WORKSHOP & LEADER INFORMATION
Growing in Grace: A Methodist Ecology of Church with Rev. Dr. Laceye Warner. Participants will explore enduring Methodist distinctives, from saving small groups to tenancious mission. Each of these distinctives contributes to our Methodist ecology in which we grow and share God's grace.
Rev. Dr. Laceye Warner serves as the Royce and Jane Reynolds Professor of the Practice of Evangelism and Methodist Studies and Associate Dean for Wesleyan Engagement at Duke University Divinity School where she has taught for 23 years. An author of numberous books, her latest published by Abingdon, is a study for adults entitled, "Knowing Who We Are: A Wesleyan Way of Grace." Dr. Warner lives on a small farm with her husband and daughter in North Carolina where they care for a variety of creatures. A licensed flower farmer, she enjoys cultivating sustainably grown flowers as well as creating art through glass blowing.
Returning to Our Window of Tolerance-One Activity at a Time with Dr. Joy Kreider. Participants will learn how the Prefrontal cortex (PFC) helps regulate emotion, plan our days, and resolve the current challenges, or, in other words, the PFC helps us stay in our "Window of Tolerance." But ongoing stressors or traumatic experiences activates the amygdala and can cause a shift within us towards fear, panic, anxiety, emotional overwhelm and/or shut down. How can we help someone who is maxed out or shut down? And, how do we help ourselves to move back towards emotional regulation and clear-headedness. Come learn a few road-tested techniques that we can use ourselves, and we can teach to others as needed to help us all move back into the "Window of Tolerance."
Dr. Joy Kreider is a neuroscientist who has also worked as a Christian missionary among incarcerated youth in California and the working poor of Cambodia. Currently, Joy works as a trauma consultant/trainer, and trauma recovery coach. She runs Deliberate Dialogues, a small Virginia-based nonprofit where she walks with trauma survivors from many different backgrounds, listening to, learning from, and accompanying them on their healing journeys. Though the brain is plastic (capable of change), traumatic experiences (events that threaten or actively harm us) can lodge themselves deeply in our bodies and brains and actively move us towards depression, confusion, anxiety, hypervigilance and emotional shut down. Joy blends neuroscience findings with arts-, brain-, and body-based practices that help the body and brain move towards resilience by regaining emotional regulation, and reconnecting with self and others in safe, nourishing ways.
Growing Leaps and Bounds in the Face of Challenges with Rev. Dr. John Obeng. In our world today, many mainline churches are confronted with significant challenges that test their resilience and ability to fulfill their mission of reaching new people. This workshop is designed to equip participants with strategies and practical insights for overcoming obstacles to become more fruitful in ministry. Participants will explore the pressing issues facing pastors and churches including declining attendance, and the need for renewed engagement in spiritual disciplines and focus on the Great Commission. Using the story of New Life, participants will identify actionable steps to foster growth and strengthen discipleship in our churches.
Rev. Dr. John Obeng is the resident pastor of New Life International UMC which started as a new church plant in July, 2017. New Life International was launched in April 2018 and has since become a thriving congregation that meets on the premises of Fairfax United Methodist Church. New Life started another campus in Alexandria in 2019 and this second campus was merged with St. Andrews UMC to form New Life International at St Andrews in January 2020. Since then, the church has attracted diverse people from the community. New Life International at Saint Andrews is currently constructing a new building for the growing congregation, its preschool and several other churches that use its facilities weekly for worship. John has also started five community neighborhood networks for New Life members in Leesburg, Fairfax, Stafford, Woodbridge and Alexandria. John believes that these networks of Neighborhood Gatherings are possible launchpads for new faith communities. John is a strong advocate of prayer, personal study of the word of God, evangelism and missions. He has passion for starting new initiatives, community engagement and bringing people of diverse backgrounds together to share the love of Christ. John is married to Dr. Angela Obeng a Clinical Psychologist and the couple have four children: Nana Yaa, Awura Ama, Michael and Akua Obeng.
A Church that Dares to Dream with Rev. Cassandra Nunez. This workshop aims to inspire and equip church leaders and members to envision a vibrant future for their congregation. Participants will explore strategies for revitalization through imaginative dreaming, practical planning, and community engagement.
Rev. Cassandra "Cassy" Nunez serves as the Lead Pastor of Salem-Hispanic United Methodist Church in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Her membership is with the Texas Annual Conference, where she has served as a church planter, associate pastor, and program director. Through her participation in the HYLA Program and the Riaces Latinas Institute at Boston University School of Theology, she has gained the tools to lead boldly and confidently in today's challenging times. Furthermore, Cassy holds an undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a specialization in Early Childhood Intervention from the University of Houston and is currently pursuing her Master's of Divinity at Wesley Theological Seminary. She is dedicated to working with the Hispanic Latino community and thrives in the important work of bridging communities across racial backgrounds. As a *DACA-mented pastor, Cassy has utilized imaginative dreaming to decentralize a vision based on scarcity, creating environments of playful growth that foster community.
*an undocumented immigrant who is a beneficiary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which is a presidential directive that provides protection against deportation proceedings for a specific amount of time.
Discover Next: Discerning God's Vision for Your Local Church with Rev. Dr. Jason Stanley. Participants will explore ways to discern God’s vision for their church. They will clarify the meaning of a vision and mission, explore what to do once they have a vision, and how to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Participants will leave with simple, practical steps to move forward.
Rev. Dr. Jason C. Stanley is an ordained deacon and currently the Director of Call & Candidacy for the VA Conference. He has served as the Coordinator for Church Revitalization on the Elizabeth River and then the Coastal Virginia Districts for eight years. Before that, Jason served as the associate minister of youth and discipleship at Peakland United Methodist in Lynchburg, Virginia. Jason is a certified church consultant and an accredited International Coaching Federation (ICF) coach. Jason holds an Associate in Applied Science in Early Childhood Development from J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Randolph-Macon College, a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Union Presbyterian Seminary, and a Doctor in Ministry from United Theological Seminary. His DMin project was titled, “Remembering and Narrating God’s Movement: Equipping Leaders as Storytellers to Unleash a Spiritual Movement.” He is married to Rev. Dr. Megan Saucier and has two daughters. He is the co-author with Kay Kotan of An Effective Approach to Cooperative Parishes: A Congregational Guide to Discernment and Implementation