Taking a cue from Korean-language groups in the Christian Reformed Church that had success hosting conferences open to families, Global Coffee Break hosted an all-ages English conference at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., in July. A ministry of the CRC through Resonate Global Mission, it offered Bible studies for men, women, and children on the theme “Inspired by Hope,” based on 1 Thessalonians 1:3.
“This was an experiment,” said Diane Averill, the small group representative and local mission leader at Global Coffee Break for the East Coast. She added that Global Coffee Break has had women’s retreats for a number of years, but this was the first time when men and children were included.
Grace Community Chapel in Teaneck, N.J., home church of one of the conference speakers, developed Bible study materials for elementary children. Teens used the same materials as the adults at the conference, invited to ask questions of the Bible text and apply what they learned to their lives.
Kevin DeRaaf, Resonate’s director; Tim Sheridan, a Resonate leader in church planting; and Sora Suh, who leads the adult education team at Grace Community Chapel, a Christian Reformed congregation with services in English and Korean, were the keynote speakers. Topics included hope now and hope forever, from the 1 Thessalonians passage; finding oneself in the stories of the Bible rather than the stories of the current culture; and how studying the Bible together can unite the family. There were also breakout sessions on discerning spiritual needs, leading small groups, studying the Bible as a family, and living in the Biblical stories. Organizers arranged breaks and mealtimes as opportunities for participants attending from different churches to interact with one another and share experiences.
About 60 people attended the Wenham, Mass., conference, including 15 children and five teens. “This was a great experience,” Averill said. “There were tools to engage everyone with the Bible, inspiring worship, and outstanding speakers.”
Several of Averill’s own family members attended, including her husband, also a local mission leader; Averill’s daughter with her two boys; and Averill’s son and daughter-in-law with their four children. “It was great to experience this as a family,” Averill said.
Global Coffee Break ministers in 30 countries and 11 languages.
About the Author
Callie Feyen is a writer living in Ann Arbor, Mich. She attends First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor. Callie writes news for The Banner and contributes to Coffee+Crumbs, and T.S. Poetry Press. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and is the author of The Teacher Diaries: Romeo and Juliet, and Twirl: My Life in Stories, Writing, & Clothes.