The annual Best Practices in Ministry Conference was held last month at Christ Church Lutheran in Phoenix, Arizona. It was once again an event like no other — teams and groups gathered to hear speakers, share, grow, connect, and enjoy great fellowship. All at no cost (including free registration, meals, shuttling, and snacks!). As noted on the BPM website: “For over 10 years we have offered this FREE conference to remind professional and lay church workers that you are loved, you are not alone, and you matter.” Many NOW District folks were there in attendance – and some were even presenters.
If you missed it or even just want to revisit what you learned, you’re in luck, as the session recordings are now available on YouTube. You can access them all here.
A few of the highlights include:
Who’s Caring for Your Lay Leaders? – with Dave Kuschel from Concordia Plans (includes info gathered from a survey that you may have participated in). This is a great chance to find out more about how to encourage and support lay leaders and volunteers as they serve. Hear more about ways to build and develop relationships for those that serve.
Ten Emerging Realities – with Rev. Tim Bayer from Our Savior Lutheran Church in Tacoma, Washington. He shares 10 observations learned from his midsize church in the Northwest (includes applied, hands-on, lived experience). He and his congregation have had to learn what it means to do a multi-racial ministry… changes in their demographics have caused them to rethink their reality. The increase in multi-racial family units brings a different dynamic.
The Reset: Recalibrating Our Leadership – with Dave Ficken from PLI. This session attempts to help you assess your current context (where you currently serve and lead), take a scope of what’s happening in the U.S. that should influence the way we lead, and talk about a posture and mindset for future leadership. The big buzzword here is “leadership.”
Wait, Three Districts on the West Coast – with Rev. Jonathan Priest from Mission Training Center. Find out everything you need to know about Mission Training Center from its new Director, Rev. Jonathan Priest. Includes some great Q&A time. Also: Watch for more info on this session in a new episode of the NOWLeading Podcast soon!
NOTE: If you are a NOW leader who presented a session at BPM that can be included on the list above, please email Elena so we can highlight it.
