The conference we are planning for the fall of 2009 is one of the most exciting and ambitious in our history. This year our two venues will be the Royal Conservatory of Music (www.rcmusic.ca), which, from this location and in locales across the country has provided arts and music education to hundreds of thousands of Canadians, and the Royal Ontario Museum (www.rom.on.ca), which is among the world’s leading museums of natural history and world cultures. Both of these buildings have recently undergone major contemporary renovations and are Toronto landmark destinations. As you may know, June 2009 through January 2010, the ROM is presenting the Dead Sea Scrolls (www.rom.on.ca/scrolls) to the public and Unite in Worship is delighted to be part of the excitement.

Unite in Worship 2009 will include admission to the scrolls exhibit, with a guided tour organized by the ROM, custom-tailored to our conference delegates. There will be a pre-conference lecture/discussion on the relevance of the scrolls and their importance for 21st century believers. In addition to Dr. Craig Evans (our scrolls expert), other keynote speakers include Dr. Todd Johnson from Fuller, Tom Davis, author and Founder of Hope Chest Ministries, and Glenn Packiam, Director of Worship Development at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. Each keynote speaker will also present 2 workshops and there will be 15-20 other workshop presenters during the 2-day event.

Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was one of the greatest archaeological events of the 20th century, but without a trip to Israel, it has been impossible to see and experience the full impact of these early manuscripts. Unite in Worship, in conjunction with the ROM will provide conference delegates an unparalleled experience of viewing the scrolls, expert discussion, dialogue and debate about the scrolls’ influence on early Christianity and how we should view them today. Does ancient practice have any value or influence our practice today and is there anything we can learn from these early believers about how to walk with faith into the future?

Through worship, teaching, preaching and experiencing the intersection of faith, history and life, we will take a journey from ancient to modern.

In this conference, our goal is to invite delegates to ‘Experience the Intersection of Faith, History and Life’ in the context of one of the greatest archaeological finds of the past century. The scrolls include the earliest written sources for the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament), as well as other less well known writings. Many of the ideas and beliefs contained in this collection of ancient parchments have resonated through the centuries and remain influential today. Indeed, they reflect the foundations of important religions such as Judaism and Christianity and have influenced Islam.