Forma 2022 - Workshops

Mr. Escobar is Executive Director of Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary (EDS at Union). There he works with the Very Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas in building a Master of Divinity in Anglican Studies program aimed at forming Gospel-based, social justice faith leaders for The Episcopal Church.

Previously, Mr. Escobar served as managing program director for leadership, communications and external affairs at the Episcopal Church Foundation. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in 2007 and served as the communications assistant to then-Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori from 2007 to 2010.

Mr. Escobar is chair of the board of directors of Forward Movement and serves on the board of directors of Episcopal Relief & Development.

He grew up in the Texas hill country and attended Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, where he studied the Roman Catholic social justice tradition, Latin American liberation theologies, and minored in Spanish. He joined the Episcopal Church through St. Mary’s, West Harlem, drawn by the congregation’s diversity and commitment to social justice, and is now a member of All Saints Episcopal Church in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Bio coming soon.

The Rev. Katie Nakamura Rengers serves as the Presiding Bishop’s Staff Officer for Church Planting. She is an Episcopal Priest who planted an Episcopal coffee shop ministry and worshiping community called The Abbey, located in Birmingham, Ala. Prior to that, she served small and large, rural and urban parishes in Alabama. Rengers received her M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2011 and a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University in 2007. She and her husband, Josiah (also a priest), spend their spare time taking care of their two daughters and learning Tang Su Do as a family!

Rev. Glenna Huber is currently serving as the 15th Rector of The Church of the Epiphany in downtown District of Columbia. She has also served as a consultant primarily for religious institutions in an urban context on the ecacy of community organizing in congregational development.

Rev. Huber has served in a number of ordained pastoral roles in Atlanta,Baltimore, and Washington DC including ecumenical and educational settings. Her positions have provided her with the opportunity to oer pastoral care and counsel to teachers, seniors and parents, and students from preschool to high school. She has leadership experience from working in a variety of communities and neighborhoods ranging from suburban auent neighborhoods to underserved and economically depressed environments.

In relation to her capacity within the church, Rev. Huber is a sought out lecturer and has addressed a wide range of subjects including, leadership in the church and in the community, faith and justice and systemic injustice, urban poverty, education, housing, redlining, racism and reconciliation.

Rev. Huber received a Master of Divinity degree from The General Theological Seminary (New York) and her undergraduate degree in history from Spelman College (Georgia).

She is married to Richard and they have two children.

The Rev. Rebecca Roberts is a 2019 graduate of The General Theological Seminary in New York City and was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Atlanta on August 17, 2019. She serves as Associate Rector at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church in Marietta, Georgia.

She has degrees from Berry College, the University of Alabama, and the School of Theology at the University of the South (Sewanee). She spent the first part of her career working in academia, primarily at Berry College. Her academic interests include the world of early Christians, biblical studies, and Christian mysticism.

She is a certified yoga instructor and spiritual director with a special interest in contemplative practices and their place in the Episcopal Church. She is passionate about equipping individuals to deepen their faith, wherever they are on their journey.

What do you do if your church or diocese isn't currently making racial justice ministry a priority? The Gospel of Jesus Christ and our vows taken at Baptism make clear that standing with the oppressed is specifically what we are called to do as followers of Jesus, and racial reconciliation remains a priority of The Episcopal Church. Many churches and dioceses remain silent on topics of justice for a variety of reasons. We will spend time talking about building grassroots ministry opportunities, networking among congregants to build ministries of learning and action to dismantle racism starting now as we engage in becoming Beloved Community.

The Rev. Paige Alvarez Hanks is a priest in the Diocese of Southwest Florida, currently serving as the Chair of the Diocesan Race and Reconciliation Committee. She is a co-author and facilitator for the diocesan anti-racism training, a Sacred Ground facilitator, and serves as a diocesan, parish, and clergy consult on the intersection of justice and the Gospel. She has served as Priest in Residence, Priest in Charge, and Canon Missioner in the Dioceses of Southwest Florida and Hawaii and Transitional Deacon in the Diocese of North Carolina.

Episcopal Relief & Development’s ONE THOUSAND DAY OF LOVE is a grassroots church-wide campaign dedicated to improving the lives of children. The campaign formation resources are intergenerational and designed to be used both in church, at home, or hybridized. They introduce our earliest learners to empathy, bring an awareness of social justice to older children, including activities for youth and thought-provoking questions for adults. Join campaign director Chad Brinkman and campaign consultant Jamie Martin-Currie to learn how to engage these complimentary formation tools in your context effectively. When congregations participate in the campaign, they are helping children reach their God-given potential to learn, grow, and thrive.

Chad Brinkman is the Director, Campaign for Episcopal Relief & Development overseeing ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE, our grassroots Church-wide campaign dedicated to expanding the organization’s global programs and improving the lives of children worldwide. Previously he served the organization as Program Officer, Engagement, where he worked to “engage,” educate and mobilize local communities, affinity groups, and the larger Episcopal Church through Episcopal Relief & Development. He served through the NetsforLife® Inspiration Fund, raising awareness and supporting Episcopal Relief & Development’s award-winning malaria prevention program partnership. He is the father of a fat ginger cat, a mischievous Bombay cat named Sir Alfred, and a precocious little boy; husband to a beautiful and talented redhead and an avid cook - skilled in the clandestine art of vegetable butchery.

In addition to consulting on the ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE campaign for Episcopal Relief & Development, Jamie serves churches nation-wide by leading a strategic process of reimaging ministries in daring ways to build up capacity and think innovatively for the new normal. This process is known as Review & Restart. Jamie has served two dioceses, Texas and Washington, and is looking forward to adding a third to her resume. She is also a Gathering of Leader facilitator and past Forma president.

In this workshop, Michelle and Adam will discuss the challenges and triumphs they have faced as parents of a member of the LGBTQ community, both in the world and in the Church. They will also discuss practical ways that all Church members can come alongside our LGBTQ siblings and their families to support one another as the Body of Christ, helping to deepen our empathy for one another (including those who don't see things the ways we do!), promote understanding of these issues, and engender grace for all members of our glorious Christian Family.

Michelle and Adam Palmer are the parents of five kids (ages 22-11), and raising these human beings has taught them a lot about kids, themselves, and Jesus. And then they kept learning when, in the spring of 2020, their daughter came out to them as transgender. Their story is one of grace, humility, vulnerability, honesty, and fiercely devoted love.

Do you want your faith community to cultivate spiritual conversation and to examine that nature of holiness? Do you want to use creative programming to support issues of justice and social change? Try an art exhibit. We did, without a lot of experience. With a group interested in organizing an exhibit of art, two women in Harrisburg PA solicited submissions of visual arts, wrote grants for funding, prepared publicity, and opened a successful exhibit of original art. We will share our process and discuss the way we built a collaborative team to accomplish our goal.

The Very Rev. Dr. Amy D. Welin is the Dean of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Harrisburg. She is passionate about using innovative formats to share the good news.

Lindsay Gottwald is an informal educator, writer and public relations professional living in central Pennsylvania. She is a member of St. Stephen's Cathedral, and is passionate about understanding the human experience through narrative—including the Bible.

Days of service for children, youth and families can be a vitally important part of any ministry program. But how do we transform the simple day of service into an experience that engages our children and youth in stimulating activities and discussions that will not only stick with them moving forward but keep them coming back for more? In this workshop, Barbara McCall will share the work that she and colleague, the Rev. Kelly Demo, have done over the past 4 years to transform their community service days with children and youth into a continuum of experiences and conversations that engage children on developmentally appropriate levels, and support their growth into fulfilling their Baptismal promises to "seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being." Participants will be invited to engage in conversation and sharing of their experiences or dreams of establishing a program of outreach and learning for children and younger youth, drawing on the wisdom of the group to support one another in taking the first or next steps in developing these programs.

Barbara McCall is the Director of Children’s and Family Ministries at St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church of Overland Park, Kansas. She has worked in the field of Children’s Christian Formation for the past 7 years, prior to which she spent 14 years teaching primary grades in the public schools of suburban Kansas City. Barbara holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master of Arts in Education from Baker University. Throughout her experiences working in the church, the public schools and as a mom to two teenage boys, Barbara has developed a passion about the work we do to help nurture the next generation of Christians who are aware of their call and fully prepared to “seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being.”

This workshop is targeted to those who seek a unique approach to programming in their youth/young adult ministry. Dungeons and Dragons is the world's most famous table top role-playing game, with a long and storied history within the Church.

It also is one of the most unusual beneficiaries of the Covid-19 pandemic. As in-person community building opportunities ceased, sales of Dungeons & Dragons playing guides and accessories increased 33%.

This workshop explores the successes and lessons learned from using Dungeons & Dragons within a large multidenominational church. You will learn the basics of the game, how to integrate Biblical stories and themes into its play, and how a youth program of extreme introverts built a vulnerable and loving community of trust.

Joe Kennedy is the former director of Youth and Campus Ministries at The Peoples Church of East Lansing, Michigan. Joe is a self-described "life long table-top game enthusiast with a persistent ministry habit." He currently attends the School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee with his wife Stefanie, his baby CJ, and his two dogs.

Participants will unpack a definition of intergenerational ministry and discuss what experts and Scripture say about gathering generations together. A 6-step path to becoming more intentionally intergenerational will be introduced and participants will learn how to adapt church Bible study gatherings as an example of one of four areas of intergenerational focus (study, worship, service, fellowship). This workshop is ideal for church leaders exploring the possibility of intergenerational ministry for their congregation.

Liz Perraud is Executive Director of GenOn Ministries, a nonprofit organization that partners with churches to nurture intergenerational Christ-centered community. She has served in the field of Christian education for over 30 years and has contributed chapters to “InterGenerate: Transforming Churches through Intergenerational Ministry” and “Engage all Generations.”

In this workshop, Claire Brown and Anita Peebles will present their new book "New Directions for Holy Questions: Progressive Christian Theology for Families" (published Jan 18, 2022). This workshop will include dialogue about theological questions most often asked in faith formation at church, school and at home. Presenters will guide participants through spiritual practices included in the book as they consider the practical theological implications of big questions such as "Who is God?," "Why did Jesus die?," "What is the church?" and "How do we care for each other?" The workshop will conclude with discussion and planning for how to utilize justice stories, Biblical stories and spiritual practices to steward the faith formation of the youngest members of our churches.

The Rev. Claire Brown is an Episcopal priest serving at St. Paul’s in Athens, TN. She is graduate of Lee University, Vanderbilt Divinity School, the School of Theology at Sewanee, and has been trained as a retreat leader and spiritual director through the Shalem Institute and Still Harbor.

Rev. Anita Peebles is an ordained Baptist pastor serving at Seattle First Baptist Church. She is a graduate of Oberlin College and Vanderbilt Divinity School.

Becoming a new parent is challenging. Welcoming a new child during a pandemic is even harder. How might the church respond pastorally to families as they prepare to bring new life into the world? What sort of support might the church offer when hospital visitation is not allowed, nursery care may not feel safe, health concerns are heightened, and grief over lost experiences of introducing a child to the world is present? This workshop will offer some practical ideas for engaging our littlest parishioners and baby steps towards discipleship even as early as in the womb.

Samantha Clare coordinates formation programs across the whole lifespan at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, AR. She collaborates with the staff and parishioners of St. Paul's to develop opportunities for members of the congregation to grow in faith as disciples of Jesus. Samantha oversees Children’s Ministry and supports the nursery, youth, campus, and adult formation programs. She is passionate about equipping people to live full and authentic lives as the hands and feet of Christ in the world.

Join Mel for a session that is sure to reinvigorate your passion for Sunday School, spark your imagination, and encourage you to get curious about the children you have been entrusted with. Formation doesn't have to be a burden, but can be a joy...you just need the right tools and your mindset.

Melina is the Creative Director at StoryMakers NYC, she is the Mama of two and is currently based in New York City. Mel has been working with families for over 20 years in various capacities; Behavioral Therapist, Counselor, and Director of Creative Arts Camp. She loves hot tamales, cortados, and of course children's books.

Curriculum planning isn’t always easy. Our church houses don’t frequently have the same resources, nor do our school house classrooms. Whether you are a school chaplain or working in the parish, this workshop is for you. While we know not every classroom looks the same, the ingredients for excellent pedagogy can somewhat remain the same. Bring your own experiential knowledge to this workshop to discover, shape, refresh, and or grow your own ability to plan and prepare for educating your flock from the time between reciting the Creeds and the Sunday sermon to helping them walk through their work week.

Dr. Hilary Dow Ward is no stranger to the classroom, those that inhabit it, or the planning that goes into making the learning process and encompassing experiences magic. Currently in her fifth year as the Visiting Assistant Professor of Christian Education and Parish Formation at the School of Theology at the University of the South, Dr. Hilary Dow Ward now focuses on educating those that will work in the school house and church house on a daily basis. Dr. Ward is in her seventeenth year as an educator and holds undergraduate degrees in music performance, masters degrees in religion/urban theology and Christian education, education curriculum instruction, and a terminal degree in education administration, leadership and policy.

There is no going back (no matter how many times Facebook changes its name): social media is here to stay. The members of your congregation are on it. You're on it. So the question becomes: how can the Church use these platforms as opportunities to tell the story of Jesus... and do so in a responsible way that doesn't contribute to the human degradation that so often arises on social media platforms. This workshop will explore avenues to increase ministerial reach while also pastoring the people under our care.

Adam Palmer is the Technology/Media Minister and Modern Worship Leader for Fellowship Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he works to tell the story of Jesus through music and digital media. Over his 20-plus-year career, he has worn a lot of hats, some of which are writer, producer, marketer, worship leader, and ministry-adjacent-type person. He is interested in the intersection of arts, media, and the Church, and how to honor the legacy of an ancient faith in the modern world.

Most faith formation leaders have learned on the job, emulating the teaching and facilitation strategies of mentors they admire. But everyone benefits from the opportunity to reexamine their go-to habits and tools in conversation with current learning theory and research-based teaching practices. The rapid hybridization of our field has added to both the breadth of what we all need to know and the urgency to do it well. The presenters for this session are experienced formation leaders and instructional designers, and they’ve distilled the most important and actionable research into eight key frameworks that will change how you lead Christian formation. Expect to leave this workshop with a solid handle around the big ideas that will guide how you teach adults and design learning experiences that grow transformed disciples.

Oliver is an educational media producer and researcher and Chief Product Officer at Learning Forte. He has served churches and seminaries on both coasts and currently lives in Metro Chicago.

Jenn Baker is an experienced educator and faculty coach, currently focusing on learning in the digital sphere. She is the Associate for Integrated Learning at Learning Forte and works with seminaries and other faith-based organizations to build and strengthen their digital learning environments.

What does regional ministry look like in a Diocese that is exploring the future of the episcopacy, while working to reconcile differences? Together we will share practical and prayerful ways to be church and uphold our baptismal calling to call forth gifts for ministry not just for the benefit of those already in the pews, but also for those in the community. By listening to one another's stories, we are better able to learn compassion for one another and begin to work towards reconciliation by first naming our divisions so that we can begin to heal and to fulfill God's dream for us.

Appropriate for all levels of ministry, lay and ordained.

Rev. Kim Becker is the Northwest regional coordinator for Episcopal Ministry in North Dakota, serving as resource for five congregations, three Anglo and two Native. She is mixed descent, including Cherokee, and was trained by Dr. Catherine Meeks as a racial healing leader. She serves as a member of the diocesean ministry support team.

Think back to a time when you were enthralled with a dining experience - what mattered most to you? What made the experience memorable? Now think about a memorable church experience - perhaps you were new and warmly welcomed, or maybe someone reached out when they could tell your heart was heavy. There are significant overlaps in how we express care in the hospitality industry and in church life, so let’s explore those similarities as well as the differences and see what comes up! How can each field inform the other, and what knowledge can we gain as folks trying to be truly hospitable in a church context?

At the heart of the matter is this question: how do we care for one another?

This is not a one-to-one industry comparison (we won’t be learning to upsell Jesus, for instance), and there are lots of ways in which these industries diverge in paradigm and practice, but at the heart of the restaurant industry is a model of hospitality and care in which the church is also deeply steeped. In both churches and restaurants, we strive to create meaningful, positive experiences, and we endeavor to change lives in even the smallest of ways. Let’s spend time attuning ourselves to the ways in which we communicate care and extend genuine welcome.

In this workshop we’ll spend time drawing parallels from our shared experiences in both/either field, work to establish a practical understanding of a hospitality-informed care model, and develop initial or advanced practices for expressing care and hospitality. Collectively we’ll outline a hospitality framework and from there, you will be invited to creatively imagine where you and your church are called to lean in. I will share tips and insight that range from the practical (e.g., how to make a strong first impression; how to notice details that add to the overall guest impression of your church; how to respond nimbly when things don’t go as planned) to the theoretical (e.g., what do we even mean by “hospitality”). We’ll also trade stories, build bridges between industries and across experiences, and - dare I say - have fun while we learn and share.

Drawing on a decade of experience working in a variety of restaurant settings, I hope to inspire those in the church who worry that their ministry has become stale or stuck in models that no longer feel connective and life-giving. With anecdotes, humor, practical application, and open-ended wondering, we’ll work together to examine how the restaurant industry can inform how we can reconnect with our collective ministry, with visitors to the church as well as long-standing parishioners, and with our purpose as ministers in God’s work of love and acceptance. We’ll use improvisation techniques, role playing, personal reflection, and storytelling to begin to reimagine not only how we do church, but why we do church the way we do - what works, what doesn’t, and how we can do it all a bit better.

Hannah Curtis (she/her) is a mother, storyteller, Enneagram 8, and Jesus enthusiast whose passions include slow fashion, laughing, and bending the arc of the moral universe toward justice. Hannah often uses her performance background to connect with and activate her communities, and she has a particular passion for nurturing children, youth, and young adults. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, she currently serves as Director of Operations and Formation at St. Francis on the Hill Episcopal Church in El Paso, Texas. She can be found on Instagram @awwdacity.

The social internet can be a daunting place to enter in ministry; the language is constantly shifting, the trends hard to catch, the nature of big tech unnerving, and the public nature of being online can be intimidating. And these are precisely the reasons why both churches and individual Christians are called to be witnesses for God’s justice, mercy, and liberation online. The pandemic has taught us that connection through digital media is real, life-impacting connection, even if it is not a replacement for incarnate community. So it is vital for mainline and progressive Christian voices to enter the internet fray to help foster these connections with God, especially when dominant voices in Christian social media proclaim God’s love to be limited. This workshop has two intentions: one, to equip lay and ordained leaders in the church alike to be wholehearted evangelists for a radically liberating and inclusive Gospel; and two, to shift the view of social media away from being an extension of the newsletter and into being a platform for proclamation that leads into incarnate beloved community. While this workshop is geared towards communications/marketing leaders and heads of staff in churches, it will include information for ordained and lay folks alike to utilize all social platforms for their ministry.

Father Lizzie helped support her way through Divinity School by teaching art in bars, driving a rideshare, and waiting tables, before working in youth and children’s ministry. Now, as an Episcopal priest in a church plant in Austin, TX, she is particularly passionate about reclaiming evangelism. She uses the skills she learned in the service industry to foster meaningful connections with people in short, but impactful, moments on social media. Her academic background is in Womanist and Feminist theological studies, and she delights in drawing upon this formation to make joyful videos on TikTok and Instagram about the Bible, the church, empowered embodiment, fashion, Dolly Parton, and God's liberating love for all people. She and her spouse, Jonathan, have two genuinely enormous cats named Mary Poppins and Burt, and are expecting their first human child in February. Connect with her at @rev.lizzie!

Over the past decade, many churches have renewed their commitment to honoring the gifts of Christians with disabilities. In this workshop, we will consider what it means to "disable" Christian formation - to embrace new, creative, and refreshed approaches to formation with and alongside disabled Christians. Drawing upon the Book of Common Prayer's Baptismal Covenant, this workshop will root its explorations of disability-conscious practices of Christian formation in the framework of baptismal vocation.

Dr. Sarah Jean Barton is Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Theological Ethics at Duke University. She publishes, presents, and lectures across disciplinary contexts, including Christian ethics and theology, occupational therapy, disability studies, and medicine. Her first book, Becoming the Baptized Body: Disability and the Practice of Christian Community is forthcoming with Baylor University Press in 2022. Sarah is an active lay leader at St. Joseph's Episcopal Church in Durham, NC and was an Academic Fellow with The Episcopal Church Foundation from 2018 - 2021.

When everything on your to-do list feels important, or when “plan VBS” is an overwhelming goal, how do you move forward? In this workshop, we’ll share some practical planning tools and techniques that will help you be both flexible/nimble in changing circumstances and give yourself the gift of perspective and breathing room in the midst of ministry chaos. This workshop is for anyone looking for a helpful approach to calming the chaos of ministry planning and leadership. Participants will be invited to brainstorm next steps in their own real-life ministry settings and projects. We’re definitely not experts, but ministry practitioners who have been inspired by Kendra Adachi’s book The Lazy Genius Way and adapted her 13 principles to help us “name what matters” in the midst of the daily frustrations and stresses of ministry. This approach has been helping us stay centered, let go of what’s not working, and hold tight to what is working, and we want to share it with others.

Sarah Bentley Allred serves as Editor of Building Faith and Associate for Christian Formation and Discipleship with Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary. She lives in Wake Forest, NC where she enjoys local coffee shops and walking in the woods with her husband, Richard, and their dog, Grace.

Elizabeth Henry-McKeever lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she serves as priest-in-charge for St. Michael's Episcopal Church and ministers alongside her wife to raise two small children. Elizabeth has degrees from Davidson College and Virginia Theological Seminary, and worked in fundraising before entering ordained ministry.

There have been many psychological studies about the relationship between religious behavior and personality, including the fact that people are drawn to different forms of worship based on their personality traits. Anxiety over the steep decline in membership in The Episcopal Church has led to the creation of strategies, webinars, and other tools for ensuring the church's survival - but almost all of these are "one size fits all." Most people tend to be unaware of their inherent traits and biases. This workshop provides an opportunity to get to know our own personality types, how they influence how we think of what it means to be "church," and consider how people with differing personalities might be differently drawn to see and participate in "church."

The Reverend Deborah White, Ph.D., is the Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Martinez, California. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Theatre and Dance, Masters degrees in Divinity and Social Work, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. She has worked in broadcasting, with chronically mentally ill people on the streets of Baltimore, in the California state prison system, for the Departments of Mental Health in Massachusetts and California, and as a forensic psychological expert witness.

Before the COVID pandemic, many formation programs were run in a particular way because they had always been done that way. Shifting to a digital format has given permission to closely examine what is essential to formation and what can be let go.

Christian Formation leaders will use aspects of a design process as a lens to examine programs, new and well established, and shift focus to serve their learners’ faith formation in their current and future context. This workshop is intended for Christian Formation Leaders, working with all age groups, who are looking to spark their imagination about what hybrid faith formation could look like.

Tania Schramm combines experience in communications and information technology systems development with a calling to ministry and faith formation. Her professional background in user experience design, as a systems analyst, and her M.Div. prepared her to accompany people who seek to engage, minister, teach, and learn in digital environments. Tania is particularly interested in faith formation and discipleship, the intersection of faith and justice, and building communities that equip and support people in living out their faith in their daily lives.

For nearly 15 years, Hannah has served Episcopal parish communities in a variety of Christian Formation roles. Hannah is a trainer for the Education for Ministry Program and regularly contributes to Diocesan events, camps, retreats, and committee work. She is recognized for her innovative use of technology to integrate liturgical seasons, parish programs, music, faith-at-home activities, and outreach. As the Associate for Congregational Learning at Learning Forte, Hannah develops hybrid ministry learning opportunities and resources for parish and higher education leaders.

This workshop invites adults at various stages of life to explore together how the Christian practice of discernment – listening for God’s voice in the “now”, can help us to grow and deepen in faith, especially in times of uncertainty and not-knowing. Poetry by the facilitator and some open and non-judgemental journaling questions and exercises will model ways to facilitate safe and authentic conversation, across generations, about how we listen for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives.

Dr. Kathy Staudt is a poet, scholar and spiritual guide who has been teaching in university, seminary and retreat contexts for over thirty years. She is the author of 3 volumes of poetry and has edited an anthology of poems by young adults with cancer. Her most recent book, Shaping a Faithful Life: Discernment and Discipleship for Young Adults, draws together resources for practicing discernment that can be adapted for many age groups.

Teenagers know there's something wrong. They know that--despite our attempts at helping them live into good theology--there are certain questions about God that come with tension. How do we square the idea of a good God with all the bad things? And how might we answer these questions now, in the midst of a pandemic? This workshop will offer practical and theological tips on how people who work with youth and children can honor questions, validate experiences, and (of course!) not freak out when a kid comes up and says, "Something's not right."

Bryan Bliss has 20 years of formation and youth ministry experience. In addition to his church work, he has worked as a curriculum and resource developer for sparkhouse and Center for Youth Ministry Training. He is also a critically acclaimed author of multiple novels, including We'll Fly Away, which was long listed for the 2018 National Book Award. His next book is titled Bad Things, Good People, and God: A Guide for Teens with Church Publishing. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt Divinity School and is currently working on a doctorate focusing on public theology.

How do you find rest in a world that never turns off?

Over the last year, both paid and volunteer ministry leaders have jumped wholeheartedly into hybrid ministry and, in the process, discovered that maintaining boundaries and the spiritual discipline of Sabbath is even more difficult and challenging in the face of hybrid ministry. At the end of 2020, the Rev. Stacy Willams-Duncan, the founder of Learning Forte, implemented an organization-wide pattern of Sabbath. Join Stacy and Matt O’Rear to learn about what they have learned about how to successfully practice Sabbath as a team, calibrate when things don’t go the way you envisioned, and questions you might want to consider if you are interested in implementing a communal Sabbath practice.

All leaders learning how to balance their spiritual life, hybrid ministry, and life’s realities are encouraged to attend this workshop.

The Rev. Stacy Williams-Duncan - As a co-creative priest with over 20 years of experience in ordained ministry, she integrates teaching and learning, research and practice, theological education and ministry in and beyond the parish, school, seminary, and digital contexts. The Rev. Williams-Ducan is the CEO of Learning Forte and Rector of Little Fork Episcopal Church in Rixeyville, VA.

Matt O’Rear, Consultant for Development & Organizational Leadership, Learning Forte, has served as an administrator for the past 13 years among the Evangelical Lutheran Church Seminaries in America. Most recently ended his time as Dean of the Chapel at Wartburg Seminary. Matt is committed to living out his calling by helping people discover how they can serve as "public theologians" to the world in need. With deep passion and knowledge of the hybrid ministry world, Matt is helping others see a new vision for ministry.

How can you genuinely and realistically fold a life-giving sabbath practice into your 21st century life? Micro-Sabbath embodies the heart of this ancient practice, inviting you to step off the hamster wheel, turn off auto-pilot, and create space to reconnect with God and refill your tanks. Instead of thinking of Sabbath only as an entire day apart, you discover that each and every minute of the day creates an opportunity to grow our awareness that you are immersed in Divine love and presence. Through micro-sabbath practices you're reminded that you are not serving out of your own strength alone, but co-creating a transformed world with the very present power of God moving with and within.

In this interactive workshop, participants will be given a framework for understanding the heart and the history of the practice of Sabbath, as well as a tool box of micro-sabbath practices that can be folded easily into their daily lives. Practices that create space for real refreshment and a deepening experience of God’s love.

Greg is the Executive Director of Second Breath and an episcopal priest. After burning out in ministry int he early 2000's, he discovered the power of spiritual practice, mindfulness and the Christian Wisdom tradition through Second Breath. He credits the work of Second Breath with transforming, renewing and rescuing his marriage, parenting and ministry. He now passionately shares what he learned and experienced through Second Breath. Greg has an amazing wife who is a spiritual director and three grown sons.

“Journaling within Your Sabbath” offers thoughtful ways to engage the seventh day with a prayerful old tool used in new ways.

• Reminding the audience about the unique gifts the Sabbath already presents us.
• Using the practice of journaling on the Sabbath to keep it holy and to explore hope and blessings for ourselves and others.
• Using a variety of journaling tools – written, musical, artistic and technological to explore our lives in our Sabbath observances.
• Unlocking how small groups in worshipping communities can engage journals for helping each to "keep the sabbath".
• Engaging intergenerational ministry by using Sabbath journaling to open conversations among participants of different ages and interests.

Mallard Benton lives in the Atlanta area where he worships, writes and volunteers. With his wife of 41 years, Althea, he's a member of St. David's Episcopal Church in Roswell. Mallard's been journaling much of his adult life and has shared his passion for the practice with family and various segments of his religious community.

In this discussion-based workshop, participants will learn ways to apply the Rule of St. Benedict in every day ministry and life through the lens of Queer Theology. In this discussion, no one is an expert; with Benedict, we always begin again. We will highlight experiences, culture, tradition, and beliefs as a means to unpack complicated terms such as "queer" and "trans" in the context of Benedict and Theology. This process of theological reflection, guided by questions and prompts from your host, will facilitate the discussion. Through this discussion, we will leave more connected to God, to each other, to God's Creation, and to ourselves. Such connections are the very structures which Benedict envisioned in the desert when he wrote his "trellis" of guidance for those with whom he lived such that all might grow together.

Brandon Jonna is a Novice with The New Benedictine Community of the Holy Trinity, a new monastic dispersed community. He lives in San Marcos, TX, where he participates in the life and work of St. Mark's Episcopal Church. As a queer/trans Benedictine, Brandon Jonna practices intentionality around listening to stories of others who live in the liminal space of contemporary queer/trans Christian life.

Description coming soon.