Working and living in Beloved community requires engaging theological discussion, creativity, collaboration, and vulnerability. Church workers are often asked to lead ministries which deftly navigate the intersections of culture, politics, and faith formation. Dr. Sarah Leer (she/her), an educator, former youth worker, and practical theologian, will invite participants to engage in practical conversations of LGBTQIA+ affirmation and belonging through the lens of abundance. In this interactive workshop, we will wrestle with what it means for all to know they are Beloved. We will discuss power-sharing with youth and young adults, LGBTQIA+ affirming terminology, and resources to affirm and celebrate LGBTQIA+ people in our midst. Sarah will create a space for participants to learn together while also equipping them with resources to deepen and express belonging in their ministries.

*This workshop has reached maximum capacity and is no longer available for additional registrations.

We all want church to be fun and enjoyable for children. But what happens when our goal in children’s ministry is to entertain instead of to form faith? What effect do entertainment models and curricula have on children’s long-term faith formation? In this workshop, we’ll explore how to form faith in your children’s ministry through the following:

• Engaging the history of children’s ministry with particular attention to what Scottie May refers to as the, “Carnival Model,” and exploring her suggested alternatives to this model.
• Exploring how theology matters when choosing children’s ministry curriculum and how various curricula views children and their capacity for deep conversations about faith.
• Examining a variety of curricula, evaluating whether it emphasizes forming faith in children or represents more of an entertainment-based approach.
• Experiencing activities that encourage faith formation as we try out elements, such as wondering questions, that are included in faith-forming curricula.

Participants will be introduced to a variety of resources, including Sunday school and children’s worship   materials, that create space for children not just to learn about God, but to encounter God. It is our hope that participants will leave fully equipped to create children’s ministry spaces that form lifelong faith in their children.

Wonder of Worship has completed its first year of the five year, Lilly Endowment funded grant regarding nurturing children through worship and prayer. We’ve done a lot of listening this first year and are ready to share what we’ve learned from child research projects, sub-grants awarded to churches for their own projects, new ideas from Quicksheets and podcasts, and our first Godly Play training sessions. We look forward to engaging workshop participants in these conversations and activities and learning from each other in the process, so that we may get closer to forming beloved community that includes all ages and abilities in corporate worship.

Sometimes we take on more than we can accomplish. But, reconnecting to our spirituality is a path that offers us the ability to spring back into shape and to find our resilience. The 2025–2026 PW/Horizons Bible study author, Rhashell Hunter, will lead participants in learning about Biblical women and exploring Jesus’ witness to faithfulness. You don’t have to be a PW to benefit—everyone will enjoy rediscovering our joy and our identity in Christ.

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 continuation of workshop 100.