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Boone Center Family of Faith Conference Explores Spiritual Development in the Family

The Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology Boone Center for the Family will host its second annual Family of Faith Network Conference from June 10 to 12 in Malibu, California.

All of the sessions will explore the theme of this year’s conference: spiritual development and faith formation in the family. Expert-led workshops will examine how to have a big impact in a smaller church, thriving as a family in full-time ministry, the roles of widows and the elderly in ministry and evangelism, being single in the church today, and spiritual rites of passage for boys and men. Click here for a full schedule.

"Our goal is to help both church leaders and community leaders think about a process by which churches can provide services and help to meet the growing needs of families," says Ken Canfield, executive director of the Boone Center.

Admission is free for the 7 p.m. evening sessions in Elkins Auditorium, Malibu, on Thursday and Friday. The Thursday evening lineup includes Mark Holmen, author of Faith Begins At Home: The Family Makeover with Christ at the Center and full-time missionary for the Faith at Home movement, and Francis Chan of Cornerstone Church, who will present "Crazy Love in Families." Chan is the teaching pastor of Cornerstone Church. He is also the founder of Eternity Bible College, a board member of Children's Hunger Fund, and author of his debut book, Crazy Love.

The Friday evening free admission lineup includes a special theatrical production of the life of holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom, and a keynote address from father/daughter duo Emerson and Joy Eggerichs, who will also present, "The Four Wills of God for Marriage and Singles." Emerson founded Love and Respect Ministries with his wife, Sarah, in 1999. Joy joined her father at the ministry to help minister to singles through the Respect program.

The conference will also feature Joneal Kirby, who will speak about "Passing Our Faith to the Next Generation." Kirby is a marriage and family therapist, author, women's ministry leader, parent trainer, marriage educator, and radio and television speaker. She is also the director of the women's mentoring ministry, Heart to Home, and host of the television show, Girlfriends, and the radio program, The Family 411.

Rounding out the roster of keynote speakers will be Ron Deal, founder and president of As for Me and My House Ministries and author of the critically-acclaimed The Smart Stepfamily and The Remarriage Checkup, and Michael Sytsma, president of Building Marriage, Inc.

"The message we heard last year at the inaugural conference was that there is a lot of information out there to educate children and adults separately about spiritual growth, but not a lot of information about bringing a family together and equipping parents to create an environment of spiritual growth for their families," says Amanda Mayhew, project director at the Boone Center. "So this year we'll address how to create an environment where kids can ask questions and each family member can express their faith for themselves."

"I hope church teams will glean resources from our experts and personalize what applies to them after reflecting on where their own families and churches are in addressing family ministry," Mayhew adds.

The Boone Center was established in 1996 through the inspiration and foundation of M. Norvel and Helen Young and endowed by Pat and Shirley Boone in 2006. Under the direction of Canfield, the Center has become an active, vital extension of Pepperdine's Christian mission. BCFF offers practical seminars on marriage enrichment and parenting, and trains church representatives, professionals, and lay leaders who reach wider audiences in their communities how to provide guidance to encourage positive interpersonal relationships.

Pepperdine University is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Pepperdine maintains responsibility for the program and its content.

For more information or to register for the Family of Faith Network Conference, visit The Family of Faith Network Conference Web site.