Mission and Evangelism Institute explores 'Missional Church in Many Contexts'

Methodist Theological School in Ohio will host the Mission and Evangelism Institute March 19 and 20, with the theme "Missional Church in Many Contexts." The institute will offer pathways toward becoming a missional congregation in rural, suburban and urban settings. The event's three speakers are proven missional leaders who have had breakthroughs in transforming congregations from inward-oriented to mission-focused.

Rev. Dave Hood is the campus pastor at Fort McKinley Church, the urban branch of Ginghamsburg Church in Dayton. Fort McKinley is a church "restart" that was on the brink of closing in 2008. In just three years, it has grown from 40 attendees to 400, with three Sunday morning worship celebrations.

Rev. Kevin Koske is the pastor of Church in the Mall in Heath. An outreach ministry of Centenary UMC in Granville, Church in the Mall celebrated its public launch on Palm Sunday of 2010. Through its location, it brings church to the people, instead of bringing people to the church, and seeks to integrally embrace and utilize social media for evangelism.

Rev. Bill Lyle served as pastor of Greenville Evangelical United Methodist Church, a rural congregation, for 14 years. His accomplishments there include growing church attendance from 126 to 770, initiating three new styles of worship with innovative multimedia, and creating a culture of serving and witnessing with over 70 percent of the church family involved. He has recently become the senior pastor at Peace UMC in Pickerington.

Tuition for the Mission and Evangelism Institute is $70. Two or more people from the same congregation may attend for $60 each. Student tuition is $15. Dinner on March 19 is included. A Continuing Education Unit certificate is available for $10.

Additional material, including a schedule and registration form, is available at www.mtso.edu/mei.

Methodist Theological School in Ohio prepares leaders of many faith traditions for lives of significance in service to the church and the world. The school offers master's degrees in divinity, counseling ministries, theological studies and practical theology, as well as a Doctor of Ministry degree. For more information, visit www.mtso.edu.

CONTACT:
Danny Russell, director of communications
drussell@mtso.edu, 740-362-3322