Goshen College hosts conference on pressures of culture on Christian families, Oct. 21

Conference: “Christianity in context: Facing the pressures of culture on children, youth and family”
Date and time: Oct. 21, 2006 – 8:30 a.m.-noon
Location: College Mennonite Church, Room 300
Cost: $5, includes coffee break
Event sponsor: Goshen College Education Department and College Mennonite Church
For more information or to register: Call Goshen College Education Department at (574) 535-7440.

GOSHEN, Ind. – Many families and congregations are facing the challenges of raising children and youth in the culture today – a culture that sometimes sends messages that are at odds with the church. From sports practices and games on Sunday mornings to music and drama performances, parents are regularly making decisions that have an impact on family and church life.

The Goshen College Education Department and College Mennonite Church are sponsoring a one-day conference on “Christianity in context: Facing the pressures of culture on children, youth and family” on Oct. 21 from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the College Mennonite Church Room 300.

Sessions will focus on making decisions about the activities children will be involved in, the spiritual development of children and youth, rituals of faith to connect church and home life, and choosing books and Bibles appropriate for children. Rachel Miller Jacobs, a mother and pastor of Christian formation at Kern Road Mennonite Church in South Bend, will give a keynote address on “Church and popular culture: How they fit together – or don’t.”

The conference is especially geared towards parents, grandparents, teachers, pastors and Christian educators. It costs $5, which includes a coffee break. Parking is available on the south side of College Mennonite Church.

To register or to request more information, contact Yolonda Wiens in the Goshen College Education Department by calling (574) 535-7440.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.