Annual Conference

NAPCE 2000 Annual Conference
October 26-28, 2000
International Plaza Hotel
Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
Mark Cannister - Conference VP

Conference Theme and Focus
Conference Schedule
Plenary Speaker
Accommodations



Conference Theme and Focus

The final NAPCE conference of the 20th Century convened on October 26, 2000 in Toronto at the International Plaza Hotel. Our theme was "Reaching the Nations through Christian Education."

The Great Commission commands us to go into the entire world, preaching the good news of the Gospel and making disciples of all nations. Jesus’ final marching order to His apostles was for them to be witnesses of His life in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. What of those who live in the "Samarias" and "ends of the earth" in our contemporary world? What is our role as Christian educators in reaching these people who are far from God with the saving knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ?

For too long we have left the task of initiating people into the faith up to our missionary friends and for too long our missionary friends have left the education of converts up to us. This has created a false dichotomy between Christian education and missiology. As we approach the dawn of the 21st century, it is time that we consider bridging the gap between these fields of theology. Evangelism is not the preface to Christian education; evangelism is an intimate aspect of Christian education. If discipleship is about turning irreligious people into genuine Christlike disciples, then we who are in Christian education ministries must be just as concerned with initiation as we are with formation.

In Toronto, one of the world’s most multi-cultural cities, we thought about the proper theological relationships between evangelism and discipleship, missions and Christian education, outreach and nurture. We considered why the field of practical theology has dichotomized missions/evangelism and Christian education into different categories. We pondered the proper relationship of evangelism, discipleship, missions and mentoring to the doctrine of sanctification.

In terms of a curriculum for Christian higher education and for the church, we discussed how faculty can be truly fruitful, graduating fully actualized disciples rather than just productive fully credentialed students. We considered the possibilities of a contemporary catechism for educating those who are searching for life’s meaning. We were challenged to rethink our church staff paradigms in order to alleviate the fragmentation of the sanctification process.

In addition to thinking deeply we celebrated joyfully the faithfulness of NAPCE at the turn of the century. Some historical remembrances and prophetic predictions were made in an engaging, refreshing and special time of fellowship.

Conference Schedule

Thursday, October 26th
1:30-5:30 P.M. Registration
5:30-6:30 P.M. Reception
6:30-8:00 P.M. Dinner
8:15-9:30 P.M. Panel Discussion—Dave Rahn, Moderator "NAPCE at Y2K: Learning from the Past, Lessons for the Future"


Recreation Facilities at the Hotel

Friday, October 27th
8:00-9:00 A.M. Breakfast on Your Own
9:00-10:30 A.M. General Session One—Michael J. Wilkins
10:30-11:00 A.M. Break
11:00-12:15 P.M. Professional Development and Thematic Seminars
12:15-12:30 P.M. Break
12:30-2:00 P.M. Lunch and NAPCE Business Meeting
2:00-2:15 P.M. Break
2:15-3:15 P.M. Current Research I
3:15-3:30 P.M. Break
3:30-4:30 P.M. Current Research II
4:30-6:30 P.M. Free Time
6:30-8:00 P.M. Dinner
8:00-9:30 P.M. General Session Two—Michael J. Wilkins


Exercise Facilities at the Hotel

Saturday, October 28th
8:00-9:00 A.M. Breakfast on Your Own
9:00-10:15 A.M. Professional Development and Thematic Seminars
10:15-10:30 A.M. Break
10:30-12:00 P.M. General Session Three—Michael J. Wilkins "A Paradigm of Accomplishing Mission in a Culture of Diversity"
12:00-6:00 P.M. Lunch and Field Trips
6:00 P.M. Enjoy Toronto

International Plaza Hotel Accommodations

Plenary Speaker

Our plenary speaker was Dr. Michael J. Wilkins, Professor of New Testament Language and Literature and Dean of the Faculty at the Talbot School of Theology. In light of his scholarship, pastoral experiences and personal faith journey, Dr. Wilkins was uniquely qualified to help those of us in Christian education reconcile the act of becoming a disciple (evangelism) with the process of growth in discipleship (Christian growth). Dr. Wilkins addressed the conference three times and challenged us to consider the role of Christian education in reaching those who are far from God. Dr. Wilkins has published several books including Following the Master: A Biblical Theology of Discipleship (Zondervan) and In His Image: Reflecting Christ in Everyday Life (Navpress).

Mike Wilkins challenged the paradigms of evangelism and discipleship to which we have become accustomed. He helped us think about the proper role of evangelism in the context of Christian education, and he sought to bring together the fields of practical theology, missions and Christian education, which often are held as distinct and isolated fields.

Accommodations

International Plaza Hotel
655 Dixon Road • Toronto, Ontario
CANADA M9W 1J4

Field Trip Options

NAPCE sponsored several optional field trips during the Toronto conference allowing participants to explore the many multi-cultural dimensions of the city. Below is the listing of events that were planned:

Ethnicity in the Church
Michael Blair et al. will lead a round table discussion on the history of ethnic groups in the Canadian church at his downtown Toronto Baptist church. The discussion will deal with the attempt of integrating ethnic groups into the church and the challenges of education. Through the discussion many will gain a renewed appreciation of the mission enterprise within their schools, communities, and cities.

China Town Scavenger Hunt
Jakob and Lorie Koch of Liebenzell Mission of Canada (LMC), working in cooperation with the Intercultural Ministry Centre at Tyndale Seminary, develop cross-cultural experiences to challenge and equip individuals for cross-cultural ministry in Canada and overseas. The China Town Scavenger Hunt is designed in two stages for taking people deeper into the Asian cultures of Toronto. It includes a variety of activities, including, taste, smell, verbal interaction, and observation that leave a lasting impression and appreciation in the minds of participants. So join us in China Town, one of Toronto's wonderful windows on the world!

Foreign Language Learning Experience
Tom McCormick and several Tyndale students will lead you through personal testimonies about what it is like to learn cross-culturally. You will have an opportunity to learn a few lines in a foreign language and to see first hand the challenge of cross-cultural teaching and learning. Tom will briefly explain some of the difficulties of learning cross-culturally. After the whole experience you will have a chance to debrief and talk about your experience as a language learner. Tom has a Ph.D. in Linguistics and Philosophy from the University of Texas. He has worked with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Peru helping with a literacy and translation project among the Quechua Indians, as well as teaching and consulting in Papua New Guinea and Cameroon. Tom is currently teaching ESL in Toronto, serving with MissionPrep (a partnership between the TIM Centre and Ministry Internships, Canada).

Inner City Street Walk
Take a walk through the lesser-known areas of downtown Toronto. See the dynamics of what is happening at the street level; prejudice, poverty, drugs, and abuse. Rick Tobias, director at Yonge Street Mission, will take you through some of the city streets. Rick has been doing this walk for a number of years. He teaches Urban Youth Ministry at Tyndale. As part of the course requirement, students spend 24 hours on the street with nothing else but the clothes on their back. Get a first hand look at where ministry needs to take place.

Intentionally Multicultural Churches
Join Rev. John Mahaffey and several others from Churchill Heights Baptist Church for a round table discussion on what it is like to be leaders in a multicultural church. Churchill Heights is an intentionally multicultural church of over 800 with 40 nationalities. Help lead and facilitate this discussion to discover what it takes to be intentionally multicultural. Discover the benefits and challenges of being multicultural. Put into practice and begin to teach the wider context of the Body of Christ within your schools and churches.

Mission Project
Join David Adcock, Associate Executive Director of Yonge Street Mission in downtown Toronto, on a mission project to see this amazing centre for outreach. Spend time working in the centre with those that volunteer and work there on a regular basis. Find out the struggles, challenges, and blessings of working in an inner city mission.

Copyright © 2000. North American Professors of Christian Education. All rights reserved.