Let Us Share With You! Our Conference staff is always available as an active resource partner for your congregation to be a thriving expression of Christian love and justice. We have prepared workshops and learning sessions on a variety of topics. Read more about each session and express your interest in the form at the bottom of the page.
Delight Your Donors: Stewardship That Sparkles (Rev. Daniel Ross-Jones, MPA, ECRF)
Research shows that an “attitude of gratitude” has myriad health benefits. Think of a time when you gave a gift to a family member, friend, or some other person, and their expression of appreciation left you feeling on Cloud Nine for a week. Turn the tables and think of a time when you had a similar, overwhelming gratitude for a gift from another person. Now, answer honestly: does your congregation do as good of a job appreciating donations from members and friends? In this workshop we’ll discuss best practices and easy wins to appreciate donors as the lifeblood of your organization.
Meetings Without Misery: Collaborate With Efficiency (Rev. Daniel Ross-Jones, MPA, ECRF)
Does the monthly Church Council meeting come around leaving you with a sense of dread? Do congregational meetings last longer than the worship service just to approve the minutes of the prior meeting? Is Robert’s Rules of Order leaving you stymied, or even worse, only used as a weapon? In this workshop we’ll explore multiple modes of collaboration and governance leading toward consensus and efficiency in any structure.
Mission Interpretation: Telling Your Church’s Story (Rev. Daniel Ross-Jones, MPA, ECRF)
Storytelling is in our DNA as a Christian community. How does your church tell its own story? Are the stories of your church an homage to the past without a lot of ‘oomph’ in the present? Is there an invitation to the listener to find their own place in the story? In this workshop we’ll explore the many ways your church tells its own story and craft our own stories of life in this particular community.
Authenticity, Vulnerability & Confidence: Engaging Millennials (and Everyone!) in Your Church (Rev. Daniel Ross-Jones, MPA, ECRF)
Millennials, the cohort of the population born in the 1980’s and 1990’s, is considered the most educated and most diverse generation in US history. Among the shared values tying together this disparate group is seeking authenticity. Yet, many congregations attend workshops seeking to “market” or “position” for Millennials. This isn’t that workshop. We’ll spend time together talking about vulnerability and fear: what are we really saying when we want to “attract” Millennials to our churches? What strengths do we have to offer today? What stands in the way of our confidence to own who we are and engage in hard work to bring us to our best selves as churches?
Search & Call: From Discernment to Welcoming a New Pastor (Rev. Davena Jones)
Racial Justice: The Constructed Me and Different Types of Racism (Rev. Dr. Diane Weible)
Confronting White Privilege in Liberal Churches (Rev. Dr. Diane Weible)
Reimagine Your Future: Begin With a Blank Canvas (Rev. Dr. Diane Weible)