Our speakers this year are focused on acknowledging and addressing the divisions in our communities, challenging and provoking us to reflection, transformation and bridge-building.
Bob Goff is the author of the New York Times bestselling Love Does and Everybody, Always and his latest book, Dream Big, released June 23, 2020. He is the Honorary Consul to the Republic of Uganda, an attorney, and the founder of Love Does—a nonprofit human rights organization operating in Uganda, India, Nepal, Iraq, and Somalia. He's a lover of balloons, cake pops, and helping people pursue their big dreams. Bob's greatest ambitions in life are to love others, do stuff, and, most importantly, to hold hands with his wife, Sweet Maria Goff, and spend time with their amazing kids. For more, check out BobGoff.com and LoveDoes.org.
As a member of Barna’s Church Engagement team, Savannah serves as the Director of Research Solutions. Savannah loves facilitating Barna’s mission to provide the Church with knowledge to navigate a changing world through consulting services, Barna labs and learning cohorts, and research efforts. She is passionate about taking Barna’s research and synthesizing it into helpful, actionable insights for Christian leaders.
As a certified data miner and predictive modeler, Savannah specializes in advanced analytics. Prior to her time at Barna, she worked in the big data and software development spaces.
She earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Samford University and her M.S. in Decision Analytics from the University of Alabama. Savannah currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband Josh.
The Reverend Doctor Kevin R. Murriel serves as the senior pastor of Cascade United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia and as Assistant Professor in the Practice of Practical Theology at Candler School of Theology. Dr. Murriel’s passion is translating the methods of the Civil Rights Movement, including the philosophy of non-violence, into modern strategies for social justice and racial reconciliation.
He is the author of Breaking the Color Barrier: A Vision for Church Growth, a featured speaker, and is married to Dr. Ashleigh Murriel. They have two children, Scarlett Grace and Anderson Blake.
Adam Hamilton is the founding pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. He grew up in the Kansas City area, earned a B.A. degree in Pastoral Ministry from Oral Roberts and a Master of Divinity Degree from Southern Methodist University where he was awarded the B’nai B’rith Award in Social Ethics.
He was named one of the “Ten people to watch in America’s spiritual landscape” by Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. For his work in racial reconciliation Adam was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award. Named United Methodist Person of the Year for 2012 by the United Methodist Reporter for his leadership within the United Methodist Church. For his efforts in Kansas City, he has been recognized with the first Founder’s Civility Award by American Public Square at Jewell (APS). He’s received numerous other awards for community service.
Adam launched The Church of the Resurrection with his wife and two children in 1990. It has since grown to over 22,000 adults and children under his leadership. Today the church is the largest United Methodist Church in the United States, with five locations around the Kansas City area: Leawood, Olathe, Downtown Kansas City, Blue Springs and Overland Park.
Adam has written over 30 books, published by Abingdon Press and Harper Collins, and Convergent, including Words of Life: Jesus and the Promise of the Ten Commandments Today, The Walk: Five Essential Practices of the Christian Life, When Christians Get it Wrong, Making Sense of the Bible, and Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times. Adam and LaVon have been married over 38 years and have two adult daughters and a granddaughter.
From the first book of the Bible people of faith have experienced land and property with great promise, and as Walter Brueggemann has pointed out, property has also caused great problems. The promise and problem of church property and land ring true in our local congregations today. In this workshop we hope to provide a space to reflect, share and relate to one another concerning our properties. We will highlight stories, scriptures and strategies that have assisted people of faith to reimagine their space in this vastly changing world.
Audrey Warren serves as Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church of Miami. Since 2013 Audrey has co-convened the Fresh Expressions movement in the Florida Annual Conference. Audrey's greatest joy in ministry is teaching Yoga Chapel in Downtown Miami as well as visioning with her congregation new ways to be church in a growing and diverse city. She is the author of Fresh Expressions: A New Kind of Church for People Not in Church and Fresh Expressions of People Over Property. Audrey currently resides in Miami, FL where she and her husband Jose Luis are active members of their very diverse downtown community.
Creating a culture of small groups does not start by offering an engaging and theologically rich curriculum or with a binding group covenant, though both can be important aspects of any small group program. One must first accept that fact that there are an array of reasons for someone to say no to a small group before they even consider signing on the dotted line. In this workshop, Pastor Matt Bisel, Lead Director of Adult Discipleship at Church of the Resurrection, shares the research-based observations that are helping Church of the Resurrection eliminate the barriers that keep over-committed, time-crunched people from committing to a small group in a post COVID reality.
Matt Bisel has as a wife, Kelly and two kids, a daughter Linden and a son Olly. Matt and his family live in Kansas City but love to travel the world, experiencing new places, cultures and people. Matt studied literature and the classics at the University of Missouri – Kansas City and earned a Master of Divinity at Saint Paul School of Theology. In addition to being a pastor, he is a musician and songwriter, writing and leading worship with the COR Worship Collective.
This pandemic has created many personal challenges for staff and congregations, including the need to quickly adjust to online services, online school, emotional stressors and trauma. All of these changes affect the way we communicate and connect with each other. During this workshop participants will learn strategies to help them recover and manage their stress.
Rebeca Chow is a bilingual Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Missouri/Kansas and a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. She received her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision at Kansas State University. Rebeca is actively involved in the counseling and play therapy community with topics related to neurobiology, trauma, mental health and multicultural issues, supervision, and technology. She is a consultant for the Kansas Division of Family Services and Sesame Street in Communities.
In a time of rapid change and weariness, when facing an uncertain future, courage is an essential virtue we can teach people who look to the church for the hope of Christ. Jesus shows us how to be brave: in the face of his antagonists, when being tempted, and certainly in the tie of his death. When you teach people how to find courage, you give them hope, help them find the remarkable life Jesus offers us, and enable your congregation to find its mission and take risks to accomplish it.
Rev. Tom Berlin is a native of Winchester, Virginia, and a graduate of Virginia Tech and the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Tom serves as the Lead Pastor of Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, Virginia, a multi-site congregation with vital mission partnerships in Northern Virginia and around the globe. A speaker and author, his most recent books include Reckless Love: Jesus’ Call to Love Our Neighbor and Courage: Jesus and the Call to Brave Faith. Tom serves as the Chair of the Board of Governors for Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., and was a member of the United Methodist Church’s Commission on a Way Forward. Tom and his wife Karen have four daughters.
Pastor Wendy and Pastor Anne will share best practices in caring for members of the congregation through a team approach utilizing volunteers as Congregational Care Ministers.
Rev. Dr. Anne Gatobu served as a District Superintendent in the Kansas City District for three years. In that role, she played a pivotal part in the launch of Resurrection Overland Park. She’s also helped launch a new United Methodist ministry in Kansas City, Kansas, The Hub, that we are a part of. Dr. Gatobu grew up in Kenya but came to the United States 27 years ago. She earned a doctorate in psychology and religion, and master’s degrees in pastoral counseling and divinity, all from the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology. Gatobu served as dean of practical theology at Asbury Theological Seminary, where she was also associate professor of pastoral care and counseling. She has written/edited three books on pastoral care, and was the founder and CEO of Flourishing Springs, a ministry of self-care, coaching and creativity.
Anne is married to Rev. Harun Gatobu, pastor of Overland Park St. Mark’s UMC. They have three sons and have also raised a niece. Anne is very excited to be a part of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection and is looking forward to helping pastors and congregants come together to create new ways to connect with God as well as reach out to non-religious and nominally religious persons to reconnect them with God.
Today, leaders must be equipped to lead through the challenges of racial injustice. This workshop will provide practical tools for leaders to employ as prophetic voices of social transformation.
The Reverend Doctor Kevin R. Murriel serves as the senior pastor of Cascade United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia and as Assistant Professor in the Practice of Practical Theology at Candler School of Theology. Dr. Murriel’s passion is translating the methods of the Civil Rights Movement, including the philosophy of non-violence, into modern strategies for social justice and racial reconciliation.
He is the author of Breaking the Color Barrier: A Vision for Church Growth, a featured speaker, and is married to Dr. Ashleigh Murriel. They have two children, Scarlett Grace and Anderson Blake.
This workshop introduces pastors and worship leaders of all types to become truly honest in their planning and offering of worship. This session guides leaders to examine crucial concepts about how we’ve worshiped in the past and how we can worship more faithfully going forward, with an emphasis on inclusivity, versatility, and openness. The instruction is practical and useful especially for small to medium sized churches.
Khalia J. Williams is the Assistant Dean of Worship and Music, and Assistant Professor in the Practice of Worship at Emory University's Candler School of Theology. An ordained minister, she serves as an associate minister and First Lady at the historic Providence Missionary Baptist church in Atlanta. With a deep passion for the intersection of worship, womanist theology and embodiment, she is a lead consultant for multiple denominations in the area of liturgical transformation. She co-authored A Worship Workbook: A Practical Guide for Extraordinary Liturgy, with Gerald C. Liu.
Details coming soon
As a member of Barna’s Church Engagement team, Savannah serves as the Director of Research Solutions. Savannah loves facilitating Barna’s mission to provide the Church with knowledge to navigate a changing world through consulting services, Barna labs and learning cohorts, and research efforts. She is passionate about taking Barna’s research and synthesizing it into helpful, actionable insights for Christian leaders.
As a certified data miner and predictive modeler, Savannah specializes in advanced analytics. Prior to her time at Barna, she worked in the big data and software development spaces.
She earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Samford University and her M.S. in Decision Analytics from the University of Alabama. Savannah currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband Josh.
Come Discover the intersection of church stewardship and financial health of those who are a part of your congregation and community. Your church can teach strategies to help people gain financial healthy and sustainability and inspire generosity that will transform your ministry. Along with stewardship strategies, participants will have the opportunity to examine Saving Grace: A Guide to Financial Well-Being, a Wesleyan personal finance resource from Abingdon.
Rev. Tom Berlin is a native of Winchester, Virginia, and a graduate of Virginia Tech and the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Tom serves as the Lead Pastor of Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, Virginia, a multi-site congregation with vital mission partnerships in Northern Virginia and around the globe. A speaker and author, his most recent books include Reckless Love: Jesus’ Call to Love Our Neighbor and Courage: Jesus and the Call to Brave Faith. Tom serves as the Chair of the Board of Governors for Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., and was a member of the United Methodist Church’s Commission on a Way Forward. Tom and his wife Karen have four daughters.
Pastor Wendy and Pastor Ann will share best practices in caring for members of the congregation through a team approach utilizing volunteers as Congregational Care Ministers.
Wendy serves as the Leawood Location Pastor at Church of the Resurrection, helping the worshipers in the Leawood community become more deeply connected to God and one another. She is married to Scott Chrostek, Executive Director of Ministries & Programs, and has two children – an amazing son named Freddy, and a beautiful daughter named Poppy.
Opening Worship and General Session 1 - Adam Hamilton
General Session 2 - Kevin Murriel
Break
General Session 3 - Savannah Kimberlin and Adam Hamilton
Lunch (Lunch included for In Person Guests)
Breakout Workshop 1
Break
Breakout Workshop 2
Dinner Break (Dinner included for In Person Guests)
Optional Session: The Future of the United Methodist Church
General Session 4 - Adam Hamilton
Break
General Session 5 & Closing - Bob Goff
Dismissal (Lunch included for In Person Guests)
Refunds will not be extended for cancelations of the Online Admission. The entirety of the conference content will be available for participants for 6 months* after the live event ends. With this extended access there is no need to cancel your registration if find you are unable to participate on the days of the live event.
*Note: The replay for the Keynote Session with Bob Goff is limited to 30 days after the event.
Should you need to cancel your In Person registration, we will exchange your In-Person Admission to an Online Only Admission and refund you the difference through August 17. After August 17, we are unable to provide a refund.
