Obstacles and Opportunities in Urban Church Planting and Renewal

Good News for the City III Consultation

More and more people realize that Europe is a tough and hard mission field. This is in particular true for urban settings. Pastors in urban ministries are often overworked and lonely. This third Good News for the City consultation will offer a platform for vision casting for church planting and church renewal in the context of Central and Eastern Europe as well as for honest sharing to work towards cooperation and for sharing the load and to come to personal renewal for those involved in urban ministry. We will see that God is at work and alive in urban context and also what He can do through human people. We target church planters and urban pastors from different denominations and those who prepare to become a church planter from the Carpathian basin, or are interested in working in this region. The consultation is co-sponsored by Bakke Graduate University in Seattle and the Central and Eastern European Institute for Mission Studies of the Kroli Gspr University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, the Danubian and Transdanubian Reformed Church District, the Baptist Church in Hungary, and the Churchplanting network of the Evangelical Alliance. The consultation starts on Monday morning 19th September at 9.30 oclock and ends at 20th September at 16 oclock. It is held in the Rday Conference Center (1092 Budapest, Rday utca 28). The registration fee is 6000 Ft. In some cases contribution towards travelling costs is available. Deadline for registration is August 20, 2011. The conference language is Hungarian and English. Translation is provided.

Central and Eastern European Institute for Mission Studies (CIMS) H-1091 Budapest Klvin tr 7. II. floor Mailing address: H-1461 Budapest Pf. 73 Tel: +36-1-216 2054 Fax: +36-1-216 2054/101 E-mail: cims@kre.hu

Program (draft)
Monday 19th September 2011
8.30-9.30 Registration

9.30 - 10.00 Devotions Jer. 29: Seek the peace for the city Dr. Klmn Mszros, President of the Hungarian Baptist Church 10.00-10.05 Opening 10.00-11.00 Church planting in Central and Eastern Europe (15 minute presentations) - Why is it important? Dr. Andrs Lovas, Reformed Pastor Gazdagrt Reformed Church - Church planting Experiences - a perspective from Hungary. Dr. Gza Kovcs, Pastor of the Rzsakert Baptist Church - Church Planting Experiences a Romanian perspective Dr. Gelu Paul-Faina, Big Impact, Romania. 11.00-11.30 Coffee break 11.30-12.30 Forum Discussion with presenters and church leaders: Why to start new churches? Could our churches cooperate with other churches? 12.30-14.00 Lunch 14-18 Site visits to recent church plants or renewing churches (groups of 8-10 people, Group leaders combination of BGU alumni and local host) 1. Salvation Army Church, 8th district. Focus: Reaching out to marginalized people Dr. Moses Alagbe and Rev. Andrew Morgan 2. Kpostsmegyr Reformed Church. Focus: Transformational leadership Dr. Robert Calvert and Rev. Andrs Zmb

Central and Eastern European Institute for Mission Studies (CIMS) H-1091 Budapest Klvin tr 7. II. floor Mailing address: H-1461 Budapest Pf. 73 Tel: +36-1-216 2054 Fax: +36-1-216 2054/101 E-mail: cims@kre.hu

3. Talipont Reformed Church. Focus: Reaching out to secularized people and people from other religions- Dr. Bert de Ruiter and Rev. Endre Samson Kiss 4. Gazdagrt Reformed Church. Focus: Reaching out to artists Dr. Steve Thrall and Dr. Andrs Lovas and Dora Votin. 5. Budars, Kszikla Baptist Church, Rev. Istvn Durk 18.30 Supper in Rday Conference Center Informal sharing of experiences

Tuesday 20th September 2011

9.00 9.30 Devotions2 Cor 12: Gods strength in our weakness The Most Reverend Bishop Dr. Istvn Szab, Bishop of the Danubian Reformed Church District. 9.30-10.00 Observations of BGU Regents on site visits (brief contributions of 5 minutes each) 10.00-11.00 Challenges and Opportunities in Church planting and Church renewal (10 minute brief case studies with pastoral perspective (honest sharing of personal struggles)) - Eszter Dani Pastor of Rkoskeresztr Reformed Church, Budapest (requested) - David Ills Pastor of Szilgyi Dezs tri Reformed Church, Budapest - Lajos Pski Pastor of Nagyerdei Reformed Church, Debrecen (requested) 11.00-11.30 Coffee break 11.30-12.30 Small group discussions on challenges and opportunities (some in language groups) 12.30-14.00 Lunch 14-15.30 Forum: Sharing Spiritual and Training Resources
Central and Eastern European Institute for Mission Studies (CIMS) H-1091 Budapest Klvin tr 7. II. floor Mailing address: H-1461 Budapest Pf. 73 Tel: +36-1-216 2054 Fax: +36-1-216 2054/101 E-mail: cims@kre.hu

* Brief (10 min) presentations of BGU European alumni on what studying with BGU did for them personally and for their current ministry, followed by discussion. - Dr. Moses Alagbe - Dr. Steve Thrall - Dr. Andrs Lovas - Dr. Bert de Ruiter - Dr. Robert Calvert 15.30-16.00 Closing Dr. Raymond J. Bakke, Chancellor of Bakke Graduate University.

Central and Eastern European Institute for Mission Studies (CIMS) H-1091 Budapest Klvin tr 7. II. floor Mailing address: H-1461 Budapest Pf. 73 Tel: +36-1-216 2054 Fax: +36-1-216 2054/101 E-mail: cims@kre.hu