To produce a Godly and practical conference with Christian speakers who come from a range of evangelical denominations and backgrounds
Men For Christ Ministries (MFCM Inc) was formed in 2004, after three Christian men saw a need for a practical, biblical based conference for men in the west of Sydney.
They shared this vision with other Christian men, and identified their aims as:
This was to be based on the underlying ethos of:
Each year the conference aims to provide men with quality speakers, specialist exhibitors, and topics that may be difficult to handle in their church group but are important in enabling men to become more effective Christians in all their relationships, whether as a husband, father, son, friend, leader.
It aims to offer a choice of topics on the day that are presented with a solid biblical foundation, but which provide practical examples and advice that men can use to cope with the challenges that they, their family and friends face in life.
| Pre-conference Gathering |
|---|
| 9:00am |
| Session 1: Al Stewart A Time to Hold the Line: It’s Not Negotiable |
| Panel Briefing: Dominic Steele, Martyn Iles, Grant Borg, Tony Payne, David Robinson First Hand Accounts |
| Break |
| Session 2: Ross Ciano The Rescue Mission: Our Mandate |
| The Roadmap Forward |
| 11:30am |
| Close |
Al Stewart is one of City Bible Forum's National Communicators. He has been teaching the Bible for over 30 years. Al was also involved in commencing the Geneva Push. He served as a bishop and as a director with the Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church before taking up the role of Chief Operating Officer for City Bible Forum. He is married and has four grown children.
Keynote: A Time to Hold the Line: It’s Not Negotiable
There is one truth that is the sharpest edge of the Christian message. A truth that brings criticism, opposition and persecution, and yet it’s a truth that must be held, for the salvation of humanity. It’s a truth that is deeply unpopular with most in the 21st century, and is the word of eternal life to others. Brothers we must hold onto this truth.
Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
(Ref: NIV 2011)
Ross Ciano is an Australian Italian who was converted at the age of 16 by reading the Bible. He is married and they have two children. Ross Ciano has been preaching for around 23 years in various contexts and countries. He is passionate about evangelism. Ross and his wife church planted in Marrickville from scratch 10 years ago and they still pastor there. Ross' other interests include real football, real coffee, real pasta and cross fit.
Keynote: The Rescue Mission: Our Mandate in Action
There is a motivation to speak that today is largely forgotten and that is the reality of heaven and hell. All people will be in either place and we have an amazing opportunity to be used by God to show them his loving salvation through Jesus.
Dominic is known for calling it as it is. He’s a husband, dad, pastor of Village Church in Annandale & director of Christians in the Media.
The Panel Briefing
The firsthand accounts of challenges facing us in various areas of life and into the future.
Panel Members:
Martyn has operated a church youth ministry with disadvantaged teenagers and worked in a top-tier commercial law firm. He is currently the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) The ACL is one of Australia’s largest lobby groups, desiring a compassionate, just and moral society through having the public contribution of the Christian faith reflected in the political life of the nation.
Breakout: Vicious and Calculated Assaults: The Strategic Plans of those Who Oppose God’s Rule
Changing Times, Unchanging Faith - 21st century men are called to provide leadership in times of incredibly rapid and confusing cultural change. Those changes are pushing Christianity ever closer to the fringes. Where in scripture can we discern the nature of these changes, where they are taking us, and exactly what to do in response?
David Robertson is the Director of Third Space - an evangelistic project with City Bible Forum. He was a Presbyterian pastor in Scotland for 33 years. He is married and they have three children and four grandchildren. David is an author, broadcaster and a prolific blogger at The Wee Flea.
Breakout: Being Human: Sex, Sexuality, Gender
There is a crisis of identity caused by a misunderstanding of what it is to be human. We will look at some of the main issues – sexuality, gender, transgender, marriage, children – where this is all going and how we can and should respond.
Tony Payne is one of Australia’s best-known Christian writers. He is the author of Fatherhood, The Thing Is, The Trellis and the Vine, and more than 30 other books and ministry resources. He is a Ministry Trainer and Writer in Residence with Campus Bible Study at UNSW. He is married, and along with his wife they have five adult children and six grandchildren.
Breakout: Building the Foundations of the Gospel Message: Within Your Family
We often think of ‘communicating the gospel message’ as something that happens out there in the world, or perhaps in church (and it should happen in both places!). But our families are also theatres for the gospel—for living out gospel-centred discipleship, for discipling our families in the knowledge of Christ, and for raising the next generation of faithful Christian witnesses.
As men (and husbands and fathers), most of us feel woefully inadequate for this task. In this seminar, we’ll clarify what the task really is, be encouraged by how God strengthens and equips us for it, and talk practically about what it means to ‘make disciples’ in the family.
Grant is the Campus Pastor of MBM in South West Sydney – a 3-year-old Church Plant out of MBM in Rooty Hill. Grant is at home talking to people about Jesus and more a natural evangelist than he is a Pastor. He is married, has 3 young kids and is most at rest in the Aussie outback.
Breakout: Talking to People about Jesus: How to Be Clear & Effective
Talking to people about Jesus isn’t easy. Most of us have a desire to do it, and we know why we should, but find it hard to relate Jesus to people who’ve grown up in our communities. What makes it even harder is that we speak about God using the language of the Bible which is foreign to most Aussies, and we make it even harder by complicating ideas that can easily be explained in plain English. In this seminar we’ll think about how to be clear on the good news of Jesus, how to relate that good news to people who don’t know it, and how to partner with your local church to make up for our lack of effectiveness as evangelists.
