A recording of every single workshop (plus two bonus workshops!) is available to subscribers.

FRIDAY WORKSHOPS

Denise Anderson

Everything You Thought You Knew About Racial Reconciliation Is Wrong

Heidi Armstrong

It’s All Transitional: Lead with Insight. Discover New Purpose. Act with Courage.

Gregory Bentley

De-Colonizing Wealth—Steps to Re-Invest, not just Re-Brand

Jess Cook

Ministry Beyond the Binary

Stephanie Crumpton

Connecting COVID, Trauma and Mental Health

Clyde Ellis

How to Run an Effective Meeting (Not Just an Efficient One)

Mark Elsdon

Help! What Do We Do With Our Building!?

Shannon Hopkins

Help! What Do We Do With Our Building!?

Scott Lumsden

It’s All Transitional: Lead with Insight. Discover New Purpose. Act with Courage.

Eliana Maxim

It’s All Transitional: Lead with Insight. Discover New Purpose. Act with Courage.

Alex McNeill

Ministry Beyond the Binary

Becca Messman

How to Run an Effective Meeting (Not Just an Efficient One)

Brittany Porch

Post-Pandemic Youth Ministry

Mark Sampson

Help! What Do We Do With Our Building!?

Elona Street-Stewart

De-Colonizing Wealth—Steps to Re-Invest, not just Re-Brand

Christy Williams

Post-Pandemic Youth Ministry

Barbara Wilson

Connecting COVID, Trauma and Mental Health

Connecting COVID, Trauma and Mental Health

2020 has passed, and we will continue to experience the impact of its realities. 2021 and beyond will be a time of reckoning with the convergence of loss, trauma and violence that are hallmarks of the last 365 days. In those 365 days, over 400,000 people have died from COVID. This traumatic experience deserves our recognition and a multi-layered response to the convergence of loss, trauma and violence resulting from the ongoing and overlapping pandemics. We will consider the power of recognition to deepen our understanding of and commitment to engage in collective action to mitigate the impact of trauma.

Rev. Dr. Stephanie M. Crumpton is a scholar, teacher and ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. She is the tenured Associate Professor of Practical Theology at McCormick Theological Seminary.  There she teaches introductory level courses on pastoral care and religious education, and elective courses on pastoral theological method for justice work, womanist/feminist pastoral care and counseling, and the role of African cosmology and ritual in pastoral care.  Rev. Dr. Crumpton is also a yoga instructor.


Barbara Ann Wilson is the Director, Collaboration and Community Partnerships, Presbytery of Chicago, Presbyterian Church (U. S. A.). She facilitates building sustainable partnerships to strengthen vitality and mission. 

 Barbara is an adjunct professor at McCormick and Bexley Seabury Seminaries, an ACEs and Trauma-Informed for Faith Communities master trainer.  She is a Qualified Administrator for the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), an Associate Certified Coach (ACC), and Healthy Congregations Facilitator. She is ordained as an Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC).

 She holds B. A. and M.S degrees in Criminal Justice and Justice Administration, respectively. She received the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from McCormick Theological Seminary.

De-Colonizing Wealth—Steps to Re-Invest, Not Just Re-Brand

If you are tired of slapping new labels on old paradigms, Edgar Villanueva, Indigenous writer and philanthropist, decenters western financial systems and points the way to create wealth and wellness by focusing on relationships rather than transactions.

Colonized money has been the enemy of creating wealth in communities of color and the poor. Too often economies simply rinse and repeat the same altruistic façade thinking a different outcome will appear. To avoid this trap, he offers a new paradigm of Seven Steps: to Grieve, Apologize, Listen, Relate, Represent, Invest, and Repair. Decolonizing will help you discover how money becomes medicine to heal our divides.

The Reverend Gregory J. Bentley is Co-Moderator of the 224th General Assembly (2020) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). An Alabama native, Bentley is a graduate of Stillman College, International Denominational Theological Center, and Auburn University. In 2001, he became a full-time pastor at Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church in Tuscaloosa and currently pastors the Fellowship Presbyterian Church in Huntsville.

Rev. Bentley has served in a number of capacities in the denomination, including serving as president of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus. Bentley has also served on committees for the presbytery and as commissioner to the General Assembly as well as president of the Huntsville Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.


Elona Street-Stewart is Co-Moderator of the 224th General Assembly (2020) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and is the first Native American to hold this position. She is also a ruling elder and serves as synod executive for the Synod of Lakes and Prairies. Prior to this, she served more than twenty years as synod staff for racial ethnic ministries and community empowerment, including administration support of Dakota Presbytery.

A member of the Delaware Naticoke Tribe, Street-Stewart has been active in racial justice matters on behalf of the church for forty years, focusing on mission development, denominational policies, and educational programs. She has chaired the Council on Church and Race and the Advocacy Committee on Racial Ethnic Concerns. Also, Street-Stewart was a member of the Relocation Committee on General Assemblies following the reunion of the northern and southern branches of what today is the PC(USA).

Everything You Thought You Knew About Racial Reconciliation Is Wrong

In times of racial unrest, words like “healing” and “reconciliation” come up often. But what do they really mean? In this workshop, we will take a hard look at scripture and the first-century church’s postures and practices around reconciliation. With a better understanding of the hard (but not impossible) work of reconciliation, we will dream together about reconciliatory practices for the 21st century and challenge ourselves to move beyond “Christian quietism”.

Denise Anderson is a Presbyterian minister, writer and artist based in Louisville, Kentucky. She serves as the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Coordinator for Racial and Intercultural Justice  and previously served as Co-moderator of the 222nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Denise is a member of NEXT Church’s Strategy Church.



Help! What Do We Do With Our Building!?

Church buildings can be a wonderful gift. And a huge burden. They can be hubs of meaningful activity. Or vastly underutilized. They can be a drain on our finances. Or generate revenue. Since the pandemic began it has become even more clear that the church is not a building. But what do we do with our buildings now and into the future!? Are there different ways we can put our property to use to better serve our neighborhoods and our mission? Can church buildings help sustain our ministry rather than drain it?

Mark Elsdon lives and works at the intersection of money and meaning as an entrepreneur, pastor, consultant, and speaker. Mark’s first book, We Aren’t Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry is being published by Eerdmans Publishing in spring 2021. He is cofounder of RootedGood, which seeks to create more good in the world through social innovation; executive director at Pres House on the University of Wisconsin’s Madison campus where he led the transformation of a dormant non-profit into a growing, vibrant, multi-million dollar organization; and and owner of Elsdon Strategic Consulting. Mark holds degrees in psychology, theology, and business, and is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, USA. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin with his spouse and two daughters. Mark is an avid cyclist and considers it a good year when he rides more miles on his bike than he drives in his car. 


Shannon Hopkins is an extreme networker and social entrepreneur living in East London. She is Co-Founder & Lead Cultivator at RootedGood. Her passion for community and individual transformation has launched or influenced the formation of fifteen campaigns, projects, and organizations — and trained over 200 social entrepreneurs. In 2008, Shannon was awarded the Women of the UN and UK’s Annual Woman of Peace Award for The Truth isn’t Sexy, a campaign that addressed the demand side of human trafficking. Shannon’s mission-centered focus on bridging the gap between partners, funders, and cause-related champions in a post-Christian secular world is rooted in one powerful concept: inspiration. 


Mark is Co-Founder & Lead Learner at RootedGood. Mark’s professional career spans the spectrum from profit to non-profit, from start-up to established, and his academic ‘side-hustle’ has focused on the intersection between theology and our contemporary socio-economic context. Mark has a Doctorate in Theology and Economics from King’s College London, with his thesis focusing on social enterprise as ‘faithful economic practice’. Mark is the former KLICE award holder for business ethics. Mark was the co-founder of The Paradise Cooperative, an urban farming and education charity in central London. Mark’s dwelling place is outside Detroit, Michigan where he lives with his wife Katie and his three children. Prior to Michigan, the family lived in Mark’s native land, England.


This workshop is sponsored by RootedGood.

How to Run an Effective Meeting (Not Just an Efficient One)

We all know what makes for a poor meeting, but do we know how to create a truly great one? Do we know whether this meeting even needs to happen? How often are we more loyal to the 2nd Tuesday of the month, or an easy to find email list than to results we claim to pursue? Many church leaders over-control or abdicate control over one of God’s most precious gifts to us: our time, and the result is burnout and anemic churches. Instead of taking minutes, let this workshop animate you to energize the hours on Zoom or around a table to something that advances God’s mission.

Pastor Clyde Ellis is a retired army officer and has pastored churches in Alaska, Oklahoma, and now Virginia, at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Woodbridge. Pastor Ellis and his wife June are the proud parents of two sons.

Pastor Ellis is a man of action, and one of the leading voices in the community. Current community affiliations include: Clergy Leader, VOICE-Virginians Organized for Community Engagement; Vice President of Board of Directors, Streetlight Community Outreach Ministry; member, Board of Directors, Successful Reintegration Inmate Transition Program, member, Prince William Ministerial Association and member, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Pastor Ellis has been invited by the Virginia General Assembly to pray at their opening sessions and recognized as the Psi Upsilon Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Man of the Year. He was selected to participate in a special panel with Senator Tim Kaine on police violence in the Black community.

Pastor Becca Messman and her husband, Dave, live in Arlington, VA, and have two children. Becca is Co-Pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Herndon, VA, a large suburban congregation, and c0-founded Lunch for the Soul, a congregation of Spanish speaking day laborers.

Pastor Messman co-chaired VOICE- Virginians Organized for Community Engagement– for 6 years, where she was pleased to be able to learn from Pastor Ellis and work together in critical areas such as housing, criminal justice reform, and leadership development. She is on the board of Presbyterian Outlook, previously served on Leadership Council in National Capital Presbytery, and more committees than can fit on this page. She has attended many meetings, and through her work in broad based community organizing, her learned what makes the difference between a good meeting and one that wasted hours despite taking decent minutes.

It’s All Transitional: Lead with Insight. Discover New Purpose. Act with Courage.

Finding yourself sucked time and again into the vortex of church maintenance mode?
Or maybe you’re 100% up for transformation – but wondering “where do I start when I don’t know what to do”?
Or, “what do I do when I have an inkling, but really don’t know how to do it?”

Welcome to the 21st Century, Church!
It’s all transitional, it’s all change, all the time. And maybe more than just a little paralyzing.
So now what?

We have no tricks, no easy steps, no money back guarantees.
We may have a modicum of wisdom and guidance to share.
Hear us out on the Three Movements of Intentional Change:
Lead with insight;
Discover New purpose;
Act with Courage.
Sounds a little pedantic… sure, but it just might get you going!

Heidi Armstrong has pastored Presbyterian churches on the west coast for 37 years, the last 9 years as a Transitional Pastor (although she will be the first to tell it’s all been transitional ministry). She’s been a partner with Scott in the Transitional Ministry Workshops from the beginning (2015), bringing a practitioner’s perspective, sharing from her varied experience. Heidi is renewed by living in and exploring the Pacific Northwest, where she and her husband especially enjoy cruising the Salish Sea on their little old 33hp diesel engine troller boat.


Scott Lumsden debuted Transitional Ministry Workshops in 2015 at Menuch Retreat & Conference Center after many years of teaching Interim Ministry at both the Seattle (‘07, ‘08, ‘09, ‘10, ‘11) and Princeton Theological Seminary (‘07, ‘08, ‘09) sites. His framework for TMWorkshops, called the Elements of Change, is based on some of the key concepts of interim ministry as well as his own experience of working with congregations in transition. When he’s not pondering transitional ministry, he’s usually hiking with his daughters or baking overly complicated gourmet cookies.


Eliana Maxim joined the Transitional Ministry Workshops in 2017 at Menucha Retreat and Conference Center after serving as temporary and “gap” pastor in several churches. As co-executive presbyter, she works primarily with congregations, pastoral leaders, and new expression of worshiping communities. When not exploring what being church in the 21st century might be, Eliana enjoys making pasta from scratch and power washing. Lots of power washing.

Ministry Beyond the Binary

Ideas of gender beyond a binary have begun to transform the way we understand our identity, community, and theology. Yet, binary thinking continues to dominate how we see ourselves, one another, and God. This workshop invites participants to investigate the interconnectedness of such pernicious binaries as race and gender, and to imagine ministry beyond a binary and toward a more abundant vision of God’s beloved kindom.

Rev. Alex Patchin McNeill is the Executive Director of More Light Presbyterians. Under his leadership, More Light serves as a capacity-building organization, equipping congregations and individuals to work intersectionally on justice issues. As a trained professional coach through the International Coaching Federation, Alex brings a coaching approach to his work with church leaders and congregations seeking to follow God’s call to widen their welcome, increase church vitality, or develop and implement new programs.  Alex is the first openly transgender man ordained as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church, (U.S.A.). He lives in Asheville, NC with his spouse and their three dogs.


Rev. Jess Cook is the Program & Communications Manager for More Light Presbyterians. A native of East Texas and lifelong Presbyterian, Jess holds a MDiv from Union Presbyterian Seminary, an MFA in Photography from the University of North Texas, and a BFA in Studio Art from Baylor. Prior to joining MLP, Jess was the Youth Programs Director at Side by Side, an  organization serving LGBTQIA+ youth in Richmond, VA.  Jess’s call is to help facilitate spaces where reconciliation is possible, with  the acknowledgement that reconciliation is only possible if we are able to  be honest with ourselves and one another about the ways in which we are  broken. True reconciliation requires relationships, and relationships require  trust and vulnerability. Jess sees their role as helping make spaces where  that vulnerability is celebrated and trust can be built.


This workshop is sponsored by More Light Presbyterians.

Post-Pandemic Youth Ministry

Along with everything else during the pandemic, the roles of professional youth worker, volunteer and parent have changed in order to meet the needs of the youth in our care. As ministry programs moved online, we have had to re-center ourselves and reshape our ministry to meet the critical needs of the moment. What have we learned is most important in our role as youth worker or volunteer? Where have we found allies in parental relationships? How can churches seize the opportunity to let things go, take things with us, and see the gifts of a re-centered youth ministry?

Christy Williams is the Director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee, Florida. She received her MA from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education and her Doctor of Educational Ministry from Columbia Theological Seminary. Besides dreaming of the day she can once again use her passport, she spends her time planning creative ways to connect the church family in education and service and going for hikes with her dog, Jack. 


Brittany Porch is the Director of Mission and Education at Broad Street Presbyterian Church in Columbus, Ohio. She is a certified Christian Educator in the PC(USA) and holds a BA in Christian Education from Presbyterian College and a MA in Practical Theology from Columbia Theological Seminary.

This workshop is sponsored by Presbyterian Youth Workers Association.

SATURDAY WORKSHOPS

Christian Antwi

What is NEXT for our Church Culture – Looking to our Youth to Create and Define Sacred Spaces

Carmelle Beaugelin

Igniting our Holy Imaginations: How to Think about What the Church Might Look Like Next

Joe Daniels

Qualities and Actions of a Leader

Roger Gench

Qualities and Actions of a Leader

Christine Hong

What’s my role? Understanding and Living into our Roles in the Collective

Pepa Paniagua

What is NEXT for our Church Culture – Looking to our Youth to Create and Define Sacred Spaces

Paul Vasile

Decolonizing Worship: Where Do We Begin?

Jessica Vazquez Torres

Longing for Normal at the Expense of Resurrection: White Supremacy Values and the Church

Tanya Watkins

What Side Are You On, My People? Searching For The Church In The Black Lives Matter Movement

Victoria White

Igniting our Holy Imaginations: How to Think about What the Church Might Look Like Next

Landon Whitsitt

A White Pastor Reads “Letter From Birmingham Jail” in 2021

Sonja Williams

Decolonizing Worship: Where Do We Begin?

Decolonizing Worship: Where Do We Begin?

While worship is one of the most formative pieces of our life together, it can be one of the most unexamined places. Whose voices and bodies, whose visual art, music, prayers, and liturgical forms have been privileged or centered in your community? Have you ever taken time to peel back the layers?


We’ll explore some of the first steps a community can take, sharing practices and first-hand experiences of ways to start decolonizing worship.


Paul Vasile is a freelance church musician, consultant, and composer based in St. Louis, Missouri. A multitalented musician and dynamic worship leader, he is committed to building, renewing, and re-shaping faith communities through music and liturgy.

As the Executive Director of Music that Makes Community, he is passionate about modeling and sharing leadership practices that sustain the musical and spiritual life of faith communities. Additionally, he serves as Director of Music at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, where he directs the Seminary Choir, collaborates with faculty and student worship leaders, and serves as a resource to the wider faith community.

Reverend Dr. Sonja B. Williams is the Dean of Students and Visiting Professor of Practical Theology at Eden Theological Seminary, Webster Groves, MO. Founder of BLKPracTLogy for marginalized communities and Fellow for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation – The Institute of Theology and Social Change. She earned her undergraduate degree from Berea College and Ph.D. in Practical Theology from St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, FL. Before arriving at Eden Seminary, Dean Williams served as a hospice chaplain for almost a decade doing a deep dive into creating interfaith communities of care, and helping people heal from church hurt. This work allowed room and space to explore places of loneliness and create again a renewed sense of hope. Rev. Sonja pastored a multi-ethnic UCC congregation in sunny Florida, and helped to restore hope and members. Together we emerge and adapt intentionally to experience change. .

What Side Are You On, My People? Searching For The Church In The Black Lives Matter Movement

In this pivotal social and political moment, we are seeing an upsurge of community engagement around the Black Liberation Movement – a level of engagement perhaps not seen since the Civil Rights Era of the 50’s and 60’s. But where is the Church in the movement for Black lives? In this workshop we will explore what it means for faith leaders to be on the front lines and struggle with understanding why young Black movements leaders are fleeing from the church.

Tanya Watkins is a mother, writer, Black womanist, community organizer and prison abolitionist originally from Chicago’s South Side. She studied writing and the teaching of writing at Columbia College Chicago with the intent of bringing innovative arts programs to schools in low-income communities of color. She is a former South Suburban Chicago elected official and served as a Presidential Delegate in 2016. Tanya began as a leader with Southisiders Organized for Unity and Liberation (SOUL) in 2010, a multi-issue, faith-based, social justice organization that assists residents to build power in the Chicago Southland. Since being with the organization, Tanya has led a multitude of campaigns demanding criminal justice reform and police accountability in Chicago; most notably, heading up a series of strategic actions targeting former Cook County State’s Attorney, Anita Alvarez in 2015. Currently, Tanya is the Executive Director of SOUL and on the Executive Board of the BlackRoots Alliance.

 

Igniting our Holy Imaginations: How to Think about What the Church Might Look Like Next

So many of the issues facing churches today feel complicated and unwieldy. They fall down our To Do Lists because making progress on them feels futile. The longer we prolong attempting solutions, the bigger the issues seem to grow. Come hear stories of churches who have made strategic progress in seemingly impossible situations and learn techniques to help your leadership do the same. Churches with adaptive strategies are the ones most ready for what comes next.

Carmelle Beaugelin is the program coordinator for the Log College Project at Princeton Theological Seminary’s Institute for Youth Ministry. This research grant aims toward a deeper understanding of faithful and innovative forms of youth ministry for the 21st Century. Carmelle has served in multiple capacities within the United Methodist Church and in the Church of God. Carmelle uses her theological training and large scale artistry to bridge the gaps between pneumatology, spirituality, and the arts.


Victoria White encourages traditioned innovation in Christian leaders and their institutions through her teaching, writing, research, and grant making. She is the Managing Director of Grants at Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School. Victoria is passionate about using integrative thinking, improvisation, and design thinking to cultivate generative solutions to the wicked problems found throughout the church and social sectors today.

Longing for Normal at the Expense of Resurrection: White Supremacy Values and the Church

Participants explore how longing for normalcy in times of pandemic, political upheaval, and racial injustice opens the door for white supremacy values to narrow the church’s imagination. Additionally, participants will discuss how cultivating an ethic of maladjustment to the ways of white supremacy gives validity to our witness of the resurrection.

Jessica Vazquez Torres is a proven leader with 20 years-experience in antiracism, anti-oppression, and cultural competency workshop development and facilitation. She is deeply committed to dismantling the socially constituted structures and cultural dynamics that marginalize and minoritize People of Color, Queer, and immigrant communities and limit their access to the resources they need to thrive. Jessica, a 1.5-Generation ESL Queer Latina of Puerto Rican descent, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida, a Master of Divinity from Christian Theological Seminary, and a Master of Theological Studies from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. When not on a plane, Jessica attempts to become a bread baker, cultivates community with her spouse Laura, walks (sometimes for exercise), and sings songs badly with full abandon.

 

Qualities and Actions of a Leader

What will leadership look like in the post-pandemic church? Answering this question is critical if we are going to effectively address issues of racial and economic justice, grapple with political polarization, and discern the shape of the church’s mission in a broken and fragile world. This workshop will facilitate reflection on leadership development, considering questions such as these: How will we define leadership on the other side of the pandemic? What are the qualities of an authentic, effective leader? And what do such leaders do? The practice of community organizing has important bearing on such questions. The workshop leaders, experienced pastors and facilitators of the church’s engagement with public practices of community organizing, will guide collective reflection on the shape leadership can take on the other side of the pandemic.

Dr. Joseph W. Daniels, Jr. is a husband, father, pastor, author, prophetic imaginer and leader. For the past 27 years, he has served as the lead pastor of the Emory United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. During three of those years (July 2013 to June 2016), he did so in a dual role: as lead pastor of Emory and as the District Superintendent of the Greater Washington District of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church. He is very active in community affairs, serving as co-chair of the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) as well as with other organizations and agencies. He also teaches at Wesley Theological Seminary in both the Urban Ministry and Practice of Ministry and Mission programs. He has written four books: Begging for REAL Church (2009), The Power of REAL (2011), Walking with Nehemiah (2014) and co-authored Connecting for a Change (April 2019).

Roger retired in 2019 from seventeen years of service as the senior pastor of The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington DC. He has also served for twelve years as the senior pastor of Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, Maryland.  He has spent the last thirty years connecting the contemplative arts and theological reflection to the practice of community organizing and ministry.  He is the author of two books: Theology from the Trenches: Reflection on Urban Ministry (Westminster John Knox Press) and The Cross Examen: A Spirituality for Activists  (Cascade Press). He is currently the Theologian in Residence at Second Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Va, and an Adjunct Faculty at Union Presbyterian Seminary.

What’s My Role? Understanding and Living into our Roles in the Collective

We each have different gifts and different points of access to power, privilege, and change-making. How do we understand each of our roles in the common work of justice? How do we work together towards our collective goals of liberation and freedom? In this workshop, learn about the different types of community gifts and roles necessary for co-creating communal and societal change in dismantling white supremacy, Christian hegemony, and other systems and structures of oppression. Consider your own anti-racist work, learn about your roles and gifts, and pinpoint the embodied roles and gifts to look out for in your community.

Christine J. Hong is Assistant Professor of Educational Ministry at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. Her interests include anti-colonial and decolonial approaches to religious and interreligious education and life. Hong’s interests also include Asian American spiritualties, and the spiritual and theological formation of children and adolescents among BIPOC communities. Hong is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and has spent time as both as a religious educator and youth and young adult minister in New York and Southern California. She is the author of numerous articles, chapters in books, and two monographs, the first is, Youth, Identity, and Gender in the Korean American Church, published by Palgrave, and the second is, Decolonial Futures: Intercultural and Interreligious Intelligence for Theological Education forthcoming from Lexington Press. Dr. Hong has received a BA from Univ. of Washington, a ThM and MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a PhD from Claremont School of Theology.

What is NEXT for our Church Culture – Looking to our Youth to Create and Define Sacred Spaces

In this workshop we will explore and discuss the following questions and topics:

  • Flipping the question of what to do when the youth in the pew look different than the church. How can we learn from the youth that are already doing what is NEXT and waiting for us to catch up?
  • How do we embrace and create a culture that is accepting of Diversity?
  • Things to avoid
  • Naming hard things
  • Working towards a space where vulnerable conversations can happen.


Christian Antwi currently serves at Central Presbyterian Church of Atlanta as Director of Ministries for Children, Youth and their Families. Born and raised in the PCUSA church, Christian found himself entering ministry through working at a camp and conference center for 7 years. Originally from Tallahassee, Florida, Christian is a true Florida State fan (not to be confused with the forsaken University of Florida). Christian has been working in youth ministry for 6 years now, journeying from Tallahassee, Fl to Greenville, SC now to Atlanta, Ga. Christian enjoys most sporting activities and events and camping whenever possible.


Rev. Pepa Paniagua is a cradle Presbyterian who was raised in the Bay Area of California. She is an avid SF Giants and 49ers fan, which proves difficult living in the Cowboys country of the DFW metroplex. Pepa is the founding pastor of kin•dom community, a multi-denominational new worshiping community that seeks to offer abundant welcome and affirmation to the LBGTQIA+ community, and others who have been wounded or disenfranchised by the church. Prior to beginning kin•dom, Pepa worked in youth ministry for over 15 years in various settings. Pepa and her wife, Kelli, live in North Texas with their 3 dogs who keep life interesting! 


This workshop is sponsored by Presbyterian Youth Workers Association

A White Pastor Reads “Letter From Birmingham Jail” in 2021

In 1963, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr penned an open letter to eight white clergymen who had criticized the practice of nonviolent direct action in the Civil Rights Movement and urged King and his associates to patiently wait for change to come through the courts. King’s response then would be his response now: “Wait” has almost always meant “Never.” The PCUSA has begun consideration of adding the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to the Book of Confessions, so a close reading of the text once again merits our attention.

Landon Whitsitt is Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City, recently serving as Executive of the Synod of Mid-America and Producer of Theocademy. Landon is committed to metanoia as a personal spiritual practice, and wants to help everyone know the joy of seeing the world in new ways.

Questions? Email our info desk and we’ll be happy to assist!

Below, you will find titles and descriptions for the workshops being offered during the 2020 National Gathering. Workshop descriptions (and information about their leaders) follows the chart below. Click on a workshop name in the chart to head directly to its corresponding description.

This year, we’re offering two workshop blocks. When you register for the National Gathering, you’ll need to register for these two workshop opportunities as well.

BLOCK 1 – MONDAY

BLOCK 2 – TUESDAY

Anti-Racist Leadership in the Church
Emily McGinley

After the Call: Practical Principles for Elder-Led Congregational Change
Jenny Lansbury, Diane Walton Hendricks, & Kerry Grannis

Building a Postcolonial Feminist Hermeneutic
Michele Ward & M. P. Lewellen

Automated Sin: Algorithmic Redlining and Societal Well-Being
Annanda Barclay

Cooperative Parish Ministry: Do Something Else
Jasmine Smart & Nate Phillips

Being Theologically Creative in an Age of Polarization
Elizabeth & Lee Hinson-Hasty

Courage to Connect
Troy Bronsink & Daniel Hughes

Care for the Soldier’s Soul: What Every Pastor Needs to know about Moral Injury and the VA
Erin McArdel, Linda Conyers, & Kelly Wadsworth

Federal Chaplaincy Today – Making an Impact with Those Who Serve
Lyman M. Smith

Community, Economy, and Mutual Delight: Where Will You Focus Your Mission?
De’Amon Harges & Mike Mather

The Hopelessness of Fixing our Immigration Crisis
Miguel de la Torre

Complicated Memories, Interlocked Histories: Racial Justice and the LGBTQIA+ Community
Jessica Vazquez Torres, Alex Patchin McNeill, Shanea Leonard, & Jess Cook

If These Stones Could Cry Out: Sharing Our Theological Rocks
Diane Maloney & Keli Shipley Cooper

Making Your Way Without a Map: Change Theory as a Navigational Tool for Church Transformation
Ann C.S. Marshall & Andrew Solovey

Getting to Know Your Neighbors
Karen Rohrer & Jane Larson

Matthew 25: A Bold Invitation
Diane Moffett

(workshop full)

The “Little Hours” of Intergenerational Formation for a Sunday Spirituality
Liz Perraud & Jason Santos

Naïve Peaceniks and Blood-Thirsty Hawks: A Pastor-Veteran Sets the Story Straight
Kelly Wadsworth

Ministry with a Moral Imagination: The Case for Public Witness in the Church
Antonio Lawrence & Kimani Wright

New Stones for a Sacred Place
Karen Schlack

The New Parish: Connecting Faith Communities Through Place and Story
Rich Jones & Daniel Hughes, & Sean Gladding

(workshop full)

The NEXT Generation of Youth
Shelley Donaldson, Tully Fletcher, & Amy Kim Kyremes-Parks

Pastoring While Female
Amy Miracle & Amy Starr Redwine

Resurrection from Another Angle: Interrogating Eastertide Assumptions
Kamal Hassan & Debra Avery

Talk is Cheap: Getting Serious about Anti-Racism Work in Your Setting
Debra Avery & Erin Counihan

Spiritual Practices for Activists
Christine Caton

What Do These Stories Mean? Weaving Your Faith and Reproductive Story Together
Angela Williams & Sonja Miller

Stewardship in A Preoccupied Land: How Our Giving Becomes Touch Stones
Mieke Vandersall, Larissa Kwong Abazia, & Erin Weber-Johnson

Worshiping & Singing Together
Alexandra Mauney & Katy Stenta

(OFF-SITE) River City: Towards a More Flourishing Community – Another Tale of Two Cities
Ronnie Matthew Harris

(OFF-SITE) River City: Towards a More Flourishing Community – Another Tale of Two Cities
Ronnie Matthew Harris

Workshop Block 1 – Monday

Anti-Racist Leadership in the Church

Many congregations desire to practice racial justice, but have a difficult time knowing where to begin. Drawing from CrossRoads Anti-Racism, we will examine the ways that White Institutional Values shape church life and explore ways to exchange these for Transforming Values. This workshop will bring together both critical anti-racist analysis and congregational realities to equip leaders for rigorous, thoughtful, and gospel-fueled approaches to building beloved community.

Rev. Emily McGinley is the Executive Pastor of Urban Village Church in Chicago. She has presented nationally on vocational discernment, preaching, church planting, social media, inclusive evangelism, and anti-racist church leadership.

Building a Postcolonial Feminist Hermeneutic

In this political moment of heightened racism, xenophobia, and misogyny, community leaders must build and use liberative lenses to interpret Scripture. We will explore Joshua 3-4 through personal and biblical narrative. We will engage postcolonial and feminist theorists to help us see God, the text, and ourselves more clearly. Listen to stories, tell your own, and pay attention to your body’s wisdom with us. This workshop is open to anyone who interprets the Bible; yes, that means you!

Rev. Michele Ward is associate pastor at Brown Memorial Park Ave in Baltimore. She graduated from Whitworth University and The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. She is ordained (PC)USA, an organizer, and an active clergy member of BUILD (IAF).

M. P. Lewellen works at The Center, a mission arm of the Baltimore Presbytery, and recently served as chaplain for Turnaround Tuesday, a BUILD (IAF) initiative. She holds an MDiv from BU, and her work swells from the intersection of theology and trauma.

Cooperative Parish Ministry: Do Something Else

Cooperative parishes are a creative way to honor the traditions and history of a local church while also adapting, taking risks, and having a big missional impact. From this posture of togetherness, churches often find a sense of renewed life and purpose. Pastors of all church sizes are especially invited to imagine together our contexts and how greater collaboration could serve our churches and our communities.

Jasmine Smart is the lead pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Troy, MI (average worship attendance of 50), and parish associate for congregational care at Kirk in the Hills (worship attendance of 600).

Nate Phillips is the senior pastor at Kirk in the Hills in Bloomfield Hills, MI. His vision and leadership led to successful cooperative ministry with First Pres Troy. He is the author of “Do Something Else: The Road Ahead for the Mainline Church.”

Courage to Connect

Can contemplative practice lead to justice? In July 2017, after the unrest in Cincinnati caused by a white police officer taking the life of a black man, two friends – Daniel Hughes, a black pastor, and Troy Bronsink, a white pastor – looked around for spaces to have difficult, courageous conversations about their differing experiences of their same city, nation, and world. They facilitate groups to practice sobriety toward collective addiction to privilege, and racial segregation and assimilation.

Rev. Troy Bronsink awakens and sustains spirit-led, personal and collective transformation. His is founder and director of The Hive: A Center for Contemplation, Art and Action and serves Bond Hill Presbyterian.

Rev. Daniel Hughes is lead pastor for Incline Missional Community, a diverse, loving, productive, and missional faith community transforming lives. Hughes also cares for the souls of the movement and champions citizens reentering from prison.

Federal Chaplaincy Today – Making an Impact with Those Who Serve

Federal chaplaincy is expanding – from traditional military and veteran’s hospitals and federal prisons – to other agencies and departments within our federal system. Chaplains are vetted and have access to all members of their organizations and are relied upon in ministry to both the individuals and the institution itself. Working in a thoroughly pluralistic environment, Presbyterian chaplains are often the only ones available to provide ministry to many needing the love of Christ.

Captain Lyman M Smith, CHC, USN, Retired, is the director of the Presbyterian Council for Chaplains and Military Personnel. His most recent pastorate was Grace Presbyterian Church – a congregation composed primarily of people of the new diaspora.

The Hopelessness of Fixing our Immigration Crisis

Why do they come? We continue to have an immigration crisis on our Southern border because we fail to explore the reasons why “they” come. Why would a family face death to migrate to a country hostile to their very presence. But this death-dealing crisis is profitable. We can never “fix” our immigration dilemma because too few people are making too much money off of the crises. This workshop will explore: 1) The historical causes of the current immigration crisis; 2) The reasons why the crisis will not be fixed; 3) And how should Christians respond to the hopelessness of the crisis.

Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre’s academic pursuit is social ethics within contemporary U.S. thought; specifically how religion affects race, class, and gender oppression. Since obtaining his doctorate in 1999, he has authored over a hundred articles and published thirty-five books (five of which won national awards). He presently serves as Professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver. A scholar-activist, Dr. De La Torre has written numerous articles in popular media and has served on several civic organizations. Recently, he wrote the screenplay to a documentary on immigration which has screened in over eighteen film festivals, winning over seven awards.

If These Stones Could Cry Out: Sharing Our Theological Rocks

At our core, the values we hold onto impact everything we do. When we cannot articulate our own values, we can be misguided in our ministry, or even burn out (as both clergy and lay leaders). Understanding “what” matters to us and “why” can illuminate our own understanding of what it means to be in ministry. Participants are invited to do some hands on collaboration with others including identifying your own “theological rocks” and engaging in small group discussion based on individual contexts.

Diane Maloney serves at Falls Church Presbyterian Church in Falls Church, VA as director of children, youth, and family ministry. She is a graduate of the Center for Youth Ministry Training and Memphis Theological Seminary.

Keli Shipley Cooper serves at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, VA as minister for faith formation. She is a graduate of Union Presbyterian Seminary and a candidate for ministry in the PC(USA).

Making Your Way Without a Map: Change Theory as a Navigational Tool for Church Transformation

This workshop will help you to assess church problems within the context of change theory. We will look at what constitutes a problem, differences that make a difference, and gaining navigational expertise to know when you are facing motion sickness, a bump in the road, or a need to reroute. We will begin with presenting concepts and end with applying the framework to specific problems that may be occurring in your church. Participants are invited to bring church problems for discussion.

Rev. Dr. Anne C.S. Marshall is PC(USA) pastor and director of contextual and experiential formation at Trinity Lutheran Seminary. Anne works with interns as they figure out how to lead change. At her last call, she led a PC(USA) congregation through a redevelopment process.

Andrew Solovey, ACSW, LISW-S and ruling elder, is a behavioral health specialist and consultant at Solutions Counseling, LLC. He is coauthor of 3 books related to the unifying theory of change in psychotherapy and has presented workshops nationally.

Matthew 25: A Bold Invitation (workshop full)

Is the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Matthew 25 Vision just another program of the denomination? What makes it unique? Why should I be a part of it? How can I shape it? Can this vision help strengthen the work and witness of the PCUSA and 21st century disciples? These and other questions will be explored in this workshop. Participants will take a deep dive into the tri-fold mission focus on building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism and eradicating systemic poverty. We will hear testimonies from those who are living into the Matthew 25 Vision, engage in explorative discussions on how Matthew 25 may be applied in our contexts, and gain next steps and practical tips for sharing this vision with others.

The Rev. Dr. Diane L. Givens Moffett serves as the President and Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency — the mission arm of the PC(USA). She has held this role since June 2018.

Naïve Peaceniks and Blood-Thirsty Hawks: A Pastor-Veteran Sets the Story Straight

In an age where faith communities struggle to meaningfully address our endless wars, this workshop lays out why the future of the church is single-handedly being undermined by our insatiable consumer appetite and the violence that is employed at its behest. If ‘truth is the first casualty of war,’ then our theological heritage of truth-telling might be just the antidote. Joshua 4, after all, just might be a story of checking ones privilege before moving your army into someone else’s land. Together, let’s set the story straight through four key understandings.

Rev. Kelly Wadsworth, PhD (PCUSA) is lead pastor of Alki Church in Seattle, WA. Her graduate work focused on religion and psychology with her undergraduate focus on economics and public policy. She is both a war veteran and an anti-war activist.

New Stones for a Sacred Place

Hear the story of how a pastor and congregation partnered with a community organization (IAF) to build affordable housing for disabled persons on an historic site that had been closed since 2013, where children were served for over 100 years. Learn how a church can go beyond writing checks to making a new thing possible: putting bricks and mortar in a historic place where help has been given to the poor for over 100 years.

Rev. Karen Schlack is pastor in a small (less than 150) church in a small city in the Midwest. Her education and experience lies in social work, hospital management, consulting with Ernst & Young, quality improvement, and leadership training. Her degrees include an MSW, MBA, and MDiv.

The NEXT Generation of Youth

This workshop is designed to focus on the future generations of young people. We can’t keep using the same methods and practices of past generations, but we can learn from them as we look forward. Using interactive methods and conversation, this workshop will: explore how the current generation of youth (Gen Z) interact with the world, their families, communities, and especially the Church; explore the trends forming for the generation after Gen Z; and share resources geared towards smaller churches where ministries tend to be inter-generational. This is a PWYA recommended workshop.

Rev. Shelley C. Donaldson is the associate pastor of missional engagement and ministry with youth at First Presbyterian Church of Stamford, CT. She is the co-moderator for the Presbyterian Youth Workers Association board, as well as a curriculum writer, a former camp director, and practicing artist.

Rev. Tully Fletcher is the associate pastor for youth & families in Rockdale County for three churches: Conyers Presbyterian, Smyrna Presbyterian and The Presbyterian Church of the Resurrection. He currently serves as a board member and treasurer for the Presbyterian Youth Workers Association.

Amy Kim Kyremes-Parks is director of faith formation at Fairmount Presbyterian, Cleveland Heights, OH, & is co-moderator of the board for More Light Presbyterians. Amy Kim is active within the PC(USA), serving on various committees and boards and is always looking for new ways to grow and sustain the life and work of God’s church.

Resurrection from Another Angle: Interrogating Eastertide Assumptions

Working with lectionary Eastertide gospel texts, this workshop will provide guidance in using a liberation framework as a practical tool for seasonal congregational planning. Participants can expect to work in teams to develop contextual preaching approaches and worship experiences.

Rev. Kamal Hassan is the pastor of Sojourner Truth Presbyterian Church in Richmond, California, spiritual director, and community activist.

Rev. Debra Avery is a New Worshipping Community leader for Justice House in Oakland, California, an organizer, and a communication consultant.

Spiritual Practices for Activists

As activists, we are often so busy attending or planning demonstrations, vigils, and actions that we take no time to recharge. As Christians, we plug into Jesus to be renewed. This relaxed and participatory workshop will be a place to learn and try out some spiritual practices that are easy yet meaningful. This will include lectio divina, centering prayer, praying in color, and photography (bring your camera or smartphone). And be prepared to dance and sing!

Christine Caton is a Presbyterian minister and a long time peace activist. She is on the executive committee of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. Christine has served overseas in Israel/Palestine and Colombia. She lives in East Lyme, Connecticut.

Stewardship in A Preoccupied Land: How Our Giving Becomes Touch Stones

Our giving testifies to what we believe and how we concretely act. Since 2016, new donor motivations have emerged and we are changing the ministry of fundraising. Learn how to meet your congregation’s needs through donor-based strategies in the ministry of giving. Utilizing hands on research and expertise, we will present new adaptive practices, provide opportunities to apply in your own congregational context, and walk away with needed tools to support your work.

Rev. Mieke Vandersall is the principal of Vandersall Collective, begun after more than a decade of work for LGBTQ equality in the Presbyterian Church. She works in the area of fundraising and planning. She is also a church planter.

Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia was vice moderator of the 221st General Assembly and served churches throughout the United States. She is passionate about racial justice and congregational transformation. Larissa is a consultant for Vandersall Collective.

Erin Weber-Johnson is a senior consultant at Vandersall Collective. A published author, speaker and Episcopalian, she roots her stewardship work in practical theology while utilizing her years of fundraising experience when working with congregations across denominations.

(OFF-SITE) River City: Towards a More Flourishing Community – Another Tale of Two Cities

This up-close and personal walk-shop profiles the past, present and future of Cincinnati and its implications for us as a nation. Focusing particularly on local socio-economic, racial and political developments and divides, the tour takes one from the conference room chair to the recently completed riverbanks where off-main street development has attracted new residents, employers, and visitors alike; all the while subjugating its low to moderate income residents to age-old norms of inequity and exclusion.

This is an off-site workshop that will involve walking.

Ronnie Matthew Harris is gifted with an uncanny knack for connecting people, places and things, Harris invokes decades of experience to probe his greatest interest- the intersectionality between human flourishing, sustainable faith communities, racial equity, mobility and justice.

Workshop Block 2 – Tuesday

After the Call: Practical Principles for Elder-Led Congregational Change

What happens after you hear the still, small voice? How do you move through the waters of change to new ground? In one Northern Virginia church, an elder-led season of discernment led to a new vision and mission, refocused ministry areas, reinvigorated leadership, and a reorganized administrative structure to support it all. Help your session with its journey of transformation by learning the practical strategies and guiding principles we discovered from successes and missteps along the way.

Jenny Lansbury is a ruling elder at Falls Church Presbyterian. Outside of her engagement in transformative work at the church, she is a twentieth-century cultural historian working on her second book.

Diane Walton Hendricks has served at Falls Church Presbyterian Church for 15+ years as the congregation has sought to grow in faithfulness. Sometimes it takes a lot of wandering before finally crossing over to a new way of being church!

Kerry Searle Grannis is a ruling elder at Falls Church Presbyterian. She lives in Annandale, VA with her husband and 3 children. When not working on giant church projects, you can find her working at a Washington, DC think tank as an administrator.

Automated Sin: Algorithmic Redlining and Societal Well-Being

What happens when followers of Jesus encounter corporations like Cambridge Analytica? This workshop will speak to the issue of algorithm automation and data privacy as an issue of practical theology for our youth and society. We’ll introduce what automation and personal data is and how it works, and why the issues of sovereignty, forgiveness, and agency matter to practicing Christians in democratic societies. The goal is to leave the workshop having a firm basic knowledge of how these issues impact youth and society. This is a PWYA recommended workshop.

Rev. Annanda G. Barclay is the associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto. She’s a futurist thinker, a digital human rights advocate, and a full advocate for well-being through spiritual growth.

Being Theologically Creative in an Age of Polarization

In a polarizing time, the intersection of theology and practice is a creative place for transformation. Stories of resistance from around the world are a counter-narrative to our nation’s normal newsfeed. Come and explore leadership to expand the reformation here and now toward God’s imagined future.

Revs. Drs. Elizabeth & Lee Hinson-Hasty partner to navigate church, world, academy, and family in transformative ways.

Elizabeth is professor and chair of theology at Bellarmine University and is elected to the PC(USA) Mission Responsibility Through Investment committee. Her most recent book is The Problem of Wealth (Orbis 2017). 

Lee is senior director for Theological Education Funds Development at the PC(USA) Foundation. He has chaired the Forum for Theological Exploration board and now is a trustee for the Foundation for Theological Education in Southeast Asia.

Care for the Soldier’s Soul: What Every Pastor Needs to know about Moral Injury and the VA

It is absolutely critical that faith communities play a more active role in coming alongside our warriors’ healing journeys. In this workshop, participants will learn how to assess for and minister to veterans suffering from moral injury. They will also learn the basic structure of the VA, which congregants are likely to use it, and what resources are available for churches. Limitations of the VA will be covered as well as the rich opportunities for faith communities to step in.

Rev. Erin D. McArdel is a board certified chaplain serving as the palliative care and hospice chaplain at the Seattle VA hospital. Erin also serves as a parish associate minister at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Des Moines, WA.

Rev. Linda Conyers serves as a staff chaplain at the Seattle VA hospital, serving on interdisciplinary care teams in both mental health and substance abuse outpatient clinics. She is endorsed by the Presbyterian Council for Chaplains and Military Personnel, and board certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) and the National Association of VA Chaplains (NAVAC).

Rev. Kelly Wadsworth, PhD (PCUSA) is lead pastor of Alki Church in Seattle, WA. Her graduate work focused on religion and psychology with her undergraduate focus on economics and public policy. She is both a war veteran and an antiwar activist.

Community, Economy, and Mutual Delight: Where Will You Focus Your Mission?

Funders often want to know: “How many contact hours did you have? How many volunteers? How many young people were involved? How much food did you deliver?” What if we asked questions about what we really want to know? Are people healthier, is there more joy, and are we better connected? Come hear two of our National Gathering keynoters talk about how to help you gain focus for your mission around what really matters.

De’Amon is a lay member of Broadway United Methodist Church and is known around the world as “The Roving Listener.”

Mike is the pastor of Broadway United Methodist Church in Indianapolis (since 2003). He is also the author of Having Nothing, Possessing Everything: Finding Abundant Communities in Unexpected Places.

Both De’Amon and Mike are faculty of the Asset Based Community Development Institute at DePaul University. Their friendship has been the best teacher of community development and the Gospel that they have.

Complicated Memories, Interlocked Histories: Racial Justice and the LGBTQIA+ Community

Racism and heterosexism are so deeply ingrained that many of us don’t see their impact on our lives and communities. Trusting God’s faithfulness gives us strength to move through even the roughest waters together. Join leaders doing ministry at the intersection of racial justice & LGBTQIA+ justice. Learn how racism and heterosexism function as a two-headed beast, pitting us against one another and even against parts of ourselves, and how to take action to integrate racial justice tactics in your ministry.

Rev. Jessica Vazquez Torres, B.A., M.Div. (she/her) is the national program coordinator for CrossRoads Anti-Racism Organizing and Training. A native of Puerto Rico, Jessica identifies as a “1.5 generation Queer ESL Latina of Puerto Rican descent.”

Rev. Shanea D. Leonard, B.A., M.Div. (they/them) is a pastor, teacher, consultant, community activist, and justice warrior. They currently carry out their justice mandate as the national associate for gender & racial justice for the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Rev. Alex Patchin McNeill, B.A., M.Div. (he/him) has served as the executive director of More Light Presbyterians since 2013. A coach, capacity-builder, and sought-after trainer, Alex was the first openly transgender man to be ordained in the PC(USA).

Rev. Jess Cook, B.F.A., M.F.A., M.Div. (they/them) is the program & communications manager for More Light Presbyterians. Their work is about creating spaces where all of God’s children know they are seen and loved. Jess was the first openly non-binary person ordained in the PC(USA).

Getting to Know Your Neighbors

For congregations, neighborhood exegesis aims for two different things: (1) learning to be a good neighbor, which means joining itself to the cares, hopes, and passions of its neighborhood; and (2) cultivating a renewed sense of congregational identity (vocation, or calling) in relationship to what God is doing in the neighborhood. This workshop will offer broadly applicable community practices to do both.

Rev. Karen Rohrer is director of the Church Planting Initiative at Pittsburgh Seminary, and founding co-pastor of Beacon, a new church in Philly. Her joys in this work are local ministry, equipping unlikely leaders, and trying new ways to be church.

Jane Larson works with the Church Planting Initiative at Pittsburgh Seminary, convenes a community called Family Dinner, and continues to vision new ways to gather with her neighbors.

The “Little Hours” of Intergenerational Formation for a Sunday Spirituality

It’s no secret that Sundays are the best day of the week to gather all generations. Given this reality, this workshop will explore four “little hours” through which your congregation can practically integrate intergenerational formation. Framed through the idea of “intergenerational holy moments,” this workshop looks at four hours on a typical Sunday – education hour, worship, youth group and family time – that help cultivate intergenerational formation in your congregation. This is a PWYA recommended workshop.

Rev. Jason Brian Santos, PhD, is the mission coordinator for Christian formation at the Presbyterian Mission Agency. He is an ordained teaching elder in the PC (USA) and holds a PhD in practical theology from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Liz Perraud is the executive director of GenOn Ministries. GenOn trains, resources, and supports Christian communities for discipleship through intergenerational relationships.

Ministry with a Moral Imagination: The Case for Public Witness in the Church

This workshop presents progressive and practical ways to support community engagement as an anchor institution in society. We examine modern and prophetic examples on how to reclaim your social witness and make a positive impact at the individual, community, business, civil, and governance levels. We encourage discussion of incremental and measurable projects, programs, and ideas others have that may lead to positive, long-term, systemic change.

Rev. Antonio Lawrence earned a B.A. from Johnson C. Smith University and a Master of Divinity Princeton Theological Seminary. Rev. Lawrence is presently serving as pastor at the Faith Presbyterian Church in Goldsboro, NC.

The Rev. Kimani Wright earned a degree in management from North Carolina A&T State University and a Master of Divinity from Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary. He is pastor of Northminster Presbyterian Church of Columbia, SC.

The New Parish: Connecting Faith Communities Through Place and Story (workshop full)

There is a movement across neighborhoods and denominational lines, a “new parish.” Part of that movement is the Parish Collective. It offers deep support to local churches, faith-based groups, and any follower of Christ that desires to grow roots in their neighborhood and links across cities for parish renewal. Join regional leaders for an introduction to this growing movement.

Rev. Rich Jones (PCUSA) is the pastor of Fleming Road UCC in Cincinnati, and a member of the organizing team for the Parish Collective. He is passionate about connecting people to serve the common good across his city.

Rev. Daniel Hughes (UMC) is the founding pastor of Incline Missional Community, which is dedicated to elevating the Price Hill community in Cincinnati, and is a member of the organizing team for the Parish Collective.

Rev. Sean Gladding is a founding member of Communality and the Fig Tree Collective, missional expressions of the church in Lexington, KY. He is a published author, and speaks regularly on his books; missional living; and addiction, recovery and the church.

Pastoring While Female

Many congregations genuinely believe they are accepting of and ready for a female head of staff and yet the reality can feel otherwise. This workshop will identify some of the particular challenges faced by female clergy and focus on developing internal and external resources to cope with them. What does it take to survive and thrive as women in parish ministry? What are some effective strategies for discerning when challenges in the church are related to gender and for responding effectively?

Amy Miracle is pastor and head of staff at Broad Street Presbyterian Church, Columbus, Ohio. She is currently a facilitator of an all-female cohort of pastors through Macedonian Ministries.

Amy Starr Redwine is the pastor and head of staff at First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia.

The two workshop leaders have a combined 35 years in ministry; a combined 20 years as heads of staff.

Talk is Cheap: Getting Serious about Anti-Racism Work in Your Setting

We’ve done bible studies, heard sermons, read books, had thoughtful conversations, even attended workshops. But how do we actually bring to reality all the words we’ve written, heard, spoken? Taking seriously the call to address racism in a predominantly white denomination, two white pastors share some ways we’ve tried, failed, and tried again to take some next steps with our congregations in anti-racism work. We will provide space to share and workshop practical examples and best practices for every level of engagement with the goal of taking the “us” beyond ourselves and into the community.

Rev. Debra Avery (she/they) is a small church pastor and New Worshipping Community organizer for Justice House in Oakland, California, an organizer, and a communication consultant who is committed to living anti-racism as a daily practice.

Rev. Erin Counihan (she/her) serves as pastor at Oak Hill Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, MO, where together we keep trying new ways to show wild, radical love to our neighbors and bring change in our community.

What Do These Stories Mean? Weaving Your Faith and Reproductive Story Together

Reproductive justice is one of the third-rail issues affecting our politics today. We hear noise from all over the spectrum. Rarely do we consider the issue from a faith perspective. This workshop starts with story. Your story. No matter who we are, we all have a reproductive story, even if we have never had children. These stories are our stones that weave us together in God’s story. Join us as we practice telling our reproductive stories and connecting them to our faith journey.

Angela Williams, outreach and faith organizer with Texas Freedom Network, is a queer Presbyterian living in Austin, TX. She works organizing LGBTQ equality and reproductive freedom at the state level in Texas.

Sonja Miller, a lifelong Presbyterian, and outreach and faith director with Texas Freedom Network, directs Just Texas: Faith Voices for Reproductive Freedom creating culture change by countering the toxic faith narrative around abortion in Texas.

Worshiping & Singing Together

Employing Nancy Eiesland’s seminal text “The Disabled God” as a textual guide, participants will examine the ways in which our practices of Christian worship and song can more fully seek and enact justice with and for those of us with disabilities. Participants will glean thoughtful ways to think about inclusion from a disability justice perspective, drawing on the principles of learning styles and intelligence types beyond IQ. We will look at worship bulletins and congregational songs as we think creatively about how best to craft worship with a commitment to access within our own communities.

Alexandra Mauney is a pastoral resident at First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. She is a lifelong musician and lover of hymnody, and has written for such denominational publications as Call to Worship and The Word In Season.

Katy Stenta is pastor at New Covenant & co-founder of TrailPraisers Inclusive New Worshipping Community for all ages, faiths, ands abilities through verbal, meditational, physical, and creative worship.

(OFF-SITE) River City: Towards a More Flourishing Community – Another Tale of Two Cities

This up-close and personal walk-shop profiles the past, present and future of Cincinnati and its implications for us as a nation. Focusing particularly on local socio-economic, racial and political developments and divides, the tour takes one from the conference room chair to the recently completed riverbanks where off-main street development has attracted new residents, employers, and visitors alike; all the while subjugating its low to moderate income residents to age-old norms of inequity and exclusion.

This is an off-site workshop that will involve walking.

Ronnie Matthew Harris is gifted with an uncanny knack for connecting people, places and things, Harris invokes decades of experience to probe his greatest interest- the intersectionality between human flourishing, sustainable faith communities, racial equity, mobility and justice.