Learning Labs

Session 1

Monday, November 9 @ 1:30 p.m.

Making Christians: Belonging, Believing, Behaving

Jesus calls the church to “make disciples” by “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that [he] commanded” (Matt 28:19-20). Yet discipleship does not just happen. As Tertullian, the second century African church leader contended, “Christians are made not born.” Led by Curtis Freeman.

Religious Liberty at 250: Baptist Principles for the Separation of Church and State in Contemporary America

This religious liberty lab addresses how to apply historical foundations to contemporary issues through discussions with panelists who have particularly relevant knowledge, experience, and insights regarding the importance of church and state separation in the present-day U.S. As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, churches and Christian leaders face renewed questions about patriotism, religious liberty, public witness, political engagement, and the proper relationship between church and state. This lab will help participants move beyond slogans and partisan assumptions by examining contemporary church-state issues through the lens of Baptist history, theology, and religious liberty principles. Led by BGAV’s Religious Liberty Committee.

Preparing for the Inevitable: Succession

The Church in America is seeing a wave of succession as a generation of pastors begins to age out of ministry. How can we begin to prepare for the inevitable in a way that honors everyone involved? Led by Matt Steen.

Going First: Discerning God's Invitation to Lead with Courage and Joy

God is already at work preparing and calling leaders. In this interactive learning lab, participants will explore their calling, recognize the ways God has uniquely shaped them for leadership, and gain practical tools for cultivating leadership within their churches and communities. Led by Amy Hall.

Serving Together: Intergenerational Mission in the Church

When children, youth, and adults serve side by side, mission becomes a powerful tool for discipleship and community transformation. This Learning Lab will help churches move beyond age-divided mission models and build intergenerational mission cultures where every generation serves, learns, and grows together. Participants will gain actionable ideas, collaborative tools, and mission resources they can immediately use in their own congregational context. Led by Cadance Tyler.

Session 2

Monday, November 9 @ 3:15 p.m.

Unscripted Church: The Passing of the Script

Church leaders and congregations have been living out of scripts that have been passed down for centuries. The Unscripted Church Learning Lab identifies the basic scripts of leadership and congregational life. This lab will explore what new scripts for leaders and congregations might look like as we lean into the future. Spoiler alert: the new scripts may look very ancient! Led by Brian Williams and Craig Harwood.

TBRI for Sunday Morning: Equipping Volunteers to Love Kids from Hard Places

Many church volunteers want to help but feel unprepared when a child’s behavior disrupts the classroom. This Learning Lab introduces the basics of Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI) in a way that fits real Sunday-morning environments. Participants will learn simple, practical ways to respond with connection and confidence so every child experiences church as a safe place. Led by Kristy Ayers.

Building for Hope: Unlocking the Potential in Your Facility

What percentage of your church building is used Monday through Saturday? Is facility maintenance draining your staff and lay leaders? Church buildings don’t have to be a drag on your ministry. Buildings can be instruments of hope for your broader community and catalysts for the revitalization of your congregation’s mission. This Learning Lab will lead you to consider your status quo, the untapped assets your congregation may have, and the potential for God to work through your congregation’s existing spaces. Led by Phil Faig and Eric Schneiderhan.

Busy is Not a Spiritual Gift: Helping Church Leaders Recover Rest, Renewal, and Sustainable Ministry

Church leaders often feel pressure to do more, move faster, and carry increasingly heavy ministry demands. This interactive Learning Lab will explore how biblical Sabbath practices can help pastors and ministry leaders cultivate healthier rhythms, prevent burnout, and build a more sustainable approach to ministry. Participants will leave with practical tools for fostering a culture of rest and renewal in both their personal lives and their congregations. Led by David Scafide.

AI and Discipleship: Understanding the Difference Between Information and Formation

Artificial intelligence can be a polarizing conversation, especially in communities of faith. But Anthropic consultant and human formation expert, Jessie Cruickshank, believes the best way to think about AI properly is to better understand what it means to be human. In this workshop we will discuss how humans and AI systems engage differently with information. Participants will be encouraged to consider their own theory of formation, challenged to consider the neuroscience underlying human change, and have the opportunity to process their own convictions for AI engagement in ministry. Led by Jessie Cruickshank.

Session 3

Tuesday, November 10 @ 1:15 p.m.

Beyond Programs: A Creative Lab for Missional Imagination

How do you open up imagination for connecting with people who are not already members of your church? This workshop will give you space to practice missional imagination, give you tools you can take back to your church, and help you kindle the spirit of mission through a guided creative practice. Through a series of prompts, images, and words, this arts-based exercise will open your eyes to new ways of engaging the “Not Yets” in your community. (No artistic talent required.) Led by Shannon Kiser and Amy Hall.

Metanoia: How God Changes People, Churches, and Organizations from the Inside Out

Lasting change begins with more than a new strategy. It begins with a new way of seeing. Join Alan Hirsch to explore metanoia, the deep transformation of our thinking that opens us to God’s work in our lives, churches, and organizations. Discover how challenging familiar assumptions and embracing a renewed imagination can help us follow God into what’s next. Led by Alan Hirsch.

Ramping Up Family Ministry

Families and kids experience large transitional challenges as they move through the stages of elementary, middle, and high school into college. In this engaging session, Children’s Pastor Ivonne Polo and Youth Pastor Kaelyn Dasari will discuss a model and method for connection and collaboration between children’s and student ministry that creates more seamless transitions for families and their kids during critical years of spiritual growth. Led by Kaelyn Dasari and Ivonne Polo.

When the Ground Shifts: Helping Churches Find Clarity in a Changing Moment

Many churches are not lacking passion or faithfulness. They are struggling with clarity in a rapidly changing ministry environment. This Learning Lab will help pastors and church leaders explore how churches move through seasons of change, how leadership teams experience those changes differently, and how greater alignment and discernment can help churches move forward together with renewed focus and hope. Led by Michael Pumphrey.

Disaster Response in Your Community: Forming the Relationships that Help You Connect to the Community Before a Disaster and Serve Year Round

We know that disasters always begin and end locally, and knowing the people in your community that lead those responses is the best way to be able to serve your neighbors when a disaster happens. Establishing those relationships can be difficult, because church leaders and emergency managers don’t know how to begin. In this breakout, you will learn how to form those relationships and create greater opportunities to serve both during disasters and in blue skies. Led by Glenn Maddox.

Session 4

Tuesday, November 10 @ 2:45 p.m.

The Money Questions Pastors Face

Money touches nearly every part of life, but it isn’t always easy to talk about, especially in the church. How do you help people in your congregation make wise financial decisions? What should pastors understand about their own finances, retirement, and planning for the future? Join Casey Hayden, CEO of Stoneford, for an open conversation about money, stewardship, and the financial questions that come with life and ministry. Bring your questions, whether they’re about your own financial situation or helping the people you shepherd. Led by Casey Hayden.

Made to Become Good News: Discipleship and Identity Formation

Discipleship is the journey of identity formation, but most of us were never equipped to understand or support that journey. In this lab, we will explore the biblical and neurobiological foundations of identity formation and unpack a practical framework for helping people discover who God says they are. Communities that know how to form identity in Christ naturally become good news to those who are not yet in the room. Led by Jessie Cruickshank.

Activating Leadership in Our Churches for Maximum Impact

Many churches already have gifted leaders in their congregations, yet a significant amount of leadership capacity remains untapped. This Learning Lab will help church leaders examine the barriers that can keep people from being fully recognized, valued, and mobilized for Kingdom impact. Led by Paul Maconochie, Archie Bates-Mendoza, and Amie Burkholder.

Disciples That Make Disciples

This breakout will show how one person can meet with a friend and disciple them in the way of Jesus. This kind of dynamic discipleship is crucial to releasing an unstoppable Jesus movement and it is much needed in the church as we see awakening happen among the younger generation. Led by Brandon Shook and Jeremiah Law.

Executive Board/Budget Discussion

You’re invited to join members of BGAV’s Executive Board for an open time of dialogue. This is an opportunity to ask questions, offer input, and hear directly from board leadership about the priorities and stewardship reflected in our work together. All are welcome to attend and take part in the conversation. Led by David Washburn and BGAV’s Executive Board.

On-Demand Video Labs

Available for viewing any time!

Sabbath Outposts: Pioneering Sacred Spaces in a Hurried World

What if churches became known as places where weary people could truly rest, connect, and encounter God? Speaking from real world experience, this Learning Lab introduces the Sabbath Outpost model, a creative approach to cultivating spaces and experiences centered on hospitality, presence, simplicity, and God-given rhythms. Participants will explore practical ideas for creating Sabbath-centered gatherings that help their churches serve as refuges in an increasingly hurried culture. Led by David Scafide.

The Funeral Sermon: Seven Questions to Ask

This video lab will guide pastors and ministry leaders in preparing funeral sermons that offer comfort, honor the deceased, and faithfully proclaim the hope of the gospel. Participants will explore how to balance personal stories with biblical truth, adapt messages for diverse audiences, and speak to both grief and hope. Through discussion and examples, attendees will gain confidence in crafting messages that bring healing, meaning, and the assurance of resurrection life. Led by Luke Smith.

Leading a Congregation Through Conflict

Over the last few years, congregations have navigated many decisions. These decisions often involved elements about which reasonable people disagreed. This season has been compounded by the pressures of people who have not been reasonable! In this session we will look at ways of navigating decisions that will help congregations to flourish even in such troubled seasons. Led by Luke Smith.

Helping Families Breathe Again: Rediscover Healthy Rhythms, Connection, and Delight

Data, Discipleship & Disease Prevention: Using Local Cancer Data to Guide Care, Prevention, and Partnerships

Data, Discipleship & Disease Prevention invites faith leaders to explore how local cancer trends can shape pastoral care, preaching, and congregational wellness strategies. Using insights from Facts & Faith Fridays, participants will learn how to interpret community cancer data, identify risks, and respond with informed, compassionate leadership. This session equips churches with practical steps to build partnerships with their local NCI‑designated cancer center and strengthen health ministries that care for the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Led by Rachel Pierce and Herbert Ponder.

A Biblical Argument for Women Leading Churches

For the last several years, the presence of women in leadership has become a cause for breaking fellowship among baptist congregations. Often there is little interaction with differing viewpoints. This breakout sessions aims to provide a place for charitable disagreement. Come and hear one pastor’s conviction supporting women leaders as a biblical commitment. The purpose of this session is not to insist that holding an egalitarian view of leadership is a non-negotiable, but rather an opportunity to consider that those who do hold such view points have a deep and shared commitment to the authority of scripture. Led by Luke Smith.

Sunday is Coming

In this video lab we will consider the weekly demands of sermon preparation. How do you select your text? How do you move from the text to the sermon? How do you do this in the midst of the many conflicting demands on the pastor’s time? In this session you will see one pastor’s approach. Led by Luke Smith.

Staying Connected Between Sundays: Building a Digital Care Culture in Your Congregation

Most congregations have strong Sunday rhythms but struggle to maintain meaningful connection and care throughout the week. This lab equips ministry leaders with a practical framework for building a digital care culture that extends prayer, encouragement, and community beyond the walls and schedule of the local church. Participants will leave with a concrete action plan tailored to their own congregation’s size, culture, and existing tools. Led by Deborah Henshaw.

In Front of the Pulpit: Lessons Learned After the Preaching Ends

After the sermon prep has ended and the message delivered, the pastor steps beyond the pulpit into the lives of the congregation. Matt Winters and Bill Davis of the Augusta Baptist Association share insights to keep congregations healthy, engaged, and connected. Led by Matt Winters and Bill Davis.

Beyond the Ramp: Building a Culture of Disability Inclusion in Your Church

Many churches have made strides in physical accessibility but still struggle to create true belonging for individuals with disabilities. This Learning Lab helps churches move beyond accommodation toward meaningful inclusion in worship, relationships, and leadership. Participants will gain practical tools to help every person feel known, valued, and fully part of the church community. Led by Brooke Smith.

International Church Planting Partnership

Participants will learn how their church can become a sponsor of a church planter in Eastern Europe through the European Baptist Fellowship—a BGAV partner. Elements Include: details of what a sponsorship include, how to be a good partner, and how to focus on relational missions rather than project-based missions. Two church planters from Europe will be our guests and will lead alongside our Impact Missions Team staff. Led by Dean Miller.

Becoming a Foster Care Church: Moving from Awareness to Action

Many churches care deeply about foster care but aren’t sure where to start or how to sustain meaningful involvement. This Learning Lab helps churches move from awareness to action by introducing a simple, scalable approach to supporting children and families impacted by foster care. Participants will leave with a clear plan to engage their congregation at multiple levels of commitment. Led by April Estrada.

The Lay Chaplaincy Team: Expanding Pastoral Care in Your Church

Pastors are often expected to carry the full weight of pastoral care, but they were never meant to do it alone. This Learning Lab introduces a lay chaplaincy model that equips trusted volunteers to extend care into everyday moments of crisis and need. Participants will learn how to build and train a team that strengthens care while preventing burnout. Led by Joel Elmore.

Learning Labs 2026