We invite you to prayerfully consider which session will best support your growth and ministry.
| Listen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Español | Lupita Ortiz | Escuchando al arquitecto en sus historias: voces de inmigrantes y el llamado a la concienciación En esta sesión, los pastores escucharán historias reales de inmigrantes que, como Abraham en Hebreos 11:8, siguieron la voz del Arquitecto hacia lo desconocido. A través de sus testimonios de fe en medio de la crisis migratoria de Estados Unidos, creceremos en conciencia y profundizaremos nuestra vocación a pastorear con compasión, verdad y dignidad. |
| Kreyòl | Ilexene Alphonse | Yon Pastè ak Vokasyon li A Pastor and Their Calling |
| English | James Washington | Race Relations: Making Things Right Dismantling racism is a lifelong work that requires visiting uncomfortable space to achieve healing. In this work shop we will define racism as going beyond just “being mean” and look at the systemic land in which we live. This workshop is more than a lecture; it is the beginning of a lifelong journey toward dismantling racism and building a stronger, more inclusive community. This workshop is designed to move us beyond theory and into action. Participants will learn exactly what racism looks like and how it operates beneath the surface of our consciousness. |
| English | Richard Wehrle | Building a Listening Culture in the Church In this session we will discuss how to lead when you’re not speaking. We will explore a biblical foundation for listening, reflect on our own habits, and explore how creating a culture of listening in your congregation can create space for others to develop their leadership skills. |
| English | Paul Mundey | Two Ears, One Mouth: Skills for Listening, For Leaders When we picture leaders, we often envision them speaking. But wise leaders spend considerable time listening, capturing the heart-cries of the people they strive to serve. In this session, we’ll learn practical listening skills, including the art of deep connection through availability, attentiveness, empathy, and reflection. |
| Equip | ||
|---|---|---|
| Español | Ever Sandoval | Estrategias y claves para una evangelización efectiva en pleno siglo XXI En nuestros días, la evangelización enfrenta desafíos y oportunidades únicas que hacen necesario un enfoque renovado y profundo. El siglo XXI es escenario de grandes avances tecnológicos y cambios culturales constantes. Sin embargo, la evangelización efectiva va más allá del uso de la tecnología. Es esencial comprender que vivimos en sociedades plurales, donde existen muchas creencias, valores e ideologías. Además, el trabajo evangelizador puede enriquecerse mediante la colaboración entre distintas tradiciones y comunidades cristianas. La empatía y la escucha activa se convierten en herramientas fundamentales |
| Kreyòl | Ella Attelus | Legliz la pou pran swen pwochen Jenerasyon an Yon konvèsasyon pratik sou Kijan pou Kenbe, pran swen, epi envite jèn yo nan lavi Legliz la. |
| English | Tina Hunt | Your Church F.I.T (Flourishing Individually and Together) Drawing from MBTI, Knowing Me, Knowing God (Malcolm Goldsmith), and Discover Your Spiritual Type (Corinne Ware) this workshop will explore the ways our spiritual types impact our spirituality as individuals and within the community we call the church. Attendees will participate in identifying the MBTI type for their church and ways to work with their strengths, as well be aware of the impact of type differences. The goal of this knowledge is assisting churches and individuals in finding the right F.I.T. |
| English | Nate Hosler | Turning the world upside down—Building the world anew In Jesus we see both criticism of the way things are, as well as a witness and action for a new way of being in our communities. In this session we will explore theologically-grounded practical tools for engaging in our communities. From prayerful discernment and listening, to taking steps of action for God’s vision of peace, we will consider the call for working faithfully for the well-being of all. Drawing on the principles of peacebuilding, advocacy, social entrepreneurship, and strategic change we will consider the calling of the church in the current socio-political moment. |
| English | Laura Stone | As I Have Loved You: Fostering Healthy Internal Relationships in Faith Communities One of the markers of a thriving church is healthy internal relationships, and though love is simple, it is not always easy or straightforward. In this session we’ll talk about congregational power dynamics, Jesus-shaped love in pews and committee meetings, communal accountability as an expression of love, and attention to ethics as a vital part of our witness in the world. Whether you are a pastor, lay leader, congregational influencer, or disciple, bring your experiences and your questions, and together we’ll explore practical approaches to loving one another as Jesus loves us. One of the markers of a thriving church is healthy internal relationships, and though love is simple, it is not always easy or straightforward. In this session we’ll talk about congregational power dynamics, Jesus-shaped love in pews and committee meetings, communal accountability as an expression of love, and attention to ethics as a vital part of our witness in the world. Whether you are a pastor, lay leader, congregational influencer, or disciple, bring your experiences and your questions, and together we’ll explore practical approaches to loving one another as Jesus loves us. |
| English | Dan Radcliff | Cultivating Generosity: Connecting Hearts to Your Mission Fundraising isn’t just about dollars—it’s about discipleship and deepening relationships. As board members, you have a unique opportunity to inspire generosity that sustains ministry and advances God’s work. In this session, we’ll explore practical strategies for engaging donors in ways that reflect your faith values, including clear processes, essential documentation, and planned giving insights. You’ll leave equipped to strengthen donor connections and nurture a culture of joyful giving that supports your church’s mission. |
| Adapt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Español | Manny Cruz | Fe más allá de las fronteras: navegando los cambios culturales con la fe Esta sesión invita a pastores y líderes a ver la crisis migratoria no solo como un tema político, sino como un momento pastoral lleno de oportunidades evangélicas para pastorear con compasión y dignidad. |
| Kreyòl | Vildor Archange | L’Adaptabilité du leadership L’Adaptabilité, un outil nécessaire pour un vrai disciple et un vrai leader / Adaptabilité, yon zouti nesesè pou yon vrè disip ak yon vrè lidè |
| English | Brian Messler | Leadership That Inspires Growth How we lead others can either hinder or energize growth, trust, and passion within the congregation. We will examine a variety of leadership theories and their impact on our congregations. We will then learn and lock down three specific theories that will enhance your relationship with your congregation, deepen their discipleship, and empower them for kingdom impact. |
| English | Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey | Your Bylaws were Made for You, Not You for Your Bylaws: Discerning Structural Change When Jesus told the Pharisees that humanity was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for humanity (Mark 2:27), he was essentially reminding them that our religious structures were always meant to serve and support our spiritual needs. We were never meant to be stuck with a structure that no longer works for us because we feel a sense of loyalty to it. If our structures are holding us back from what God would have us do, it is time to change them. This session will present a three-step process for discerning and moving through structural change (i.e., constitution revisions, board restructuring, visioning, etc.) so that a congregation is set up to thrive and serve as God intends. |
| English | Dave Grimes/Dean Dibert | Transformation Is Possible This session will explore practical examples learned through the story of how one church’s leadership, after weathering through several storms, began to seek God’s leading. As they learned the process of discernment and hearing God’s voice, they began a New Chapter to define their mission and purpose. In this session, we will look at real life examples of how the church leadership worked through their team’s lifecycle from storming, to norming, to performing and adapted as God equipped them to lead. |
| English | Ryan Braught | 16% Is All You Need I’m sure you have heard the joke, How many Brethren does it take to change a light bulb? Change? But the hard work of changing a church is no joke. Maybe you’ve been there. Maybe you’ve tried everything. Maybe everything you’ve tried has been met with resistance. In this workshop we’ll provide a framework to help you bring change to your church. And give you an answer to how you work on changing your church. And by the way, the answer to how you change your church is 16. |
| Disciple | ||
|---|---|---|
| Español | Yoryanis Iglesias Acosta | Marketing para Iglesias: El Problema No es el Mensaje… es la Estrategia Este workshop presenta el marketing como una herramienta estratégica para la iglesia, enfocada en la conexión como base del crecimiento. Se abordarán sus etapas desde una evaluación interna de la iglesia hasta su conexión con la comunidad, incorporando estrategias digitales y tradicionales para fortalecer la comunicación y el crecimiento sostenible. |
| Kreyòl | Founa Badet | Kiltirèl vs. Biblik: Disènman Entèkiltirèl pou Lidèchip Frè yo Legliz Frè yo gen lontan depi l ap afime yon angajman pou swiv Jezi nan senplisite, lapè, ak kominote. Men, nan yon mond ki de pli zan pli polarize e ki konplèks kiltirèlman, lidè Frè yo ap fè fas ak defi pou yo disène kilè sipozisyon kiltirèl yo fòme teyoloji nou, pratik lidèchip nou, ak lavi kongregasyon nou plis pase Lekriti Sent lan. Sesyon sa a envite patisipan yo pou yo eksplore tansyon ki genyen ant nòm kiltirèl ak fidelite biblik atravè yon lantiy entèkiltirèl, ki baze sou konviksyon Frè yo ak lavi Jezi. Ansanm, nou pral reflechi sou kijan ras, kilti, pouvwa, privilèj, ak eksperyans lavi enfliyanse fason nou li Lekriti Sent lan ak dirije kominote lafwa yo. Olye pou yo chwazi ant kilti oswa Lekriti Sent lan, sesyon sa a mande lidè yo pou yo disène fidèlman—koute pwofondman, pratike imilite, epi mete lanmou rekonsilyasyon Kris la an pèsonalite. Patisipan yo pral kite avèk yon fondasyon teyolojik renouvle, zouti pratik pou lidèchip entèkiltirèl, ak yon angajman pi pwofon pou yo yon legliz ki swiv Jezi nan divès katye ak kontèks mondyal. |
| English | Nevin Dulabaum | How did our Brethren DNA get this way? The Church of the Brethren did not form its beliefs and practices out of no where. We can trace who we are today by looking more than 300 years ago when the Brethren movement began. Come on a journey to learn of the people and see the places that were formative in the creation of the Brethren movement — from Germany and the Netherlands to the U.S. – and how their ideals continue to be upheld in the church today. |
| English | Carl Hill | Revive Us Again This session will use the late Brethren writer Vernard Eller’s book “Towering Babble” published in 1982 as the basis for discussing the possibility of much needed revival in Church of the Brethren. We will look at five topics from his book that will be intended to lead to discussion |
| English | Jeff Carter | Practical Integrity for Leaders True leadership integrity means being the same person in every room; on Zoom, in email, face-to-face. Say what you mean and mean what you say; vague commitments erode trust fast. Before communicating, get clear on your own values. Unclear messaging usually reflects unclear thinking. Digital communication demands more precision, not less, since tone and context are easily lost. When others know you mean what you say, they stop second-guessing and start performing. The core question is simple: Are you consistent, honest, and self-aware across every context? Is your “yes” a “yes,” and your “no” a “no?” |
| English | Jeff Glass | Faith Conversations: Gifted, Equipped, and Ready Participants will reflect on their uniquely created purpose—including how you share your faith. They will learn how to use their God-given gifts and strengths to engage in natural, confident conversations that truly fit you. |