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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Oct. 29, 2010) — Milligan College will host the 2010 East Tennessee Christian Convention on Sunday, Nov. 7. Scheduled events throughout the day include a leadership workshop, women’s ministry workshop, main worship session and activities for youth and children. The convention is free and open to the public.
The East Tennessee Christian Convention is the longest-running state Christian convention in North America. This year’s event marks the 181st consecutive year for the convention, which was originally known as the Annual Meeting of the Christian churches/churches of Christ of Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina.
A planning team consisting of area ministers and Christian leaders meets year-round to prepare for the convention. The planning team is led by John Marr, counseling and community care minister at First Christian Church of Johnson City, Tenn. Marr is also the co-founder and director of Higher Ministries, a ministry serving the needs of the local church minister, their families and the congregations they serve.
Dr. Aaron Wymer, senior minister at Grandview Christian Church, Johnson City, will speak for the main session from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Seeger Memorial Chapel. The main session will also feature The Charles Goodwin Trio with special guest Rick Simerly, associate professor of music at Milligan.
Kris Carlson, music worship assistant at First Christian Church of Johnson City, will lead the worship during the main session. A choir consisting of choir members of several local congregations, directed by Tempa Bader, music minister at Crossroads Christian Church in Gray, Tenn., will also be featured during the main session.
A church leadership seminar will be held in Milligan’s Derthick Lecture Hall (Derthick Hall Room 202). The seminar will be led by the staff of Higher Ministries and will feature breakout groups for senior ministers, other pastoral staff and lay leaders.
The women’s ministry workshop, titled “Surviving and Thriving: Being God’s Woman in Today’s World,” will be held in Milligan’s Gregory Center for the Liberal Arts from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Leading the afternoon’s events along with the ETCC Women’s Ministry Team will be Christian storyteller Rebecca Alexander, speaker/author Ronda Paulson and worship band Face Like Flint. Childcare will be provided for this event at Hopwood Christian Church on the campus of Milligan.
Crossroads Christian Church, located at 1300 Suncrest Drive in Gray, will host the student convention from 4 to 8 p.m. The program includes worship, workshops and a pizza dinner. The theme for the program is “MASTERpiece,” and will feature speaker Mike Luzadder, campus minister at the Campus House: Christian Student Fellowship at East Tennessee State University. The cost for the student convention is $5. Childcare for children from birth to fifth grade will be provided from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Hopwood Christian Church on Milligan’s campus.
A church staff breakfast focusing on “What to do when leadership does not appear to be working,” will be held on Monday, Nov. 8, at 8:30 a.m. in Milligan’s McCormick Dining Center Annex. Higher Ministries will provide the program for the breakfast. Area church staff members are welcome. The cost for the breakfast is $5.
For more information, contact Higher Ministries at 423.502.6962 or visit www.higherministries.com/events.