Workshops
You will select one from each block when registering (titles may not match exactly, please select based on workshop block and number). Click to read descriptions of workshops offered
A-11, A-12, B-21, B-22, C-31, C-32, D-41, D-42 will be live-streamed for online participants
Workshop Block A
Workshop Block A – Monday 4:00-5:15pm
A-01 Art Tour at Westminster: Tour the extensive collection at Westminster Presbyterian Church led by curator Dr. Rodney Allen Schwartz. Limited to 15 participants.
A-11 What is a Thimble-Sized Capital Campaign? Develop an eight week plan for how to conduct a mini-campaign. John Clark, The James Company.
A-12 Leveraging Modern Tools to Increase Giving and Volunteering Biblically based material that can be used to develop sermons and study series that promote multi-faceted stewardship. Robert Driver-Bishop, ELCA Pastor/Consultant.
A-13 Care and Safety on Your Campus Strategies that promote safe church campuses and preparation in the event of dangerous situations. The Insurance Board.
A-14 The Future of Giving: Using Storytelling to Inspire Generosity in Your Congregation and Community Donors want to know what their funds are being used for and the impact of their gifts. Learn how to use the power of storytelling to build connections with members and inspire generosity all year. Abby Bergman, Vanco.
A-15 When Mission and Politics Collide How can we lead congregations to follow Jesus through a terrain besieged with political landmines? We will share real-world examples of communities, both rural and urban, red and blue, coming together to welcome our newest neighbors. Jon Buuck, Karla Leitzman, Nathan Lundgren, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services.
A-16 From Passover to Sukkot: Generosity as Relationship Intentional theological engagement in the concepts of Leviticus, how they challenge and inform our understanding of stewardship, sufficiency, and generosity. John Eggen, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Foundation.
A-17 Developing a Liturgy of Abundance Learn to identify markers of scarcity and abundance, and discuss theology behind the concepts. Leave with tools to craft a liturgy that recognizes scarcity while hoping for abundance. Kendal Land, First Presbyterian Longview.
A-18 Everyone Leaves a Legacy Learn different tools to assists congregants in leaving a legacy gift and the importance in carrying on the ministry and mission of the church. Jake Wilson and Stefanie Marsden, Texas Presbyterian Foundation.
Workshop Block B
Workshop Block B – Tuesday 10:45am - 12:00pm
B-21 Is it Wrong to be Rich? Get new insights into your attitudes, feelings, and beliefs about money. Learn to feel more comfortable talking about money in constructive ways, including about stewardship and generosity, and how to encourage others to do so as well. Sherry Kenney, PCUSA Elder.
B-22 You want me to donate? Why? Building blocks for an impactful appeal Practical steps for building a case for support in annual giving, capital campaigns, or special fundraising. Methods for inviting lead gifts, wealth screening, and ways to build momentum throughout your appeal. Peter Reuss, GSB Fundraising.
B-23 Training Church Treasurers Practical training for treasurers and finance team members in reporting, management best-practices, and tools to make the job easier. Edd Breeden, Presbytery of San Jose (PCUSA).
B-24 What your have learned is as important as what you have earned: steps to compose an ethical will Five steps for writing an ethical will. Leave with a workbook to write your own. Rob Hagan, Presbyterian Foundation.
B-25 Restoring Creation to our Church Buildings Learn simple ways to make your church more energy efficien, and how to plan and pay for larger energy efficiency projects that can ultimately become budget neutral. Clare Lewis, Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program.
B-26 Interfaith Lessons for Planned Giving Leaders Explore insights learned, common ground discovered, and tools developed from various religious traditions to start, support, and maintain enthusiasm in your planned giving program. Be inspired by new ideas and collaborations. James Murphy, Episcopal Church Foundation.
B-27 Transformative Stewardship: A Joy Filled Journey Part 1 (please register for both sections) A transformative stewardship journey should cause us to be overwhelmed with joy and move us to pay homage to Christ. Examine new ways to enact stewardship programs with fresh ideas to embolden generous disciples. Part 1: From Exegesis to Theology: A Case for Epiphany. Joshua Robinson, Hope Presbyterian Church.
B- 28 Building Resiliance: Empowering Tools for Reducing Burnout, Stress, and Trauma as Close as Your Own Hands Using a popular approach and your own hands build body-based skills you can use any time or place to release stress, manage emotions, and live with balance and wholeness in the midst of challenges. Judy Slater, Presbytery of the Redwoods.
B-29 Singing Stewardship Reflect on the importance of linking worship with generosity and stewardship. Examine stewardship based hymnody, and compose and co-write a new hymn. Justin Spurlock and Bill Davis, Grace Presbyterian Church.
B-30 Storytelling for All Generations – Learn to reach different generations in the congregation using stories. With generational changes we need to shift with greater focus on Generation X, Millennials, and GenZ, and the transfer of wealth that is occurring. Richard Young, Stefanie Marsden, and Jake Wilson, Texas Presbyterian Foundation.
Workshop Block C
Workshop Block C – Tuesday 3:15 - 4:30pm
C-01 Art Tour at Westminster: Tour the extensive collection at Westminster Presbyterian Church led by curator Dr. Rodney Allen Schwartz. Limited to 15 participants.
C-31 Data Driven Practices for Engaging Your Existing and Potential Donors Understand frameworks for generosity and active giving patterns across different experiences; learn to use open-access tools to identify connections with givers, and consider best practices for integrity-filled engagement with donors. Meredith McNabb, Lake Institute on Faith and Giving.
C-32 Stewardship After the Gift Who should be involved in financial management? How to manage memorial, restricted, and endowed gifts. Financial record management options and resources. Mark Stauffer, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Elder, and Joseph Moore, Presbyterian Foundation.
C-33 Generosity in Smaller Congregations Learn to map the unique resources in your congregation, develop creative strategies for stewardship within a smaller community, and consider opportunities to reach beyond church members. Mary Beene, Windsor Presbyterian Church.
C-34 Financial Stewardship: Investing Tips for Churches Explore investment topics including compound interest, time horizon, portfolio allocation, and market volatility, with tangible, best practices examined in governance, reporting, selecting an advisor, negotiating fees, and creating sound policies. Jacqueline Boersema and Pete Maher, Board of Pensions (PCUSA).
C-35 gospel & money Learn new sermon ideas, build confidence, and gain hopeful motivation for talking more directly about money in your congregation. Brian Coulter, First Presbyterian Ft. Worth.
C-36 What's Trending: Stewardship Strategies that Anyone Can Pull Off All churches are seeing a shift in giving; come learn about trends in annual stewardship, what they mean for your congregation, and how to adapt your strategy for the long run.
C- 37 Planned Giving Adventure Quest: SIMulator Game Play a strategy game that simulates a multi-year planned giving program with barriers and challenges built in. You will work together as a team to build a plan, create marketing material, and add activities. Results forecast the success and longevity of your program. Karl Mattison, Presbyterian Foundation.
C-38 Taking the Sting Out of Asking (for Money) Get at the root reasons that asking for money encounters internal and external resistance. Learn from an experienced, faith-based approach to development, with practical examples, and opportunity to practice through role-play. Rose Niles, Presbyterian Foundation.
C-39 Transformative Stewardship: A Joy Filled Journey Part 2 (please register for both sections)A transformative stewardship journey should cause us to be overwhelmed with joy and move us to pay homage to Christ. Examine new ways to enact stewardship programs with fresh ideas to embolden generous disciples. Part 2: From Theology to Practice: No More Ecclesiastical Bandits. Joshua Robinson, Hope Presbyterian Church.
Workshop Block D
Workshop Block D – Wednesday 9:00 - 10:15am
D-41 Dying Generously? Planned Giving as Ministry Learn how to promote planned giving to benefit ministry and leave with practical ways to increase planned giving awareness. We will answer questions about fear in talking about estate planning, how to view it as a part of ministry, and how to bless members with more information to help them in planning. Mike Klinefelter, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Foundation.
D-42 Powerful Strategies to Maximize Year-End Giving Learn to take advantage of high donor activity in the fourth quarter of the year with specific strategies, tools, and templates. Kristine Miller, Horizons Stewardship.
D-43 Selling Stewardship: The Marketing Lens to Get the Congregation on Board Explore new and easy to use tools to help build the material you need to support a stewardship campaign. Learn how to communicate with different generations using different types of materials, advertising strategies, and resources to best reach your donors. Carson Brown, Cypress Lake Presbyterian Church.
D-44 Capital Campaigning for Good Hear about the process and impact of the major campaign that transformed Westminster Presbyterian Church. Tim Hart-Anderson, Westminster Presbyterian.
D-45 Mission+Vision+Values=Investment this is an interactive exercise that identifies individual and organizational values, and how to incorporate your values into investment strategies. Brad Masters, New Covenant Trust Company.
D-46 Behind the Scenes of Successful Stewardship Learn practical tools for dealing with finance, tracking giving patterns, preaching stewardship, elder training, and dealing with conflict all grounded in Christian spiritual disciplines to support healthy congregations and partnerships. Gail Monsma, First Presbyterian Paw Paw.
D-47 Funding Forward Learn financial models that don't rely solely on the offering plate, the latest research on how to better align budgets to mission and generate new sources of income, and get simple steps to start in your own congregation. Grace Pomroy, Luther Seminary.
D-48 A Theology of Thankfulness: Making Grateful Disciples When, why, and how we express our gratitude has a lot to do with what we believe about God, ourselves, and the world. Using scripture, liturgy, and real-world examples we will explore ways to say thanks that form us as generous disciples. Kyle Nolan, Presbyterian Foundation.
D-49 When the money story we tell ourselves gets in the way of effective fundraising Understand the role of cognitive dissonance and schema in how we translate new information based on existing narratives. We will identify our individual and collective money stories, and review case studies on how money stories impact faith communities. Mieke Vandersall and Erin Weber-Johnson, Vandersall Collective.
Conference Scheule
Monday, September 25th
- 12:00 - 1:45pm Registration
- 2:00 - 3:30 Welcome and Plenary 1
- 3:30 - 4:00 Break with Refreshment
- 4:00 - 5:15 Workshops Block A
- 5:45 - 6:45 Dinner
- 7:00 - 8:00 Worship
- 8:00 - 9:30 Welcome Reception
Tuesday, September 26th
- 9:00 - 10:15am Plenary 2
- 10:15 - 10:45 Break with Refreshment
- 10:45 - 12:00 Workshops Block B
- 12:00 - 1:30 Lunch
- 1:30 - 2:45 Plenary 3
- 2:45 - 3:15 Break with Refreshment
- 3:15 - 4:30 Workshops Block C
- 4:30 - 5:30 Sponsor Reception
Wednesday, September 27th
- 9:00 - 10:15am Workshops Block D
- 10:15 - 10:30 Break with Refreshment
- 10:30 - 11:45 Plenary 4
- 11:45 - 12:30 Worship