Breakout Sessions
EARLY BIRD BREAKOUTS: FRIDAY, JUNE 19TH AT 1:30-2:30 PM
Restaurant Church
Location: Main Level Room 3
Presenter: Rev. Tom Shinkle, Pastor of Grand View and Center Grove Churches in Dubuque, IA and Wesley Church in East Dubuque, IL
Advertising, Atmosphere, Service, and food. This is a fun workshop challenging participants to think about how they are “doing church” every week and to consider implementing some of the best practices of successful and popular restaurants.
GuideStone Benefit Overview
Location: Main Level Room 5
Presenter: Cody Gonzales
GuideStone will be providing an overview of life and health benefits accessible to Clergy. This includes programs designed to enhance the benefit experience and reduce member out of pocket cost.
Bands: Becoming Like Jesus in Micro-Community
Location: Main Level Room 4
Presenter: Nick Perreault, Producer and Director of the Wake-Up Call
A band is a group of three to five people who meet weekly to engage in five transformational questions. Bands are all about creating a safe and honest relational context where we can grow and heal as disciples of Jesus in community. Seedbed has been teaching and encouraging this model for more than a decade and now more than ever before it is bearing incredible fruit in the lives of those participating in bands. Join us in this lab to learn more about this model and how to begin to implement this in your life personally and your community.
The Community Church: Growth Through Radical Presence
Location: Main Level Room 1
Presenter: Rev. Mike Jones, Pastor of Calvary Church in Walcott, IA
Methodism is built on the strength of the "connection," but to truly thrive, that connection must extend far beyond the church walls. This session breaks down a proven model for significantly increasing a congregation’s size and vitality by moving from a passive presence to a radical one.
We will explore how becoming an indispensable partner to local schools, youth events, and civic organizations creates a culture of visibility that naturally invites growth. Learn how to identify the "pulse" of your community and leverage our connectional heritage to ensure that your church isn't just a landmark on a map, but a heartbeat in the community.
"A Fundamental Shift" From Churches That Support Small Groups to Small Groups That Support the Church.
Location: Upper Level Rooms 8/9/10
Presenter: Rev. Jake Schadel, Pastor of Valentine Church in Valentine, NE
Many churches are effective at gathering people and delivering content, yet struggle to develop disciples who live out their faith and reproduce it in others. This breakout explores a fundamental shift in how we approach discipleship, not as a program within the church, but as the foundation from which the church grows.
Drawing from the Disciple Makers model, this session will present a simple, reproducible pathway for raising up ordinary believers to engage in relational, Scripture-centered discipleship that leads to multiplication. Participants will gain both a theological framework and practical tools for moving from attendance-based ministry to a culture of disciple making.
Attendees will leave with:
• A clear understanding of the biblical model for disciple making
• A framework for launching relational discipleship groups
• Practical steps for identifying and developing leaders
• Insight into how small groups can become the driving force of church life and mission
This session is designed for pastors and leaders who are ready to move beyond programs and cultivate a culture of discipleship that can grow in any setting, rural or urban, large or small.
BREAKOUTS: SATURDAY, JUNE 20TH AT 1:30-2:30 PM
Passion with Purpose: Celebrating 25 Years of Ministry
Location: Upper Level Room 6
Presenter: Jim Blessman, President & Founder of Blessman International
What began as a God-given calling for Dr. Jim and Beth Blessman in 2001 has grown into a powerful movement of hope, compassion, and transformation across South Africa. For 25 years, Blessman International has been serving vulnerable children and families by meeting critical physical needs while sharing the life-changing love of Jesus Christ. Through an expanding water well program, children and communities gain access to clean, life-sustaining water. Through a network of feeding hubs and feeding centers, tens of thousands of children receive nutritious meals each month. Through the distribution of eyeglasses, shoes, and hygiene kits, children experience dignity, confidence, and care. Yet these programs are about more than meeting immediate needs—they are pathways to lasting transformation. Every well, every meal, and every act of compassion is part of a greater mission: offering dignity through compassionate service, hope through the Gospel, and purpose through discipleship.
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As Blessman International celebrates 25 years of ministry, we invite you to become part of the story. Discover what mission engagement looks like in South Africa and see firsthand how God is transforming lives through compassionate action and Gospel-centered ministry. Whether you choose to pray, give, serve, sponsor, or join a mission team, your involvement can help bring hope, opportunity, and purpose to children and communities in need. Together, we can continue building a future where every child experiences dignity, encounters Christ, and is empowered to thrive.
AI and The Church
Location: Upper Level Room 7
Presenter: Dr. Andrew Gustafson, Faculty at Creighton University's Business School
This will be a workshop/discussion about AI and the Church. We will talk about some very basic questions like what is AI, and what are some of the ways you can learn how to utilize it? What are my options for platforms and what are some easy and quick things AI may be able to help with to bring about more effective ministry and service to the congregation? But we will also talk about some of the limits and potential dangers of misusing AI, and talk briefly about how we might think about the work of the Holy Spirit and AI-- for example, how could or should a pastor use it in helping create a sermon? How should a teacher use it in developing curriculum? Examples will be given. This session is being led by a philosopher, not a tech-guru, so set your expectations appropriately-- if you've never used AI at all, you will still find the session useful I believe. If you are an AI expert, we look forward to your contribution to the discussion!
Bands: Becoming Like Jesus in Micro-Community
Location: Main Level Rooms 3/4/5
Presenter: Nick Perreault, Producer and Director of the Wake-Up Call
A band is a group of three to five people who meet weekly to engage in five transformational questions. Bands are all about creating a safe and honest relational context where we can grow and heal as disciples of Jesus in community. Seedbed has been teaching and encouraging this model for more than a decade and now more than ever before it is bearing incredible fruit in the lives of those participating in bands. Join us in this lab to learn more about this model and how to begin to implement this in your life personally and your community.
The Community Church: Growth Through Radical Presence
Location: Main Level Room 1
Presenter: Rev. Mike Jones, Pastor of Calvary Church in Walcott, IA
Methodism is built on the strength of the "connection," but to truly thrive, that connection must extend far beyond the church walls. This session breaks down a proven model for significantly increasing a congregation’s size and vitality by moving from a passive presence to a radical one.
We will explore how becoming an indispensable partner to local schools, youth events, and civic organizations creates a culture of visibility that naturally invites growth. Learn how to identify the "pulse" of your community and leverage our connectional heritage to ensure that your church isn't just a landmark on a map, but a heartbeat in the community.
"A Fundamental Shift" From Churches That Support Small Groups to Small Groups That Support the Church.
Location: Upper Level Rooms 8/9/10
Presenter: Rev. Jake Schadel, Pastor of Valentine Church in Valentine, NE
Many churches are effective at gathering people and delivering content, yet struggle to develop disciples who live out their faith and reproduce it in others. This breakout explores a fundamental shift in how we approach discipleship, not as a program within the church, but as the foundation from which the church grows.
Drawing from the Disciple Makers model, this session will present a simple, reproducible pathway for raising up ordinary believers to engage in relational, Scripture-centered discipleship that leads to multiplication. Participants will gain both a theological framework and practical tools for moving from attendance-based ministry to a culture of disciple making.
Attendees will leave with:
• A clear understanding of the biblical model for disciple making
• A framework for launching relational discipleship groups
• Practical steps for identifying and developing leaders
• Insight into how small groups can become the driving force of church life and mission
This session is designed for pastors and leaders who are ready to move beyond programs and cultivate a culture of discipleship that can grow in any setting, rural or urban, large or small.
Every Church Plants: From Vision to Practice
Location: Main Level Room 2
Presenter: Rev. Zach Kingery
Come hear a panel of practitioners share the “why,” “how,” and lessons learned from pursuing multiplication in the Upper Midwest. This breakout will feature real stories from individuals and churches taking faithful next steps in evangelism, disciple-making, church planting, and forming new faith communities.
Together, we will explore how ordinary congregations can cultivate a culture of disciple-making and multiplication, raise up missional leaders, and take faithful next steps as we become a Conference where Every Church Plants.
Panel:
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Aldersgate in Aberdeen is the sponsor/mother church for Faith Community in Rapid City, living out the vision of Every Church Plants by supporting Faith Community through prayer, encouragement, and tangible partnership.
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Valentine Methodist, located in a community of 2,700, launched home groups that reproduced and multiplied, shifting from a church that sends people to groups to groups that evangelize, disciple, and build up the church.
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1927 in Des Moines, a liturgically charismatic church plant that started organically and uses “Chapters,” gatherings modeled on Wesleyan class meetings, for formation and deep disciple-making.
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Rev. Jonathan Lee, who led a season of church-plant discernment in the Twin Cities area, resulting in the birth of a campus ministry at the University of Minnesota.
