- Session I: Introduction to Escaping the Church Growth Graveyard \u2013 Ryan Braught<\/li>
- Humility’s Trajectory – Dennis Edwards<\/li>
- Learning to Wash Feet: Discipleship Across the Brethren – Josh Brockway and Andy Hamilton – 1st session<\/li>\n
- ROCK(#ministrywithyouth) HARD PLACE – Becky Ullom Naugle<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t 11:30 a.m. \u2013 12:30 p.m.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t - Session II \u2013 Mission: What\u2019s Keeping us Stuck? – Ryan Braught<\/li>\n
- What Should We be Measuring for our Church? \u2013 Jessie Cruickshank, workshop #1<\/li>\n
- What Do We Mean By Called? How Can Laity See the Value of Their Call? \u2013 Nate Polzin<\/li>\n
- Planting a church from start to flourishing \u2013 Rigo & Margie Beruman, and Russ Matteson<\/li><\/ul><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t - Session III \u2013 Context: How Should We Go? – Ryan Braught<\/li>\n
- Church as a Neighbor: The Geography, Biology, and Theology of Presence \u2013 Shannan Martin<\/li>\n
- Building Trust in Congregations \u2013 Carol Yeazell<\/li>\n
- Discernment \u2013 Paying Attention to Consolation and Desolation – Connie Burkholder<\/li><\/ul><\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\tFriday, May 19<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t\t<\/thead>\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t 10:15 – 11:15 a.m.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t - Session IV: Community: What holds us together? \u2013 Ryan Braught<\/li>
- Learning to Wash Feet: Discipleship Across the Brethren – Josh Brockway and Andy Hamilton – 2nd session<\/li>\n
- Liderazgo Ministerial; estilos y manejo de conflictos (Ministerial Leadership; Styles and conflict management) – Jos\u00e9 Calleja Otero<\/li>\n
- Who is My Neighbor? Discovering Your Congregation’s Neighborhood – Audrey Hollenberg Duffy<\/li><\/ul><\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t 11:30 a.m. \u2013 12:30 p.m.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t - Session V: Formation: How Are We Shaped? – Ryan Braught<\/li>\n
- When We Become Love: A No-Strings Approach to Sharing Jesus With the Community – Martin Hutchison<\/li>\n
- Relaunching Decentralized Churches \u2013 Jessie Cruickshank, workshop #2<\/li>\n
- A Nonviolence Method of Transforming Trauma – Samuel Sarpiya<\/li><\/ul><\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t - Session VI \u2013 Practice: Where Do We Go From Here? – Ryan Braught<\/li>\n
- Meeting the Needs of Christ and His People \u2013 Founa Augustin Badet<\/li>\n
- Effectively Board \u2013 Eder Financial \u2013 Nevin Dulabaum<\/li><\/ul><\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n\n\n\n
Presenter Bios<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/div>\n\n\nJessie Cruickshank<\/h1>\n
Keynote Speaker<\/h2>\n
JESSIE CRUICKSHANK is an ordained Foursquare minister and nationally recognized expert in the fields of discipleship and neuroeducation. She has spent over two decades applying neuroscience research to spiritual formation, ministry training, and organization development. She is respected globally as a missiological thought-leader and neuro-ecclesiologist. <\/p>\n
Jessie serves the body of Christ as a church and denominational consultant. She is the Founder of Who-ology, which seeks to equip all people to be disciplemakers, and the Co-Founder of 5Q, which focuses on training teams around Ephesians 4. <\/p>\n
Jessie holds a Master\u2019s from Harvard in Mind, Brain, and Education. She is a published academic, author, and serves on multiple boards internationally. She currently lives in Colorado, enjoying the rivers with her family.<\/p>\n
You can follow her on Twitter<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> at @yourbrainbyjess
\nWebsites are WHOology<\/a> and yourbrainbyjess<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/04\/Lexi-Aligarbes.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nLexi Aligarbes<\/h1>\n
Lexi Aligarbes (she\/her) is a Co-Pastor at Harrisburg First Church of the Brethren. Originally from New Mexico, Lexi relocated to serve with her congregation in the neighborhood of South Allison Hill, in Harrisburg, PA. She holds an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and a B.A. in Peace and Global Studies from Earlham College. With an ecumenical background, having worked in ministry with Presbyterians, Lutherans, Pentecostals, and Quakers, just to name a few, Lexi is excited to have found a home within the Church of the Brethren. As part of her involvement in the denomination, Lexi serves as chair of the Atlantic Northeast District\u2019s Commission on Church Development and has enjoyed preaching at various Brethren gatherings. She is passionate about intercultural ministries, cultivating contemplative spiritual practices in community, and building up leaders in Christ. When she\u2019s not at the church you can find Lexi exploring one of her favorite thrift stores, hiking a new trail, or enjoying a home-cooked meal with friends and family. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/02\/Founa-Augustin-Badet.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nFouna I. Augustin Badet<\/h1>\n
Founa I. Augustin Badet serves as Director of Haitian Ministries, part of the District Executive Leadership Team at the Atlantic Southeast District Church of the Brethren. She is invested in tangible ways within her community as the pastor of Jesus Lounge Ministry, and is the president and founder of Women of Impossibilities. Currently, Founa also serves as Palm Beach County Council PTA, VP of Leadership. <\/p>\n
Born and raised in Haiti, Founa migrated to the U.S. 24 years ago and owns a thriving translation business, Founa’s, Inc. Founa is wife to Herman and mother to Valencia, Josias and Loudyn. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/04\/Margie-Rigo-Berumen.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nMargie and Rigo Beruman<\/h1>\n
Rigo and Margie Berumen are the founding pastors of Centro \u00c1gape en Acci\u00f3n, a Church of the Brethren fellowship, in Los Banos, California. They are licensed ministers and participate in EPMC through the Brethren Academy for their ministry training. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/02\/Ryan-Braught-updated.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nRyan Braught<\/h1>\n
Ryan Braught is the Pastor\/Church Planter of Veritas. Along with his wife and kids he founded Veritas in 2009. He is the husband of Kim, and father to Kaiden and Trinity. Ryan has a BS in Telecommunications from Kutztown University and a Master of Arts in Religion<\/a> from Evangelical Theological Seminary<\/a>. Besides his work with Veritas, Ryan loves to read, listen to music, snowboard, and spend time with his family.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2021\/02\/josh-brockway.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nJoshua Brockway<\/h1>\n
Joshua Brockway has served as the Director for spiritual formation for the Church of the Brethren since 2010. His work includes oversight for the Spiritual Directors Network and the Ethics for Congregations polity. He writes frequently for a range of denominational publications and leads workshops and renewal events on prayer, discipleship, and Brethren identity.<\/p>\n\n
Joshua received his Master of Arts from Bethany Theological Seminary and completed his Masters of Divinity at Candler School of Theology. He finished his PhD in Church History at The Catholic University of America having written on the intersections of prayer, liturgy, and asceticism in the writings of John Cassian.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/05\/Connie-R-Burkholder.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nConnie R. Burkholder<\/h1>\n
Connie has pastored congregations in Ohio, Kansas, and Virginia. She also served as District Executive in Northern Plains District. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in in Music Education from Lebanon Valley College, a Master’s of Divinity from Bethany Theological Seminary, and completed a graduate level certificate in Spiritual Direction and Directed Retreats from Creighton University. She has led spiritual retreats and workshops and enjoys walking with others in the ministry of spiritual direction in addition to playing piano, crocheting, knitting, and sewing. She currently serves as the chair of the Set Apart Ministry Team in Western Plains District and also writes for Brethren Press from time to time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/05\/Nevin-Dulabaum.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nNevin Dulabaum<\/h1>\n
Nevin Dulabaum has served as president of Eder Financial, which until May 2022 was known as Church of the Brethren Benefit Trust, since 2008. He is passionate about helping pastors, church workers, and congregations know how to better manage their retirement plans, their health-based insurances, and their organizational funds so that they can go about their ministries without worry. As a former newspaper reporter and church board member, he also believes in strong governance of organizations, which means how best they should conduct themselves as a business to avoid conflict of interests, to ensure everyone is headed in the same strategic direction, and that business is conducted fairly and openly. This includes congregations! Simply Board is a workshop Nevin has developed and presented many times at Annual Conference to discuss good church board governance. <\/p>\n\n
Nevin is a life-long member of the Church of the Brethren and he lives in Elgin, Ill. Outside of Eder work, he frequently serves as the video and YouTube technician on Sundays at Highland Ave. Church of the Brethren. He is an avid bicyclist, loves photography and home renovation, and enjoys spending time with his wife and their three daughters, their dog, and their extended family. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/02\/Dennis-Edwards.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nDennis Edwards<\/h1>\n
Dr. Dennis Edwards has long been inspired with a hunger to understand scripture. Growing up in New York City, Edwards attended a storefront church whose pastor was an earnest, faithful, and dedicated spiritual leader. This example continued to inspire Edwards throughout college. Even after attending seminary, his desire to better understand scripture continued. Edwards says, “I pursued my PhD largely in an effort to quench my thirst for enlightenment and understanding of God\u2019s Word.”<\/p>\n
Ordained through the Evangelical Covenant Church, Edwards brings a deep understanding of spiritual leadership to North Park University. He also shares his diverse experiences as a church planter and pastor in Brooklyn, Minneapolis, and Washington D.C. with his students.<\/p>\n
Dr. Edwards currently serves as Vice President for Church Relations and Dean of North Park Theological Seminary. <\/p>\n
Dr. Edwards was our speaker at the 2017 Discipleship Ministries Dinner, and is the author of several books, including:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Might from the Margins \u2013 The Gospel\u2019s Power to Turn the Tables on Injustice<\/li>\n
- What is the Bible and how Do We Understand it? <\/li>\n
- The Story of God Bible Commentary \u2013 1 Peter <\/li><\/ul>\n\n
Read Dr. Dennis Edwards’ full bio here<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/03\/andy-hamilton-2023.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nAndy Hamilton<\/h1>\n
Andy Hamilton serves as District Executive Minister for the Southeastern District Church of the Brethren. He is the husband of Laura Hamilton, to whom he has been married for more than 35 years and has two adult children. Andy has been an ordained Church of the Brethren pastor for more than 20 years during which time he has served in leadership at both the district (Southeastern, Atlantic Northeast & Northern Ohio) and the denominational levels (Mission and Ministry Board). He and Laura are co-founders of Tender Shepherd: A Ministry of Soul-care<\/a>. Andy holds degrees from Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Oh (M.Div., 1998), the University of St. Andrews, Scotland (M.Phil., 2003) and Evangelical Theological Seminary, Myerstown, Pa (Th.D., 2022,). <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/02\/Audrey-Hollenberg-Duffey.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nAudrey Hollenberg-Duffey<\/h1>\n
Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey is a co-pastor with her spouse, Tim, at the Oakton Church of the Brethren (VA) and serves as the Coordinator of English Language Ministry Training Programs for the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. She will graduate with her Doctor of Ministry degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Church Leadership Excellence this May. She is the mother of two beautiful children and three furbabies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/02\/Martin-Hutchison.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nMartin Hutchison<\/h1>\n
Martin Hutchison has been the pastor at Community of Joy church in Salisbury Md since 1999. He is the founder of the Camden Community Garden and is the city of Salisbury\u2019s Secretary of Community Gardens. He serves as one of the founding Commissioners of the city\u2019s Kindness Commission. He works part time for United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore as the Community Impact Associate. He has worked with unsheltered people for 16 years and has served as a mentor to numerous young boys. He is a 2022 Jefferson Award winner. The 2021 Salisbury Independent Person of the year. He has been married to Sharon for 34 years and they have two grown daughters. In his spare time, he loves to garden raise chickens and bees, and do woodworking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/04\/Carolina-Izquierdo.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nCarolina Izquierdo<\/h1>\n
Carolina Elizabeth Izquierdo was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and came to the USA \u2013 to Florida in 1997. She moved to Lancaster, PA where she accepted Christ as her savior in the Maranatha Fellowship \/ Lancaster Church of the Brethren. There she was called to be a licensed minister and took part in ministry classes through the ACTs program. In 2016, Carolina was called to pastor Un Nuevo Renacer Mountville. She also works as a drug and alcohol counselor at an inpatient facility in SACA \u2013 Spanish American Civic Association. Carolina is the mother of 3 children \u2013 Odett, 24, Gabriella 22 and Lucas 12.<\/p>\n
One of her favorite bible verses is: Psalm 46:10 \u2013 \u201cBe still and know that I am God.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/04\/Shannan-Martin.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nShannan Martin<\/h1>\n
Shannan is a mom, wife, and neighbor living in Goshen, Indiana. She is a voracious reader, a wannabe-gardener, a news-geek, a thrift store-stalker, a justice-fighter, and an aficionado of not-too-spicy salsa. Shannan is author of Start with Hello<\/a>, The Ministry of Ordinary Places<\/a>, and Falling Free<\/a>. She is a cook at a local non-profit dedicated to feeding her community and falls asleep most nights thinking about breakfast.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/04\/Russ-Matteson.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nRuss Matteson<\/h1>\n
Russ Matteson is the executive minister of the Pacific Southwest District and is blessed by the opportunity to work with several Spanish language church projects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/04\/Jose-Calleja-Otero.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nJos\u00e9 Calleja Otero<\/h1>\n
Jos\u00e9 is an ordained minister of the Church of the Brethren in Puerto Rico. During his ministry journey at an early age, he served as a youth leader, preacher, bible school teacher, evangelism coordinator, and co-pastor at the Morovis Church of the Brethren. Jose has worked in substance abuse rehabilitation programs; he has been invited by the Department of Corrections in Puerto Rico to serve as a preacher and a workshop facilitator in woman\u2019s correction facilities. As Pastor of the Church of the Brethren in Vega Baja he has helped and shaped district leadership to pursue ministry goals for the kingdom of God.<\/p>\n\n
At district and denomination level he is the current Executive District Minister for the COB Puerto Rico and he has served as an Annual Conference preacher, different denomination commissions or task teams as they come along.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/04\/Juan-Pablo-Adriana-Plaza.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nJuan Pablo y Adriana Plaza<\/h1>\n
Soy Juan Pablo, y junto con mi esposa Adriana nacimos en Colombia y ambos hemos servido en la iglesia participando activamente en diferentes ministerios, como consejer\u00eda b\u00edblica, el instituto b\u00edblico y como pastores de j\u00f3venes. En la formaci\u00f3n profesional como ingeniero de sistemas, trabaj\u00e9 como director comercial en el sector financiero por m\u00e1s de 14 a\u00f1os. <\/p>\n
En el a\u00f1o 2016 vinimos a Estados Unidos para completar nuestros estudios teol\u00f3gicos en una Maestr\u00eda en Divinidad en el Seminario Teol\u00f3gico Fuller. Actualmente nos encontramos plantando una iglesia hispana llamada Conexi\u00f3n Pasadena, junto a un maravilloso equipo pastoral. Nuestro desaf\u00edo es pensar contextualmente tanto como te\u00f3logos, como misi\u00f3logos. Por eso, estamos comprometidos a desarrollar estrategias eclesiales que involucran experiencias y conversaciones en comunidad; sobre la vida real, en nuestro mundo global. <\/p>\n
I am Juan Pablo, and together with my wife Adriana, were born in Colombia and have both served in the church actively participating in different ministries, such as biblical counseling, the Bible institute, and as youth pastors. In professional training as a systems engineer, I worked as a commercial director in the financial sector for more than 14 years.<\/p>\n
In 2016 we came to the United States to complete our theological studies for a Master of Divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary. We are currently planting a Hispanic church called Conexi\u00f3n Pasadena, along with a wonderful pastoral team. Our challenge is to think contextually as both theologians and missiologists. For this reason, we are committed to developing ecclesial strategies that involve experiences and conversations in community, about real life, in our global world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2021\/02\/nate-polzin.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n\nNathan Polzin<\/h1>\n
Nathan Polzin was recently hired as the Executive Director of Discipleship and Leadership Formation for the Church of the Brethren. Nathan will begin that job on April 10, 2023.<\/p>\n \n
From 2009-2017 Nathan served as the Michigan District\u2019s executive minister. From 2007 to present, he has been instrumental in planting and pastoring The Church in Drive, a congregation serving Saginaw, Michigan, and Saginaw Valley State University students. He also currently serves as the pastor of the Midland (Mich.) Church of the Brethren. In the past, he has served congregations in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and Hagerstown, Indiana. He also provides individual and group coaching, team building, training, and consulting services through Polzin Coaching and Consulting.<\/p>\n \n
Nathan is a graduate of Central Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science, and of Bethany Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/discipleshipmin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/03\/Samuel-Sarpiya.jpg\")
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