THE 2024 CULTURE CONFERENCE at redeemer

A New story: Bringing the Hope of the Gospel to the Needs of the City

March 22-24, 2024

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the New Story conference!

Click here for video of conference sessions

Click here for audio of conference sessions

CLICK HERE FOR CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Click here to register for our Helping Without Hurting Seminar on April 19^th & 20^th with Chalmers Center Ambassador Marcus Walker.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, March 22

7:00 p.m. Welcome

7:10 p.m. Session One - Rev. Victor Martinez

7:55 p.m. Break

8 p.m. Session Two - Dr. Brian Fikkert

8:45 p.m. Break

8:55-9:20 p.m. Q & A

SATURDAY, March 23

8:30 a.m. Coffee & Pastries

9 a.m. Session Three – Dr. Brian Fikkert

9:50 a.m. Break

10 a.m. Session Four – Dr. Brian Fikkert

10:50 a.m. - Break

11 a.m. - Q&A

11:30 a.m. - Closing Remarks

SUNDAY. March 24

9:15 and 11 a.m. Worship Services

11 a.m. Additional conference session with Dr. Brian Fikkert - Redeemer Fellowship Hall

WELCOME TO REDEEMER

• Conference Admission is free.

• Translation in Spanish will be available for conference sessions.

• Nursery is available for children under age 4 by reservation. Click here to view our nursery policies.

• Parking: Look for Redeemer's purple parking signs for designated parking. Parking is available in Redeemer's main lot in front of the church building, as well as in the Redeemer lot across the street from the church building, on N. St. Mary's. Look for Redeemer's purple parking signs. You may also park in the parking lots of Oncology San Antonio across Baltimore Avenue. On Friday evening only, the lots of the River City Federal Credit Union on Augusta are available for conference parking. Metered street parking and paid lots are available around the church building.

• Livestream: A livestream of conference sessions will be available on this page. Video and audio links will be posted here following the conference.

About the conference

The 2024 Culture Conference at Redeemer:

A New Story: Bringing The Hope of the Gospel to the Needs of the City.

Scripture is clear that Christians are called to care for the poor. But we frequently approach poverty alleviation work with incomplete or faulty stories about what leads to human flourishing, why poverty persists, and how change happens. These stories harm the poor and non-poor alike.

At the New Story Conference, we will examine these misleading stories and turn to Scripture to find a new story rooted in what God says about human flourishing and how change happens for individuals and communities.

Our speaker, Dr. Brian Fikkert, is an economics professor and a Christian committed to the Gospel who has dedicated his life's work to studying poverty alleviation efforts and what Scripture says about humanity's need for connection, community and hope. Together with RPC Associate Pastor of Mission & Cultural Engagement Rev. Victor Martinez, Dr. Fikkert will lead us in examining what Scripture says about poverty and the human condition, and what it means for individual Christians and the church as a whole to truly love and serve our neighbors.

We are thrilled to bring Dr. Fikkert to San Antonio to share his research and wisdom with the church and with the city. Redeemer offers this conference as a resource for individuals, churches, leaders of ministries and non-profits, and those who work in public policy organizations. Please invite friends, neighbors and colleagues to join you at Redeemer March 22-24 for the 2024 Culture Conference!

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About our conference Speakers

Dr. Brian Fikkert is the Founder and President of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College, where he also serves as a Professor of Economics and Community Development.

He is coauthor of the best-selling book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself as well as Becoming Whole: Why the Opposite of Poverty Isn’t the American Dream

Dr. Fikkert earned a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University, specializing in international economics and economic development. He is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals. Prior to coming to Covenant College in 1997, he was a professor at the University of Maryland—College Park and a research fellow at the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector.

He and his wife Jill have three adult children and live in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Rev. Victor Martinez serves as Redeemer San Antonio’s Associate Pastor of Mission & Cultural Engagement. In his role, Victor leads Redeemer’s efforts to connect with city ministries and leaders. In 2021, he was invited to participate in the H.E. Butt Foundation’s Narrative Change Cohort with other faith leaders in San Antonio. He also serves on the City of San Antonio Community Action Advisory Board. Victor serves as President of the Hispanic Leadership Initiative, which seeks to raise up Hispanic pastors and ministry leaders in the PCA. Victor and his wife, Jeannie, planted churches in Dallas, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Puerto Rico before coming to Redeemer.

RESOURCES

If you would like to prepare for our time together, we recommend these resources, which can be purchased online or from the Redeemer book table.

• Becoming Whole: Why the Opposite of Poverty Isn't the American Dream by Brian Fikkert and Kelly Kapic.
• When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor ... and Yourself, by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett
• Placed for a Purpose: A Simple and Sustainable Vision for Loving Your Next-Door Neighbors by Chris McKinney and Elizabeth McKinney
• Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help, and How to Reverse It by Robert Lupton