Bridging Racial Divides through Worship & Discipleship
Leaders: Randell Williams & Josh Hayden

Pastor Randell Williams & Pastor Josh Hayden will share how their two churches (one historically black and one historically white) have developed friendships, navigated difficult conversations, worshipped together, discipled together, and sought creative ways to bridge racial divides amidst these polarizing times. They will share reflections and practical lessons learned from their intentional 18-month journey together with their churches.

Leader: Alison Fallecker

Creating an effective brand builds trust and unity with your members and your community. In this session, you will learn how to tell your church’s story, why it’s important, who should be involved, and what free tools and resources are available to support you along the way.

Leader: Kristen Curtis

When the governor’s “Safer at Home” orders came out in March of 2020, many Virginians stopped gathering with churches, family, and friends. Even going to the grocery store or pharmacy for needed items could feel life-threatening in the face of unclear information about how the Coronavirus was spread. Add in the polarizing nature of the 2020 elections and their aftermath and the increases in racial tension in 2020, along with more recent tensions about whether or not to be vaccinated and its implications for personal and community and a picture of communities in tension and individuals who feel isolated, anxious, and afraid emerges pretty clearly.
As the world begins to open back up to in-person gatherings and mask-less interactions, there is a tremendous opportunity for the Church to be a source of hope, help, and healing in our communities. But how do we do this well and not simply go back to “business as usual” with the people who show up in our sanctuaries on Sunday mornings? In this session, we’ll be applying some of the principles used by the Crisis Care Team of Virginia Baptist Disaster Response to care for the spiritual and emotional needs of disaster survivors to talk about ways to care well for our neighbors in this unique and on-going disaster the entire world is facing. We’ll focus on ways to listen well, respond empathetically, and encourage people in ways that connect them with the love of God and God’s people in meaningful ways.

Panelists: Ed Baber, Jim Barbour, and Lindsay Ray

A interactive panel discussion for live streaming - getting it out there: setup, equipment, platform(s), recording, encoding, copyrights, engagement, challenges.

We will discuss the ways that you can approach online ministries and make them an active part of the congregation. In-person and online can be equal in the community of your church.

Leaders: Kim Boswell & Chris Wondree

Pandemic ministry is not the same as post-pandemic ministry. We’ll discuss ideas on how we as children and youth ministers can move into this next chapter with a renewed strength and unified vision.

Leader: John Upton

Leadership Skills Required for Today

Bridging Racial Divides through Worship & Discipleship
Leaders: Randell Williams & Josh Hayden

Pastor Randell Williams & Pastor Josh Hayden will share how their two churches (one historically black and one historically white) have developed friendships, navigated difficult conversations, worshipped together, discipled together, and sought creative ways to bridge racial divides amidst these polarizing times. They will share reflections and practical lessons learned from their intentional 18-month journey together with their churches.

Leader: Alison Fallecker

Creating an effective brand builds trust and unity with your members and your community. In this session, you will learn how to tell your church’s story, why it’s important, who should be involved, and what free tools and resources are available to support you along the way.

Leader: Kristen Curtis

When the governor’s “Safer at Home” orders came out in March of 2020, many Virginians stopped gathering with churches, family, and friends. Even going to the grocery store or pharmacy for needed items could feel life-threatening in the face of unclear information about how the Coronavirus was spread. Add in the polarizing nature of the 2020 elections and their aftermath and the increases in racial tension in 2020, along with more recent tensions about whether or not to be vaccinated and its implications for personal and community and a picture of communities in tension and individuals who feel isolated, anxious, and afraid emerges pretty clearly.
As the world begins to open back up to in-person gatherings and mask-less interactions, there is a tremendous opportunity for the Church to be a source of hope, help, and healing in our communities. But how do we do this well and not simply go back to “business as usual” with the people who show up in our sanctuaries on Sunday mornings? In this session, we’ll be applying some of the principles used by the Crisis Care Team of Virginia Baptist Disaster Response to care for the spiritual and emotional needs of disaster survivors to talk about ways to care well for our neighbors in this unique and on-going disaster the entire world is facing. We’ll focus on ways to listen well, respond empathetically, and encourage people in ways that connect them with the love of God and God’s people in meaningful ways.

Panelists: Ed Baber, Jim Barbour, and Lindsay Ray

A interactive panel discussion for live streaming - getting it out there: setup, equipment, platform(s), recording, encoding, copyrights, engagement, challenges.

We will discuss the ways that you can approach online ministries and make them an active part of the congregation. In-person and online can be equal in the community of your church.

Leaders: Kim Boswell & Chris Wondree

Pandemic ministry is not the same as post-pandemic ministry. We’ll discuss ideas on how we as children and youth ministers can move into this next chapter with a renewed strength and unified vision.

Leader: John Upton

Leadership Skills Required for Today