WHAT: LoveWell: A Mini Conference Sponsored by ThinkWell

WHEN: February 24, 2024 - Saturday morning (finishing by lunchtime/early afternoon)

WHERE: CrossLife Community Church, Charlottesville, VA

WHO: All ages welcome from middle school up (starting ~age 14 at parental discretion); singles or married, with or without kids

WHY: How do we love from a biblical point of view? In an area that the world tends to confuse and distort, ThinkWell will seek to bring crystal clarity, deeper understanding, and (we hope) godly encouragement rooted in Scripture.

Details

The Christian life is more than assent to propositional, theoretical truth; it’s a life lived in response to and continually motivated by love, true love … the love of Christ. With so much talk and confusion in our culture around the concept of love, our desire through this event is to help the body of Christ understand love from God’s perspective, have a vision for how that love is lived out, and be able to distinguish the distortions and lies surrounding love.

Registration

Although there will be no cost to attend this half-day event, we are asking that people sign up to attend. Registration will open January 14! The first dozen people/family units to register will receive a free gift!

Conference Schedule

8:00 - 8:30 a.m. - Arrival (coffee available; arrive by 8:15 if you have young kids needing child care)

8:30 a.m. - Welcome, worship in song, and introductory talk by Todd Cothran

9:10 a.m. - Session 1 - Sam Raju: What Is Love?

10:00 a.m. - Break/snacks

10:15 a.m. - Session 2 - Sam Raju: God on a Quest

11:05 a.m. - Session 3 - Steve Forister: How Do We Love Well?

11:55 a.m. - Panel discussion/Q&A with Todd Cothran, Steve Forister, and Sam Raju

12:15 p.m. - Wrap-up by Todd Cothran

12:30 p.m. - Optional BYO (or go grab your own nearby) lunch (indoor + outdoor weather permitting)

1:15 - 2:00 p.m. - Optional video showing: Yuan family testimony (~46 min)

Speakers

Todd Cothran

ThinkWell founder and leader, Todd serves as head pastor of CrossLife Community Church (host site). Before “replanting” CrossLife (formerly known as Alliance Bible Church) in Charlottesville, he served as an associate pastor and elder at Front Range Alliance Church in Colorado Springs. Before that (1996–2008), he worked at Summit Ministries in Manitou Springs, Colorado, where he directed the ministry’s Christian leadership program for college-bound students and, later, the curriculum department.

Sam Raju (Keynote Speaker)

A two-time ThinkWell speaker, Sam is founder and president of Engage International, a Charlottesville-based ministry. He served as an itinerant speaker with RZIM for several years and has spoken worldwide on a wide range of topics, including “The Discovery of True Love.” Sam’s passion lies in reaching people for Christ and seeing them grow in understanding God’s love, ways, and purposes. He holds a master’s in psychology with highest honors from M.G. University and a master’s in philosophy with honors from Biola University.

Steve Forister

Steve is a teacher and elder at CrossLife Community Church, where he and his wife host/lead the young adult Bible study. Steve has a passion for connecting God’s people to God’s Word. He has spoken on various topics at many youth retreats and adult conferences. For years, he served full time with a short-term missions organization to Latin America and U.S. inner cities. He now works in the high-tech industry and serves on the board of Pour International, a Christian ministry serving the country of Swaziland, Africa.