Inspire, Summer 2004

Inspire 7 March Madness The month of March brought a different kind of “March Madness” to Cedarville University this year. Three major conferences were held to assist people in three kinds of ministry: evangelism, urban ministries, and outdoor sports ministries. On March 4-5, Cedarville hosted the 2004 Spring Pastors Summit/Evangelism Celebration “Return to Holiness,” sponsored by the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio and Cedarville University. Attendance ranged from 900 to 1,750 as people came to the different sessions to hear speakers Dr. Henry Blackaby, author of Experiencing God ; Dr. Richard Blackaby, president of Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary; Dr. Alistair Begg, senior pastor of Parkside Church and host of the “Truth for Life” radio program; Dr. Jerry Falwell, founder and chancellor of Liberty University; Dr. Ken Hemphill, author and national strategist for the Empowering Kingdom Growth initiative for the Southern Baptist Convention; and others. Music was led by Charles Billingsley, musical artist-in- residence at Liberty University; and Larnelle Harris, five-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist. Craig Krenzel, quarterback of the 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes National Championship team, offered a lunchtime lecture, courtesy of Athletes in Action. Gerry Caillouet, host and producer of the nationally- syndicated radio program “God’s Great Outdoors,” brought his “Trail to Adventure Conference” to Cedarville on March 13. The conference was designed to assist the church in ministering to outdoor sports enthusiasts through outdoor outreach programs. Speakers included Mike Skupin, a “Survivor: Australian Outback” contestant; Steve Rocky, a white-tailed deer hunting expert; Dr. Wally Harder, ministries coordinator for Christian Bowhunters of America; Burly Hall, pro shooter for Mathews Bows and a five-time world champion, 24-time national champion 3-D archer; Mark DePugh, president and founder of Fellowship of Christian Hunters; and Heath Painter, owner of Wildeyes Production and producer of outdoor television shows. Topics included fishing events, hunting activities, camping- style evangelism, boating adventures, shooting sports, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, and horse programs. Cedarville University hosted the 2004 Urban Missions Conference “Out of the Pews and Into the Streets” March 18-20. This annual event, sponsored by Urban Light Ministries in Springfield, Ohio, is designed to inform and equip anyone who has a burden for the city. This year’s keynote speakers were Rev. Eli Williams, co-founder of Urban Light Ministries in Springfield, Ohio; Rev. Stan A. Archie, senior pastor of Christian Fellowship Baptist Church (CFBC) in Kansas City, Missouri; Rev. Phil Jackson, pastor of The House, an urban youth center/church in inner-city Chicago; and Dr. Jeffrey Cook ’81, assistant professor of Bible at Cedarville University. Along with the keynote speakers, approximately 40 workshops were offered on topics such as “Adopt-a-Block,” “Ministry Among Hispanic Communities,” “Embracing High- Risk Youth Ministry,” “Prison Ministry,” “Networking Urban and Suburban Churches,” “Making Cross-Cultural Relationships Work,” and “Mobilizing Your Church for Urban Missions.” Dynamic urban praise and worship was provided by the worship team from CFBC. Audiocassettes and CDs of the keynote speeches of the Pastors Summit/Evangelism Celebration and the Urban Missions Conference may be ordered by calling CDR Radio at 1-800-333-0601. Newsboys Make a Stop at the ’Ville The Newsboys brought their “Adoration: The Tour” to Cedarville University on April 2. The sold-out concert featured the acclaimed Christian rock band, as well as vocalists Rebecca St. James and Jeremy Camp. The Newsboys’ national tour consisted of 35 shows and was witnessed by more than 150,000 people. The Cedarville concert was the tour’s only stop in Ohio.