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Immersion l


WHAT IS IT?:

The Immersion l is a unique two-day experience that will both challenge and stretch you.  If you’re expecting the usual conference or seminar; think again.  We won’t be talking at you for two days.  Rather, we’re going to challenge you through interactive small group experiences to evaluate and re-think how you do church. 
Here is an interview with Avery Willis and Jim Putman as to the importance of discipleship in relational small groups.
 
WHAT WILL I LEARN WHILE I AM THERE?

  • Intentional Leadership: 
    • Lead effective teams
    • Be a leader people will want to follow
    • Build healthy teams
    • Model intentional relationship
    • Becoming a coach vs star player

  • Alignment: 
    • Unity in your core beliefs
    • Moving your entire church towards a common purpose
    • Equipping your church body for the win
    • Developing intentional relationship within your church body
    • Alignment of the time, money and energy of your church with the win

  • Relational Environments: (Small Groups)
    • Become a church of small groups
    • Understanding the value of biblical story telling
    • Development of relational environments for discipleship
    • Effective small group facilitation

  • Discipleship Process:
    • Understanding the discipleship process
    • Communicating an intentional discipleship process
    • Becoming a disciple-making church


WHAT OTHER RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE?:

Once you complete an Immersion l, you are eligible for the following resources:
  • Small group story set - CDs
  • How to do biblical story telling – DVD
  • Small group pastor – job description
  • Small group coach – job description
  • Small group leader – job description
  • 101 Joining the Team class guide – teacher and student editions
  • 201 Discipleship Process class guide
  • How to Witness – CDs
  • Immersion ll (All the above resources are included in the Immersion ll)


WHO SHOULD ATTEND?:

Immersion I is open to both staff and lay church leadership and emerging leaders.  You’ll get a lot out of the experience attending alone, but attending as a leadership team will help get everyone on the same page and prepare you for taking your church to the next step in unity. 

We strongly encourage you to bring people of influence in your church: 

  • Senior pastor
  • Key staff members
  • Elders
  • Deacons
  • Board members
  • Lay ministers
  • Volunteer leaders

Registration is limited to 10 individuals from each church per Immersion.

WHAT’S THE COST?:

  • $125 per person – 
  • Beginning with the January, 2011 Immersion I, the cost will increase to $175 per person -
    Need based scholarships are available – call for details

    Please note that registration closes two weeks prior to each Immersion.  We encourage you to register early as most Immersions fill up quickly. 

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?:

All materials
Lunch each day (lunches are really good)
Light breakfast foods each morning
Snacks and drinks all day. 

Note: If you have special dietary needs, please let us know these when you register. 


WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO BEFORE ATTENDING?:

We only have two prerequisites for attending the Immersion I:

All attendees must have read the book: Church Is a Team Sport, by Pastor Jim Putman.  You can find the book at most Christian Supply stores or online book retailers.

B.  All Participants must be in agreement with the following basic statement of faith:

1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible, authoritative and inerrant Word of God.  It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit.                     
2.  We believe that there is One God, eternally revealed to the world in the Father, the  Son – Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  All things were created by Him and for Him.  
3.  We believe that God sent His Son – Jesus Christ, to redeem all of mankind.  Jesus Christ  was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life on this earth, was crucified for our sins, buried and was raised from the dead on the third day.  We believe that Jesus is God.  Through Jesus Christ  and by Him only can mankind be saved. Jesus Christ sits at the Right Hand of the Father and will return someday to receive His Church  unto Himself.                                                                         
4.  We believe in the work of the Holy Spirit to bring conviction of sin, revelation of God’s Word and spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.  As Christians we seek to live under His direction and control daily.          
5.  We are all sinners and have fallen short of the Glory of God and will perish without the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as revealed in His Gospel.  Only by trusting in Jesus Christ and God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty – death.      
6.  Salvation can only be received through personal faith in Jesus Christ.  Faith is the essential human response to Christ and baptism is the ceremonial means given by God for expressing and sealing it.                                                                                               

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?:

Come with a good attitude and an open mind.  We’ll provide everything else.


WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?:

Wear casual, comfortable clothes.  By casual, we really mean casual: Jeans, shorts, t-shirts, etc.  If you wear a suit and tie you’ll probably wish you hadn’t.  (We reserve the right to cut off all ties.) 

North Idaho has a variety of weather conditions in every season.  Check the local weather forecast a few days before you travel.  Sometimes the rooms can be chilly – bringing a light jacket or sweatshirt is always a good idea.


LOCATION:

Real Life Ministries – Church Campus: 1866 Cecil Road, Post Falls, ID

For driving directions, go to MapQuest or Google Maps


HOW DO I GET THERE AND WHERE DO I STAY?:

We have a whole page of travel, hotel and community information.  Click here.

WHAT’S THE DAILY SCHEDULE?:

Thursday:      8:00 am to 5:00 pm  (Home groups available to visit that evening)
Friday:      8:00 am to 4:45 pm  (Friday evening worship service 5:30 & 7:00 pm)
 

IS CHILDCARE AVAILABLE?:

We do not provide or arrange childcare.  Please do not bring your children with you to the actual event as it is a distraction for both you and the other participants. 


WHAT ARE THE DATES?:

Registration is limited to 10 individuals from each church per Immersion.

2010 Immersion l Schedule:                   2010 Off Site Immersion I Schedule (facilitated by RLM Staff)

                                                                     SOUTH CAROLINA
Feb 8-9, 2010                                                     September 20-21, 2010 in Easley, SC
March 11-12, 2010                                              $100 per person to register click here
April 8-9, 2010                                                    
May  6-7, 2010                                               COLORADO      
July 15-16, 2010                                                 August 25-27, 2010 in Colorado Springs, CO
June 10-11, 2010                                                 $245 per person to register click here

2011 Immersion l Schedule:
 

 


 

HOW DO I REGISTER?:

Click on the Immersion date you want to attend.  That will take you to our online registration page.  Registering online is the quickest and easiest method.  You can also register by calling 208-777-7325, ext. 148.   

Registering multiple participants online?  If you are registering multiple participants for one church or team, creating a “profile” will allow you to auto-complete some of the information and will allow you to pay for all participants using one account and method of payment.  See the bottom of the registration page: “Create a Profile?” and choose “yes”.  Note:  We do need each participant’s personal information.  This will help us to personalize their Immersion experience.  Thank you for your cooperation.


IS IT WORTH THE TRIP?:

I would tell them to come with an open heart and open mind. Be ready for a new perspective on church life and then have the courage to try something new. I mostly appreciated that the format "practiced what you preach" and that nearly all the real heavy growth and discussion was done in small groups. Awesome! I hope we can take what we learned and experienced and share it in an authentic way and see real growth in our team here at Westgate.
 
Tim Benton
Westgate Christian Church
Small Group Ministry Team Leader
Spokane, WA

"If I was talking to someone who was thinking about coming to an Immersion 1 and they asked for my thoughts, I would tell them that it is an absolute must! You can read the book. In fact you can read all the books you want to about how to do small groups. However, you will not fully grasp the concept the way Real Life Ministries is doing it until you come to Idaho and experience it first hand. The things that you learn and do while at Immersion 1 simply can't be learned by reading about it. My experience was phenomenal. I felt like I had known the people in my group for years and we had only just met. We were able to share with one another and be vulnerable with one another. I was in the midst of a true discipleship process."

Mike McCormick
Pastor for Worship and Discipleship
Lake Murray Baptist Church
Lexington, SC



The experience we had at Immersion I has challenged us to re-think how we do ministry. From our leadership structure, aligning our Team, how we do small groups and fostering discipleship relationships, were a few of our areas of interest. We were encouraged as we worked together seeing how Countryside is already doing a good job in many areas but how we need to add to what we are doing.

Jon Thompson
Associate Pastor
Countryside Christian Church
Keizer, Oregon

 

For me it was the greatest conference I have ever attended because it is our vision to make disciples.  For The Journey, we came away with a definite plan of action for making disciples in our church.  It was a refreshing conference because it was not a superior minded church telling us how to do it.  They would meet in a large group for fifteen minutes and then give forty-five minutes in small group to work it out.  Most conferences you have to go home and develop a plan; we came home from Idaho with a plan.  I think if a pastor is looking for a clear way to make disciples in a relational environment, then they need to get to Idaho. 

Mike Thompson
Planter/Pastor
The Journey
Greenville, SC


The Immersion experience was a real “course correction” for my ministry, most specifically, the emphasis on being intentional in making disciples.  I have spent 34 years of ministry and by God’s grace have managed to make a few disciples “by accident.”  I am learning to continually ask the question, “How does what we are doing help us make disciples?”
 
Tom Turner
Associate Pastor
New Prospect Baptist Church
Anderson, SC


I would encourage anyone who wants to be encouraged and stretched in the way God wants us to reach the lost, to attend an Immersion Conference.  What impacted me most about the Immersion experience was that the things we were doing already in our small groups were not that far off.  I went not knowing what to expect. The longer I was there, the more I was encouraged.  My biggest take-away from the Immersion was; we are Christian people loving other people just where they are in life. Keep it simple, fun and truthful. God will handle the rest.

Richard L. Horner
Elder
Christian Church
Redmond, OR