The Story for a Waiting World

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Everyone believes a story about their life. Characters, villains, tension and a plot. The question is: what’s the story? We see the revealed story of this world in the Bible, and we are witnesses to that story. Thus, we walk in this world with that story on our lips; we get to share it in a way that addresses this broken world and offers hope. Join this workshop to trace our fingers over the plot of a rescuing God, and let’s discuss ways to discuss the narrative of redemption in which we live.

Bio:

Taylor Turkington (MA, DMin) directs the training ministry BibleEquipping where she also teaches and coaches Bible teachers. Previously, she directed training ministries for The Gospel Coalition and Western Seminary and is the author of Trembling Faith: How a Distressed Prophet Helps Us Trust God in a Chaotic World. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her family where she enjoys growing tall flowers, drinking great tea, and paddling the rivers.

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"Do As I Say”: Recognizing and Recovering from Spiritual Abuse

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Christian leaders are called to “keep watch over the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.” (Acts 20:28) Too often members of “the flock” are hurt, manipulated and controlled by those very “shepherds”.  Learn how to recognize the symptoms and heal the pain of spiritual abuse.

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Bio:

Julie Tadema is in full-time team ministry with her husband Calvin. They offer healing prayer for the spiritual, emotional and physical realms through Master’s Mind Ministry. Individual healing prayer sessions encourage insight and growth, particularly for overcoming trauma and abuse.  In addition, Julie teaches the principles of mind renewal and listening prayer in classes, workshops and retreats.  The Tademas have been married for 45 years and love teaching together, sharing their enthusiasm for the transforming work of the Lord in people’s lives.

Hearing God’s Holy Heart for Others

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God speaks! He’s the ultimate communicator! The Bible is full of rich stories of how God spoke to others. But, can God speak to us today so that we can hear his heart for others? With the Bible as our plumb line, come join us as we discover how God can use you to speak his heart of encouragement to those he loves!

Bio:

Brenda Polopolus - is a part-time servant of the gospel with a full-time heart for the Kingdom, Brenda has worked alongside of her husband, George, as a business owner in the Portland Metro area for the last 31 years. With gifts of creativity, hospitality, Bible teaching, intercession, and faith Brenda has been used of God to move forward his kingdom in bold and courageous ways. Her gift of intercession has brought joy to the despairing, fresh hope to the down-trodden, and comfort to those mourning loss. But perhaps her most treasured contribution to the Body of Christ has been to generate unwavering vision and confidence to leaders, both men and women, tempted to discouragement under the heavy mantle of leadership. She offers to those to whom she minsters, an ear to God’s heartbeat because she has learned to listen to the Spirit’s voice.

Leaving Addiction - The Reordering of our Desire

In this session, we will explore desire as a gift, and how to steward it, rather than becoming enslaved to it.

Bio: Jody Mayhew is the women’s representative for International Renewal Ministries and the Founder of Abide Ministries. She teaches and facilitates prayer summits world-wide. Jody is also the developer of Sonship Studies, a small-group interactive exploration of the scriptures. She and Dan have been married 50 years; have three children and seven grandchildren. Their website is: https://tween2worlds.us.

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Grey Hair - Holy Hearts

Does it all feel too lofty? Too unreachable? Too late to start? God doesn't think so! It's what He created us for - to be reflections of His glory! Glory that shines through the crinkles in our smile, the light in our eyes, the kindness in our words and the music in our souls. Holiness is God's happy way of life - let's find it together! Let's be ageless in His beauty! 

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Bio: Sandy Snavely shares her love for Jesus by using her artistic skills to paint pictures with words and turn them into messages that matter. As a speaker, writer, minister to women, and former radio talk show host, she has developed a deep sense of the universal needs of the human heart; to be seen, known, loved and forgiven. Sandy lives in Gresham Oregon. She has two adult children, two incredible grandchildren and one playful fur-child. Her books include, “Ellie's Window” & “Called to Rebellion” (available on Amazon.com). For information regarding Sandy’s Biblically based painting parties.

visit her at https://www.comeawayandpaint.com

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What Steals Your Joy?

The world would have you believe that joy is evoked by well-being, success, or happiness but true joy can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Joy is the condition of the heart and God’s will for you. Learn what steals your joy and how to prevent this from happening to you.

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Bio: Lisa Martin is joyful disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and an inspirational Christian speaker. She weaves personal life experiences with biblical scripture to inspire and encourage women in their faith journey. As a retired registered nurse in Women’s Health, she understands the complexities and needs of modern women. Through her gift of laughter, a fun sense of humor, and a joy-filled spirit, she speaks to the hearts of women in a transparent way that nourishes the soul. Lisa and her husband live in Lake Oswego, Oregon. She is a breast cancer survivor with two adult sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law, and two adorable grandchildren.

Holiness in the Workplace

Our work is inextricably connected to our witness. The quality of our work and our attitude toward our work tells people a lot about us—and the God we serve.  So, what does it look like to be Christ’s ambassador in a sometimes-antagonistic workplace?

Bio: 

Georgene Rice hosted a talk show with KPDQ Radio for 34 years.  She has traveled internationally as a station correspondent and along with her husband Dan, as a Gospel musician. Co-author of “Undaunted: The Daring Journey of Faith”, Georgene has lectured on university campuses and is a frequent speaker and worship leader at Christian conferences and retreats.  She and husband Dan have produced three music projects.

Trust, the Basis for Holy Relationships 

"Trust is the fuel for all of life. We are wired biologically, neurologically, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically to trust….and when trust breaks down, so does out ability to move forward.” - Henry Cloud

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Maybe your trust has been broken and you’re left reeling, or maybe you want to grow as a trusted friend in a broken world. Let’s explore this topic which has the power to fuel our lives or, when broken, to drain the life out of us.

Bio:

Dr. Rachel Heffield has been a Professional Counselor for nearly 20 years. She has been privileged to journey with women and couples (and a few men and kids) through some of the dark and winding parts of life and relational journeys helping them untangle the knots and find freedom to be who God created them to be. She is a lover of adventure and exploring new places which she got to do a lot while serving in East Asia for eight years with an international church and providing counseling and lay counselor training. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of Counseling at Western Seminary.

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Protecting our Children

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“Death has climbed in through our windows and has entered our fortresses; it has removed the children from the streets and the young men from the public squares.” Jeremiah 9:21 (NIV) Satan’s agenda is to destroy the next generation. It is time for us, like Deborah in Judges 5, to awake and arise as mothers in our nation.

Bio:

Natalie Larson is a stay at home mom to three beautiful children, James (10), Christopher (6) and Sarah Alice (4). She and her husband, Andrew are junior high sweethearts and have been married for thirteen years. She teaches 3rd-5th grade Kid’s Church and serves in Freedom Ministry at The Collective Church in Tigard, OR. She is passionate about writing, teaching and interceding to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. She has authored Rose Lily, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty to awaken the Church in true identity.

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Walking the dangerous path of humility—-do the benefits outweigh the risks?

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A lifestyle characterized by humility can seem mysterious, suited only for a few exceptionally holy people who don’t need to live in the real world. But humility as taught and illustrated in Scripture is extremely practical. It must engage our heart, our mind and our everyday actions as we are yielded to Jesus. We will gain insight from real life profiles of humility in Scripture and then examine the challenges and rewards of living this out in our contemporary society. 

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Bios: Carolyn Mata has focused her ministry passion on teaching and training women to experience the joy of being taught by the Holy Spirit while studying the Word individually and in groups. During her 15 years on pastoral staff, women learned to use their God-given gifts while being cheerleaders for others. In addition to learning through life’s ups and downs, Carolyn and her husband Ramon both earned their MDivs at Western Seminary. They currently attend Portland Open Bible Church, a richly diverse church family. Carolyn loves to spend time with their married daughter and their two teens and her 95-year young mom who lives with them.

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Felicia is a loving mother to her energetic two-year-old son and soon-to-be newborn daughter, and a devoted wife to her husband Aaron Brown. Her husband’s near-death experience in 2022 that turned into a successful organ transplant has served as a strong teacher of humility and has set her on the path to strengthening this virtue. Together, they serve as the  head pastors of Portland Open Bible Church in Southeast Portland.

 

She plays an active part in the Women's Ministry team, where her passion for theology, apologetics, and deep-rooted love for the Bible fuels her dedication to teaching and equipping others with a solid understanding of their faith. 

She is an advocate for female leadership within the church, striving to create a diverse and fired-up body of Christ.