{"id":2916,"date":"2026-03-06T16:46:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T16:46:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/dlf\/?page_id=2916"},"modified":"2026-04-24T20:18:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T20:18:57","slug":"breakout-sessions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/dlf\/lead-conference\/breakout-sessions\/","title":{"rendered":"L.E.A.D. Breakout Sessions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>We invite you to prayerfully consider which session will best support your growth and ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-lg btn-info\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/dlf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2026\/04\/LEAD-Bios.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Presenter bios<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"listen\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\">\n\t\t\t<thead>\n\t\t\t\t<tr class=\"thead-light\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<th colspan=\"2\">Listen<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t\t<\/thead>\n\t\t\t<tbody>\n\t\t\t\t<tr>\n                                        <td>Espa\u00f1ol<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>Lupita Ortiz<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Escuchando al arquitecto en sus historias: voces de inmigrantes y el llamado a la concienciaci\u00f3n<\/span><br>En esta sesi\u00f3n, los pastores escuchar\u00e1n historias reales de inmigrantes que, como Abraham en Hebreos 11:8, siguieron la voz del Arquitecto hacia lo desconocido. A trav\u00e9s de sus testimonios de fe en medio de la crisis migratoria de Estados Unidos, creceremos en conciencia y profundizaremos nuestra vocaci\u00f3n a pastorear con compasi\u00f3n, verdad y dignidad.\u00a0<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n                                        <td>Krey\u00f2l<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>Ilexene Alphonse<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Yon Past\u00e8 ak Vokasyon li<\/span><br>A Pastor and Their Calling<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>James Washington<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Race Relations: Making Things Right<\/span><br>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 \u201cbeing mean\u201d 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.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Richard Wehrle<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Building a Listening Culture in the Church<\/span><br>\u00a0In this session we will discuss how to lead when you&#8217;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.\u00a0<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Paul Mundey<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Two Ears, One Mouth: Skills for Listening, For Leaders<\/span><br>When we picture leaders, we often envision them speaking. \u00a0But wise leaders spend considerable time listening, capturing the heart-cries of the people they strive to serve.\u00a0\u00a0In this session, we\u2019ll learn practical listening skills, including the art of deep connection through availability, attentiveness, empathy, and reflection.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"equip\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\">\n\t\t\t<thead>\n\t\t\t\t<tr class=\"thead-light\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<th colspan=\"2\">Equip<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t\t<\/thead>\n\t\t\t<tbody>\n\t\t\t\t<tr>\n                                        <td>Espa\u00f1ol<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>Ever Sandoval<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Estrategias y claves para una evangelizaci\u00f3n efectiva en pleno siglo XXI<\/span><br>En nuestros d\u00edas, la evangelizaci\u00f3n enfrenta desaf\u00edos y oportunidades \u00fanicas que hacen necesario un enfoque renovado y profundo. El siglo XXI es escenario de grandes avances tecnol\u00f3gicos y cambios culturales constantes. Sin embargo, la evangelizaci\u00f3n efectiva va m\u00e1s all\u00e1 del uso de la tecnolog\u00eda. Es esencial comprender que vivimos en sociedades plurales, donde existen muchas creencias, valores e ideolog\u00edas. Adem\u00e1s, el trabajo evangelizador puede enriquecerse mediante la colaboraci\u00f3n entre distintas tradiciones y comunidades cristianas. La empat\u00eda y la escucha activa se convierten en herramientas fundamentales<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n                                        <td>Krey\u00f2l<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>Ella Attelus<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Legliz la pou pran swen pwochen Jenerasyon an<\/span><br>Yon konv\u00e8sasyon pratik sou Kijan pou Kenbe, pran swen, epi envite j\u00e8n yo nan lavi Legliz la.\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Tina Hunt<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Your Church F.I.T (Flourishing Individually and Together)<\/span><br>Drawing from MBTI,\u00a0Knowing Me, Knowing God\u00a0(Malcolm Goldsmith), and\u00a0Discover Your Spiritual Type\u00a0(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\u00a0\u00a0for 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.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Nate Hosler<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Turning the world upside down\u2014Building the world anew<\/span><br>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\u2019s 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.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Laura Stone<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">As I Have Loved You: Fostering Healthy Internal Relationships in Faith Communities<\/span><br>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&#8217;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&#8217;ll explore practical approaches to loving one another as Jesus loves us.  \u200bOne 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&#8217;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&#8217;ll explore practical approaches to loving one another as Jesus loves us.  \u200b<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Dan Radcliff<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Cultivating Generosity: Connecting Hearts to Your Mission<\/span><br>Fundraising\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0just about dollars\u2014it\u2019s\u00a0about discipleship and deepening relationships. As board members, you have a unique opportunity to inspire generosity that sustains ministry and advances God\u2019s work. In this session,\u00a0we\u2019ll\u00a0explore practical strategies for engaging donors in ways that reflect your faith values, including clear processes, essential documentation, and planned giving insights.\u00a0You\u2019ll\u00a0leave\u00a0equipped to strengthen donor connections and nurture a culture of joyful giving that supports your church\u2019s mission.\u00a0<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"adapt\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\">\n\t\t\t<thead>\n\t\t\t\t<tr class=\"thead-light\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<th colspan=\"2\">Adapt<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t\t<\/thead>\n\t\t\t<tbody>\n\t\t\t\t<tr>\n                                        <td>Espa\u00f1ol<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>Manny Cruz<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Fe m\u00e1s all\u00e1 de las fronteras: navegando los cambios culturales con la fe<\/span><br>Esta sesi\u00f3n invita a pastores y l\u00edderes a ver la crisis migratoria no solo como un tema pol\u00edtico, sino como un momento pastoral lleno de oportunidades evang\u00e9licas para pastorear con compasi\u00f3n y dignidad.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n                                        <td>Krey\u00f2l<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>Vildor Archange<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">L\u2019Adaptabilit\u00e9 du leadership<\/span><br> L&#8217;Adaptabilit\u00e9, un outil n\u00e9cessaire pour un vrai disciple et un vrai leader \/ Adaptabilit\u00e9, yon zouti neses\u00e8 pou yon vr\u00e8 disip ak yon vr\u00e8 lid\u00e8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Brian Messler<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Leadership That Inspires Growth<\/span><br>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.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Your Bylaws were Made for You, Not You for Your Bylaws: Discerning Structural Change<\/span><br>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.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Dave Grimes\/Dean Dibert<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Transformation Is Possible<\/span><br>This session will explore practical examples learned through the story of how one church&#8217;s leadership, after weathering through several storms, began to seek God\u2019s leading.\u00a0 As they learned the process of discernment and hearing God\u2019s voice, they began a New Chapter to define their mission and purpose.\u00a0 In this session, we will look at real life examples of how the church leadership worked through their team\u2019s lifecycle from storming, to norming, to performing and adapted as God equipped them to lead.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Ryan Braught<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">16% Is All You Need<\/span><br>I&#8217;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\u2019ve been there. Maybe you\u2019ve tried everything. Maybe everything you\u2019ve tried has been met with resistance. In this workshop we\u2019ll 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.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"disciple\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\">\n\t\t\t<thead>\n\t\t\t\t<tr class=\"thead-light\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<th colspan=\"2\">Disciple<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t\t<\/thead>\n\t\t\t<tbody>\n\t\t\t\t<tr>\n                                        <td>Espa\u00f1ol<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>Yoryanis Iglesias Acosta<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Marketing para Iglesias: El Problema No es el Mensaje\u2026 es la Estrategia<\/span><br>Este workshop presenta el marketing como una herramienta estrat\u00e9gica para la iglesia,  enfocada en la conexi\u00f3n como base del crecimiento. Se abordar\u00e1n sus etapas desde una  evaluaci\u00f3n interna de la iglesia hasta su conexi\u00f3n con la comunidad, incorporando  estrategias digitales y tradicionales para fortalecer la comunicaci\u00f3n y el crecimiento  sostenible.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n                                        <td>Krey\u00f2l<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>Founa Badet<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Kiltir\u00e8l vs. Biblik: Dis\u00e8nman Ent\u00e8kiltir\u00e8l pou Lid\u00e8chip Fr\u00e8 yo<\/span><br>Legliz Fr\u00e8 yo gen lontan depi l ap afime yon angajman pou swiv Jezi nan senplisite, lap\u00e8, ak kominote. Men, nan yon mond ki de pli zan pli polarize e ki konpl\u00e8ks kiltir\u00e8lman, lid\u00e8 Fr\u00e8 yo ap f\u00e8 fas ak defi pou yo dis\u00e8ne kil\u00e8 sipozisyon kiltir\u00e8l yo f\u00f2me teyoloji nou, pratik lid\u00e8chip nou, ak lavi kongregasyon nou plis pase Lekriti Sent lan. Sesyon sa a envite patisipan yo pou yo eksplore tansyon ki genyen ant n\u00f2m kiltir\u00e8l ak fidelite biblik atrav\u00e8 yon lantiy ent\u00e8kiltir\u00e8l, ki baze sou konviksyon Fr\u00e8 yo ak lavi Jezi. Ansanm, nou pral reflechi sou kijan ras, kilti, pouvwa, privil\u00e8j, 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 lid\u00e8 yo pou yo dis\u00e8ne fid\u00e8lman\u2014koute pwofondman, pratike imilite, epi mete lanmou rekonsilyasyon Kris la an p\u00e8sonalite. Patisipan yo pral kite av\u00e8k yon fondasyon teyolojik renouvle, zouti pratik pou lid\u00e8chip ent\u00e8kiltir\u00e8l, ak yon angajman pi pwofon pou yo yon legliz ki swiv Jezi nan div\u00e8s katye ak kont\u00e8ks mondyal.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Nevin Dulabaum<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">How did our Brethren DNA get this way?<\/span><br>The Church of the Brethren did not form\u00a0its 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 &#8212; from Germany and the Netherlands to the U.S. \u2013 and how their ideals continue to be upheld in the church today.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Carl Hill<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Revive Us Again<\/span><br>This session will use the late Brethren writer Vernard Eller&#8217;s\u00a0book &#8220;Towering Babble&#8221; 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\u00a0 lead\u00a0to discussion<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Jeff Carter<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Practical Integrity for Leaders<\/span><br>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\u00a0more\u00a0precision, 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:\u00a0Are you consistent, honest, and self-aware across every context?\u00a0Is your \u201cyes\u201d a \u201cyes,\u201d and your \u201cno\u201d a \u201cno?\u201d<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>English<\/td>\n                                        <td>Jeff Glass<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t<td><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Faith Conversations: Gifted, Equipped, and Ready<\/span><br>Participants will reflect on their uniquely created purpose\u2014including 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.<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<a name=\"presenters\"><\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We invite you to prayerfully consider which session will best support your growth and ministry. Presenter bios Listen Espa\u00f1ol Lupita Ortiz Escuchando al arquitecto en sus historias: voces de inmigrantes y el llamado a la concienciaci\u00f3nEn esta sesi\u00f3n, los pastores escuchar\u00e1n historias reales de inmigrantes que, como Abraham en Hebreos 11:8, siguieron la voz del<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":2196,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"class_list":["post-2916","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/dlf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2916","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/dlf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/dlf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/dlf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/dlf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2916"}],"version-history":[{"count":41,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/dlf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2916\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2982,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/dlf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2916\/revisions\/2982"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/dlf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/dlf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/dlf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}