This question from James still penetrates deeply into our hearts and lives today. Wisdom is a quality we often admire, long for, and desperately need, both for ourselves and those we minister to. And yet, if we’re honest, gaining wisdom can be all too elusive. Scripture shows us the reasons this is true: folly entices us. Our lives encounter trouble every day, demanding that we discern how to live well in an ever-changing context. Far too often, we see how short we fall and are rendered speechless before James’s enduring question.
But there is hope. We have the Scriptures and we have Jesus who is the “wisdom from God.” This year, our conference will delve into the Old Testament’s Wisdom Literature, and together we will pursue what it looks like to gain wisdom. Together we will seek to apply the riches of these Old Testament books to our counseling, our relationships, and our lives.
Dane C. Ortlund serves as senior pastor of Naperville Presbyterian Church in Naperville, Illinois. He holds a PhD from Wheaton College, and is the author of several books, including Gentle and Lowly.
Breakout Topics Include:
- Conflict
- Parenting
- Fear of the Lord
- OCD
- Weakness & Self-Doubt
- Lament
- Fulfillment in a World of Futility
- The Wisdom of Love
- Shepherding the Simple
- Instilling Wisdom in the Next Generation
- Facing Our Mistakes in Counseling
- How to Deal with a Fool
- Wisdom Adorns the Disgraced
Friday, September 30
7:30am - 9:00am — Conference Registration
8:00am - 9:30pm — CCEF Booth, Ministry Expo, & Bookstore Open
8:00am - 9:00am — Fellowship Coffee
9:00am - 10:30am — Plenary Session 1: The Story of Wisdom (Ed Welch)
11:00am - 12:15pm — Plenary Session 2: The Beauty of a Life of Wisdom (Dane Ortlund)
12:15pm - 2:30pm — Lunch Break
2:30pm - 3:30pm — Breakout Session 1 Options:
- Instilling Wisdom in the Next Generation (Julie Lowe & Ron Jones)
- The Importance of Metaphor in Counseling: Connecting to People and Connecting to God (Todd Stryd)
- How to Talk about My Enemies (Darby Strickland)
- Deceived by OCD: When Crooked Paths Seem Straight (Kimberly Monroe)
- Finding Our Place in God’s Rhythms for Our Lives (Eamon Wilson)
3:30pm - 4:00pm — Break
4:00pm - 5:00pm — Breakout Session 2 Options:
- Wisdom for Conflict (Ste Casey)
- “My God Is So Big!” The Fear of the Lord Is the Beginning of Wisdom (Elizabeth Groves)
- Making Sense of Forgiveness: How to and Not to Use Biblical Narrative in Counseling (Brad Hambrick)
- The Wisdom of Complaining: The Place of Lament in Faithful Living (Laura Andrews)
- Wisdom Adorns the Disgraced (Kristin Silva)
5:00pm - 7:15pm — Dinner Break
7:15pm - 8:30 pm — Plenary Session 3: The Fool and the Way of Death (Julie Lowe)
Saturday, October 1
8:00am - 9:30pm — CCEF Booth, Ministry Expo, & Bookstore Open
8:00am - 9:00am — Fellowship Coffee
9:00am - 10:15am — Plenary Session 4: Speaking Words That Bring Life (Darby Strickland)
10:15am - 10:45am — Break
10:45am - 11:45am — Breakout Session 3 Options:
- Delighting in One Another: The Wisdom of Love (Aaron & Kellie Sironi)
- Prodigal or Predator? Discerning When Behavior Makes a Prodigal and When It Leads to Corruption (Julie Lowe)
- Facing Our Mistakes in Counseling and Growing in Wisdom (Michael Gembola)
- Shepherding the Simple (Eamon Wilson)
- The Way of Wisdom in Weakness & Self-Doubt (Esther Liu)
11:45am - 1:45pm — Lunch Break
1:45pm - 2:45pm — Breakout Session 4 Options:
- What is a Fool and How Do You Deal with One? (Dane Ortlund)
- Parenting from Proverbs: Principles of Wisdom and Applications of Love (Todd Stryd)
- “Lord, Listen to My Cry!” The Power of Lament for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (Cecelia Bernhardt)
- How Jesus Makes a Difference through the Psalms (Robert Cheong)
- The Hidden Gift of “Hevel”: Finding Meaning and Fulfillment in a World of Futility and Frustration (Laura Andrews)
2:45pm - 3:15pm — Break
3:15pm - 4:30pm — Plenary Session 5: Futility, Meaning, and Life under the Sun (Mike Emlet)
4:30pm - 7:00pm — Dinner Break
7:00pm - 8:30pm — Special Event and Worship with Brook Hills
Sunday, October 2
8:00am - 11:00am — CCEF Booth, Ministry Expo, & Bookstore Open
8:00am - 9:00am — Fellowship Coffee
9:00am - 9:45am — Plenary Session 6: The Wisdom of Love and Marriage (Aaron Sironi)
9:45am - 10:15am — Break
10:15am - 11:30am — Plenary Session 7: Wisdom Wrestles Well (Alasdair Groves)
11:30am — Dismissal
In-person tickets for the National Conference have now sold out. We still have capacity for virtual attendance and would love to have you join us. Just click "Register" below.
Conference Location
Hershey Lodge
325 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033
(844) 330-1802
Lodging
Our block at the Hershey Lodge is full. If you have yet to book lodging for the event, below are a few reasonable options near the Conference location. Please note that we do not have dedicated hotel blocks at any of these hotels.
Transportation
There are no shuttles between these hotels and the Conference location. We would recommend either using your personal vehicle, a rental car, or options such as Uber or Lyft for commuting.