Workshop Block 1: Thursday, 9:30 AM
Beginning the conversation: Sexuality discussion for everyone - Leslie A. Choplin, D.Ed.Min.
Sexuality surrounds us in our everyday lives and yet, we don’t always have the tools to get those conversations started at church. How can the church offer safe and hospitable places for these transformational conversations? How can the church respond to the call to be a place to model open, sex-positive discussions about sexuality, embodiment, and faith? We know that creating a space for these conversations can feel daunting, but it does not have to be. Come learn about resources, available to everyone, to help you start the conversation in church--or wherever you are.
Bringing your youth, parents, vestry, and church leadership on board with your ministries message - Randall Curtis
You have a great vision for your ministry. You are excited about it. Now, how do you let everyone else know about it in such a way that they can get excited about it also? How do you bring other people into the creative process of ministry so that together you join in an open source ministry that grows and transforms for your context? This workshop is part marketing, part communicating and a whole lot of stories of success from different contexts.
Failure of the Imagination: Reviving the formation in Confirmation - Lisa Kimball and Patricia Lyons
As The Confirmation Project national research has confirmed, there are effective and creative approaches to confirmation preparation. There are confirmation programs young people eagerly attend and through which their faith grows demonstrably. And, yes, there are confirmation services that do not resemble graduation! What makes confirmation “work”? What is being confirmed? Why does it matter? With solid data and rich storytelling, this workshop is designed to reinvigorate the practice of confirmation.
Feed My Sheep: Nurturing Spiritual Practices in the Congregation - Kathleen Crevasse
The care and feeding of souls is important work. Lay or clergy, part time or full, working with children or adults, if you are engaged in congregational ministry, you are charged with planning the menu, getting the goods, and preparing and/or presenting the meals so that no one goes hungry. Come learn about, share your own stories and experience a sampler of spiritual practices. On the menu: Contemplative prayer, Lectio Divina, walking the labyrinth, creative prayer practices, seasonal quiet days/retreats/devotional booklets, everyday mindfulness practices and more.
Meeting God - and Each Other - in the Digital Space - Merrill Whatley and Lisa Brown
Helping others meet God in the digital space requires us to be in that space in an authentic way. Connecting with others online is no less unreal than connecting in person; how can we be there for others who are searching for God? Merrill Whatley works to make technology a bridge and not a hurdle, to make this environment more a more natural space for storytelling and conversation around people’s experiences in their search for God.
Social Justice Panel Discussion - Heidi Kim, Heidi Clark, Sharon Pearson, Eric Law, Eduardo Rivera, Malcolm McLaurin
Our baptismal covenant calls for us to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” Our panel will discuss ways that we can do this in our communities and other current events.
