Common Steps Leadership Training

This Saturday, August 7th 8:30am-4pm
hosted at Gateway Church, Austin, Texas

Are you or your church involved with a Single Parents Ministry, Men's Ministry, Pastoral Care, DivorceCare, DivorceCare for Kids, GriefShare, or another care or recovery ministry? Do you need some encouragement or training? Do you every wonder how our churches could provide more care to community? 

Join us on Saturday,August 7th from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm at Gateway Church in Austin. We'll be providing training for new and seasoned leaders with great trainers, guest speakers,a continental breakfast, lunch and more.You should not miss this chance to super-charge your work and the work of your church in relational care. See the workshops offered below and register. Total program cost is only $35 per person.  

 

Our Six Distinct Tracks include:
Leading Men's Ministries 
Leading a Single Moms Ministry 
Intimate Life Ministries: Contagious Hope: Spreading Christ’s care to those in need 
DivorceCare® Leadership Training
DC4K® Leadership Training 
GriefShare® Leadership Training

About our Speakers

 

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Leading Men's Ministries (Track 1) REGISTER

Real Men Keeping It Real
In this session, we will celebrate what it means to be a man of God so we can celebrate and contemplate how that gets lived out. God is a relational God and men of God have the privilege and the responsibility to instill a legacy of faith in our families and community.

Fatherhood
Are you a Championship Father? What role does the Church play in helping dads become the best they can be? Find out how you can lead the charge at your church in reaching dads (young and old) and provide the skills needed to love and lead their children and impact their community.

Every Man's Battle - Above and Beyond Recovery
Experience the keys to influencing changes in difficult sexual behavior. An introduction to resources and processes for helping men to move effectively from sexual sin to creativity, vision, passion and purpose.

 

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Leading a Single Moms Ministry (Track 2) REGISTER
The Single Moms Ministry Track will be led by Brenda Armstrong who developed this program with the late Larry Burkett, for Crown Financial Ministries. This comprehensive resource provides the basics for helping single parents or anyone else in need and has been used to train over 1,000 leaders across the country. Topics include:

• How to recognize the unique needs of single parent families. Identifying and developing ministries to meet the top 10 needs.
• The biblical response to single parent families and how to meet needs effectively.
• What other ministries are doing to meet needs.
• A case study of low-income single parent and what is practical for the situation.
• Tools that can be used to help any family or individual in need.
• How to build an effective single parent ministry: team building exercises include developing your mission, purpose, and basic direction.

Brenda Armstrong knows firsthand the struggles of low-income and single parent families. After a divorce in 1982, Brenda suffered through several years of low-income jobs, layoffs and welfare before returning to school to begin a career in Christian broadcasting. Because she has “been there,” Brenda passionately speaks, writes, and develops resources to help low income and single parent families be strong through any circumstance.

 

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Intimate Life Ministries: Contagious Hope: Spreading Christ’s care to those in need (Track 3) REGISTER
This workshop will invite participants to experience key principles for deepening our ability to become beacons of hope for those around us. Participants will gain a biblical perspective about human motivation, growth and change that will help them understand how to be helpful to people who are struggling in their relationships or life in general. In addition we will address how isolation and neediness affect personal well-being and acquire skills for addressing these issues in God-honouring ways. Participants will learn how to identify the painful emotions that others’ experience and the corresponding truths and Biblical formulas for healing those emotions. We will also learn to apply these objectives within the context of adult relationships as well as parent-child relationships.

 

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DivorceCare Leadership Training (Track 4)  REGISTER

The workshop will follow very much the same format as a typical DivorceCare® Session. We start with an open circle and end with a closing circle. Workshop material will be outlined by discussion topics followed up with open forum dialogue, Q& A as well as practical tools taught by other leaders’ personal experiences. We will use many of the DivorceCare® tools and group dynamics just as it will be with your participants in the DivorceCare® class. Thus you will experience some of what they will experience through your leadership. We take a “hands on” approach to communicating key elements to the DivorceCare® program.

 

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DC4K® for Kids Leadership Training (Track 5) REGISTER
This workshop will provide a basic and interactive approach to learning the fundamentals of the DC4K® program. We highlight key and critical components to providing a DC4K® recovery ministry, while involving the importance of God’s plan and support. The workshop is intended to help new and experienced leaders learn or re-learn new and effective methods to leading children through their recovery. We’ll discuss best practice ideas to include do’s and don’ts that will better help you in your recovery ministry.

Workshop details
The workshop will follow very much the same format as a typical DC4K® Session. We start with an open circle and end with a closing circle. Workshop material will be outlined by discussion topics followed up with open forum dialogue, Q& A as well as practical tools taught by other leaders’ personal experiences. We will use many of the DC4K® tools and group dynamics just as it will be with your kids in the DC4K® class. Thus you will experience some of what they will experience thru your leadership. We take a “hands on” approach to communicating key elements to the DC4K® program.

 

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GriefShare® Leadership Training (Track 6) REGISTER
This workshop will provide a basic and interactive approach to learning the fundamentals of the GriefShare® program. We highlight key and critical components to providing a GriefShare® recovery ministry, while involving the importance of God’s plan and support. The workshop is intended to help new and experienced leaders learn or re-learn new and effective methods to leading a group through their recovery. We’ll discuss best practice ideas to include do’s and don’ts that will better help you in your recovery ministry.

Workshop details
The workshop will follow very much the same format as a typical GriefShare® Session. We start with an open circle and end with a closing circle. Workshop material will be outlined by discussion topics followed up with open forum dialogue, Q& A as well as practical tools taught by other leaders’ personal experiences. We will use many of the GriefShare® tools and group dynamics just as it will be with your participants in the GriefShare® class. Thus you will experience some of what they will experience thru your leadership. We take a “hands on” approach to communicating key elements to the GriefShare® program.

Peter F. Daniels, III MSEE LCSW CSAT
Peter’s clinical practice focuses on therapy with men and couples struggling with relational intimacy, trust, impulse control, anger and process addictions including sex, drugs and work.Peter received a B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri, Columbia. He worked for Bell Labs, National Instruments and Emerson before earning a M.S. in clinical social work from the University of Texas in Austin.  Along with being a licensed clinical counselor, Peter is certified in sex addiction therapy (CSAT) through the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals.  He has also completed certification in therapeutic spiritual development through the Therapon Institute in Houston TX.  Active for many years in his church, Shoreline Christian Center, Peter has worked hand-in-hand with men struggling to align behavior with belief. 

 

 

David B. Carolan, President, Common Steps

For nine years David has served the local Church to expand her abilities in reaching those hurting from relationship issues such as divorce, separation, chronic loneliness, fathering issues, and single parenting.  He currently serves as President of Common Steps, a non-profit (501c3) provider of educational and support services for people struggling with relationship issues heightened by life events. Common Steps’ focus is on helping local churches and communities with relationship education using nationally recognized resources that provide program participants with encouragement and healing. David also maintains an active consulting practice for business startups.  

 

 

James Lee, Pastor of New Covenant Fellowship

James celebrates the eclectic, unifying, and energizing work of the Holy Spirit in his ministry. His philosophy of ministry is birthed from his experiences of worshiping across economic, racial, and denominational lines.

James has been utilizing his ministry and leadership skills for more than 10 years. For most of these years he served as an Associate Pastor at the Nineteenth Street Missionary Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, and as a pulpit supply pastor for various denominations including; American Baptist, Church of the Brethren, United Methodist, Non-Denominational, and Presbyterian Church (USA) Sinton and Vanderbilt Presbyterian churches.

 

In 1991, James earned his B.A. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. After graduating, James went to work for the Office of the Attorney General, Child Support Division. In 1996, James responded to a call to seminary and matriculated into Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary graduating in May 2000 with a Master of Divinity. In August 2000, James began working at the seminary in the Vocation and Admissions office; later accepting the call to serve as the Director of Racial Ethnic Ministries. In November 2002, James was ordained as the Director of Racial Ethnic Ministries at Grace Presbyterian Church in Plano, Texas. One year later, he was installed as the Associate Pastor for New Church Development at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX.

 

 

Brenda Armstrong
Brenda spent eight years on staff full-time at Crown Financial Ministries developing their single parent ministry under Larry Burkett. She has co-authored several titles with Larry, including Making Ends Meet; Every Single Cent; and the “Single Parent Ministry Training” series. She also authored Financial Relief for Single Parents, forward by Dave Ramsey. While on staff, Brenda served as Crown’s Product Development Director and her career has included directing promotion and public affairs and producing television and radio programs such as Dayton, Ohio's first radio program for single adults. On the staff of her local church, she served as singles director, media coordinator, and pastoral assistant and developed a young single mothers’ support group. Brenda was a founding board member of Mercy Tree Ministries in Buford, Georgia, and was made President in 2006. Brenda is a leading expert in Single Parent Ministry, is closely associated with other single parent experts across the country, The National Bridge Alliance and serves the Single Parent Ministry team of AMFM (Association of Marriage and Family Ministries).

 

Terri Snead, Intimate Life Ministries

Terri, part of the Intimate Life Ministries staff, is a certified teacher and has taught children and adults in both church and academic settings.   With a M.A. degree in counseling, Terri develops curriculum for Intimate Life Ministries and serves as a seminar speaker. She has a special burden for intergenerational ministries, pastor’s families and anyone who serves in a care-giving capacity. Terri also provides direction for Life Care Wellness, an employee assistance program for a multi-state building supply company.   She and the team of business professionals provide crisis response for over 3,000 employees and their families.

 

 

Jeff Hobart, Certified Trainer, DivorceCare®
Jeff Hobart is a regional certified trainer for Church Initiative (DivorceCare®) and supports Central Texas churches in their efforts to reach those hurting from separation and divorce.  Jeff has personally taught over 50 DivorceCare® classes and brought comfort and healing to 1,000’s of people suffering through difficult divorce conflicts. 

 

 

Britanie Olvera

Britanie Olvera is a recovered child of divorce (4x). She has served as a DC4K® facilitator for over 10 years. Britanie is also the author of the children’s book series, Waffle Ville and an avid advocate and divorce ministry leader helping other churches to start and expand their children’s divorce care ministry.

 

Gary Sinclair, Director of Pastoral Care, Austin Christian Fellowship

Gary has been the Director of Pastoral Care at Austin Christian Fellowship in Austin, Texas, since July, 2006. He has graduate degrees in counseling from both Wayne State University and Grace Theological Seminary along with additional seminary training from Dallas Theological Seminary. Gary has also served in Christian education, as an assistant pastor and as a senior pastor. He has been trained by GriefShare® leaders himself and helped lead two recent GriefShare® groups. Gary is also is part of the ACF teaching team and has published articles in Leadership Journal, REV and Pray! Magazine and publishes a weekly blog called Safe at Home.