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Join Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens to Grace in Action May 1-3, 2020

February 28, 2020 / By The Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens, Director of Vital Congregations

The Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens, UNY Director of Vital Congregations,  is inviting all UNY pastors, staff, lay leaders, and denominational leaders to an action-packed weekend May 1-3 2020 at Grace Church in Cape Coral, FL. Grace Church is a Missional United Methodist Church using generative teams to reach their community with the love and hope of Jesus.

Grace Church has grown from 400 to 2,700 in worship attendance, from one campus with two worship services to five campuses with 10weekly services. It has one of the largest recovery ministries in America as well as a ministry to the poor and marginalized that models the Wesleyan ministry balance of acts of mercy and acts of piety in a contemporary setting. 

This weekend event is entitled Grace in Action. During this weekend, the UNY team will experience and learn about how Grace Church builds healthy teams, establishes clear focus, develops fruitful strategies and structures, and gets better at making disciples of Jesus. You will personally experience Grace Church’s recovery and compassion outreach ministries. On Friday night, you will worship at Celebrate Recovery. On Saturday morning, the UNY team will experience how Grace Church does outreach that both helps people in need and connects them to a relationship with God. On Sunday morning, you will have an opportunity to worship at three of Grace Church’s campuses.

Grace in Action moves people from the theory and foundations of ministry as a team, to seeing how it is lived out. The goal of Grace in Action is to learn by experience. Commenting on the opportunity that this weekend provides, Rev. Bouwens said, “What we often read about in ministry and leadership books can be seen in practice not pages.”

Rev. Bouwens continued, “It is one thing to see videos and PowerPoint slides, it is altogether something different being in the physical space and talking with the people in ministry.”

The Rev. Jorge Acevedo is the lead pastor of Grace Church. Rev. Acevedo loves Jesus Christ and his Church. Rescued from a life of addictions, his greatest delight is connecting people to Jesus and the Church. He has received numerous awards and has earned several leadership positions. Click here to read more about Rev. Acevedo.

Rev. Bouwens explained that under Rev. Acevedo’s leadership, several teams have been built to carry out the amazing ministries taking place at Grace Church. Rev. Bouwens said, “The most impressive thing about Grace Church is they are living a team model and producing fruit. Lives are being transformed, and a community is being impacts. This is done not because of the greatness of a single pastor, rather through the ministry of teams, and multiple leaders. There is no one person who makes Grace Church work, it is a collection of teams and leaders.”

Are you ready to bring your leadership and the leaders of your church to the next level? Consider attending Grace in Action. Click here to register for Grace in Action. Contact Rev. Bouwens at aaronbouwens@unyumc.org for more information.

Click here for a flyer you can use to advertise the event at your church.