Breakout Sessions

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 10:45 a.m.-Noon

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 3:15-4:30 p.m.

Lead Self or Lead None
Let's be honest: Ministry, whether full-time or part-time, has the potential to drain us. There is enough “work” from Monday to Sunday to keep us running constantly if we let it. But God did not design us for such “busyness,” and He does not expect it from us. This breakout by Brent Dumler will discuss the life of leadership God desires for us, and how to incorporate healthy balance.

In Loving Color: Pursuing Diversity in the Church
Pursuing diversity is rarely spontaneous; it takes effort and intentionality. God calls us to love our neighbors, even if they don’t look like us. Does our church experience reflect this? This session led by Derrick Shields will be an interactive discussion on the challenges of pursuing diversity. We will look at some of the barriers to, and solutions for, bridging the racial divide. Do you sense God leading you to address this issue in your church? If so, please join us!

Creating a Culture of Authentic Relational Community 
through Small Groups
How do church people develop genuine, caring relationship with each other? Clearly, Sunday mornings are not enough. We believe small groups are the best way to bring people together in authentic relational community. In this session, Billy Gross will share the vision, values, structure and biblical foundations that fuel the life of our 35 small groups at CCC, where people are “learning to share authentic life together around Jesus.”

From Surviving to Thriving: Building an Effective Children’s Ministry Team
Your children’s ministry has the potential to have a lifelong impact on a child’s faith. But first, your volunteers must understand the magnitude of the influence they can have on the children in their care. In this session, Laura Steiner shares the vision and values that have shaped CCC’s Children’s Ministries, along with practical tips on pouring into volunteers in order to build and maintain a thriving children’s ministry team that is passionate about investing in the lives of children.

Moving from Developing Youth Ministry to Developing Youth
Does the success or failure of your youth ministry hinge on the next hip event? To be successful, do you have to attract 10, 20 or 50 kids this year? In this interactive discussion, Robert Williams will share how the Lord has called him beyond event planning and toward developing a ministry focused on equipping youth for the real battle: Life. Topics will include creating new paradigms for measuring growth and success, discipling youth instead of entertaining them, equipping and releasing adult volunteers to move beyond greeters to disciplers, collaborating with other ministries to create transitions for youth, and working with the leadership of the church to have a unified mission.

---

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 10:45 a.m.-Noon

Senior Leadership: Leading with Vision
Pastor Keith Cowart will facilitate a conversation with senior church leaders that centers around the visionary work of a leader and addresses questions such as, "What is vision?” "How does vision impact a community?” and "How and where must we communicate it for maximum impact?” 

Gifted to Serve: Empowering Volunteers
FACT: Churches/ministries of all sizes need volunteers. At CCC, we have been intentional about not just filling holes with people. We have developed curriculum to enable our volunteers to discover their giftedness so that we can place them in a ministry position that fits them best, encouraging passionate service and minimizing burnout. This course led by Kelli Wommack will introduce the concept of GIFTED (Gifts, Interests and Abilities, Focus, Temperament, Experiences of Impact, and Design) and help your church/ministry to place volunteers where they are truly gifted to serve.

Leading Together: A Discussion in Collaborative Leadership
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your children's and student ministries – or any group of ministries, for that matter – communicated with each other and worked toward a common Kingdom goal? Imagine the effectiveness and energy a strong connection between ministries could create. This session is facilitated by Gill Price and features an open-forum discussion among CCC's GROW Team – the leaders of Discipleship, Young Adult, Youth, and Children's Ministries – on what collaborative ministry can look like and how to implement it.

Music Leading or Worship Leading?
Transformational worship starts with a transformed worship leader. The goal is not only to play music skillfully, but to enable people to encounter the Living God. In this session, Jae Lesley will focus on practical Biblical principles that are effective in any worship setting. The session is geared toward pastors, leaders and team members.

From Admin to Administry
Administration is much more than folding bulletins, making copies, scheduling appointments and sending emails. Many biblical scriptures point to the fact that it is a vital ministry of the church. Administrators help visionaries lead, equippers follow through and the entire body of Christ accomplish the mission of the church. Learn from Brad Wilcox how to move your admin team from simply getting things done to becoming the vital ministry of the church that it was intended to be.

---

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 3:15-4:30 p.m.

Transforming your Church So That All May Worship: Giving People with Disabilities, and their Families, a Place to Belong
Disability is a normal part of life and affects many families in our community. People with disabilities and their families often fight for inclusion in school, recreation and at work. Unfortunately, all too often they are faced with similar barriers and feelings of isolation on Sunday morning. Join in the journey of transforming the church to be a place that welcomes and values people with disabilities and their families. This session by Shelley Walls will build awareness of the need, assist church leaders in assessing their current degree of hospitality for people with disabilities, and provide strategies to welcome the gifts, skills and abilities of people who have a disability in your church community.

Leadership Development: Transforming Volunteers into Leaders
So, your ministry/church has volunteers but no leaders? Leadership development is about fostering a culture where leaders raise up leaders. As a form of advanced discipleship, leadership development is about investing in relationships, and training people in character and competencies.  In this session led by Kelli Wommack, you will learn to identify leadership potential, discover ways to implement leadership development and nurture a culture of reproducing leaders. "A leader who is passionate about advanced discipleship and has the tools to reproduce leaders is dangerous for the cause of Christ.”

Intentional Discipleship: Recovering the Art of Making Disciples
Does your church have a plan for discipleship, or do you expect it to just happen? The heart of Christ's Great Commission is “making disciples,” yet for many churches, intentional discipleship has become a lost art. Jesus’ own ministry emphasized relationship in learning to love God and others. In this session, Gill Price explores what might it look like if we engage in intentional discipleship in the local church with an eye toward equipping and developing maturity. DOWNLOAD SESSION NOTES

Recovery: It’s God’s Idea
How do you help people with hurts, habits and hang-ups? Do you meet the needs of those with addictions and problems that require extra grace? This breakout session will explore the keys to starting a recovery ministry and keeping it healthy. Join Derrick Shields and a panel of experienced leaders who will discuss lessons learned and share personal testimonies of freedom found through Christ-centered recovery programs. 

Our Journey with a Missional God
We know God’s heart is for the whole world. So how do we engage everyone in our church body – because the call is not just to career missionaries! – to join with God on His missional journey? In this session, Pam Bone will discuss the Biblical principles that have formed the foundation of CCC’s LIVE Ministries, the vision and values that direct our activities and the practical ways we try to accomplish this calling to “GO” – locally and to the ends of the earth. 

Engaging Millennials: Jesus' Heart for a New Generation
According to recent statistics, about 70 percent of millennials leave the church after high school – and only about 25 percent return later in life. But what would it look like if this generation fully engaged in their walk with Christ, taking ownership of their faith once they're on their own? What if they based their life decisions out of a place of abiding in Christ and unity within Christian community? During this session, Mason and Meghan Stewart will present their heart for cultivating an atmosphere of intimacy, oneness and witness in order to create a sanctuary of earnest and authentic young adults.

Senior Leadership: Working with Teams
In another roundtable session for senior church leaders, Pastor Keith Cowart will lead a discussion that explores the leader’s role in developing and working with boards, staff and ministry teams.

Say 'Yes' To God ... And Live To Tell About It
If you have served in ministry for more than five minutes, you know that faith and obedience are common themes in church leadership. For many of us, serving in the church began with a calling from God, and that calling probably involved an initial response along the lines of, "Lord, you're kidding ... right?” This breakout by our Phenix City campus pastor, Brent Dumler, and his wife, Cailey, will explore the realities, struggles and blessings of following God's calling while staying sane and healthy throughout the journey.  Are you facing changes in your current ministry, a possible new role or position, or even some kind of new direction in life? If so, this discussion might be for you. 

Understanding Conflict Resolution Styles
The potential for conflict exists when people live and work together – especially in stressful situations. Gathering knowledge and then applying that information to approach conflict differently is essential to being in relationship with each other and leading others. In this session by Cathy Alford, participants will take the widely used Thomas Kilmann Conflict Resolution® assessment, helping them recognize their own patterns as well as understanding all five conflict styles defined by Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann. The session will conclude with a template for how to structure a difficult conversation. 

Developing Effective Small Group Leaders
Healthy small groups strengthen churches, and healthy small groups need effective leaders. In this session, Billy Gross will share the many approaches developed at CCC to train, equip and support lay people to effectively lead small groups with vision and competency.   

Creating an Attention-Focused Environment for Worship
Our minds are constantly saturated. From the moment we wake up, until we wind down for the night, we are inundated with images and sounds. How can we compete for the attention of our churchgoers? This session by Jodie Creswell will discuss everything from adding beauty to set designs to mixing in different elements of worship (videos, choir, styles of music). The session will keep it real when it comes to three of the most limited resources: people, time and money. If you are a worship pastor seeking to capture the attention of your congregation or a lay person interested in finding ways to use your creative talents, you won’t want to miss this session.