Speakers will be Mark Lau Branson, the Homer L. Goddard Associate Professor of the Ministry of the Laity at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and Leiko Yamamoto Pech, a liturgical artist from Altadena, California.
The community is invited, and admission is free. Four sessions are scheduled:
• 7 p.m. Friday – “Dangers on the Roads”
• 10 a.m. Saturday – “Engaging the Shalom”
• 7 p.m. Saturday – “The Kingdom in Their Midst”
• 10:30 a.m. Sunday – sermon during the regular worship service
Each year the church brings in top speakers from around the country to discuss how Christians can interact with the culture. Previous speakers have included Stanley Hauerwas, Brent Laytham, Rob Johnston, Steve Long, Ken Myers, Ralph Wood, and Rodney Clapp, among others.
Branson teaches courses in congregational leadership and community engagement at Fuller. He was ordained in an African American Pentecostal church and has served on the pastoral teams in United Methodist and Presbyterian churches. Branson has worked with several Christian agencies active in education, community development, and community organizing. His most recent book is Memories, Hopes, and Conversations: Appreciative Inquiry and Congregational Change, published by Alban Institute.
Pech has worked for 20 years as a liturgical artist, offering works that support and encourage worship, often providing opportunities for congregational participation. She also designs and creates liturgical vestments. As a community artist, she has worked on projects that promote sustainability, the strengthening of local identity, historic preservation, diversity, collaboration, and activism.
The conference is co-sponsored by Church of the Servant King/Windows Booksellers. For more information, visit the Valley Covenant Church website or call the church staff at or call 541-345-0055.
