Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Serving in the stead of Jesus takes resilience. It did for Jesus, and it does for us. He was continually hounded by demanding crowds, subversive religious leaders, and suffering even amid the joy of ministry. Yet our Lord endured it all, even to the point of being killed, for us. He who justifies us by his death, quickens us in his resurrection, and sends us into ministry on his behalf also tells us through his servant Peter, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10). Our resilience for ministry in his name comes from his promise. As all his promises are, it is received in us by faith.
This year’s All Workers Conference, Resilient Servants, will focus on that theme verse from 1 Peter 5:10.
This is your invitation to join us Oct. 15-18 at the Seaside Convention Center – 415 First Avenue, Seaside, OR, 97138.
Registration is now open through Sept. 27. See below for the registration link and some important directions about the process. Full conference information is available at the 2024 NOW District All Workers Conference event page on our website.
The Content
Our initial keynote speaker will be best-selling author, speaker, professor, and leadership executive consultant Tod Bolsinger, who brings almost 40 years of experience in leading and advising Christian ministry leaders in how to lead when we go “off the map.” He is keen to help us know how to lead when we are brave enough to admit we do not know what to do. Leaders can be defeated by their own self-doubts, by continuing to try routines that no longer work, or by creating a façade of certainty before others when they truly do not have the answers but are afraid to admit, “I don’t know.” This conference will help you lead with authenticity as Resilient Servants of Christ who are restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established in him.
At the other end of the conference, our closing educator keynote speaker is Xavier Cooper, former NFL player, an entrepreneur, the founder of the scholarship fund Everyone Learns Differently (ELD), a Christian, and a Northwest native. His presentation will draw on personal experiences to emphasize the importance of steadfast support and care from educators and coaches in transforming the lives of all their students, helping them thrive in our schools despite learning and life challenges. Xavier will help renew our purpose in shaping lives and building resilience in our students as unique children of God.
The Schedule
Details regarding the schedule are included in the registration materials, but here are highlights:
Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon: Content for pastors, DCEs, lay ministers, licensed deacons, deaconesses, and all other professional church workers.
Late Wednesday: Educators arrive; all will gather together for Wednesday evening worship and social hour.
Thursday morning: Content for everyone.
Thursday afternoon/Friday morning: Content specifically school ministry focused. Educators stay; most others depart at or after Thursday lunch, but all are welcome to stay.
Note: Leadership Seminar for school ministry leaders is offered all day Wednesday as usual.
Registration rates and materials are available here. All registrations must be made by Friday, September 27, 9 p.m. PDT. There are no refunds after this date.
Workshop availability is on a first-come, first-served basis. We will make every attempt to fulfill your requests. Early registration and selection of second and third choices for workshops is highly recommended. Upon completion of online registration, you will receive an email confirmation showing what you paid or owe in fees. If you are paying by mail, please print a copy of the confirmation and attach your check prior to mailing it to the District Office. Make checks payable to NOW District LCMS and mail to 1700 NE Knott Street, Portland, OR 97212. Registration is NOT final until payment is received by the District Office.
REGISTER HERE – BEFORE YOU BEGIN, PLEASE READ THESE IMPORTANT DIRECTIONS:
- Upon arriving at the Realm registration page, enter a good contact email address in the “Enter your email to get started” box.
- Click “Begin Registration.” The message “We know you! Sign into Realm to access your saved information” MAY pop-up on the screen. If it does, DO NOT click ‘Sign In.’ Instead, you MUST click ‘Continue as Guest’ just below the ‘Sign In’ button.
- Continue to complete registration by entering the registrant’s name as they would like it on their nametag and click ‘Next.’
- If you are registering more than one individual, click ‘Add another registrant’ below the name box. This will allow you to register multiple registrants at the same time.
- Please complete all required fields and any additional questions to the best of your ability.
If you have any questions which this email or the event page on our website does not cover, please contact us. Email technical questions to Thomas; churches/pastors/DCEs to the President’s Office; schools/educators/early childhood educators to Kelsie; other questions to admin@nowlcms.org; or call the Northwest District Office at 503-288-8383, or toll-free at 888-693-5267.
We look forward to seeing you in Seaside, and seeing how God blesses our gathering together.
In Jesus,
Rev. Mike Von Behren
NOW District President
Jim Scriven
NOW District Education Executive
