This event has been canceled. HCI’s dear friend, Robert Walter, is currently in the hospital fighting acute myeloid leukemia. We ask that our community please pray!
WHEN & WHERE
Friday, March 20, 2020 | 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Saturday, March 21st, 2020 | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Christ Community Church
329 Riverside Ave
Charlottesville, VA 22902
DESCRIPTION
Contrary to popular notions, shame doesn’t just attack people who have lived scandalous lives. Shame stalks prostitutes and professionals alike—everyone descended from Adam and Eve. Whether subtle or strong, steady or sporadic, shame makes its shrill voice heard:
You don’t have what it takes.
You don’t measure up.
You don't matter.
How can you get comfortable in your own skin? How can you get to the point where you don’t have to pretend you’re happy because the joy of the Lord really is your strength?
Questions like this bothered me for a long time. I mean, if we have the good news, why isn’t there more joy in the church? Thirty years ago, I set out to learn the answer. Along the way, I went to seminary, pastored a church, and searched the Scriptures.
What I found surprised me. I looked all over and discovered that the answer was under my nose the whole time, right there in the Bible. Yet no one in the church, even pastors like me, seemed to recognize it. And, because of that, one of the greatest treasures of the Gospel has remained buried in the Bible while Christians live a shadow of the existence that should be theirs.
But it doesn’t need to be that way! You can experience the fruit of the Spirit rather than just study it.
In this seminar, we will look at the root of shame in the Bible and explore how its tentacles have touched so many aspects of life. We will share stories from the Bible, stories from movies, and stories from real people who have struggled with shame. There will be opportunities for reflection and interaction throughout. This seminar will enable you to:
distinguish between guilt and shame
experience the love of God
develop a deeper walk with God
recover the joy of the LORD
stifle the voice of shame
PRESENTER
The seminar is presented by Pastor Robert Walter, author of the book, "If I've Been Forgiven, Why Do I Still Feel Bad?" He was a pastor for two decades and now trains pastors throughout the world. “I got interested in shame because I didn’t understand why so many people stalled in their spiritual journey. I suspected shame was at the root of the problem but didn't realize how big and ugly that root was until I started looking at it more closely." Robert has been speaking on shame for 20+ years and was invited to speak on shame at a symposium for worldwide Christian leaders at Wheaton College in 2018. For more information on Robert and his ministry please click here.
PARTICIPANTS
Typical participants for this seminar include pastors, prayer ministers, counselors, chaplains, social workers, recovery group leaders, and anyone who wants to know about the dynamics of shame and walk in greater freedom from shame. Please invite someone to come with you so that you can share what you are learning.
DISCOUNT
The seminar starts Friday night March 20 (7 - 9 pm) and continues on Saturday, Match 21 (9 am-5 pm). Lunch will be provided. Registration is limited to the first 100 who sign up and there is a 20% early registration discount available until midnight February 22. So click the blue button in the upper right to reserve your spot! Registration closes at midnight on March 15. We look forward to seeing you there.
NOTE
Please note that during the seminar, stories will be shared that are meant to illustrate the teaching but may inadvertently trigger some painful memories from your past. And note that this seminar is not counseling and is not intended to provide intense work with people in crisis. We will pray for people present but you may also desire to follow up with a counselor or prayer partner.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
I must have sat under better teaching at one time or another, but I simply can't recall one. We are blessed to have such a leader in our faith family. - Pastor Dave Householder, Huntington Beach, CA
I have been a professional counselor for 33 years and I have both read and been taught much about shame from the perspective of psychology, and much of it has been very good. However, Robert Walter’s seminar on shame singlehandedly is the most effective and impacting source for healing shame I can recommend. – Midge Wietzema, Counselor, Gilbert, AZ
I have been meaning to write to you for some time. My usual practice is to wait for a season before evaluating the impact of a seminar experience….and so I have! But I have to tell you brother “Grace for Shame” was probably one of the most informative and impactful experiences I’ve had in 30 years of ministry. In particular, the emphasis on joy has left lasting marks on both my heart and mind. Your teaching style is engaging and relaxed creating nice learning spaces for students to wonder, question and learn. Excellent work Robert! – Pastor Mark Spencer, Blaine, MN
It's rare to participate in a class that can do an equally good job of feeding your own soul and equipping you for soul care to others at the same time. This seminar is nourishing, refreshing, equipping, and empowering all at the same time. - Pastor Steve Turnbull, OH
I didn't realize that the tentacles of a shame experience in the past wrap themselves around us and reach into our present lives, and affect the way we respond to certain things and people in our lives today. This seminar really helped me to understand why sometimes I have a two-ton reaction to a one-ounce irritation. It also helped me to see and understand others' reactions to me. I could not recommend this seminar any more highly! - Cherry Jenson, Norfolk, VA
Attending Robert Walter's seminar on shame was a divine appointment for me. Robert has a wonderful way of creating an atmosphere that makes it easy to encounter God. Regarding the topic of shame, I didn't know what I didn't know. And I certainly did not know the connection to the presence or absence of joy in one's life. The chief result that has occurred is a much broader and deeper sense of the joy of the Lord in my life. I am so glad that I went! - Pastor Eric Bluhm, MN
LOCATION
Christ Community Church, 329 Riverside Ave, Charlottesville, VA 22902