Sessions
Understanding Suffering
Pastor Steve Viars
The conference begins with a look at what the Bible says about suffering. Pastor Viars will carefully teach us how we should understand suffering from a Biblical perspective and will exhort us about how we as Christians should respond to it. As a seasoned pastor and counselor he will lovingly guide us to handle heartbreaking situations in a way that honor and glorify God, benefit those we love, and ultimately work for our own good. Be ready to be challenged to honestly look at suffering and hurting with transparency and authenticity, never being afraid to be real with God or honest in your pain.
Embracing God’s Control
Pastor Rob Green
In the middle of heartbreaking circumstances and excruciating emotional pain it’s hard to remember that God is in control, and that His control is one of the demonstrations of his love for us. In this session Pastor Rob Green will gently guide us through a biblical explanation of the topic and will help us to understand difficult concepts like Providence, Sovereignty, and God’s Control. Pastor Green approaches difficult topics like these in a caring yet theologically robust manner that will encourage you to reflect and meditate. This session will help you to begin to think Biblically about a variety of important truths and apply them to circumstances that are challenging.
Understanding God’s Comfort
Dr. Amy Baker
When all of life has been broken and you are feeling deep pain, an accurate understanding of the comfort that is available from God is a requirement for Biblically navigating devastating circumstances in a way that glorifies Him. Amy will help us understand God’s comfort not only from His Word but also from the Biblical wisdom she is gaining while struggling through her own painful life experiences. You can expect this session to be one that you will want to hear again and again as you absorb and apply the depth of the Biblical truths presented.
Understanding Sin
Jocelyn Wallace
Unfortunately sometimes our suffering is the product of our very own choices, and pain is the result of the consequences that came with those choices. In this session Jocelyn will help us understand from a Biblical perspective truths about sin, confession, repentance, and forgiveness. This session should help us gain a deep understanding of basic truths about both salvation and Christian growth in an easy to understand yet deeply practical manner.
The Heart and Change
Pastor Brent Aucoin
The hearts that we bring to suffering have so much to do with our response to painful circumstances. In this session Pastor Aucoin will help us understand what the Bible means when it talks about the Heart, and he’ll help us understand why it’s important that we should grow and change as Christians. Be prepared to hear about the differences between behavior change and permanent change, and be ready for lots of practical suggestions about how to apply these truths to the difficult situations with which you may be dealing.
How to Help Someone Bound to Habits Make Permanent Changes
Jocelyn Wallace
Quite frequently when someone has been responding to suffering unbiblically or has been making sinful choices suffering starts to compound upon suffering because unbiblical habits are being built. In this session, Jocelyn will help us learn how the physical body and the spiritual heart work together in establishing habits. Additionally, she will teach about how to begin making changes that will not only be life-changing but also permanent. This session should give you a lot of hope about how to begin making changes for yourself, but also how to support your loved ones as they begin to work through difficult issues.
Perseverance and Running for the Prize
Dr. Bob Smith
One of the most exasperating things about suffering is that is seems to last forever. In this session, Dr. Smith will help us see hope in the midst of our pain and will help us catch a glimpse of what it might look like for us to be able to make it through distressing circumstances without quitting. This session should be a huge encouragement to everyone, especially to those who are in the middle of trying situations. From this session you will learn how to hope for Heaven in an accurate and worthy way, how to persevere no matter if the trial never ends, and how to run the race with confidence and clarity.
Being People Who Emulate God While Suffering
Jocelyn Wallace
So many times people who are suffering and hurting forget the big picture. In this session, Jocelyn will walk us through a vivid illustration about how God intended us to handle life-changing and traumatic situations. The conference will end with a loving and gentle exhortation to take God’s challenge to glorify Him seriously. It will also include instruction about how to emulate him in the midst of suffering to such a degree that through us, during our suffering, people will have a better understanding of and love for the God we say we serve. This session will be a comforting and challenging summary that will leave you excited to go back home and continue handling situations that are incredibly challenging.
Workshops
Tuesday and Wednesday Afternoon
On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons five breakout workshops will be offered that should help conference guests become more familiar with several different areas that may be presenting problems for themselves or their loved ones. Each conference guest will be allowed to choose two of the five workshops to attend throughout the conference. Each of the workshop presenters will also be available for a voluntary Q and A on their topic on Wednesday evening allowing conference guests to become more familiar with or to ask questions about the topic in which they are most interested in gaining feedback from staff or having particular questions answered. Conference guest may choose to attend the Wednesday evening Q and A on one of the two topics they are planning on learning about during workshop hours or they may explore a 3rd topic, but it needs to be understood that the depth of information present in the Wednesday Evening Q and A will be simply based on the questions that are presented and will not contain a great deal of organized material.
Anorexia
Janelle Meinema will lead a one hour workshop covering basic information about anorexia. This workshop will help anyone wanting to understand anorexia better have the basic facts to do so. Additionally Janelle will review what biblical responses to Anorexia should be, and she will also discuss several of the potential heart issues that may motivate those who use anorexia to accomplish their personal goals. Physical symptoms, medical side effects, intervention, and treatment options will also be discussed.
Bulimia
Tori Shirk will lead a one hour workshop covering basic information about bulimia. This workshop will help anyone wanting to understand bulimia better have the basic facts to do so. Food addiction issues, information about binging and purging, advice about establishing accountability, and godly weight regulation will all be discussed. Additionally physical symptoms, medical side effects, intervention, and treatment options will also be discussed.
Self-Harm
Jocelyn Wallace will lead a one hour workshop covering information and advice about self-harm. This workshop will be share information about cutting, burning, pulling out hair, and other methods of self-harm. The workshop will also present ways to understand possible root causes behind most cutting / self-harm incidents and habits as well as appropriate treatment plans for those wishing to overcome life-dominating habits of self-harm.
Unplanned Pregnancy
Dr. Amy Baker will lead a one hour workshop discussing issues related to unplanned pregnancy, especially for teenagers. The workshop will also present information including a biblical understanding of stewardship of the child and biblical considerations for adoption or parenting.
Drug / Alcohol Abuse
Heather Starkweather will lead a one hour workshop with basic information about drug and alcohol abuse or dependence. This workshop will contain basic information about specific drugs, classes of drugs, and potential idols behind drug use. Additionally, physical symptoms, medical side effects, and cultural cues will be discussed.
Tuesday Evening
On Tuesday evening three workshops will be offered to those who would like to attend. These workshops are completely voluntary and are only offered to enhance the experience of those individuals who believe they would benefit from the opportunity to ask Vision of Hope Staff questions pertaining to these topics. Summaries for each Workshop are listed below. During the registration process we ask that you sign up for the workshop you plan to attend to allow us to plan appropriately.
Suffering
This Q and A workshop is designed to assist those who have a family member who is dealing with a life-dominating issue but has not begun to realize that they need to seek help. This workshop will focus on how to confront someone having problems, how to decide what level of intervention is the right approach, or how to continue loving and serving someone who is very deceived about the depth of their problems and their need to address those issues.
Discouraged
This workshop is specifically designed to assist friends or family who have a loved one that realizes they have significant life-dominating problems but refuses to seek help. This workshop will focus on how to continue loving someone who is sinning without condoning the sinful practices of that individual. Emphasis will be placed on answering questions about how to wisely make decisions about specific challenging circumstances when you do not agree with how your loved one caught in a dangerous lifestyle is choosing to handle the problems.
Persevering
This workshop is designed to be an encouragement to family members or friends who have a loved one that fully acknowledges the terrible choices they have made and are seeking appropriate and Biblical treatment for that issue. The workshop will focus on answering questions about how to support loves ones well, how to understand what helps a loved one’s progress, and how to avoid decisions that would hinder progress.
Wednesday Evening
On Wednesday evening five workshops will be offered to those who would like to attend. These workshops are completely voluntary and are only offered to enhance the experience of those individuals who believe they would benefit from the opportunity to ask Vision of Hope Staff questions pertaining to these topics. Summaries for each Workshop are listed below. During the registration process we ask that you sign up for the workshop you plan to attend to allow us to plan appropriately.
Anorexia
Janelle Meinema will lead a Q and A for those interested in getting personal answers to questions concerning anorexia. Janelle has worked with many young women dealing with anorexia, extreme calorie restriction, and supercontrol of calorie intake. She is also able to answer questions about weight restoration, ProAna concerns, and other difficult issues pertaining specifically to those struggling with anorexia.
Bulimia
Tori Shirk will lead Q and A for those with questions pertaining to bulimia. Tori will be prepared to discuss food addiction issues, information about binging and purging, as well as information about how to effectively deal with someone who is trying to establish accountability. She is also able to answer questions about godly weight regulation, ProMia Concerns, and other difficult issues pertaining specifically to those struggling with bulimia.
Self-Harm
Jocelyn Wallace will lead Q and A for those with questions or concerns about self-harm. Jocelyn will be prepared to discuss cutting, burning, pulling out hair, and other methods of self-harm. Jocelyn will also be able to answer questions about root causes behind most cutting / self-harm incidents and habits as well as appropriate treatment plans for those wishing to overcome life-dominating habits of self-harm.
Unplanned Pregnancy
Dr. Amy Baker will lead Q and A for those with questions or concerns about how to help and appropriately care for someone experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, especially teenagers. Amy will be able to answer questions about some of issues surrounding this topic including a biblical understanding of stewardship of the child and biblical considerations for adoption or parenting.
Drug / Alcohol Abuse
Heather Starkweather will be prepared to lead Q and A for those with questions or concerns about how to help those struggling with drug and alcohol abuse or dependence. Heather is able to help workshop attenders understand specific drugs, classes of drugs, or potential idols behind drug use. Heather will be able to answer questions about how to help a loved one struggling with drug or alcohol dependence.