Driven Unplugged in Pictures

Driven Reseach Project 2009

Driven Research Project 2009

Here are the results of the research project that Driven administered during the 1st half of 2009.  Special thanks to GBIF for sponsoring the project and to Kyla Zenan for managing the project.

Driven Unplugged Recap

Our roundtable format hosted at this years Equip Conference in Columbus, Ohio was well received.  Driven Unplugged was a different gather than the conference of the last 4 years, but it served a very important purpose as we helped to cast vision for many church leaders, who are concerned about raising up next generation leaders.  With a healthy mix of generations around the table we engaged in a process of discovering the challenges that we are facing in the church.

Monday night was titled Defining the Dilemma and we engaged in a number of exercises to help participants understand generational differences and how to position the church to more effectively reach the next generation.

Tuesday we hosted author and speaker Gabe Lyons, who co-author a book called unChristain which highlights the perceptions of young non-believer and their views on Christians and the church.  Gabe believes that this generation is on the door step of some tremendous opportunities to engage culture in profound ways for the cause of the gospel.  Keith Minier helped to facilitate a time of Q&A with Gabe Lyons on that topic.

Wednesday night was our final gathering for the week entitled Sharing Solutions.  Nate Harrison started the night out with a case study from the business world, by introducing us to Toyota’s creation of the Scion Brand.  Next we watched a video and heard from Ezra Wimberly and Beau Stanley about who young adults need both events and process.  Finally we host a panel with 5 representative ministries or churches who are doing some unique things in their context.

Partnering with Equip for these gatherings seemed to be well received with 70-80 in attendence each night.  While the stories of the change that it will bring to those who participated is yet to be determined, many expressed a deep appreication for the things shared and learned throughout the discussion.  For Driven it was our hope that the research we presented along with the opportunity to host this kind of a discussion would only further our mission to gather a generation to become catalyst for Christ in church and culture.

Stay posted for what will happen with Driven in 2010 and thanks to all who are committed to the heart of Driven.

Driven’s research project and participation at Equip 09

Earlier this year the team that directs the young adult conference known as Driven announced plans to partner with the FGBC to host events at Equip 09. Instead of hosting the annual gathering Driven will be conducting a research project within the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches with the help of intern Kyla Zenan, research project manager.

This survey seeks to collect and compile data to gain a better understanding of young adults and their involvement in the FGBC. Its results will help foster a conversation about how to best serve the church and next generation leaders.

Keep an eye out for the web-based survey which will be sent to churches during the month of March. The data, once in hand, will be put together and results will be presented at Equip 09 and at www.drivenconference.com. Your participation in this research project will help answer some much needed questions and allow us to be more responsive to this critical ministry need.

Driven Unplugged, a conversation about the next generation and the church, will be hosted in The Commons at the Columbus Grace Brethren Church following the evening plenary sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (7/27-7/29). Monday will be a discussion centered on the findings of the Driven research project with the steering team leaders. Tuesday will be a question and answer time with Gabe Lyons. Finally, Wednesday will be talking about and asking the question, who are you pouring your life into? More information on these sessions will be coming out soon.

Driven announces plans to partner with this years Equip Conference.

The Driven Conference format that has been developed and done for the last 4 years is not going to take place this year.  However, Driven is pleased to accept the invitation to sponsor attractive young adult events at this years Equip Conference at Grace of Columbus.  We are excited about this opportunity and we’ll keep you posted on all the details as they come.  Thanks for your interest in Driven and we hope to see you during the last week of July at Equip 09.  Conference details at http://www.fgbc.org/equip/

Driven exists to gather a generation to become catalysts for Christ within church and culture.

Driven ’08 Undivided Video…

Free Audio from Saturday Sessions at Driven ’08

Now you can download or listen online to the Saturday AM and PM main sessions.

Sarah Cummingham

Kondo Simfukwe

Also, don’t miss the interviews with both of these Driven ’08 speakers at www.drivenconference.com. Click on the Driven Archive and select the audio button for all the recorded interviews form Driven ’08.

Praise for Driven’s Big Give!!!

Today I had the opportunity to visit the Clearview Church, who we as conference partnered with to pull off Driven’s Big Give. It was such an encouraging and exciting time to be united with this start up church that we had the chance to bless as we served through the Big Give. I wanted to report that many new faces came to the gathering that they hosted today at the Gahanna YMCA, where they are meeting every week now at 9:30am. The good news is that out of those new visitor’s to Clearview, 4 of them had been impacted by Driven’s Big Give!!! Praise God for this positive response and thanks to all of you that participated in the Big Give. Pray that the seeds that were sown through Driven’s Big Give will continue to grow and make a lasting impact for God’s kingdom and this local church.

For His Glory,

John Ward

Driven ’08 Concludes with Undivided Challenge

Driven ’08, the young adult conference for the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, concluded Sunday morning with a challenge to live an undivided life. Keith Minier, pastor of Grace Fellowship Church, a Grace Brethren church in Pickerington, Ohio, (pictured at left) told the group that living a life devoted to Jesus requires a certain mindset.

“We must learn to love Jesus more than we love anything else,” he said. He stressed that believers must have an unwavering dependence on the goodness of God and the Bible. “The Bible is right and it sets you free,” he said.

He concluded that Christians should desire to invest what will survive God’s judgment. “Do you live with a healthy nervousness that God is going to judge your life?”

Speakers for the weekend also included Kondo Simfukwe, Kary Oberbrunner, Sarah Cunningham, and Jeff Bogue. A variety of workshops also addressed topics such as church planting, worship, evangelism, and mentoring.

A highlight was Saturday afternoon when conference participants were given $10 each and challenged to form into teams of five to use their collective $50 to make as many contacts for ClearView Church, a new Grace Brethren Church in northeast Franklin County, Ohio. The groups employed numerous methods, including giving away water, ice cream bars, and doggie treats, along with offering to carry groceries and wash windows.

Challenging a Generation to Carry the Baton

Saturday mornings speaker Sarah Cunningham challenged us as conference to consider not only why we as a generation of twentysomethings are disengaged and disillusioned with the church, but also challenged us to embrace God’s vision for the church.  She used the illustration of the 2004 US Women’s Olympic 4×100 team that as fast and prepared as they were they missed the exchange and dropped the baton.  God used Sarah to consider how we’ll receive the baton as young leaders.

Sarah is the author of Dear Church: Letters from a Disillusioned Generation.