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(*Online livestream option available at registration)

Event Overview:

We’re all worshipers. We can’t help it. Everything we do in life is driven by worship. The question is, what are we worshiping? In a way, when God saves us, he is issuing a “factory recall” for broken worshipers: the allegiance of our hearts has been given over to all kinds of things other than God, and through Jesus, God calls us back to the only Object of worship that can truly fulfill the deepest longings of our heart. One could say that the entire Christian life is intended to be a life of worship. At this conference, we will learn, biblically and practically, what it means to be more earnest and wholehearted worshipers of God through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. We’ll talk about worship as a whole-life reality, and we’ll also spend considerable time exploring the meaning and power of gathered worship with God’s people. We will explore significant passages and themes from the Bible. Because we’re talking about worship, this conference is intended for everyone. It will be refreshing and meaningful for pastors, worship leaders, and all other worshipers alike.

Session Descriptions:

Session 1: Worship as All of Life

Because humanity was created to worship, everything we do is driven by it. In this session, we explore what the Bible has to say about humanity as homo adorans, “worshiping beings.” Our aim will be to reorient the way that we think about the events of our everyday life as opportunities to worship God through Jesus Christ.

Session 2: Worship and the Gospel

God can’t be approached, in everyday life or when we gather weekly, just any old way. God is holy. We are not. This means that the good news of Jesus Christ is so much more than our ticket in to salvation. This gospel becomes the very pattern of worship. We will examine both Old and New Testament texts to see why worship centered on the gospel—both personally and corporately—is critical for it to be truly Christian worship.

Session 3: Worship as a Weekly Gathering

From the earliest days of the people of God, our practice was to gather regularly together for worship. The epistle to the Hebrews warns us to not forsake assembling together. Why is gathered worship so important, so critical to our spiritual health and survival? In this session we will gain a vision for corporate worship that will inspire us to gather and participate more fully in our local church services.

Session 4: Worship as Encounter with God

Sometimes we forget that God chooses to be uniquely present to his people when they gather. We’ll explore the three biblical “spheres” of God’s presence in worship—(1) singing/praying; (2) preaching; (3) the ordinances/sacraments—and why God chooses to “show up” in these

ordinary but powerful activities. We’ll also talk about what the Bible has to say about the presence of the Holy Spirit…we may be surprised!

Session 5: Worship and Spiritual Warfare

The enemy wants nothing more than to rob God of the worship he deserves. We need to be ready and equipped for the reality that the enemy will therefore do everything in his power to thwart, distract, and dismantle the joy and power of the weekly gathering of God’s people. We’ll see in the Bible why this is so, and what we can do about it.

Session 6: Worship and Your Emotions

Emotions in worship are, so to speak, a “touchy subject.” Is worship supposed to be emotional? Does emotional worship mean leaving our intellect at the door? Does emotional worship leave us open to manipulation, error, and false belief? We’ll answer these questions and more in this final session.

On Saturday (10/30), breakfast and lunch will be provided. During lunch, Zac Hicks will answer questions from conference participants. There is no charge to attend this event.

Event Keynote Speaker:

Zac Hicks (D.Min., Knox Theological Seminary) has been pastoring and leading worship for over two decades in churches all across the US—Hawaii, California, Colorado, Florida, and most recently Alabama. He is author of The Worship Pastor (Zondervan, 2016) and Worship By Faith Alone (IVP Academic, forthcoming). He has lectured and taught courses in many colleges and seminaries, including Baylor University, Samford University, Denver Seminary, Beeson Divinity School, Knox Seminary, Trinity International University, Belmont University, Trinity School for Ministry, University of Mobile, Reformed Theological Seminary, and Southern Wesleyan University. A songwriter and producer, Zac’s music is streaming everywhere. Zac’s passions include the intersection of old and new in worship, the pastoral dimensions of worship leading, and recovering the gospel-centered theology of the Reformation for the sake of worship renewal. Zac has been married to his wife, Abby, for over twenty years, and they have four kids: Joel, Jesse, Brody, and Bronwyn.