300 people to a three-day event in Asheville, North Carolina. This annual conference, now called FOCUS Children’s Ministries Conference, has continued annually for 21 years. It has expanded to include middle school leaders, as well as Spanish speaking delegates. There are 32 workshops, four general sessions, and several workshops which begin before the initial conference general session. Each general session includes a variety of elements, including worship, entertainment, inspiration and fellowship.

To register, go to www.cogyouth.org or call 423.478.7229. FOCUS is a ministry of CLA, Children’s Leaders Association, and Church of God Youth and Discipleship.

Addressing a culture that has forgotten the true meaning of marriage, Catholics for the Common Good has partnered with the Apostolate for Family Consecration to produce a new television series that debuted on EWTN January 12. The series, Evangelizing the Culture for Marriage and Family, also marks the soft launch of a new CCG led movement to rebuild a culture of marriage and family. The Marriage Reality Movement, a coalition of people seeking to restore a culture in which it is the norm for men and women to marry before having children. Viewers of the series can become part of the movement by signing up at takebackmarriage.org.

Kingston, Jamaica — A three-day consultation took place involving representatives of six different “believers baptism” church traditions to share their understandings and practices of baptism and to explore how their thinking has changed in light of the emerging theological convergence on baptism and growing ecumenical encounter over the past 50 years. This was the first time such a gathering has taken place, and thus represents a historic moment in the life of these traditions.

Franklin, TN–Is it possible to have fun and encourage Biblical literacy at the same time? Tennessee parents Jeremy and Jennica Reis believe so and created a set of trading cards, Josiah Cards, as an alternative to fantasy trading cards. Josiah Cards teach kids about the people of the Bible using scripture. They have launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to raise the funding necessary to print, package and distribute the Josiah Cards which will come in trading packs of 1-30 or 1-60 numbered cards.