PreCon Lab Speakers
“The PreCon Labs are on September 26 beginning at 8:30 AM and are an add-on to the main conference. We hope you will join us for these small-group, learning experiences where frontliners like you will gather together to discover how to effectively build and sustain a thriving spiritual formation model that leverages the influence of both the church and the home. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to network and rub shoulders with some of the most creative and effective pastors and family ministry experts in North. Lunch is included!
Register NowThis pre-conference event will sell out due to a limited number of seats. Registrations are on a first come, first serve basis. You do not have to register for your specific workshops, labs, or tracks in advance.
Schedule coming soon…
Lab Speakers
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Brian Haynes
PreCon Lab Co-host and Emcee: Author of "The Legacy Path" and "Shift" and Creator of the Legacy Milestones StrategyConference Focus - Lab # 1 - Vision and Intentionality: NEXT STEPS for senior ministry leaders
Perhaps the greatest next step in the D6 movement will be for Lead pastors and senior ministry leaders in churches across the globe to catch the for connecting church and home. If you are a Lead Pastor, Executive Pastor, or other senior level leader, join me for a session on vision, strategy, and intentionality. Discover how to lead your team and your church to effectively equip the next generation by connecting church and home. Explore how visionary D6 leadership from the top could be the next step in building the greatest generation of Christ-followers in western history.
Lab # 2 - Lessons from my personal NEXT STEP: What’s different the second time around
This year I made the leap from my role at a mega church overseeing the legacy milestones strategy to a medium size church that has never thought about connecting church and home as a method of discipleship. Discover what I have learned and changed as I developed the milestones strategy from a new role in a completely different church culture. Explore what principles of the strategy can never change and understand what had to change. It’s a beautiful thing to start over again having played the game before. If you are a milestones church, you will learn lessons that may impact your next steps on the legacy path.
More about Brian Haynes…Brian serves as Senior Pastor at Bay Area First Baptist Church in League City, Texas. Brian is the creator of the Legacy Milestones strategy designed to inseparably link church and home to equip the generations. He is the author of the book, Shift: What it Takes to finally reach families today. Brian is married to his high school sweetheart Angela and they have three daughters, Hailey, Madelyn, and Eden. He is a graduate of Baylor University, Southwestern Seminary, and Liberty Theological Seminary where he earned a Doctor of Ministry for his work in discipleship and family ministry.
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Ed Stetzer
President of LifeWay Research and Pastor of Grace Church in Hendersonville, TennesseeConference Focus - TBA
More about Ed Stetzer…Ed Stetzer is the president of LifeWay Research. He also serves as Pastor of Grace Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Ed has trained pastors and church planters on five continents, holds two masters degrees and two doctorates, and has written dozens of articles and books. Ed is a contributing editor for Christianity Today, a columnist for Outreach Magazine and Catalyst Monthly, serves on the advisory council of Sermon Central and Christianity Today’s Building Church Leaders, and is frequently cited or interviewed in news outlets such as USAToday and CNN. Ed is Visiting Professor of Research and Missiology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Visiting Research Professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has taught at fifteen other colleges and seminaries.
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Kara Powell
Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) and a faculty member at Fuller Theological SeminaryConference Focus - TBA
More about Kara Powell…Dr. Kara E. Powell is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) and a faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary (see www.fulleryouthinstitute.org). The mission of FYI is to leverage research into resources that elevate leaders, kids, and families. She completed her PhD in Practical Theology from Fuller Seminary with a focus on Pastoral Role Expectations in 2000, an MDiv from Bethel Theological Seminary in 1994, and a BA degree with Honors from Stanford University in 1991. In addition to her roles at Fuller Seminary, Kara currently serves as an Advisor to Youth Specialties and volunteers in student ministries at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena. She is the author or co-author of Sticky Faith, Essential Leadership (2010), Deep Justice Journeys (2009), Good Sex Youth Ministry Curriculum (2009), Deep Justice in a Broken World (2008), Deep Ministry in a Shallow World (2006), and Help! I’m a Woman in Youth Ministry (2004).
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Jim Wideman
An internationally recognized voice in children's and family ministryConference Focus - TBA
More about Jim Wideman…Jim Wideman is an internationally recognized voice in children’s and family ministry. He is a much sought after speaker, teacher, author, personal leadership coach, and minister who has over 30 years experience in helping churches thrive.
Having served for 17 years at Church on the Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Jim understands what it takes to grow dynamic, relevant ministries to people of all ages. Along with overseeing one of America’s largest children’s ministries, Jim has also held various other positions giving him a background in almost every area of the local church and Christian school. He has successfully trained hundreds of thousands of children’s ministry leaders from all denominations and sizes of congregations in conferences and seminars around the world. Jim currently serves as Associate Pastor at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, TN where he oversees the next generation and family ministries.
The International Network of Children’s Pastors awarded Jim the “Excellence in Ministry Award” in 1989 for his outstanding work, and Children’s Ministry Magazine in 2001 honored him as one of ten “Pioneers of the Decade” in children’s ministry.
Besides authoring several books on children’s ministry, leadership, and the family, Jim has hosted the Club (a monthly leadership resource) since 1995.
Jim’s life mission, which he is passionate about, is to build strong leaders in the local church—leaders who love their people, love their pastors, and who want to accomplish their God-given purpose for being placed on this earth. His desire is to spend the rest of his life imparting what he has learned to the next generation of children’s and youth ministers, and investing in their success.
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Jonathan McKee
President of The Source for Youth Ministry and author of numerous youth ministry booksConference Focus - TBA
More about Jonathan McKee…Jonathan is president of The Source for Youth Ministry and author of numerous youth ministry books, including Ministry By Teenagers, Connect: Real Relationships in a World of Isolation, and the award-winning Do They Run When They See You Coming? He speaks and trains at camps, conferences, and events across North America and provides free resources for youth workers internationally on his Web site, TheSource4YM.com.
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Walt Mueller
founder and President of the Center for Parent/Youth UnderstandingConference Focus - TBA
More about Walt Mueller…Dr. Walt Mueller has been working with young people and families for over 33 years. and is the founder and President of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, a non-profit organization serving schools, churches, and community organizations across the U.S, Canada, and worldwide. Mueller’s daily radio program, Youth Culture Today, is on 870 radio stations across the U.S. and Canada.
Mueller earned his M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Summa Cum Laude), as well as his doctorate in postmodern generations. He has written extensively on youth culture and family issues and is the author of eight books. His most recent book is 99 Thoughts for Parents of Teenagers (Group, 2011).
He is a regular contributor to several publications including Youthworker Journal, Current Thoughts and Trends, Living With Teenagers, Parents of Teenagers, GROUP, and Today’s Father. He has also offered commentary on Fox News Channel and CNN.
Walt and his wife, Lisa, live in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, and have four children; Caitlin, Joshua, Bethany and Nathaniel.
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Tim Elmore
Founder and president of Growing LeadersConference Focus - TBA
More about Tim Elmore…Dr. Tim Elmore is the founder and president of Growing Leaders (GrowingLeaders.com), an Atlanta-based non-profit organization which serves public schools, state universities and civic organizations, as well as faith-based organizations and churches. The mission is to develop young leaders who will transform society, with a goal of equipping and mobilizing 1% of the world’s population under the age of 25 (30 million students) to think and act like authentic, life-giving leaders. Resources developed and used by the team include Habitudes - a four-book series to develop leadership habits and attitudes, Habitudes for Athletes - a program to develop leadership habits and attitudes on athletic teams, and Habitudes Course - a three-credit leadership survey course for colleges and universities.
Elmore has written more than 20 books, including the best-selling Habitudes: Images that Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes, Life Giving Mentors and Nurturing the Leader within Your Child.
His newest book Generation iY: Our Last Chance to Save Their Future was released in August 2010.Elmore has worked alongside internationally recognized leadership expert Dr. John Maxwell for the past 25 years. According to Maxwell, “No one teaches leadership better than Tim Elmore.”
Elmore lives in Atlanta with his wife, Pam, and his two children, Bethany and Jonathan. -
Michelle Anthony
Over 20 Years in Children's and Family Ministry - Family Ministry Architect for David C. CookConference Focus - Lab # 1 - Awakening Spiritual Parenting in Today’s Families
Parents are being awakened to their God-given roles to be the spiritual nurturers of their children. But most parents feel inferior and ill-equipped for such a role. How does the church effectively come alongside of their parents and both inspire and equip them to spiritually guide and grow their children, instead of merely taking on this role itself?
Lab # 2 - Finding our Place in The Big God Story
Sets up your Children’s or Family Ministry to understand the importance of teaching Bible stories in context to the big picture…making God the main character of an epic narrative. Shares the actual Big God Story and ends with a discussion of how teaching from this vantage point changes the way we teach and how we help children to find their place in it.
More about Michelle Anthony…Dr. Michelle Anthony is a native Californian and has lived in Southern Orange County for the past 20 years along with her husband, Michael, and her two children Chantel and Brendon. Michelle earned her B.A. from Biola University in Christian Education and her M.A. in Christian Education with an emphasis in Theology from Talbot Theological Seminary, and her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Southern Seminary. She has written over a dozen resources in Children’s/Youth ministries and Christian education, and enjoys teaching, speaking, and serving in missions abroad. She has over 20 years of practical church ministry/leadership experience in Children’s/Family ministry and is currently serving in Family Ministries at Rock Harbor Church in Costa Mesa, as well as the Family Ministry Architect for David C. Cook Publishing. In her free time, Michelle enjoys sailing, the beach, being with her family, and a good cup of coffee.
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Rob Rienow
Author of "Visionary Parenting" and "Visionary Marriage" and Faith @ Home PioneerConference Focus - TBA
More about Rob Rienow…Rob Rienow is the founder of Visionary Family Ministries and is a full-time Faith @ Home Missionary. Previously, Rob was the the Family Pastor at Wheaton Bible Church in Wheaton, IL. Before becoming the Family Pastor, he served as a Youth Pastor at Wheaton Bible Church from 1993-2004. He is the author of Visionary Parenting and the new release Visionary Marriage. He and his wife Amy have founded a ministry called Visionary Parenting, which inspires parents and grandparents to disciple their children, and equips churches to build biblical family ministries. Rob, Amy, and their five children live in Wheaton, IL where he attended Wheaton College. After undergrad, Rob then completed an MA in theology at Wheaton College Graduate School, an MDiv from Trinity International Divinity School, and a Doctor of Ministry in Christian Leadership from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.
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Josh Griffin
High School Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CAConference Focus - TBA
More about Josh Griffin…Josh Griffin is the High School Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. He is a father of four and has been in full-time youth ministry for 15 years. He is the author of 99 Thoughts for Youth Workers, 99 Thoughts for Small Group Leaders, and co-authored Live Large. Be Different. Shine Bright. with Doug Fields. Josh speaks a little, writes a little http://www.morethandodgeball.com/youth-ministries/books-and-sermon-series-by-josh-griffin.html , Twitters a bit http://www.twitter.com/joshuagriffin (@joshuagriffin) and blogs a lot. More than 20,000 youth workers visit his blog, www.MoreThanDodgeball.com for insight, ideas and fun.
For more on Josh, check out http://www.morethandodgeball.com/about/
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Garnett Reid
Old Testament Hebrew Scholar and Theology ProfessorConference Focus - TBA
More about Garnett Reid…Dr. Garnett Reid serves as the chairman of the Biblical and Ministry Studies Department at Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville, Tennessee, where he teaches Old Testament. He has pastored churches in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky and is a frequent conference and seminar speaker. Garnett’s column “Intersect: Where the Bible Meets Life” appears regularly in ONE Magazine. He has also published articles in Bibliotheca Sacra, the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Integrity, and the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. He and his wife Carol have two married sons, two beautiful red-headed granddaughters, and one grandson. Garnett enjoys golf, baseball, and visiting Civil War battlefields.
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Chris Spradlin
Founder and Voice of Epicparent.tv and Parenting AdvocateConference Focus - TBA
More about Chris Spradlin…Chris Spradlin is the voice behind EpicParent.tv, a ministry that strives to heal, empower and unleash a new generation of parents!
Chris, also known as Sprad, brings an honest, creative, on the edge approach to parenting at his blog EpicParent.tv. Chris has launched EpicParent.tv Family Counseling Center that strives to bring much needed healing and restoration to families. In addition to the blog and counseling center, He is finishing up his first book “I Will Be An EpicParent.” Chris can also be found speaking at churches, conferences and retreats around the country.
Before launching EpicParent.tv, Chris Spradlin was a Campus Pastor and Team Teacher with Craig Groeschel at LifeChurch.tv.
Chris is a speaker, author and blogger who resides in Steamboat Springs, Colorado with Team Sprad! His beautiful wife Jodie and three kiddos…Coletrain, KylieFaith and the Jack Hammer!!
You can find Chris here…
Twitter: @EpicParent
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EpicParent
http://www.EpicParent.tv -
Jonathan Cliff
Next Generations Ministry Pastor at Trinity Church in Lubbock, TXConference Focus - TBA
More about Jonathan Cliff…I am currently serving at Trinity Church in Lubbock TX as the Next Generations Ministry Pastor. I lead a fantastic team that’s committed to creating an intentional strategy for reaching the next generations of the church through children’s ministry, student ministry, and college outreach. I am a huge advocate for the family and I believe that the family is God’s primary way of reaching the world.
It’s always been my prayer as a children’s pastor and as a father that kids learn to see the world as their mission field and begin to use the gifts they’ve been given to make an impact on everyone around them. I’ve held Children’s Ministry roles since March of 2003, and in January of 2011 recently moved into a more mentoring role over other family ministry areas of the church.
I am the faithful husband of Starr and the father of two sons and one daughter (Ryan, Dylan, and Lauryn). Our family also fosters kids, so from time to time we have extra babies in our home that we help to reunite with their own families. This desire was birthed out of a real desire to use our Children’s Ministry experiences outside of our limited church walls and into the greater Lubbock-area community.
My passion for ministry springs from my own desires as a father for my kids to fully know, hear, and respond to God’s voice. Everything I create, manage, and lead is led with the understanding that my own kids will experience the end product and environment.
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Ryan Frank
Executive Director of Innovative Ministries for Awana Clubs International, the Executive Director of KidzMatter Ministries, and the publisher of K! MagazineConference Focus - TBA
More about Ryan Frank…Ryan Frank is the Executive Director of Innovative Ministries for Awana Clubs International, the Executive Director of KidzMatter Ministries, and the publisher of K! Magazine. Ryan also serves on the board of directors for the International Network of Children’s Ministry.
Ryan entered full-time ministry in 1998 after graduating from Indiana Wesleyan University with a degree in Christian Education. He was hired as children’s pastor at Liberty Baptist Church where he served as Children’s Pastor from 1998-2010. He was awarded a Master of Arts in Bible Exposition from Pensacola Christian College in 2000.
In 1999 Ryan married Beth Bishir. Today they have two daughters named Luci and Londyn. The Franks reside in Converse, Indiana.
KidzMatter Ministries was created in 2004 and incorporated in 2006 and is located in Marion, Indiana. The marvel of KidzMatter, Inc., is that every day we have the opportunity, on a global scale, to shape the way people think about children’s ministry. The fact that our resources, our magazine, and website put us within reach of virtually everyone on the planet is staggering. We have a strategic opportunity to equip churches to reach children for the Lord Jesus Christ. Our passion is to provide resources that God can best use to that end.
Ryan enjoys writing, reading, and traveling. You can follow Ryan on Twitter at twitter.com/r_frank or on his blog at ryanfrank.com.
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Dr. Richard Ross
One of the primary driving forces behind the Faith at Home conversationConference Focus - Lab # 1 - Guiding Parents Toward Spiritual Awakening
Spiritually lethargic parents who become more intentional about faith at home will only produce spiritually lethargic children. Intentional faith at home activity does not, in itself, lead to spiritual depth. This workshop will prepare leaders to guide parents toward awakening in their own spiritual lives—so they can impact the next generation.
Lab # 2 - Impacting Children and Teenagers Through Heart Connections
After parenting seminars in hundreds of churches, parents consistently report that the teaching they remember the longest is this: The primary way your influence travels to your children is through a “pipeline,” a connection between your hearts. This session will prepare leaders to teach parents the strategic importance of the pipeline (a heart connection)—and which parenting approaches strengthen or weaken it.
Listen to a message from Dr. Richard Ross…More about Dr. Richard Ross…Richard Ross is professor to the next generation of youth ministers at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth. Since its inception, Richard has served as the spokesperson for the international True Love Waits movement. Richard is husband to LaJuana, who has joined him in a lifetime of loving teenagers. They are parents of Clayton, age 19. Richard served as youth minister for thirty years and now is a volunteer with teenagers and parents at Wedgwood Baptist in Fort Worth.
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Shannon Dingle
Coordinates Access, the special needs ministry at Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, NCConference Focus - TBA
More about Shannon Dingle…Shannon Dingle coordinates Access, the special needs ministry at Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC (www.pray.org). She is the writer of a popular special needs ministry blog (www.theworksofgoddisplayed.com, @specialneedsmin), a contributor to the Treasuring Christ curriculum (www.treasuringchristonline.com), and a long-time volunteer in children’s, youth, and music ministry. With her MAEd in special education, she has served as a teacher at all levels from preschool through high school and as a designer of special education teacher trainings for Teach For America. Her success as a middle school special educator in Rio Grande City, Texas, from 2003-2005, was featured in the book Teaching as Leadership. Her favorite titles, though, are wife to Lee and mom to their two young children, Jocelyn and Robbie.
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Mark Holmen
One of the leading influencers in the Faith@Home conversation!Conference Focus - Lab # 1 – Establishing & Sustaining A Faith@Home Focus
In this session I am going to begin by sharing some of the keys and traps to becoming a truly Faith@Home focused church where Faith@Home is an integrated aspect of EVERY ministry of the church. Following this, we will then discuss one of the hardest aspects of the Faith@Home movement which is sustainability. How do we maintain a Faith@Home focus so that our people truly begin to change behaviors and live a more authentic, 24/7, faith@home focused life?
Take a ways from this lab will include: Language matters, how to get the Sr. Pastor on board, weaving F@H into your mission, vision and strategy, creating church wide buy in and sustainability through social media.
Lab # 2 – D6 Worship Experiences
Co Lead by Mark Holmen, Tim Smith, and Blaine Rogers
Have you ever wondered how you can weave a D6/Faith@Home focus into your weekend services? Most would agree that they like the idea of families worshiping together, especially if the service is geared towards motivating and equipping them to be more faith@home focused, yet pulling off a truly family friendly worship experience is not easy. This lab will expose you to a brand new tool that has been created to help churches offer a faith@home focused, family friendly, inter-generational worship experience over the key holiday weekends of Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, 4th of July, Father’s Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
More about Mark Holmen…Mark A. Holmen is a husband, father, pastor, consultant, speaker and author of the new release Impress Faith on your Kids, as well as the Church + Home DVD, Faith Begins At Home – The Family Makeover with Christ at the Center, and Building Faith At Home—Why Faith At Home Must Be A Church’s Top Priority. Mark is also the leading voice behind the new 607 Curriculum that can be found on http://www.D6family.com. 607 gives parents a skill, an experience, and a tool to drive faith at home. From October of 2002 through February of 2009 Mark served as the Sr. Pastor of Ventura Missionary Church and during those years he developed and implemented a model for becoming a Faith At Home Focused Church that gained so much attention and recognition that is has grown into a national and international Faith At Home movement supported by the Willow Creek Association and Focus on the Family. Mark, his wife Maria and daughter Malyn currently live in Ventura, California where they now serve as full-time Missionaries for the Faith At Home movement. www.faithathome.com.
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Eddie Moody
Sr. Pastor, Counselor, Professor, and Author of the "First Aid for Emotional Hurts" SeriesConference Focus - Lab # 1 - First Aid for Parents of Children with Emotional Disorders
Anywhere from 10 to 20% of all youth suffer from a diagnosable emotional disorder. Having a child that suffers from anxiety, depression, obesity or anorexia can be frightening. Left untreated these problems can have a negative lifetime impact. Professional helpers can greatly assist children with these difficulties. However, lasting change will involve the efforts of the child’s parents. This workshop will examine the root behaviors that lead to these problems. Specific strategies and interventions parents can implement with their child will be discussed.
Lab # 2 - First Aid for Parents of Children Entangled in Addictive Behavior
This workshop is designed for parents of children who are entangled in addictive behaviors (substance abuse, pornography, gaming, gambling). An overview of the process of entanglement will be presented so that parents will be enabled to assess the severity of the problems experienced by their child. Parents will also learn about specific action they can take to help treat their child, and to enable them to avoid returning to these behaviors later in life.
More about Eddie Moody…Dr. Edward Moody has been a counselor educator at North Carolina Central University since 1995. He is an Associate Professor and has chaired the Department since 2001. Moody also serves as pastor at Tippett’s Chapel FWB Church in Clayton, NC. As a minister he has helped people with a variety of difficulties, and as a psychological consultant he has counseled troubled youth. He has a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University in counselor education, an M.A. from Middle Tennessee State University in clinical psychology, and a B.A. from Free Will Baptist Bible College in pastoral training. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor in NC as well as a Licensed Health Services Provider—Psychological Associate. Dr. Moody has published several articles in scholastic journals and serves as a workshop leader for various events within the Christian community and counseling community.
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Greg Baird
Founder of KidMin360, a ministry with the specific purpose of equipping & connecting children’s & family ministry leadersConference Focus - TBA
More about Greg Baird…Greg Baird is passionate about equipping children’s & family ministry leaders. Greg served as children’s & family pastor for over 20 years in the San Diego area, including under the leadership of John Maxwell & David Jeremiah. He has provided children’s ministry training to thousands of leaders both nationallyand internationally, written many articles for Children’s Ministry Magazine, K! Magazine and Outreach Magazine, among others, and contributed to several equipping books.
In 2010, Greg founded KidMin360, a ministry with the specific purpose of equipping & connecting children’s & family ministry leaders. He now does this full-time through speaking, writing, consulting, coaching & ministry staff searches (KidMinJobs). He also represents Kidz Blitz as the Western Region Director.
Greg married way over his head to Michele over 20 years ago and they have two teenage boys, Taylor and Garret. Though it’s very difficult, they continue to serve from their home base in San Diego – hey, somebody has to do it!
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Jay Strother
A fresh, young voice in the Faith at Home movement and author of "Perspectives on Family Ministry"Conference Focus - Lab # 1 - Church Planting with a D6 Vision
If you’re planting a church or launching a campus you have a great window of opportunity to launch with a D6 Church+Home Strategy from day one! In this lab we’ll talk about the opportunities and challenges facing church planters and campus pastors in creating a family-equipping culture. This lab is led by Jay Strother, the campus & teaching pastor for The Church at Station Hill, the first regional campus of Brentwood (TN) Baptist Church.
Lab # 2 - Aligning Ministries to Multiply Impact: Connecting Church+Home for Next Generation Teams
In order to re-connect the church and home and re-shape a church culture, age-graded ministries must step out of their ministry silos to work together as a team. In this lab we’ll talk about the most effective ways to build an intergenerational team, rally around a unified vision, implement strategies, and navigate change. This lab is led by Jay Strother who served as the Emerging (Next) Generation Minister at Brentwood Baptist Church (TN) and is a contributing author to Perspectives on Family Ministry, that outlines the ups and downs of Brentwood’s transition to a family-equipping paradigm.
More about Jay Strother…Jay Strother is the Emerging Generations Minister at Brentwood Baptist Church. He’s been working with students, children and their parents since he was 19 years old. Jay graduated from Greenville (IL) College in 1997 and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 2006. Currently he is planting the South Campus of Brentwood Baptist in Spring Hill/Thompson Station, TN. His favorite stories come from the adventures of life with his wife of 11+ years, Tanya, and their three lively little girls, Eliza, Lexi and Ella.
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Allyson Evans
Children's Ministry and NextGen Ministry Leader at LifeChurch.tvConference Focus - TBA
More about Allyson Evans…Allyson is a NextGen Team Leader at LifeChurch.tv, a multi-site church with 13 campuses in 5 states, based in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she has worked for over nine years. She, her husband Matt and two daughters-Matyson and Abby live in Edmond as well. She is responsible for providing the vision and direction for the ministries that lead kids birth to 18 years old. In addition, she also collaborates with other teams to develop resources, from curriculum to video teaching materials, print materials, parent resources and all training related to kids and student ministry for the campuses. Because partnering with parents is so important and impossible for one person to do, Allyson is passionate about mobilizing and empowering volunteer leaders to do what it is that God has called them to do through NextGen ministry. Allyson believes that parents need the support and assistance of other adults in leading their kids spiritually. Additionally, she mentors several Children’s Ministry leaders around the country and considers that her greatest joy.
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Ryan Rush
A Sr. Pastor, Founder of the Faith Breakthroughs Spiritual Formation Model, and author of WallsConference Focus - Lab # 1 - D6 For Everybody Else: How to Implement Home-Focused Ministry for Singles, Seniors, and Everyone In Between
Since Bannockburn Baptist Church implemented an intentional strategy to connect faith and home seven years ago, the church has more than doubled in size. What surprises some, however, is that more than half of these members are single! As a Senior Pastor, Ryan Rush is convinced that there are no members who are immune from the challenges of home life. In this insightful session, Ryan shares proven solutions for engaging every member in ministry that points homeward – and giving them a vision for connecting with other generations and seasons of life.
Lab # 2 - More than a Program: Making D6 a Part of Total Church Life
Ryan’s church has developed a national reputation for connecting church and home life in innovative ways over the past decade, but it doesn’t have a family ministry. Instead, they have incorporated family ministry into every aspect of their vision and programming.
Discover how several small strategic changes can make a more profound impact than one new program – and how any church can begin now to change the families they serve for the better.
More about Ryan Rush…Since his arrival as Senior Pastor at Bannockburn Baptist Church in 2004, Pastor Ryan has led the implementation of a comprehensive, cross-generational effort to connect church and home life. The “Faith Breakthroughs” process serves as the centerpiece of this strategy and has become a launching point for other churches with the same family-centered goals. Ryan has been ministering to families for almost two decades, and has shared the practical truths of God’s word with thousands from across the country. He served as the Family Pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, before moving back home to Central Texas. He has hosted radio and television programs on the subject of family life, and is the author of Home on Time: Life Management by the Book—a look at Psalm 90, that is helping lead families away from the chaos caused by living within the framework of a disorganized life.
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Walker Moore
President and Founder of Awe Star MinistriesConference Focus - TBA
More about Walker Moore…Walker Moore, president and founder of Awe Star Ministries, is an internationally known youth culture expert, Bible teacher, author, and conference speaker who has worked with families for nearly four decades. His organization networks with thousands of churches worldwide to provide students with global missions opportunities.
Walker holds a Bachelor of Science and honorary doctorate of sacred theology from Hannibal LaGrange University. His humor and homespun wisdom touch hundreds of thousands of readers each week through his popular “Rite of Passage Parenting” column, featured in the Oklahoma Baptist Messenger. He is the author of You Wanna Pierce What?, The 9:23 Call, and Rite of Passage Parenting: Four Essential Experiences to Equip Your Kids for Life (book and workbook, Thomas Nelson, 2007).
Through Walker’s practical teachings, families have rediscovered the joy of raising, not children, but capable, responsible, self-reliant adults. He speaks internationally to more than 150,000 people each year and is one of the main speakers for Global Focus, a national, multidenominational service organization for church conferences. Walker has also been a guest on The 700 Club as well as the Trinity Broadcasting Network and numerous radio programs. He and his wife, Cathy, have two adult sons.
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Jon Cannon
A leading voice for Faith @ Home in average size churches in AmericaConference Focus - Lab # 1 - Leading and Developing a D6 Strategy In an Average Size Church
Jon Cannon, Founder and Senior Pastor of Victory Church in O’Fallon, Illinois is building a D6 model church. Victory constantly evaluates every ministry through the “D6 Lens” and is strategically driving faith back into the home. In this lab Jon will unpack his experience and strategy in leading and developing the D6 paradigm in an average size church. Jon will be sharing some practical ways for the average size church to become D6 churches and strategically drive faith back into the home.
Lab # 2 - Intergenerational Ministry - How to span different life stages in discipleship ministry
People today are typically broken down into categories based on the year they were born and assigned labels like the Baby Boomers, Busters or Gen X, Gen Y, and Millennials. Within the church, we are always concerned about ministering faithfully and skillfully to all age groups. And to do so we often separate members into groups based on age (older adults, middle
adults, young adults, teens, children, etc.). While this approach is sometimes helpful, I want to make a plea for us to emphasize and provide for ministry that is intergenerational.I believe we need to focus on “Intergenerational Ministry.” This ministry focuses on helping Christians of all ages reach out with Jesus’ life-changing love to disciple young adults, teens and children. It is my belief and conviction that these ministries are most productive when they are truly intergenerational. By intergenerational I mean two or more different age groups growing and living in faith together. Intergenerational ministry is the epitome of the D6 command. D6 is the concept or the philosophy; iGen is the application of that concept! In this lab we will unpack iGen ministry.
More about Jon Cannon…Jon Cannon is the founder and Senior Pastor of Victory Free Will Baptist Church in O’Fallon, Illinois, which he and his family planted in 1999. Victory is a D6 Church and has become intentional in building families who drive faith at home. He is also the founder of Priorities Matter Ministries (PrioritiesMatterMinistries.org), which focuses on “prioritizing your life and walking in God’s favor”. Jon has been in ministry for 23 years. He attended Trinity Baptist Bible College in NC and earned his Master’s Degree in Pastoral Counseling from Andersonville Theological Seminary. Jon has been married for 26 years to his high school sweetheart Debbie, and has two children Tyler 20, and Kristen 17. He also enjoys writing on his blog at JonCannon.org.
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Steve Wright
Author of reThink and ApParent PrivilegeConference Focus - TBA
More about Steve Wright…Steve and his wife, Tina, were married in 1989. They are blessed with three children: Sara, William and Tyler. Steve is the Author of two books, reThink and ApParent Privilege. He received a Master of Arts in Christian Education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has an undergraduate degree from Carson Newman College. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Family Ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
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Kurt Bruner
Founder of the HomePointe Spiritual Formation Model and Spiritual Formation PastorConference Focus - Lab # 1 - THE POINT OF HOME:
A happy home is the highest expression of God’s image on earth, something hell can’t abide. Led by Kurt Bruner, Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Lake Pointe Church and adjunct professor at Dallas Seminary, this workshop is part of a continuing dialogue among pastors and seminary teachers who see the family as the pinnacle of God’s general revelation to humanity. Learn how a strong “theology of home” can inform and frame practical strategies for local church ministry.
Lab # 2 - THE HOMEPOINTE MODEL:
(Steve Stroope and Kurt Bruner) An executive briefing on the HomePointe ministry model pioneered at Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall Texas and adopted by dozens of large and small congregations to create an ongoing culture of intentional families. Co-led by author Steve Stroope (lead pastor of the 10,000 member Lake Pointe Church) and Kurt Bruner (pastor of spiritual formation) this session unpacks the strategy behind a highly innovative faith@home model.
More about Kurt Bruner…Kurt is a graduate of Talbot Seminary who spends most of his time as Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall, Texas. He and Olivia host the HomePointe ministry helping create a culture of intentional families. Kurt also serves as Executive Director for the Strong Families Innovation Alliance, a network of leading churches driving new strategies for impacting the home. The best-selling author of more than a dozen books, Kurt spent twenty years with Focus on the Family where he was Vice President over films, books, magazines, radio drama, broadcasting, internet and other media groups. He also co-founded the Heritage Builders Association - a ministry that motivates and equips parents to pass a strong spiritual legacy to the next generation.
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Steve Stroope
Lead pastor of the multi-site Lake Pointe Church and coauthor of "It Starts at Home"Conference Focus - Lab # 1 - LEADERS@HOME
The home is the proving ground of effective leadership at church. Author Steve Stroope (lead pastor of the multi-site Lake Pointe Church) explains how to inspire leaders to start with their own “tribe” and how to create a church-wide culture that fosters and protects the priority of home.
Lab # 2 - THE HOMEPOINTE MODEL
(Steve Stroope and Kurt Bruner) An executive briefing on the HomePointe ministry model pioneered at Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall Texas and adopted by dozens of large and small congregations to create an ongoing culture of intentional families. Co-led by author Steve Stroope (lead pastor of the 10,000 member Lake Pointe Church) and Kurt Bruner (pastor of spiritual formation) this session unpacks the strategy behind a highly innovative faith@home model.
More about Steve Stroope…Steve Stroope is Lead Pastor of Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall, Texas. He was called to pastor Lake Pointe shortly after its founding. Church attendance under his leadership has grown from 53 at its inception to over 11,000 today. Steve provides coaching to partnership churches and pioneer missionaries in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, China, Cuba, Russia, Mexico, France, South Africa, and North America. He is a sought-after speaker, both nationally and internationally. Steve graduated from Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, with a B.A. in Psychology and received the Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He co-authored the books Money Matters in the Church and It Starts at Home. He and Marsha have two grown daughters, three grandsons and one granddaughter.
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Megan Lacefield
Over a Decade of Experience in Kids Ministry & NextGen MinistryConference Focus - Navigating a Next Gen Ministry Launch
The practicals an how to’s to start up a generational ministry cradle to college and create a team culture between age divided ministries.
More about Megan Lacefield…Megan serves on the NRGen team at New River in Weatherford, TX, just west of the DFW metroplex, as the Kids Pastor where she has been serving families for over a decade. She is proud to be the blessed wife to Chad, her high school sweetheart. They have been married for 16 years, and have a daughter, Chandler, who is 15 and a son, Riley, who is 12. Her heart beats to create a ministry that meets the needs of the whole family, no matter what the stage. Her goal in life is to be the “mom that teens want to hang out with” and be a voice not only into her own kids lives but the lives of their friends: always providing a safe place where kids and students experience the love of the Father. She believes kids ministry is about partnering with parents to connect kids to Christ and ignite passion for HIS purpose so that when they experience the tough stuff in their teen years they are prepared to live their faith out loud.
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Mark McPeak
Coauthor of "Grace in the Empty Spaces" and Vice President of Brentwood CommunicationsConference Focus - TBA
More about Mark McPeak…Mark is Vice President of Brentwood Communications near Nashville, Tennessee. His career has been providential blend of ministry and the marketplace. He has more than 15 years of marketplace experience, many of those as a senior leader. Mark’s expertise is marketing, market research, and business strategy consulting. Mark spent nearly 7 years with Michigan-based RDA Group, a top market research and consulting firm where he worked with Fortune 50 clients. He worked for Thomas Nelson Publishers and has served as an independent consultant and strategist to many major firms.
Mark’s ministry experience includes nearly 7 years as adult and discipleship minister at The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, TN where he first began studying and writing about the one-another passages. He also served 6 years in senior leadership at Free Will Baptist International Missions. This providential blend of ministry and marketplace is also reflected in his education – with an undergraduate degree in Bible and Missions and a graduate degree in business management.
Grace in the Empty Spaces grew out of Mark’s passion for the church. Believing the gospel is meant to transform individuals so they genuinely reflect Christ and draw others to Him – Mark first wrote a simple one-another study for his church more than 15 years ago.
Mark now lives in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee with his wife of 29 years, Sandra, and their youngest son Matthew, a senior in high school. They have two other adult children, Amy and Andrew. Mark and Sandra lead a youth life group at the Donelson Fellowship where they have attended since 1982.
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John McGee
Marriage Ministry Director at Watermark Church - one of the Premier Marriage Ministries in North America!Conference Focus - The Watermark Marriage Ministry Model
Watermark’s three part approach to helping couples prepare, investing in those who are starting, and helping those that are struggling is having an impact in their church and community. The lab will discuss the why and practical how-to’s of their ministry model as well as some of the mistakes many churches fall into when starting or expanding their own marriage ministry.
Check out this video that played on the chick-fil-a sponsored “Love Is” webinar recently: http://vimeo.com/21966756More about John McGee…Over the last 9 years, John has directed the Marriage Ministry at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, TX. There, he and his team have built a comprehensive marriage ministry for those preparing, starting, or struggling in their marriages. He is also passionate about helping other churches build their own marriage ministries. John married his high school sweetheart Pam, and they have 2 sons and 2 daughters. He holds a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary.
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Mark Matlock
Founder of WisdomWorks Ministries and PlanetWisdom.comConference Focus - Lab # 1 - Responding to 5 Forces Shaping the Souls of Today’s Children and Teens
Let’s face it: It’s been a while since many of us have been teenagers. We believe we remember what it’s like, but cultural shifts have made life different for this generation—the one sociologists have labeled “the Digitals.” These shifts are impacting our students and changing the way they experience life and embrace their faith. If we want to help them grow spiritually, we must understand the soil they’re planted in. In this enlightening lab we’ll examine and explore the five most powerful of these trends, forces, and conditions and their impact on your students.
Lab # 2 Developing Real World Parents
What does it take to be a Christian parent in today’s rapidly changing culture? Many parent’s fear of losing their children to the culture leads them to react in ways that actually break down the spiritual growth of their children. In this session we’ll examine the “stories” that shape many parents ability to lead their family into the story of God and how we can help parents become proactive in the spiritual formation of their children.
More about Mark Matlock…Mark Matlock is passionate about discipleship and the transformational power of the Word. For more than 15 years he has worked with students, and his remarkable teaching style engages teenagers in a way that they really connect with what he’s talking about. Incorporating wacky fun into his messages, students never know what to expect next from Mark. The founder of WisdomWorks and an ordained minister, Mark is committed to coming along youth leaders in the local church, and his hope is to challenge and equip students for lifelong faith. He is currently a Sr. leader with Youth Specialties. Mark can be heard regularly on Christian radio with the nationally-syndicated WisdomWorks Radio segments. He’s also the author of several books for students including his latest, What Does God Want From Me, Living a Life That Matters, Don’t Buy the Lie, Smart Faith, Freshman, and Dirty Faith. On the web: www.planetwisdom.com
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Allen Pointer
Director of Truth and Peace Student Leadership Conference and Student PastorConference Focus - Playing Catch Up
Playing Catch-Up: A very quick look back at the last two year’s of D6 and how that has caused a much closer look at youth ministry in the local church. Has the last 40 years in youth ministry been a failure?
If you are new to the D6 Conference, this session will help speed up the process of what has gone on in the D6 conversation for the last two years, and will address real issues within the youth ministry of local churches as they grapple with what effectiveness is and means for families, and local congregations.
More about Allen Pointer…Allen is currently in year 19 of a ministry adventure at First Free Will Baptist Church in Russellville, Arkansas. This process of going from analog to digital in ministry has included taking a long hard look at how youth ministry that does not tie back into the family and the local church is futile as best, and unbiblical at worst. Allen has tagged along with the Senior Pastor and the rest of the staff as they have tried to analyze and prepare a sixty year old church with a proven track record in ministry to take D6 seriously, and try to enhance a true family ministry concept, while keeping certain earmarks of youth ministry as a part of this core concept. The results? Well, it is in process.
Allen and his wife Jill will celebrate their 25th anniversary this summer, and have two daughers, Catie (17) and Christen (19). He also holds his MA in Youth and Family Ministry from Luther Seminary, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Allen has taken his youth groups on over 25 mission trips here in the United States, France, Spain, and Uruguay. He has also led a youth retreat in France as well as helped to train youth workers in the Ural Mountain region of Russia. Every summer (since 1997) has found Allen leading the Truth and Peace Student Leadership Conference for Free Will Baptist high school students, the leading leadership training conference for Free Will Baptist teens, which is sponsored by Randall House.
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Leon Wirth
Executive Director of Family Ministries, Focus on the FamilyConference Focus - Lab # 1 - How Family is an Answer to Life’s Big Questions:
Discovering and Teaching who God is and who we are by understanding the design, gift and purpose of family. Co-lead by Glenn Stanton
Lab # 2 - The Noah Project: Helping Families Find Their Calling:
God has a unique purpose and calling for families today, not just for individuals. Learn how to inspire families in your church to find and fulfill God-given callings as a family. Co-lead by Glenn Stanton
More about Leon Wirth…Leon Wirth is the Executive Director of Family Ministries with Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, CO.
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Glenn Stanton
Director of Family Formation Studies, Focus on the FamilyConference Focus - Lab # 1 - How Family is an Answer to Life’s Big Questions:
Discovering and Teaching who God is and who we are by understanding the design, gift and purpose of family. Co-lead by Leon Wirth
Lab # 2 - The Noah Project: Helping Families Find Their Calling:
God has a unique purpose and calling for families today, not just for individuals. Learn how to inspire families in your church to find and fulfill God-given callings as a family. Co-lead by Leon Wirth
More about Glenn Stanton…Glenn Stanton is the Director of Family Formation Studies, at Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, CO.
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Randy Stinson
Author, professor, and pioneer in developing the Family-Equipping Ministry ModelConference Focus - Lab # 1 - Mobilizing Men in Your Congregation
Randy Stinson, dean of the School of Church Ministries at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is a widely-recognized expert on issues of biblical manhood and womanhood. In this lab, Stinson will equip participants with practical keys to involve men in family ministry—and not just by discipling their own families. For godly husbands and fathers, being involved in family ministry should include caring for children and families where fathers are uninvolved in developing their children’s souls. Randy Stinson is also co-editor of Trained in the Fear of God (Kregel).
More about Randy Stinson…Randy Stinson is Dean of the School of Church Ministries and Vice President for Institutional Research and Improvement at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He also serves as the President of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
A recognized authority on the subject of biblical manhood and womanhood, Stinson is a regular conference speaker on the subjects of raising masculine sons and feminine daughters, parenting, marriage, and men’s leadership.
In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and encourages his children in their pursuits of baseball, and tennis.
Stinson and his family are members of Highview Baptist Church where he teaches a young couples Bible Study. He and his wife, Danna, have been married for 20 years and have seven children: Gunnar and Georgia (twin 14 year olds), Fisher (12), Eden (11), Payton (9), Spencer (6), and Willa (5).
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Timothy Paul Jones
Author, professor, and pioneer in developing the Family-Equipping Ministry ModelConference Focus - Lab # 1 - Three Tools That Every Family In Your Church Needs
Timothy Jones, professor of family ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has spent the past three years researching perceptions and practices of family ministry—not only in churches that are champions of Faith@Home but also in congregations that aren’t. Through surveys and interviews with hundreds of parents in dozens of churches, he has discovered some basic practices that have been effective in a wide variety of contexts—and none of these tools requires an extra program or even a line-item in the budget! All they require is a TIE. Jones is also the author of Perspectives on Family Ministry (B&H) and Family Ministry Field Guide (Wesleyan).
More about Timothy Paul Jones…Dr. Timothy Paul Jones is the husband of Rayann and the father of Hannah and Skylar. The Jones family enjoys hiking, traveling, and watching baseball games. Family devotional times in the Jones household tend to include lots of coffee and references to Star Wars.
Less significantly, Dr. Jones is also a CBA-bestselling and award-winning author, scholar, and professor of family ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Jones has written or contributed to nearly twenty books in the fields of family ministry, church history, and apologetics. His family ministry research led to the development of the Family-Equipping Ministry Model at Southern Seminary and has provided a historical perspective on the Faith@Home movement. Jones also serves as editor of The Journal of Family Ministry.
Dr. Jones has been the recipient of the Baker Book House Award in Theological Studies, the North American Professors of Christian Education Scholastic Recognition Award, and the 2009 Retailers’ Choice Award from Christian Retailing magazine. Despite his strong academic pedigree, Dr. Jones has shown a unique ability to communicate in an accessible style that has made him popular with the masses through books such as Perspectives on Family Ministry, The Family Ministry Field Guide, Trained in the Fear of God, and the national bestseller The DaVinci Codebreaker (coauthored with James Garlow). Dr. Jones has also been a guest on Fox News and WGN, commenting on religious trends and topics.
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John Trent
Family Ministry and Faith at Home Pioneer & Author and Founder of "The Blessing"Conference Focus - Lab # 1 - The Blessing Challenge: An easy and powerful “first step” in launching a “faith@home” ministry at your church!
By John Trent, Ph.D. and Tony Wheeler, Ph.D.
The Blessing Challenge is a national “call to action” by StrongFamilies.com and Focus on the Family that is calling one million people and 1,000 churches to take a “first step” in giving the Blessing to ONE child. The Blessing Challenge is a powerful and easy first-step you can take in doing “faith@home” ministry at your church (or a way to add a powerful focus on the “Blessing” to your existing ministry). This is a “hands on” workshop that can give you a great starting point for men and women in your church to open a child’s heart to their Heavenly Father’s Blessing!
Lab # 2 - Using “Storyboarding” to Create a “Faith@Home” Ministry FOR YOUR CHURCH with your Staff and Lay Leaders back homeBy John Trent, Ph.D. and Tony Wheeler, Ph.D.
How do you transfer all the excitement and learning you’ve gained about faith@home” ministry from D6 conference to your leadership back home? That’s what this workshop will focus on as you learn a powerful tool called “storyboarding” to engage, build out, and timeline a customized family ministry plan at your church! This is a hands-on workshop where you’ll work with a “team” to learn and model this skill that can help you unpack your vision and excitement at your place of ministry.
More about John Trent…Dr. John Trent is President and Founder of StrongFamilies.com and The Center for StrongFamilies in Scottsdale, Arizona. At the Center, Dr. Trent trains lay leaders from across the country to launch family ministries in their home churches. In addition to leading the Center, Dr. Trent is a best-selling author and a highly requested conference speaker. In addition to speaking at ministry events, Dr. Trent regularly speaks to corporate America on teambuilding, recruiting and retaining outstanding employees.
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Blaine Rogers
Sr. Pastor at First Free Will Baptist Church in Russellville, ARConference Focus - Lab # 1 - 1st steps of D6ing your church:
This lab will show the ‘importance of’ and ‘how-to’ of moving from a Sermon Factory Model to Striving Family Ministry model. In this lab you will hear the continuing discussion of one church and it’s decision to turn daddies into the family pastor and parents into the children’s & youth pastors. See why spiritually strong families is God’s Plan A and what you can do to facilitate that success in your local assembly.
Lab # 2 – D6 Worship Experiences
Co Lead by Mark Holmen, Tim Smith, and Blaine Rogers
Have you ever wondered how you can weave a D6/Faith@Home focus into your weekend services? Most would agree that they like the idea of families worshiping together, especially if the service is geared towards motivating and equipping them to be more faith@home focused, yet pulling off a truly family friendly worship experience is not easy. This lab will expose you to a brand new tool that has been created to help churches offer a faith@home focused, family friendly, inter-generational worship experience over the key holiday weekends of Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, 4th of July, Father’s Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
More about Blaine Rogers…Blaine Rogers is first and foremost a Christ-Follower. Then a husband of 1 and father of 3. In his spare time, he is also a pastor, teacher, Biblicist, theologian, writer, visionary, future thinker, developer, risk-taker, strategist, communicator, implementer, instigator, outside the box-inator, missionary & coffee lover. Blaine is the Lead Pastor of First Church in Russellville, AR
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Dale Hudson
Director of Children's Ministries at Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach FloridaConference Focus - TBA
More about Dale Hudson…Dale Hudson has been in children and family ministry for over 21 years. He is the Director of Children’s Ministry at Christ Fellowship Church in South Florida. Christ Fellowship is a multi-campus church with five campuses that ministers to over 17,000 people each weekend. Dale and his team connect with over 100 new families each weekend that are first time guests. He and his team have created key strategies and paths to reach parents and then equip them to lead their children spiritually. This past Christmas he and his team hosted a family ministry event that was attended by over 4,000 children and their parents. Dale was recently named one of the top 20 influencers in Children’s Ministry by Children’s Ministry Magazine. He was the Family Ministry columnist for Children’s MInistry Magazine for over a year and has co-authored three books. Dale and his wife, Pamela, have been married for over 21 years and have two sons, Josh who is 20, and Caleb who is 16. You can read more about Dale’s ministry journey at www.relevantchildrensministry.blogspot.com or meet up with him on facebook.
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Sandy Atwood & Karen Walker
Curriculum Writers, Lifetime Children's Ministry Volunteers, and Two Really High Energy People!Conference Focus - TBA
More about Sandy Atwood & Karen Walker…Sandy Atwood:
Sandy is an upper elementary D6 Curriculum writer from Nashville, Tennessee. She and her husband, Richard travel and speak together regularly. She’s taught children in many different settings for 40 years and loves thinking of creative ways to make learning fun! They have four adult children- ages 22-30. Sandy is a MOPS mentor and enjoys playing the piano, reading, and traveling.
Karen Walker:
Karen Walker has been writing for the D6 Curriculum since 2004. She not only writes the curriculum but teaches it each week. Currently she is on VBS training teams that prepare teachers for their summer programs and works with Child Evangelism. Karen’s passion is reaching children and has made various mission trips to Alaska, Tohono O’dham Indian reservation in Arizona, inner-city Memphis, and to Ecuador. Karen, her husband and family, live on a farm outside of Huntsville, Alabama.
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Tim Smith
Family & Parenting Expert and the Founder of www.parentscoach.orgConference Focus - Lab # 1 - Coaching Broken Families
Divorce, dysfunction, addiction, hang?ups, perfectionism, abuse, secrets and
weirdness are a part of the families in our community and churches. How do we help them discover what a healthy family looks like? How do we coach them towards a Biblical view of marriage and parenting? And then how do we train and nurture them to disciple their own children through faith at home?
Family coach, author and speaker, Timothy Smith shares what works in his face?to face and online coaching to broken families.Lab # 2 – D6 Worship Experiences
Co Lead by Mark Holmen, Tim Smith, and Blaine Rogers
Have you ever wondered how you can weave a D6/Faith@Home focus into your weekend services? Most would agree that they like the idea of families worshiping together, especially if the service is geared towards motivating and equipping them to be more faith@home focused, yet pulling off a truly family friendly worship experience is not easy. This lab will expose you to a brand new tool that has been created to help churches offer a faith@home focused, family friendly, inter-generational worship experience over the key holiday weekends of Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, 4th of July, Father’s Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
More about Tim Smith…Timothy Smith, M.A. Biola University is an author, speaker and family coach.
After 25 years of youth and family ministry in the church, he founded
www.ParentsCoach.org to coach families, and train parents and children timeless principles. He is the Parents Coach for www.FaithAtHome.com and works closely with Mark Holmen equipping, training and coaching parents and consulting pastors. Most recently, Tim has written and launched the 607 Curriculum with Mark Holmen and Blaine Rogers. He is married to Suzanne. They have two adult daughters and you will find him surfing in his free time.
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