DAVID W. AUGSBURGER
Fuller Theological Seminary Professor
Dr. David Augsburger, one of this year’s plenary speakers, has a timely message for living in increasingly multi-cultural communities and interacting with those who come from different experiences and beliefs than our own. Known as an engaging speaker with the superb ability to use story to illustrate his points, he combines profound intellect with a down home delivery. Dr. Augsburger’s topic will be “If You Know Only One Culture, You Know None.” He is the author of 20 books in pastoral counseling, marriage, conflict, and human relations, including “Conflict Mediation Across Cultures”, “Pastoral Counseling Across Cultures”, “Sustaining Love”, and “Caring Enough to Confront.”
GORDON and CARRI TAYLOR
The Portrait of a Stepfamily
Gordon
Taylor is a Marriage and Family Therapist; Carri Taylor
is a Certified Communications Trainer and producer of award-winning documentary
films. They married, each for the second time, in 1986. He had three sons
and she had two daughters. At this conference, Carri will bring her integrity,
clarity and sense of humor to the subject of stepfamilies. Gordon will
bring understanding and respect for people from all walks of life, as
well as years of professional counseling experience, as he shares his
own experience as a stepfather and gives counseling tools and pragmatic
help for dealing with the prodigious task of parenting each other’s
children. “There is no such thing as ‘blended families’,”
say the Taylors. “Families don’t ‘blend’ that
easily!” This promises to be a humorous and wistful look at stepfamilies
that can give others the courage and wisdom to deal with their own experiences.
KATHY CALL
Founder and Executive Director of “China Connection”
“ The Chinese think a lot about water--they consider it one of the
five elements of the universe,” says Kathy Call.
Unfortunately in many remote villages of mainland China there is no safe
water system. Neither are there doctors, schools, emergency management
teams or churches. Kathy Call has put together an organization that is
addressing all these issues and many more. Drilling deep-water wells,
establishing clinics, bringing in American doctors, rebuilding homes ravaged
by earthquakes, and re-establishing Christian churches long languishing
in disrepair and neglect — all have been the personal mission of
this amazing woman. And all were done with the approval of the Chinese
government! “As a Christian, I’ve found that our doing projects
well and with love somehow always strengthens the status of the local
church,” says Call. One woman with incredible organizational skills,
demonstrating God’s love through her own care, energy and dedication
— that’s Kathy Call. Be inspired and renewed by her message.
HAROLD IVAN SMITH
Grief Counselor
Author of “Journaling Your December Grief”
Whether
grief is new or longstanding, holidays can bring it all back in a rush.
Opening presents or trimming the Christmas tree can bring on sadness just
when we want to be happy for others. Or someone near to us may invariably
ruin the day both for himself and others because he doesn’t understand
his lingering grief over the death of a loved one. Unexpressed grief can
make special occasions painful.
Harold Ivan Smith, grief educator and popular speaker, will lead a workshop on “Journaling Your December Grief,” an exercise in dealing with old pain that catches us unawares and renders us sad in the middle of celebration. Smith received a doctorate of pastoral care from Rice Seminary and a doctorate of Spiritual Formation from Asbury Theological Seminary. He has published more than 30 books, including “Finding Your Way to Say Goodbye: Comfort for the Dying and Those who Care for Them.”
RHEA ZAKICH
Heart Talks
After
Rhea Zakich had throat surgery, her doctor prescribed
no talking for several months. As a den mother, Sunday school teacher,
PTA stalwart and choir singer, it was a traumatic experience. At first
she feared she’d never be able to speak again. But having to listen
more and communicate in other ways, she soon learned how much she didn’t
know about her family or herself.
“I realized that as a family we had not shared our feelings on many subjects. I had not instilled in my children the things that were important to me. Even my husband didn’t really know me. I worried about the things I had neglected to say and regretted some of the things I had said.” And the more she watched and listened to others outside the home, the more she realized that people weren’t listening to what was being said to them. This led to her creation of ‘The Ungame’, a board game to facilitate communication and understanding of others. It has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide and made Rhea Zakich one of the most sought-after speakers at retreats and workshops, as well as on TV and radio. She has been featured in Reader’s Digest, Guideposts, Redbook, People, US, Today’s Christian Women and Psychology for Living. Newspapers such as the LA Times, Washington Post and San Francisco Tribune profiled her. You won’t want to miss this rare opportunity to share her insights.
