We are excited to gather together and dive in to examine what truly defines a HEALTHY LEADER! In our call from God to make disciples, we need to develop as a disciple ourselves, pursue healthy spiritual habits, exemplify humility & so much more. Join us as we dive in and learn more about the MARKS OF A HEALTHY LEADER!
Link to registration is located at the bottom of this page!
Before you register, please read through our workshop options!
***If you are interested in having a table at the conference for your ministry, you will need to apply to become a FLD ministry partner. Please contact Rob (rweise@forestlakes-efca.org) and fill out an application here.***
ABOUT COLIN SMITH
We are thrilled to introduce you to our main speaker! Colin Smith is senior pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, a thriving, multi-campus church located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and Founder and Teaching Pastor of “Open the Bible.”
Born and raised in Scotland, he trained at the London School of Theology where he earned the degrees of Bachelor of Theology and Master of Philosophy. Before coming to the States in 1996, Colin served as senior pastor of the Enfield Evangelical Free Church in London.
BEFORE REGISTERING, please read through the descriptions to determine which workshops would be best for you! If there are several that you would like to attend, don’t worry, we will have recordings of all the sessions available after the conference!
Word Training: Equipping Every Believer to Study God’s Word - Michael McKittrick
We know that believers grow as they abide in God's word, but how do we equip people to be in the word for themselves and to teach others how to do the same?
We too often rely on curriculums that give people step by step instructions on how to study a passage, like GPS. What if we could teach them how to read a map so that they could study any passage through simple, reproducible principles?
This session will give an overview of principles you could use to equip people to study God's word and demonstrate one of those principles.
Idol Lies Leaders Believe - Dee Brestin
For two decades, I had a full time administrative assistant to help with retreats. Though each successive woman I hired planned to be long-term, after a few years, she’d resign. I was blind to my hidden heart idol of control. God opened my eyes and showed me how He could overcome this idol and others! Beautiful fruit replaced the rotten fruit in my life and ministry.
Healthy Leadership Transitions - Matt Metzger and Chris Dolson
A pastoral transition comes with growing pains, but it does not have to completely rock your church! Come learn what it looks like to implement a healthy pastoral transition in your congregation. Matt Metzger & Chris Dolson of Blackhawk Church recently walked through this transition and will be sharing about their process & giving some tips and tricks for a successful transition. You do not need to just be a Senior Pastor to attend. If your church has an upcoming transition, this workshop is for you!
Growing Your Church from the Harvest - Scott Sterner & Panel
According to a recent study of churches, only 6 to 7.5 percent are growing through conversions. The majority of churches who are experiencing growth, are doing so through transfer growth from other churches. In response to this problem, and a growing heart for becoming conversion communities, five healthy churches in our district have been engaged in cohort with the Church Evangelism Institute of the Billy Graham Center of Wheaton College. In this two-year journey, participating leaders are learning strategies and practices for helping their churches to become conversion communities growing from the harvest. This workshop will feature a presentation on the strategies CEI has developed based on research. You will also hear from the leaders working to implement these strategies in their lives, leadership, and congregations.
How Can Your Church Reignite Its Missionary Identity?- Glen Stevens
Reignite the missionary identity of your church. In this workshop we will help you develop a tool you can use to better understand how God wants to use your church to reach your community with the Gospel.
We will provide a brief overview of the three main components of a Cultivate Cohort:
Developing a missional strategy for the makeup of your unique community.
Casting a clear and compelling vision for your church to make an impact for
Jesus in your city, town, county or neighborhood.Becoming more intentional about making disciples who make disciples
We will also share how to prayerfully prepare your church to meaningfully participate in an upcoming Cultivate Cohort.
Safety & Security - Are You Protecting the Flock? - Dave Forsthye
We know that God is the Protector. We also know that He tells us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
This seminar will encourage you to “harden” your church or ministry as a potential target. In today’s world, the church, the Bible and its believers draw potential criticism, demonstrators, and attacks. We must be aware - taking proactive steps to plan for medical, natural and man-made issues and emergencies.
Due diligence to protect those attending our churches is required by law and a priority for church leadership. Come to this seminar to learn more about safety equipment, policies and procedures, best practices. Come with questions!
Preparing Yourself to Preach & Teach - Colin Smith
Preparing a sermon or Bible study is hard. Preparing yourself is harder. This workshop will focus on preparing your own heart to preach or teach the Word of God.
Ministering to Families Impacted by Mental Health Challenges - Sandra Malone
These have been difficult times and families are experiencing stressors and pressures at high levels. This is reflected by the significant onset of mental health challenges in our children. We have an opportunity to minister to families in ways that extend compassionate care and support. This training educates and familiarizes you on the characteristics and dynamics of distress in the family and offers building blocks for resilience and support.
A highlight of many at the Forest Lakes conferences is the Affinity Network time. This time is designed to connect ministry leaders with other in their ministry space. It's possible that you may be feeling the loneness that ministry can bring, this time is designed for you to find others to walk alongside you!
Best practices are shared, brainstorming takes place, and most importantly, connections are made. Our prayer is that the connections made during this time will continue beyond the conference.
OUR AFFINITY NETWORKS-
Hispanic / Cosecha Network
Multicultural Engagement / All Peoples
Office Administrators
Finance / HR / Operations
Associate Pastors/Directors/Adult Ministry
Campus/Multi-Site Pastors
Children & Family Ministry Leaders
Church Planters
Elders & Other Lay Leaders
Executive Pastors/Directors
Interim Pastors
Missions & Community Partnerships
Multiple Staff Senior Pastors
Solo Pastors
Student Ministry Leaders
Womens Ministry
Worship & Tech Leaders
Communications
Church Planters Wives
Young Adults/College Ministry
Partnership Ministries
Small Groups/Life Groups Directors
Assimilation Teams / Greeting / Welcome / Connection Team
Care Ministries
FULL DAY SCHEDULE
8:00 - 9:00 am REGISTRATION OPENS
9:00 - 10:30 am FIRST SESSION
10:30 - 11:00 am BUSINESS MEETING
11:00 - 11:30 am BREAK
11:30 - 12:30 pm WORKSHOPS
12:30 - 2:30 pm LUNCH w/ AFFINITY NETWORKS
2:45-4:00 pm SECOND SESSION
_________________________________________
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION COSTS-
Early Bird Rate (Through March 20) - $99
Standard Rate (March 21 - April 9) - $119
Group Rate for 3+ (February 21 - April 9) - $89
Late Rate (Begins April 10) - $129
(We will only be accepting credit or debit card payments.)
_________________________________________
DID YOU KNOW YOUR SPOUSE IS INVITED?
For a 50% off promo code for your spouse, email Steph Berg!
_________________________________________
LUNCH OPTIONS-
When registering, you will be able to select one of these three options:
REGULAR
GLUTEN FREE
VEGITARIAN
_________________________________________
LODGING-
For our group rate at the Madison Marriott West, click HERE!
(Breakfast not included, but breakfast style items will be available at the conference!)
Who is this conference for?
The FLD Ministry Leaders Fall Conference is for everyone who is on staff or is a key leader at your church! Each of you play an extremely important role in the mission God has in our district.
If you are married, please know your spouse is encouraged and invited to attend! We know that your spouse is your biggest encourager and supporter. They are equally a part of the FLD Family, and we would love to have them there with you!
What are ministry partners and are ministry partners able to host a table at the conference?
We do have ministry partner booths at the conference. However, there is limited availability. To inquire, please apply to be a partner with us here!
Once the application has been received, our FLD Executive team will either approve or deny your application based on the criteria we have set. We are seeking ministries affiliated with the EFCA to be at our conferences.
Please note: All people at your table will need to register for the conference.
Are there financial scholarships to attend the conference available?
We do not want financial issues to keep you from attending the conference. If you are in need of assistance, it would be our joy to talk with you and support you in whatever way we can. Please contact us at rweise@forestlakes-efca.org; subject: financial scholarship.
I have more or other questions about the conference. Who can I contact?
For all conference needs or questions, please contact us at ldovichi@forestlakes-efca.org, Subject: FLD Ministry Leaders Fall Conference 2022.
We are happy to help in any way that we can!
