Because we live in a fallen world, suffering and trials are unavoidable. The question isn’t whether we will suffer and face trials, but how we will respond to them. Will my challenges bring me closer to God or distance me from Him? Will my response to difficulties honor God or dishonor Him? Will those who know me be inspired to faith or discouraged from it by watching me respond to my trials?  Join us as we examine the Bible’s teaching about God’s purposes for our trials and how faith can bring us closer to God and make us more honoring to Him through them.

Identity, every human being struggles with it. Identity is generally understood as a person's sense of self or self-understanding. In the broadest sense, a person's identity is the collection of characteristics that make up who they are. These include personality traits, abilities, strengths and weaknesses, and likes and dislikes, as well as ethnicity and nationality, group affiliations, appearance, socioeconomic status, roles, value systems, and worldview. Identity used to be simple. Someone would ask you what you wanted to be when you grow up and you would answer, a doctor, a lawyer or a mom. Now, identity has become very complicated. Our children are struggling with constant demands to define themselves. Children are asked at school, are you gay or bi? Online they are accosted with the pressure to become transgender or a furry. Come to our session if you have children or work with children and we will discuss the importance of laying a foundation for your children grounded in an understanding of God's design and purpose.

Explore principles of personal and family finances especially regarding savings.
Look at strategies and tools for savings.
How savings is different from investing.
How life insurance can be an unappreciated tool in your families finances.

In this workshop, I will support the precious element of Holy Spirit enabled pastoral ministry, while encouraging discernment in utilizing modern technological conveniences, such as AI.

"Will the cancer return? Is my career on solid ground? Will I ever walk down the aisle? Are my kids truly safe? For many of us, life seems to be marked by hardship, heartache, and uncertainty, and in the middle of it all, we ache for lasting peace. Those weighed down by fear and discouragement often hear the Bible’s call to “trust in the Lord,” but what does that look like in real life? In a book review of "Consider the Lilies" by Jonny Ardavanis, we will discover the heartfelt call to shift our gaze from the anxieties of life to the faithful care and character of God."

Next Door Nations (Make Your Local Church Intentionally International) Matt Barfield - “Our neighbors come from all nations.  Does the missionary effort of our churches reflect this reality? The emphasis (has been) in many churches’ Great Commission work has been to send resources overseas.  While that can be (and is) a great thing, many who used to live exclusively overseas are now over here!  This is an opportunity for the Church to reach more nations with the gospel more deeply and profoundly than was previously possible.”  Mt 5.16 becomes Mt 28.19 next door!  Acts chapter two seen at EBC! God is bringing the nations to us.  Let’s preach the gospel, disciple the saved, and send them to their people to preach the gospel and disciple the saved.  Let’s see what EBC has done, is doing, and can do with each member participating! P.s. We will also look briefly at ways to approach other cultures with humility.

What does it mean to be a disciple? What are disciples called to do? What does discipleship look like at Emmanuel? These questions, and more, will be discussed in this workshop. If you would like to explore your role in God’s plan of reaching the world, this workshop will challenge you to take a next step.

Married couples read many books and attend numerous conferences and counseling sessions, seeking new approaches and methods to achieve a better marriage. But methods without humility will never help a struggling marriage, for God is "opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:8). If we claim to be indwelt by the Savior who is "gentle and humble of heart"(Matthew 11:29), then we must be humble ourselves. Join us as we explore the concept of humility and its importance in every relationship, starting with our relationship with God and then extending to our relationships with others, including our spouse.

What does Biblical fellowship look like? We know the many “one anothers” of the New Testament, but do we live them out and know how fellowship fuels, ignites our mission as the body of Christ. My friends, we need one another.

Should evangelism be woven into the very heart of our daily life and is that what the Bible teaches? Yes! Evangelism is more than a one-off conversation, rather evangelism should become a way of life, woven into any Jesus follower’s everyday life. Join us as we look into the Scriptures and consider both the why and how of “Evangelism as a way of life.”

Everyone experiences fear and faces uncertainty. At times, we all wrestle with obsessive thoughts or feel compulsive to act in certain ways. But for some, these thoughts and actions become so intense that they overwhelm and disrupt their lives. Let’s come together to reflect on God’s care and help along life’s fearful paths.

Across 30+ years of college teaching, I see God's fingerprints and ingenuity everywhere in how he has made us.  In this session, I'll help you see the beauty, elegance, design, and craftsmanship of our maker's handiwork through my eyes and experiences.