This year’s theme is Sustaining Pastoral Excellence: Pastoral Character – When No One is Looking. More than 1,100 individuals are expected to participate, with hundreds joining in on a collection of pre-midwinter events that will take place the weekend prior to the start of the conference.
Featured speakers include Gordon MacDonald, who will preach during the Monday evening worship service. MacDonald is an author, speaker, pastor and teacher, currently serving as editor-at-large with Leadership Journal. Miroslav Volf, director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture and the Henry B. Wright professor of theology at Yale Divinity School, will serve as the morning presenter on Tuesday and Wednesday. D. Darrell Griffin, senior pastor of Oakdale Covenant Church in Chicago, will preach during the Wednesday evening service. And Mimi Haddad, who serves as president of Christians for Biblical Equality in Minneapolis, will speak during the Thursday morning breakfast. She also serves as adjunct professor at North Park Theological Seminary.
There are five “connection” events and one forum planned during the pre-midwinter weekend and the early part of the Midwinter event itself:
• CMJ Connection: 2X2 – beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, January 26, and concluding at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, January 27. This event is sponsored by the Department of Compassion, Mercy and Justice and is designed to empower, encourage, equip and engage pastors and lay leaders to explore ministries of compassion, mercy and justice together. New site visit information has been added to the CMJ website – participants are asked to view the site visit opportunities and register for a site visit. Questions may be emailed to Chrissy Palmerlee or directed to her attention at 773-784-3000. A few registration openings remain available.
• Church Planters Connection – beginning at 5 p.m. Sunday, January 27, and concluding at 4 p.m. Monday, January 28. This event provides church planters and pastors exploring church planting a time to integrate scripture with the mission and practice of new church development. For more information, email Dave Olson or call him at 612-251-0448.
• Worship Connection – beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 26, and concluding at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, January 28. This gathering is for Covenant leaders who offer themselves to the activity of Christian worship, including pastors, musicians, artists and others. For more information, email Katie Martinez or call her at 773-583-0220.
• Faith and Health Connection – beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, January 26, and concluding at 4 p.m. on Sunday, January 27. The focus is faith, food and fitness, suggesting that caring for one’s body with honor and respect is part of Christian stewardship. For more information, email Mary Chase-Ziolek or call 773-244-6201.
• Youth Workers Connection – beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 26, and concluding at noon on Monday, January 28. Elective seminars provide an opportunity for in-depth training and conversation.
• Formation Forum – beginning at 2:30 p.m. Monday, January 28, and concluding at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, January 30. Though not part of the weekend activities, this forum is open to any Midwinter participant and is designed for those interested in disciple formation ministries with adults, children and families.
To obtain more detailed information, consult the Midwinter online brochure that will be found under the Midwinter link in the Events section of the Covenant website home page.
