FAITH & FAMILY SEMINARS

My wife and I are embarking on a new journey, one that we feel compelled by God to undertake, and would like to know if you and your church family might be interested in what we are proposing to do.

We are offering all of the wisdom and years of experience that we have in the area of helping families grow in the Lord and prosper via what we are calling Faith and Family Seminars and Conferences. These meetings would consist of several days of intense training on the home and family. The lectures would be taught by classroom instruction, power point presentations, and preaching. Our desire is to effectively reach out to everyone in the home. Handouts would be included along with any other instructional materials deemed necessary for the sessions. (Sometimes we use workbooks depending on the subjects taught.)

Following is an example of what could be done at its maximum capacity. We are not suggesting that you do all of this necessarily, as your people may not be available to come to all of these sessions or have necessary childcare. It is simply a suggestion of what could be available, if desired. 

Friday Night: Teen Meeting or Couples Meeting
Saturday- All-Day: Ladies Sessions (9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Six Sessions, Including a Lunch Break and Question and Answer Time)
Saturday Evening: Men’s Session and/or Couples Session
Sunday: Available For Any and All Services with Messages for the Family
Sunday Afternoon: Men’s Session
Monday Morning: Staff Training in Counseling 

This would be a very full weekend for us, but we feel very strongly that this is what God is compelling us to do. Of course, the schedule can be custom designed to meet your needs. If flying or driving, it would be best for us to come in on a Friday and leave on a Monday. But again, we are willing to adjust our schedule as needed.

We desperately want to reach families for Christ and we feel that if there was ever a time when families needed to be helped, it is now. The family is under attack; the Christian family is under attack. The nation is only as strong as our churches, and the churches are only as strong as the families that comprise them. We must fight to preserve the next generation for God.

We don’t presume to be experts by any means, but we do have thirty years of experience in the field of counseling on the home and family. I have personally earned a BA in Criminal Justice, a BA in Pastoral Theology, a Master’s Degree in Theology and have been given an Honorary Doctorate. Jo Beth has been counseling and working with women for over 25 years. However, we think our greatest assets and the validation of the principles God has taught us rests primarily in the on-going lives and ministries of our six married daughters who love us, love the Lord, whose husbands are all preachers, and who are also teaching and rearing their families for Christ.

Our goal is to inspire, encourage, and help individuals regardless of where they are in their spiritual growth. Although our outreach is primarily to couples and their families, we are particularly interested in helping women, married or single, deal with the many and varied issues in their lives.  I have included for you a list of topics that my wife is available to teach to the women. I do feel my wife is excellent in dealing with hard topics with which many are not comfortable dealing. For many years God has brought to my wife those suffering from a myriad of issues, such as, bitterness, abuse, self-abuse and self-mutilation, and many other “hard” issues.  The classroom atmosphere is particularly helpful as it gives ladies the opportunity to discuss potentially divisive issues. The talks are designed to fulfill Titus 2:3-5 by both teaching women what the Bible has to say and encouraging them to teach other women also. She is a sought out and respected speaker and has a way of communicating to women in a non-offensive, non- abrasive manner. I think you would be pleased.

We have no desire, of course, to conflict with you on any subject. We would prefer that the topics for the women be chosen by you. You know best what your ladies need. Our desire is to support you and encourage your people in the direction that you want them to go.

We are scheduling now for the year 2012. February is nearly filled and the fall is filling fast. We would love to be of service to you if we could. Whether we get to be with you or not, we sincerely hope that God blesses you in all that you do as you strive to serve our Saviour.

We can be reached by writing to us at our email address: hookpublications@sbcglobal.net, or by calling us at 219-808-3989 (Bro. Hooker’s cell number) or 219-661-3480 (our home number).

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

 

Bob and Jo Beth Hooker  

By Bob Hooker

On November 8, 1975, while sitting in his dorm room at Memphis State University, Robert Hooker realized he was miserable deep inside. He really didn’t have anything to live for. He had seen several of his friends die while in high school and college and knew that he too would face death someday. Robert’s heart was in turmoil as he picked up a small Bible and started to read. God’s Word was foreign to Robert and it was hard for him to understand; just as he was about to close the Bible he spotted some verses in the back of the Book. After reading these verses he understood that he was a sinner, and deserved to go to a place called Hell. Robert knelt beside his bed and asked Jesus Christ to save him and give him eternal life. Robert realized for the first time that Jesus Christ was truly the Son of God, and had lived a spotless life. He realized Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose from the grave, just so he could have eternal life. Robert graduated from Memphis State and went on to work at Trinity Baptist Church in Collierville, Tennessee as the Youth Pastor. While attending this church, God called Robert to preach and he, his wife and two daughters moved to Indiana to attend Hyles-Anderson College in January of 1982. Robert graduated from Hyles-Anderson College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pastoral Theology in May of 1985. Later, Robert received his Masters in Pastoral Theology. Bro. Hooker has been working at Hyles-Anderson College and in the ministries of First Baptist Church since 1985. In 2005 Bro. Hooker was given a Doctorate of Divinity by Dr. Jack Schaap. Dr. Hooker is the Sr. Vice President and a Professor at Hyles-Anderson College. Dr. Hooker teaches the Faith and Family Sunday school class at the First Baptist Church of Hammond. 1985 - Demerit Counselor 1986 - Part-time staff member at the church and director of the Sailor Ministry 1990 - Athletic Director and part-time faculty 1996 - Full-time faculty 2001 - Dean of Married Students 2003 - Dean of Student Counseling 2006 - Sr. Vice President

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