roundup 12 - Church of God

Breathe God In
Speaker Erin Taylor emphasizes our reliance on God
It was apparent that Erin Taylor—one
of the movement’s creative, young
leaders—felt she was among friends
as she spoke to those gathered in Anderson,
Indiana, for the Saturday evening
worship service. Standing onstage in
Anderson University’s Reardon Auditorium,
Taylor looked right at home—and
in very significant ways she was.
Not only is Taylor is the pastor of
adult Christian education at The Church
at the Crossing, a dynamic congregation
in nearby Indianapolis, but she also
was born into and nurtured by a family
with multigenerational Church of God
roots. Taylor’s grandparents used to
attend what was then known as Anderson
Camp Meeting in their fifth-wheel
camper. Her father, Bob Moss, is a longtime
Church of God pastor and formerly
by Sam Collins
served as chair of the movement’s General
Assembly. Taylor started attending
the North American Convention as a
small child.
Her ease and familiarity with the
church was evident as Taylor addressed
the theme for the evening: “Refreshing
Our Relationship with Our Creator.”
She urged those assembled to breathe
deep the breath of God.
Taylor reminded her listeners of
our physical dependence on breath for
life. In like manner, she stressed, we
must breathe in God to continue to
live fully. “Life has moments that take
our breath away, sometimes in joy and
sometimes in sorrow. At times we find
ourselves desperate for some breathing
space in the midst of financial, church,
relationship, and personal stresses.
Erin Taylor
We need wisdom, stamina, grace, and
even a sense of humor. In all of life’s
experiences—whether in pain, loss,
disappointment, or celebration—God’s
plan is that in him we would breath and
move and have our being.”
Appropriately, at the close of her message,
Taylor asked her father to offer a
prayer, which included these fitting
words: “Lord, may we breathe deeply of
your grace and inhale your forgiveness
and draw in your Holy Spirit, hope, and
assurance.”
You Can’t be a Christian and Vote for…
Attend the “Hot Topics” conference for lively debate on faith and politics By Brett Spangler
Four years ago a group of Anderson
University School of Theology
students approached Dr. Ronald
V. Duncan, general director of Church
of God Ministries, about finding our
voice in the church. One of the opportunities
provided to us, as aspiring young
leaders in the church, was the chance to
lead a handful of conferences. Among
those conferences were the “Hot Topics”
conferences.
This is the third year for the “Hot
Topics” conferences at NAC, and we
are incredibly excited about this year’s
topic. Each year we address relevant and
potentially divisive topics within the
church during these sessions. On Monday,
at 8:30 am, in Decker 133, the topic
on the table is “You Can’t be a Christian
and Vote for…” There is, perhaps, no
better time to discuss politics and faith
than an election year.
For those who have never attended a
“Hot Topics” conference, they are great
fun! Each session begins with presentations
on the topics being addressed.
Following the presentations, at least
thirty minutes are devoted to discussion
and debate. In past years, we have
dealt with issues of theodicy, same-sex
marriage, and just war. In every case,
insightful presentations were followed
by lively debate. Perhaps the greatest
blessing for me from these conferences
has been the manner in which brothers
and sisters in Christ are able to share,
speak truths in love, and care for each
other even when they disagree on such
potentially volatile subjects.
This year, our presenters are David
Dominianni and Aly Hawkins. They will
each present their viewpoint on some
issue(s) in this year’s election. David is a
graduate of Christian Theological Seminary,
while Aly is currently studying at
Anderson University School of Theology.
Some of the primary points of discussion
at the conference this year are:
• Health care as a government
mandate.
• The involvement of the United
States in the affairs of other nations.
• Economic policy, borrowing, and
taxes.
• The role of Christians in changing
the political culture.
In the afternoon, Shannon New
Spangler is leading a conference, along
with presenters Jorge Palacios (general
director of the Hispanic Council of the
Church of God) and Jared Fields (AUSOT
graduate). This conference is called “Hot
Topics: Social Issues” and will focus on
immigration issues. This conference will
take place at 1:00 pm in Decker 133. This
is also guaranteed to be an enlightening
and fruitful discussion.
NACroundup • Sunday Issue, June 24, 2012 7