Do you work with middle school or high school students? Three seasoned youth workers will share a few encouragements from their combined 70+ years in youth ministry, but much of this hour will be collaborative. Come to connect with others who share your passion and your challenges in reaching the next generation. We’ll discuss best practices, address practical questions, pray together, and be reminded of why we’re in this ministry in the first place.

Small and effective? Is it possible? According to the Bible, church history, and the latest research, the answer is a resounding yes! Small churches not only can be effective, but when they see their size, not as a problem to fix, but as part of a strategy Jesus is using to build his church, they become some of the most effective congregations in the world. In this session, Karl Vaters will walk through the three essential shifts pastors need to make to help the congregation you lead become healthier and more effective at the size it is right now.

Most church boards experience fairly smooth sailing with only occasional brief turbulence. But when things get really tough, most of us need some guidance in navigating the tough seas. Pulling from his experience in command roles during his policing career and decades of experience in church leadership, Bob Osborne will share some helpful insights about the role of church boards and board members as they lead and care for the church they serve.

Kids will always want to play, and that desire is God-designed. In this session, we’ll explore how play isn’t a break from discipleship but a powerful pathway to wonder, curiosity, connection, and deeper spiritual growth. Discover practical ways to integrate meaningful, joyful play into your ministry so kids can engage God’s truth naturally and wholeheartedly. Grounded in Proverbs 22:6, we’ll reimagine ministry with less “sit still” and more intentional spaces where faith and play come alive together.

We are a nation of immigrants with a significant ethnic diversity and sometimes challenging immigration status. Our District has the largest amount of immigrant congregations in the EFCA, including the largest Hispanic congregation. How are you (and your Elders) navigating the immigration tension in your own congregation?

There is a lot of confusion in our world when it comes to understanding gender--and for increasing numbers of young people, significant pain in their experience of their own gender. How do we practically, compassionately, and truthfully come alongside young people around us who might be struggling with their own gender identity? In this training session, we will think through these complex questions and offer biblical clarity, compassion, and wisdom for church leaders who want to care well for those struggling with gender dysphoria.

Matthew 19:14 shows us that Jesus welcomed children as true members of His kingdom. This session will help your team shift from simply keeping kids occupied to intentionally discipling them through Scripture, relationships, and purposeful structure. You’ll learn how to strengthen systems, empower volunteers as ministry leaders, and reframe your children’s spaces as holy ground where real spiritual formation happens.

If you’ve been in ministry long enough, you’ve experienced chaos or you know it’s coming. Whether you’re navigating turbulence now or preparing for what’s ahead, this class offers practical systems and tactical steps to help your team move from uncertainty to unity, clarity, and renewed energy to stay on mission.

Laura Behnke, Director of Operations at Mountain Life Church in Park City, Utah, shares hard-earned wisdom from leading through a senior pastor transition, moral failure, and a season where staff were walking on eggshells. Through intentional systems and healthy leadership practices, Mountain Life emerged stronger and is now experiencing a new challenge: growth. With a 34% increase in weekly attendance year over year, the church has been able to scale effectively because of a thriving, aligned, and mission-focused team.

Gain insight, encouragement, and practical tools you can implement immediately to lead your team through chaos and into cohesion.

Who is the true enemy when it comes to church safety? When you think of this through a biblical approach, the foundation of your church safety program must change. This workshop will cover a variety of topics to include justification of building a team, training, discipleship, structure, responsibilities, and most importantly, the foundation of the team. The goal is for you to walk away with a road map to building your own safety ministry that walks God’s path and protects the mission of the church.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Every church leader has seen the typical organizational bell curve. Recent church statistics indicate that 65-80% of churches nationwide, have plateaued and are drifting downward – that means they are on the backside of that curve. Gravity eventually pulls on even the healthiest churches. Leading revitalization can be difficult and challenging but extremely rewarding.

In this workshop we will talk about:

Developing the skills needed to be an effective revitalization pastor.

Five practical steps or “plays to run” for a church in need of renewal.

The support needed if you are a pastor leading a church through revitalization

Many times, declining churches look to making small and practical changes in ministry programing, discipleship methods, Sunday worship services, etc., instead of answering the “Why.” If you suspect that your church is plateauing or declining, come to this workshop and find out the most important and foundational questions to ask to move into a season of renewal.