Tools for the Trade 2013
“Tools for the Trade” Training Events this Fall in the ABC-Northwest
Two Locations — One Theme: “Reaching Your Oikos”
- First Baptist Church Everett, WA — Saturday, October 26, 2013
- First Baptist Church Pocatello, ID — Saturday, November 2, 2013
Plenary Speaker, Rev. Tom Mercer, Senior Pastor of High Desert Church in Victorville, CA
Flyer |
Everett Registration Form (includes workshop info) | Pocatello Registration Form
Plan now to attend the Tools for the Trade event closest to your church. The day will be filled with practical training in the Oikos approach to outreach & evangelism, a natural, biblical way to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Worship, workshops and lunch will also be part of each day’s scheduled activities. Look for more details in forthcoming “Mission Northwest” email updates.
Tom Mercer explains: On average, each of us has 8 to 15 people, whom God has supernaturally and strategically placed in our relational world so that He might use us to show them His love. The Greeks used one word to describe this personal world—OIKOS, or “extended household.” OIKOS is not a program. It’s not an event. It’s not an emphasis. The oikos principle is the heartbeat of Christ’s Church. Jesus designed it, modeled it and taught us how to use it. After 29 years and leading a church from 150 to more than 12,000, Pastor Tom Mercer has not only experienced it firsthand, he has committed his life to helping the Body of Christ understand and utilize this incredibly simple yet effective strategy for changing a world that just might be smaller than you think!
“The oikos approach to congregational mission didn’t just change the vocabulary of our churches. It reawakened their mission heart and revitalized their mission practice. When introduced to this concept the most prevalent response of church members was, ‘We can do this.’ And they did!” —Bert Downs, Former President, Western Seminary
Tom Mercer has been in pastoral ministry for over thirty-six years. He received his formal education at Biola University and Talbot Theological Seminary. For the past thirty years he has been the Senior Pastor and primary teacher at the High Desert Church of Victorville in Southern California. During that time the church has grown from 125 to over 12,000; from one campus to three; and has been featured in a number of publications including the New York Times. He is the author of the book, “8 to 15, The World is Smaller Than You Think.” Tom and his wife, Sheryl, have been married for thirty-three years. They have three grown children and six grandchildren.