ABHMS invites faith leaders to Chicago for CLI Summit on intergenerational mission and discipleship
VALLEY FORGE, PA (09/24/2024)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) proudly announces the second summit of a new leadership initiative, Conferencia de Liderazgo Intergeneracional (CLI), on October 26, at North Baptist Church, 5244 N. Lakewood Ave, Chicago Illinois. This event is a collaboration of ABHMS, Latino/a regional leaders Pastor Jose Faz, the Rev. Shakespeare Osorio, and the Rev. Jaime Flores from the Wisconsin, Metro Chicago, and Indiana-Kentucky American Baptist regions, and Yarilis Hidalgo, vice president of the National Hispanic Caucus.
The Rev. Abner Cotto-Bonilla, national coordinator for Latino Ministries at ABHMS describes CLI as an educational program designed to foster a sense of community and nurture intergenerational spiritual formation. “Our intent is to train Latino/a leaders how to serve in intergenerational settings more effectively,” he explains. “We’re also providing practical tools and assessable resources for creating spaces where people from different generations can interact and live together harmoniously.”
The in-person Chicago summit will address two significant topics—intergenerational mission and intergenerational discipleship—in successive workshops. Moderated by Nayeli Caballero Cárdenas, the first workshop is designed to explore and strengthen the intergenerational mission within the church. Caballero Cárdenas, who draws upon more than two decades working with children, youth, and women in Mexico, Texas, and New York, will address the unique needs and characteristics of each generation, fostering community engagement, and extending the reach of the American Baptist mission on a global scale through intergenerational involvement.
Cotto-Bonilla will follow with Intergenerational Discipleship, a workshop that entails a two-step exploration of the dynamics of relationships between generations. The first step centers on the meaning and relevance of the concept of discipleship and establishes a foundation for the second step. Step two delves into the complexities and opportunities multidirectional discipleship brings to intergenerational engagement, with sub-themes that include the passing of faith, the diversity of spiritual spaces, meetings and dialogues, and intergenerational accompaniment.
In addition to having examined and evaluated intergenerational discipleship and missional practice in their respective contexts, participants completing the summit will also be exposed to new tools for intergenerational outreach and begin to create new contextual models of intergenerational engagement as it relates to mission and discipleship.
For more information and to register for this event, visit Conferencia de Liderazgo Intergeneracional – Chicago in the ABHMS Center for Continuous Learning (CCL).
Faith leaders in the Latino/a community who missed or would like to revisit the first CLI, in August 2024, which addressed migration and interculturality, can do so by accessing a webinar replay through the CCL.
All learners are welcome to expand their understanding of la comunidad by accessing the Intercultural Leadership and En Español courses through the CCL.
American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.
