Research shows that adolescents seek relevant learning, place less value in organizational membership, and often stop trying if understanding is not immediate. How might the confirmation process be reshaped to be experiential, relevant, relational, and inspire young people to claim their baptismal identity? What approach might lead teens who have experienced the trauma and disillusionment of a pandemic toward faith and understanding in the mystery of the divine? This presentation will explore these questions and propose a process and potential new structures through which faith communities may reclaim confirmation as a launchpad for a life of discipleship instead of an outcome-based program in the church.

Incorporating a spiritual perspective, the presentation will focus on advanced care planning in the context of a church ministry by emphasizing the role that faith communities can play in having meaningful conversations about end of life choices and navigating the spiritual dimensions of healthcare decisions. This session provides guidance on integrating advanced care planning discussions into pastoral care, and promoting compassionate communication within congregations. We will explore the intersection of spirituality and medical decision-making and will aim to equip church leaders and members with tools to initiate thoughtful conversations, fostering a supportive environment where individuals can align their values with their healthcare preferences.

1 John 3:18. Let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.
We’re interested in co-creating a more peaceful world, but how do we do that with only an hour together on Sundays? The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship can help!
This workshop engages congregations of the peace-curious, those already steeped in justice work, and those seeking a roadmap to move from book club to actionable change. Together, we’ll reimagine mission alongside any congregation of any size and demographics as we seek to take seriously the call to follow Christ in the path of resisting violence.
This workshop offers an introduction to three core resources from the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship to equip congregations for the journey from theory to action.  Resources include gun violence prevention ministry, engaging conscientious objection to violence for all ages, and moving from mission trips to accompaniment journeys, all as expressions of our faith. This workshop is interactive and invites participants to explore the opportunities and challenges in their particular community as we consider our collective calling to be peacemakers.

*This workshop has reached maximum capacity and is no longer available for registration.
Discover cost-effective ways to create inclusive church experiences that remove barriers while enhancing children’s engagement by incorporating ear defenders, weighted toys, sensory lights, tactile manipulatives, and beyond. This session will offer advice, go over best practices, show ways to adapt materials while showcasing DIY instructions and recipes so you can make resources to offer children an environment with sensory friendly activities that go beyond fidget spinners and coloring pages.

Over three workshop blocks, this in-depth Bible study will dig below the surface of the seven I AM declarations in the Gospel of John. The sayings, such as “I AM the Bread of Life,” “I AM the Light of the World,” are remarkable, yet appear in no other gospel. Why? Who is the audience? What is the context?  How does the author use familiar concepts and settings to hammer home the importance of Jesus and God being one? Over and over the writer of John uses these particular images to reveal the reality of God come to earth through Jesus. Bring your Bible and join us as we explore together these rich statements and more.
*This workshop is a three workshop block workshop. It is continued as workshop 300 in Workshop C and workshop 400 in Workshop D. You will register for all three sessions.