February 21, 2026
Hayes Barton Baptist Church
8:30 a.m.-12:00 noon
In a world marked by division, change, and uncertainty, the Church is called to be a place of deep welcome and faithful presence. This conference explores what it means to foster true belonging. Together, we’ll lean into the sacred work of connection, care, and community.
Schedule for the Day:
8:30-9: Registration and Gathering
9-9:30: Welcome and Opening Session
9:30-9:40: Transition to Session One
9:40-10:40: Session One
10:40-10:50: Transition to Session Two
10:50-11:50: Session Two
11:50-12 Closing/Evaluations
Opening Session: Brian Foreman
Helping Families Navigate Chaos: Tools for Transitional Times (Tripp Ake)
Life doesn’t pause for anyone—and for many families, transitions like divorce, job loss, health struggles, or moves can leave them feeling uprooted and overwhelmed. As lay leaders, you don’t have to have all the answers, but you can offer stability, presence, and hope. This workshop will equip you with simple, meaningful tools to support families in chaos and help them feel seen, supported, and spiritually anchored. Together, we’ll explore how to cultivate a sense of belonging even when life is anything but settled.
Safe and Sacred: Building Safe Churches from the Ground Up (Jay Kieve)
Safety in the church is about more than locked doors and emergency plans—it’s also about creating spaces of emotional, spiritual, and physical security. In this workshop, we’ll explore the intersection of practical safety measures (like policies, facilities, and response plans) and the deeper work of building a culture of trust, inclusion, and care. Designed for lay leaders, this session will help you think holistically about what it means to be a church where people feel both protected and truly at home.
Tables, Not Trenches: Making Space for Holy Conversations (Randy McKinney)
Today people are fascinated by spirituality, and they have lots of questions. Who better to talk with them than followers of Jesus? Trouble is, many of us don’t know how to talk about our faith or are uneasy about religious salesmanship and canned evangelistic formulas. We are afraid of button-holing others, being offensive, or saying something wrong. We simply don’t know how to express our faith naturally – in everyday language. Based on Richard Peace’s book “Holy Conversation: Talking About God in Everyday Life,” this workshop will help the participant build a foundation for engaging in conversation about the good news of Jesus Christ.
Thin Spaces, Thick Emotions: Finding God When It’s Hard to Feel Okay (Alison Keene)
Loneliness, anxiety, and depression are more common than many of us realize—even in the pews beside us. This workshop will help lay leaders recognize signs of struggle, respond with compassion, and walk alongside others without trying to “fix” them. We’ll explore spiritual and practical tools for offering presence, hope, and connection, as well as ways to care for your own mental and emotional well-being. Because cultivating belonging means no one has to suffer alone.
Welcome Anyway: The Ministry of Uncomfortable Grace (Brian Foreman)
Real welcome costs something. It stretches us beyond convenience, comfort, and even agreement. This workshop invites lay leaders to explore how God’s radical hospitality calls us to embrace the “other”—not just in theory, but in practice. We’ll talk about boundaries, discomfort, and the kind of grace that makes belonging possible for everyone… even when it’s messy.
$200 per church (unlimited attendance per church)