School of Divinity to hold Every Square Inch Conference, church planting simulation

Throughout the month of February, Liberty University’s John W. Rawlings School of Divinity will provide its students with additional opportunities outside the classroom to further enrich their faith as they journey toward life in ministry.

On Thursday, Feb. 9, the Center for Apologetics and Cultural Engagement (CACE) and Liberty’s Student Activities office will co-sponsor the Every Square Inch Conference, centered on theology and culture. Two workshop sessions will be held in the Alumni Ballroom (9:45-11 a.m. and 2:15-3:30 p.m.) and an evening session will be held in the Center for Music and the Worship Arts, Concert Hall at 5:30 p.m.

On Saturday, Feb. 11, the School of Divinity’s Center for Church Advancement (CCA) will put on a Church Planting and Revitalization Simulation in the Montview Alumni Ballroom from 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

Both events will target students, but are open to faculty, staff, and community members who wish to participate.

“The Rawlings School of Divinity is passionate about coming alongside the local church in its quest to fulfill the Great Commission,” CACE Executive Director Jack Carson said. “Every semester, our co-curricular centers get to develop exciting new events to prepare our students for a life of serving the church. These events help instill in them a love for the Gospel and the skills to carry the good news of the Gospel out into a hurting world.”

This will be the seventh year for the Every Square Inch Conference. This year’s event will highlight author Trevin Wax, who has served as a professor at several universities and is the general editor of The Gospel Project. He is a regular columnist at The Gospel Coalition and has contributed to publications such as “Christianity Today” and “The Washington Post.” Wax has also served with the North American Mission Board (NAMB). He will be giving the main lecture at this year’s conference. He spoke in Wednesday morning’s Convocation and is also scheduled to speak at Campus Community on Wednesday night.

Through the Church Planting and Revitalization Simulation, the School of Divinity will offer students, faculty, and guests the opportunity to learn more about how they can get involved.

“The idea is to allow students from all degrees to experience church planting for a day,” CCA Director Dr. Chris Dowd said, adding that he hopes students from various majors attend to learn how they can become a part of a church planting team after they graduate.

One side of the room will be dedicated to educating participants on church planting basics.

“We’re going to give them a snapshot (of the church planting process) in a day, and then hopefully that gets their wheels spinning and they end up wanting to talk more about that as they continue their education and their journey here at Liberty,” he said.

The other half of the room, separated by a divider, will feature talks from members of NAMB’s revitalization team, which will share with students how they can become a part of helping revitalize and strengthen struggling churches.

Dowd insisted that while many college students and young adults are thinking mostly about their future careers, the simulation has potential to shift their focus.

“Church planting and one’s vocational calling are not separate, idealistically. We’re trying to marry those ideas and expose students to that idea,” Dowd said. “(This) puts church planting on their radar. I don’t think too many students at other schools are thinking church planting.”

While studying and pursuing career paths with excellence are certainly glorifying to the Lord, Dowd and Carson desire to see the Gospel remain first and foremost in the lives of every student.

“We Train Champions for Christ here at Liberty,” Dowd said. “The centers that Jack and I represent help them bridge that means through application out in the world. Champions for Christ should also be champions for the Gospel, and for truth.”