Men's conference set March 9 in Saxonburg
SAXONBURG — Speakers for the upcoming Reverse the Curse men's conference include former Steeler Tunch Ilkin and 9-11 survivor Sujo John, but the organizers say the real attraction is Jesus Christ.
The daylong event March 9 at Saxonburg Memorial Presbyterian Church, 100 E. Main St., is sponsored by the church's men's' group Crown of Brothers.
“It's called Reverse the Curse. The curse is sin. We all have this curse from the original sin of Adam, and we all need a savior,” said Tim Thoma of Saxonburg.
Thoma and Ernie Westerman of Saxonburg are co-founders of Crown of Brothers.
Thoma said, “We like to create a venue that the community can come to and understand what God has for them when they come to this conference. All men are sinners. Our passion is to bring men to know Christ.”
Carmen Shullo, the youth pastor at the church and the master of ceremonies for the event, said men are seeking something desperately and the conference can supply it.
“We have to be the spiritual leaders in our home,” said Westerman.
“Men need to man up to their obligation of what God intended them to be,” said Thoma. “Men in the past have been too passive.”
“The bottom line is that it is OK for men to love, Christ loved us. Men are afraid to show love because they feel it will make them look weak,” said Shullo.
Thoma said, “I hope that when men leave here they understand they have a savior in Jesus Christ, that men allow him to live his life in and through them and that they will have the courage to study his word and apply it to their lives.”
The men's conference is the third sponsored by the men's group and organizers expect attendance to equal or surpass the 500 men who came last year.
In addition to Ilkin and John, the conference will feature Pastor Steve Chiles of Oklahoma City, an observance for veterans, a catered lunch and music from Saxonburg Memorial's praise and worship team, In the Light.
“The speakers, the food, the music, it will be an incredible day,” said Thoma.
Reverse the Curse is an outgrowth of the Crown of Brothers' purpose to encourage men in their relationship with God, said Shullo.
One member, Marc Mook of Saxonburg said of Thoma and Westerman, “I've only had a short time around these two guys. I fell out of the church. I tried to live my own life. That didn't work. I made mistakes. I thought I could fix them myself. I couldn't. My heart grew hard and calloused.”
“I surrendered myself to Christ with the help of these gentlemen. It opened my heart up: frustrations, angers, all sorts of stuff,” Mook said.
“The changes in me in a matter of three months ... It's a change in my life that I am in love with,” said Mook.
Shullo said, “These guys want to lead men to Christ. They trust each other with each other's families. Men are desperately seeking something and they run smack into the cross.”
The group meets at the church every Monday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and is open to all men, said Thoma.
Thoma cited the Bible verse, Malachi 4:6 “'He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents ...' as the principal behind both Crown of Brothers and Reverse the Curse.
<B>WHAT: </B>Reverse the Curse men's conference<B>WHEN: </B>8 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 9; doors open at 7 a.m. with juice, coffee and pastries in the church basement; event starts promptly at 8 a.m.<B>WHERE: </B>Saxonburg Memorial Presbyterian Church, 100 E. Main St., Saxonburg<B>TICKETS: </B>Available at Thoma Meat Market, 748 Dinnerbell Road, Saxonburg; at reversethecurse.org; or at the door
