Exponential

Church Planting Spouses Track

We are sorry but this track is now sold out.

In church planting a spouse must deal not only with her or his own life, but also with added expectations from others. The "DNA" of a church planting spouse includes meeting the needs of her/his partner, family, and often many ministry responsibilities. The church planter's spouse must deal with the expectations of others while discovering her/his own giftedness-a unique "DNA" that is not always what others expect. This is a huge balancing act of time and priorities.

This track is designed to address challenges that spouses' face in church planting. Unplug from the demands of a hectic world and demanding church planting challenge. Plug into a track that has been designed to offer support, inspiration and resources specifically targeted for the spouse!

Session Speakers:

• Sherri McCready
• Missy Cheeseman
• Jodi & Bart Stone
• Jennifer Antonucci
• Janet McMahon
• Leslie Wasem
• Debbie Jones

Session Descriptions: 

Session 1:
Tuesday, April 22nd, 4:00-5:00p.m., Sherri McCready

How do you rest? We know we should rest because there was actually a commandment given just to that idea. When you look around the culture you don't see a lot of rest...you see a lot of frantic. Sadly, when we look around the church things don't look any different. So how do you practically and spiritually begin to practice something that few of us have ever seen modeled before us. How do you lead your Church, your staff, your family and your own life from a place of rest? The gift of rest is extremely difficult to experience. However, REST needs to be a growing value in our lives--practicing it and daily engaging in the FIGHT to protect our places and times of rest. Sherri will share how she and her husband, her family, and her Church staff are untangling the knot of their daytimers and like Jesus, escaping off to lonely places to pray. Learn how the spiritual ideas of Release, Enjoying Jesus, Surrender, and Trust can enable you to experience the Sabbath rest in reality, as well as some very practical pointers on how to have a literal day of rest.

Session 2:
Wednesday, April 23, 8:00 - 9:00 a.m., Missy Cheeseman

Above all else...Proverbs 4:23 says, "above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." There is a great temptation (or perhaps pressure) in ministry to try to be all things to all people. Add to that the desire to be a great spouse, a great parent, a great friend...and it doesn't take long to lose yourself in the midst of serving others. It is easy to become "others centered" and lose our own center - we lose our own heart for God and for people. So how's your heart?  Ruth Barton once said, "the best thing we bring to ministry and to life is our own transforming self." As we learn to guard our heart from the things that threaten to harden it, what will flow from us will be a deeper love for the things that really matter.

Session 3:
Wednesday, April 23, 11:15a.m.- 12:15p.m., Jodi and Bart Stone

Finding Your Role:  A big question every church-planting spouse will ask is "What role will I play". And for every spouse the answer will be different. Some spouses work part-time or full-time, some have children, some have been in ministry, and for some this is their first experience as a pastor's spouse. How do you discover the role in the church plant process that most fits your giftedness and passions when there are so many roles that need to be filled? As we all know, the staff of a church plant and their spouses have to take on many responsibilities by default. However, we truly believe finding your role in the plant is critical for the success of a plant. In this session, we will attempt to answer questions such as: What are the many roles you may need to fill during the church planting process? How do you determine where to spend your time? Is it possible to be an involved spouse who loves their ministry and finds their own place to serve?

Session 4:
Wednesday, April 23rd, 1:15p.m. -2:15p.m., Jennifer Antonucci

Being a Church Planting Spouse ... So Simple a Cavewoman Could Do It (So Why Am I So Afraid?):
So you're part of starting a new church, you're married to a crazy A.D.H.D. planter, and you're raising kids (hoping that somehow they'll turn out normal!). Easy enough? Yeah, right. In this session you'll learn from Jennifer Antonucci, someone who's been there, done that, and is still stuck in the middle of it! This will be an honest and candid discussion on the marriage and parenting issues you'll face and how to survive them.

Session 5:
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2:30p.m.-3:30p.m., Janet McMahon

Keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times....Getting off the church planting emotional roller coaster.  Nothing compares to the emotional roller coaster ride of giving birth to a church except perhaps giving birth to a baby. The emotions are similar. Along with excitement and hope come feelings of fear and inadequacy. People offer to help and then you find they are giving their time and treasure elsewhere. Your spouse is criticized for choices they are making about how they are "raising" this new church baby. And then you find yourself in disagreement with your spouse about how the church baby is being "raised." It can make any otherwise sane person wish they could get off the ride.  But hold on a minute...a few adjustments to our expectations of ourselves, our spouse, the church and God can help us raise up our hands, scream and enjoy the ride.

Session 6:
Thursday: 8:00a.m.-9:00a.m., Facilitated by Leslie Wasem

Coffee Bar! (First cup):  Let's talk about it...over a cup of "Joe". This will be an unplugged heart to heart session hearing the stories and testimonies of spouses who are in the sweet spot of church planting today! Don't miss the opportunity to glean and network as this could be one of those rare opportunities to get feedback, support and encouragement from women experiencing the adventure of church planting. Guaranteed...you will not want to miss this session! A special gift will be waiting for you!

Session 7:
Thursday 9:15a.m.-10:15a.m., Facilitated by Debbie Jones

Coffee Bar! (Second Cup):  Don't leave home without it! Come grab that second cup of "Java"! This final session is PACKED with practical tips, resources, and encouragement generated from our forum of presenters and other church planting spouses. Here's your chance to ask questions and gain insight on topics like..... entertaining on a dime, finding resources, keeping the joy, and managing the revolving door. You'll not regret this second cup....it will be priceless! See you there!