Accelerating Multiplication through Multisite and Mergers: Proven Strategies from Leading Practitioners – Hosted by Jim Tomberlin & Warren Bird

MONDAY, March 4 Multiplication through Multisite
(1:00-2:00pm) Church Reproduction from One to Ten Locations – Kadi Cole
Many church planters today are starting churches with a vision to reproduce and multiply through church planting and multisite strategies. Learn the basics of launching strong and laying the groundwork for multiplication through a seasoned and successful multisite specialist. Kadi Cole, Multisite Director (Former), Christ Fellowship-Palm Beach Gardens, FL

(2:15-5:00pm) Transforming a City Through Multisite and Church Mergers – 
New Life Community Church in Chicago is a multicultural, multi-lingual, multigenerational church with 27 locations. Sixteen of their multisite congregations are the result of an intentional Restart church merger strategy. You will hear New Life’s strategy and best practices about multisite and church mergers.

TUESDAY (March 5) Multiplication through Church Mergers
(8:00-9:15am) Church Merger Key Success Factors – Jim Tomberlin & Warren Bird
Church mergers were occurring in an unprecedented way across North America pre-pandemic with over 40% of multisite campuses coming through a merger. The pandemic accelerated the merger option for many of the 250,000 stuck or struggling churches across North America. Many are discovering they can have a new beginning and/or a new pastor by merging with a multisite church or with a church planter needing a facility. In this workshop you will learn how to navigate the church merger conversation with the authors of Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work—Expanded & Updated.

(9:30-11:30am) Becoming a Movement-Making Church Through Multisite & Mergers – Dan Zimbardi & Ron McCoy
Sandals Church in Riverside, CA, is a movement-making muItisite church of 13,000 with 13 locations. Most of their congregations are the result of a proactive church merger strategy.
Executive Pastor Dan Zimbardi of Sandals Church and Executive Director Ron McCoy of The ROGO Foundation will share how they are revitalizing and relaunching churches through an intentional multisite church merger strategy.

Speakers: Kadi Cole, John Palmieri, Jim Tomberlin, Warren Bird, Dan Zimbardi, Ron McCoy

AI for Churches: Responsible Use in Sacred Spaces – Hosted by Exponential NEXT

AI for Churches: Responsible Use in Sacred Spaces is an innovative pre-conference hosted by Exponential NEXT, dedicated to exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and religious practices. This conference aims to educate, inspire, and guide church leaders and communities on the responsible and ethical use of AI in sacred spaces. Through a series of thought-provoking sessions, participants will gain insight into the history and future of AI, practical applications within the ministry context, and engage in hands-on workshops to implement AI tools effectively and ethically.

Monday, March 4, 2024

Session 1: AI Journey: Past to Future

Overview: This introductory session will provide a practical overview of the evolution of AI, tracing its roots to its current state and projecting its future trajectory. The session will discuss major milestones in AI development, its growing impact in various sectors, and potential implications for church communities in particular.

Session 2: Ethical AI in Sacred Spaces

Overview: This session will delve into the ethical considerations of using AI within Christian ministry and church contexts. It will cover topics such as data privacy, the importance of unbiased algorithms, and the respect for sacred traditions when integrating technology.

Session 3: AI-Enhanced Community Engagement

Overview: Focusing on practical applications, this session will explore how AI can be used to enhance community engagement and build your team’s capacity, from managing church operations to personalizing spiritual guidance.

Session 4: Hands-on with AI Tools

Overview: This interactive session will allow participants to engage with various AI tools suitable for church environments. Attendees will learn to set up, customize, and use AI applications for tasks like creating small group study guides, social media video Reels, personalized communication, and content creation.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Session 5: The Future of Worship: AI’s Role

Overview: This forward-looking session will discuss the potential future role of AI in worship practices, including virtual reality church services, AI-assisted sermon preparation, and digital mission work.

Session 6: Creating an AI Strategy for Your Church 

Overview: Participants will work in groups to develop a tailored AI strategy for their respective church staff and communities, considering ethical guidelines, community needs, and resource availability.

Session 7: Balancing Faith and Technology

Overview: A panel of church leaders, technologists, and ethicists will discuss the balance between maintaining traditional Christian values and embracing technological advancements, including audience Q&A.

Speakers: Kenny Jahng,  Yvonne Carlson, Josh Burnett, Corey Alderin

An Invitation to Ride the Next Wave: Doubting, Deconstructing, Neighboring, and Creating Scrappy Churches — Hosted by ArtSpeak Creative

Culture is changing. Doubt and deconstruction are in, trusting churches for answers is out. But the Gospel is no stranger to change. If our faith communities are going to help make the Good News sound good again to a doubting, distant culture, we need new and daring approaches to community, planting, discipleship, and discourse. Join other cutting-edge leaders from the Next Wave as we unpack 21st-century strategies for online community, scrappy church planting, empathy for doubters and deconstructers, and regaining trust within local communities. The next wave of ministry is here. Let’s ride it together.  

Session 1 — Online Community: The Reimagined Church 

Session 2 — Doubters Club: How to Have Conversations With Those Who Disagree

Session 3 — Scrappy Church Start-Up: Emerging Models from the West Coast

Session 4 — 3 Questions for Life Change: A Theology of Success

Session 5 — Deconstruct Faith Find Jesus: New Spiritual Disciplines

Session 6 — Community Trust: Leveraging Your Influence to Resource Your City

Session 7 — The Jesus Experience: A Gospels-Centered Discipleship Framework

Speakers: Preston Ulmer, David Docusen, Steve Pike, Frank Wooden, Jason Bowman, and Bryan Lindgren

Ancient-Future Practices of Multiplying Disciples and Churches –  Hosted by The River Network International

This pre-conference focuses on learnings from the contemporary international Church as well as fresh applications of timeless biblical principles that are proving effective in multiplying disciples and churches. 

Speakers: Steve Cordle, Luciano Perreira da Silva, Max Wilkins, Steve Michalik

Brave Cities: Building Kingdom Ecosystems as a New (Actually Ancient) Way of Being the Church – Hosted by Brave Cities

In this pre-conference, we will explore what it means to see the church as a city we build within the cities we live in or what we call Brave Cities. This session will include equipping for the following:

• The Theology of church as a city on a hill
• The opportunity apostolic and prophetic enterprise avails a new economy andnew mission
• The 6 elements required to build a kingdom ecosystem
• The new church rhythms and structures are that hold the kingdom ecosystem together

Speakers: Hugh Halter, Taylor McCall & The Brave Cities Team

Building a Killer Ministry Team – Hosted by Courage to Lead

To lead your church to the next level, you don’t just need more staff. You need a Team…a KILLER Ministry Team! In this preconference, we’ll help you embed the Killer Team OS (Operating System!) into your Ministry team by helping you build the 5 Pillars of a Killer Ministry Team: Fostering Togetherness; Recruiting & Keeping The Best Talent; Bolstering Accountability; Structuring For Growth & Peace; and Maintaining Rhythms & Finish Lines.

Speakers: Shawn Lovejoy, Rusty George, Kevin Lloyd, Matt Piland, Adam Bishop

Church Planting Nuts & Bolts – Hosted by NewBreed

Church planting isn’t just a list of tasks, it’s a holy undertaking that is based on biblical principles. Where most church planters go wrong is by trying to check off action items from a cookie cutter launch sequence. But God’s a little bit like lightning, he doesn’t strike the same way twice. The Apostle Paul followed a repeated pattern of planting, but the order of his sequence changed from place to place. On day one of this pre-conference, we’ll teach you Paul’s pattern and how to adapt it to your context. Then, on day two, we’ll discuss the paradigm shift needed to move from merely starting a church service to planting a church. You’ll learn how to actually do the things that Jesus trained the twelve for during his ministry.

Speakers: Peyton Jones, Andrea Jones, Steve Erickson

Church Planting: Start and Multiply Thriving and Growing Churches For the Next Generation – Hosted by Stadia

This pre-conference features four sessions designed to help you start and multiply thriving and growing churches for the next generation. Learn from experienced practitioners … church leaders who Stadia has the honor of serving.

Session 1: How can my church raise up the next generation of church leaders?
Right now, there are potential church planters within your church. What can you be doing to identify, inspire, and develop them? Learn proven systems for raising up and multiplying new-church leaders.

Session 2: What kind of leaders plant thriving, growing, and multiplying churches?
With decades of experience helping planters explore their calling to plant churches, a panel of experts will guide you through the core competencies to look for when identifying a church planter.

Session 3: How do you plant a church as a team, not as an individual?
The odds of a church growing and multiplying increase when the church is started with a team approach. But building that team requires discernment and intentionality far beyond bringing together an inspired group of people. Hear stories of success and struggles from thriving team leaders.

Session 4: How do you start a church that actually grows and multiplies?
New churches have the highest potential to reach people far from God. So how do you start churches that are focused on leaving the “99” to go after the “one”? Hear inspiring stories about life-changing churches and gain practical strategies for starting that kind of church.

Speakers: Jeff Bennett, Sean Sears, Heidy Tandy, Joshua Chavez, Beatriz Torres, Sergio Torres, Rob Davis, and Tim Celek

Developing a Disciple-Making Environment – Hosted by The Soma Network of Churches

In this pre-conference we will explore tried and true principles and practices that have led to the planting or replanting of many effective gospel-centered disciple-making churches. We will process together through:
– A gospel framework for forming gospel-centered ministries
– Forming communities on mission who make disciple-making disciples
– Establishing people in spiritual formation practices
– Developing Emotionally and Spiritual Healthy Leaders
– The 8 phases of establishing new missional expressions
– Building regional teams for ongoing multiplication

Speakers: Jeff Vanderstelt, Ben Connelly, Paul Dean, Steve Leston, Chris Synesael, Tim Gray

Disciple-Making and Movement-Making from Global Leaders for City Transformation – Hosted by NewThing

Come be inspired, informed, and equipped with practical ways to multiply at every level, collaborate with other churches, and keep the
focus on Kingdom building. You will hear from global leaders, learn practical tools, and honor Jesus through collaboration.

Session 1: Collaboration for City Movements
We will begin our journey together with a firm foundation for city movements and friends on mission. We will lay out a framework for collaboration, how each of us benefits when we work together for the Kingdom cause, and how our cities will flourish when we do. We will explore new scorecards that each of us should adopt, scorecards that help us keep the focus on kingdom-building and not castle-building.

Session 2: Why Movement Begins with Wholehearted Leadership
Collaboration starts within each of us. If we seek to transform our city, we must begin by understanding the importance of wholehearted leadership and how only those who lead with humility can collaborate effectively.

Session 3: Hearing from the Global Voices About Discipleship and Movement
To catalyze movements, starting with a listening posture is crucial. Listening to how God is working can both inspire and challenge us. In this session, we’ll have the opportunity to hear from leaders worldwide as they share their stories and insights on what they have
learned about movements and city collaboration.

Session 4: Movements Move at the Speed of Relationships
During this session, we will provide you with practical tools that can help you build stronger relationships and develop spans of care that promote effective collaboration. The session will also include an in-depth exploration of the NewThing networks and movement structure. Lastly, we will discuss the crucial role that relationships play in igniting and sustaining movement.

Session 5: How Does Diversity Fuel Movement?
Our goal is to ensure that every individual in your city or region receives the gospel message – no one should be left out. In this session, we will delve into the various ways that different groups are working together to make this possible. We will explore how collaboration can lead to a greater impact and bring more people to the faith.

Session 6: How Do We Resource City-Wide Movements
In this session, we will discuss how to resource movement, what it takes to empower and equip diverse groups of people to plant new expressions of church, and how to fund City movements. We’ll cover the best practices for funding city movements and provide insights into all of these topics and more.

Session 7: What Will I Do With This?
This session aims to quickly help you implement your learnings and become a catalyst for change in your city.

Speakers: Patrick O’Connell, Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson, Will Plitt, Rob Wegner, Rolly DelMonte, Max Beloso, Tara Beth Leach, Alana Tarry, Eric Metcalf, Slavik Pyzh

Disciple-Making: From Doubter to Disciple – Hosted by Great Commission Research

We have a direct mandate from the Great Commission to make disciples. In this action-packed two-day event, we will address specific ways to help move people, regardless of where they are, to a place of understanding, acceptance, and obedience of the Gospel. Discipleship begins where a person is (sometimes pre-salvation) and helps move them to a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Our main speakers and breakout leaders will facilitate sessions addressing how to accomplish this great task.

Speakers: Gary Comer, Eddie Moody

Forgotten Ways: The Building Blocks of Missional and Movemental DNA – Hosted by 5Q, Forge, Movement Leader Collective

If you want to see movement in your ministry for greater kingdom impact, there are key elements and specific competencies, tools, and strategies that can help you get there. The Mission of God isn’t just an add-on to ministry and Movement doesn’t need to be a mystery. Both ought to be embedded in the very culture of every expression of the church. Join some veterans of the missional movement for strategic frameworks, practical approaches, and principles of missional practice to catalyze and contextualize the mission of God.

Speakers: Lindsey Harwood, Brandon Kelly, Rich Robinson, Rowland Smith, Terry Ishee

From Survival to Sustainability: The Why, How, and What of Structural Shift for 21st Century Ministry Effectiveness in Majority-Minority Contexts – Hosted by Mosaix Global Network

In this pre-conference you’ll hear things and think, “No way, it can’t be done!” or “Is this even biblical? or “Why was I not taught this before?” Our team of still-engaged practitioners will assist you in learning how to plant or develop a healthy multiethnic, culturally intelligent, and financially sustainable church; why such work is a biblical expectation; and what proven practices can be immediately implemented in your own local context. Presentations, conversations, and Q&A is all part of an experience designed for church leaders looking not only to play for today but position for tomorrow.

Speakers: Dhati Lewis, Mark DeYmaz, Harry Li, Mont Mitchell

Future Church: The Lost-to-Leader Disciple-Making Paradigm – Hosted by CRU

Apostolic leaders who break new ground for the kingdom need a compass and a roadmap.
In this pre-conference, we will look at the current challenges and prepare a new generation for the future of the church. Practitioners will lay out timeless, biblical principles that shape the commitments of apostolic leadership.

Come to …
… revisit the culture, commitments and practices that accelerate multiplication

… learn the Lost-to-Leader Disciple-making Paradigm

… take home transferable tools that develop leaders FROM the harvest

… hear of different ways to expand your disciple-making impact and create spirit-filled movements in your community.

Speakers: Daniel Yang, Mike Constanz, Drew Steadman, Danielle Payment, Gabor Gresz, Kevin Marsico, Dave Robinson, Bekele Shanko

How Denominational & Network Leaders Can Help Churches Create Disciple-Making Cultures – Hosted by Catapult

In this Pre-Conference we will not only examine the discipleship crisis that is gripping the North American church, we will explore how we got here and the unique role that denominations and networks played in the crisis. But more importantly, we will lay out a vision and strategy for how these same networks and denominations can uniquely be part of the solution.

We want to ask the question, “What would it look like if it was normal for the average church in your network to have a disciple making culture?” For some time, that prospect felt out of reach. But the tide is shifting and in this pre-conference we will share key learning and insights from the discipleship frontiers.

In this Pre-Conference, we will:
– Share content created specifically for network and denominational leaders
– Share a new “master tool” we’ve developed to bring clarity the discipleship crisis we’re in
– Interviews with special guest panelists
– Facilitate a conversation around what’s working and not, and what denominational and network leaders can do about it

Speakers: Doug Paul, Jeff Vanderstelt, Todd Milby, Chris Curtis, Andy Graham

How to Help Your People Understand and Engage With the Holy Spirit – Hosted by Dandelion Resourcing

Most churches are nervous about more openly embracing the work of the Spirit – often for good reason! Yet flaky theology, bad experiences, or lack of positive role models shouldn’t stop us from building cultures that are genuinely naturally supernatural.
In this pre-conference you’ll see how to develop a biblical and transferable theology of the Spirit, and how to help your people understand and engage with the Holy Spirit in their everyday lives, whatever your denominational or theological preference.
We’ll then move on to look at how a naturally supernatural culture can bring great healing and wholeness, especially in places of emotional woundedness that leave folks stuck in ruts.
You’ll also learn how to develop prayer ministry in your group life and public services, so that you can wisely steward the gifts of the Spirit in ways that are pastorally wise, invitational, and biblically rooted.

Speakers: Alex Absalom, Hannah Absalom, Tammy Melchien, David Patterson, Jan Patterson

Launching and Sustaining Microchurch Networks in a Post-Christian Context – Hosted by Exponential NEXT

Now is the time for a return to the microchurch in the West for biblical, cultural, and missiological reasons. We are well past the proof of concept. Ordinary people can and will lead these simple expressions of the church. Microchurches are a potent relational environment for disciple-making, and they are also adaptable and scalable enough to fill a city with a gospel presence, a gospel proclamation, and a gospel demonstration. Join leaders from the Tampa Underground and the Kansas City Underground as we explore:

• Organizing Identities for a Microchurch Movement

• Disciple-Makers, Microchurches and Gospel Saturation

• How to create and multiply a culture and system for Decentralized Leadership

• The Training Pathway and Ecosystem to Equip Disciple-Makers and Microchurch Leaders

• How to create Apostolic Equipping Teams to support the decentralized networks of disciple-makers and microchurches in a city/region.

• Cultivating a Culture of Extraordinary Prayer and Fasting

• Unleashing the Power of the Five Voices (Apostolic, Prophetic, Evangelistic, Shepherding, and Teaching) through every level of a network/movement.

Speakers: Brian Johnson & Lucas Pulley

Multipliers Journey: Shifting from Addition to Multiplication – Hosted by Exponential

In this preconference, you will be equipped with the process and tools to accelerate healthy Kingdom multiplication. Attendees will gain confidence and clarity to begin to break free from addition-oriented thinking and to embrace a sending and releasing culture necessary for multiplication.

This preconference will discuss the “5 Levels of Multiplication” to help you:

• Understand the context of your current situation

• Identify a path toward reproduction/multiplication

• Give you practical guidance on what to expect on the journey.

We’ll talk about living the life of a a Multiplier A Healthy Disciple-making Leader Who Champions Reproduction.

We’ll explore the “3 Dimensions of Multiplication”: Disciple-making, Mobilization, and Capacity.

Seasoned leaders will break down each of these dimensions for practical insights from their experience.

You will also be equipped with tools to help turn awareness and discovery into action and Kingdom multiplication.

Speakers: Bill Couchenour, Larry Walkemeyer, Ralph Moore, Jason Stewart, David Putman, Jeff Vanderstelt

The Next Generation of Multipliers: It’s Our Turn – Hosted by Exponential NEXT

Join like minded emerging leaders along with seasoned leaders to explore the topic of multiplication together. We have the potential to be multipliers – healthy disicple making leaders who champion reproduction. As the next generation of church influencers we have an opportunity to shape the future of the church together. Multiplying the church is not new, it is just our turn.

Speakers: Daniel Yang, Steven Barr, Grant Skeldon, Olivia Williamson, Aaron Barnett, Hannah Barnett, Raymond Chang, Gideon Mzonya, Christian Armenta, Panida Chattuphon, Kelly Smith

Urban Church Planting – Hosted by Nitrogen Network

Monday, March 4

1:00 / Registration & Networking
1:30 / Worship
1:45 / TALK 1 – Repairing The Urban
Leadership Pipeline (Troy Evans)
2:15 / Chop Chop – (Discussion Question)
2:30 / TALK 2 – Get In The Fight!!! Message To Movement Leaders – Tim Fox
3:00 / Collab – (Break & Networking)
3:15 / Interview – The City, The Church & Therapy – (LaDawn Evans)
3:45 / Special – (Dance)
3:50 / TALK 3 – Youth & Young Adults Cheat Code to urban Ministry (Kirt Herbert)
4:15 / Chop Chop – (Discussion Question)

Tuesday, March 5

8:00 – 9:00 Prayer for the City – Justin Thorton, Kirt Herbert
9:00 / Spoken Word – Kirt Herbert & Tisa Herbert
9:10 / TALK 4 Front Porch Discipleship – Will
9:40 / Chop Chop – (Discussion Question)
10:00 / TALK 5 – The Hood, The Church &
Digital Marketing (Mark Evans)
10:20 / Connect – (Break & Connect time)
10:30 / Interview – Funding Urban Ministry – Tisa Herbert, Terry Vaughn, Tim Fox
11:00 / TALK 6 – Release The Creatives – Nate Johnson

Speakers: Troy Evans, Justin Thornton, LaDawn Evans, Kirt Herbert, Mark Evans, Tisa Herbert, Terry Vaughn, Tim Fox , Nate Johnson

Women in Ministry: Cultivating a Disciple-Making Movement – Hosted by Exponential NEXT

When women are empowered, we will see even more disciple-making movements.  By exploring what discipleship has looked like for us personally, considering discipleship systems and learning to work as women in commonly male spaces, we will inspire and equip women to embrace their roles as disciple makers.

Speakers: Danielle Strickland, Kadi Cole, Noemi Chavez, Sue Ferguson, Janet McMahon, Lori Ruffin, Leanna Weber, Teresa Sidwell