From Preparation to Presentation-Keys to an Impactful Preaching Event!
(2 Part Seminar) with Troy Dobbs

In this session we will explore the 7 types of sermons and dialogue practically about the “How To’s” of sermon preparation.

Troy Dobbs

Troy Dobbs is the Senior Pastor of Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota—an active and growing non-denominational congregation of over 5,000 members and attendees. Pastor Dobbs earned an undergraduate degree from Ball State University (BS Criminology) and a Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  He has pastored churches in Kentucky and Florida. Troy resides in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with his wife, Cheri, and their three children (two daughters and a son).

Leading Boards that Matter with Pat Mazorol

An effective church governing board plays a large role in a healthy, growing church. Sound board practices give ministries, staff, and volunteers opportunities to thrive. This seminar will explore effective board processes from the point of view of a board member.

Pat Mazorol

Active in the Twin Cities area, Mazorol has served in the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing District 41B, which includes West Bloomington and South Edina in Hennepin County. He has served on the Bloomington Human Rights Commission, was vice chair of the Board of Trustees for Bethel University, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Private Colleges Council. He has served on the Board of Directors for United Hospital Foundation, was a member of the Twin Cities advisory board for The Salvation Army, and is the Church Chairman at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie.

Introduction to the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference with Nick Granitsas

This seminar will answer three basic questions:  “Who are we?”, “Where did we come from?”, and “Why join us?”.  The seminar will be most helpful for those who are considering the CCCC or are new to the Conference, but will also be beneficial for those who would like to learn about the origins and early development of the CCCC.

Nick Granitsas

Nick Granitsas was born and raised in Marlboro, Massachusetts, the son of a Greek Orthodox father and a Roman Catholic mother.  He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard College and a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Blessed to be married to his wife Joan for forty-two years; they have seven adult children and nineteen grandchildren.  Since July 1, 1974, he has been the pastor of the First Congregational Church of Revere, MA.  He has served in various leadership capacities in the CCCC, including four years as national president.  An adjunct faculty member of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary since 1980, he teaches the denominational standards course for the CCCC.

Helping People Find Their Identity in Christ (2 Part Seminar) with Ed Rinehart and Rich Cook

One of the most significant issues a church faces to increase its fruitfulness for the Kingdom of God is leading people to find their identity in Jesus Christ.  In this seminar, members of the CCCC Church Development Team provide principles from our LifeFlow Church Development process relating to discipleship on the topic of identity.  Designed as much for the layperson as for the pastor, this seminar provides life-changing insights.

Ed Rinehart

Pastor Ed Rinehart is married to Jodi and they have 2 children. Since 2005, he has pastored the First Evangelical and Reformed Church in Lima, Ohio. Accepting Christ at the age of 24, he entered full time ministry in the United Methodist Church, serving in multiple locations over an 8 year period. Ed taught Jr. High Bible at Mansfield Christian School for 3 years and served as Conference Evangelist of the Free Methodist Church for the State of Ohio during the same time. Ed currently serves on the Church Development Team of the CCCC.

Rich Cook

Pastor Rich Cook has been married to his wonderful wife Charlotte for 27 years. The Cooks have four grown children and one grandchild. Rich has known the Lord for 38 years. He graduated of Elohim Bible Institute in Castile, NY in 1985 and has been involved in some sort of ministry since then. Rich currently pastors New Bethel Congregational Church, Hazen, ND.  He has been an ordained minister with the CCCC since 2001, and has served as a member of the CCCC Church Development Team since 2007.

Because Seeing is Believing—The incredible impact of the Jesus Film Worldwide with Nancy Weigel

The JESUS Film has been called the most effective evangelism tool in existence by many, with millions making decisions for Christ and discipled after viewing it. At this seminar we will explore how attenders might make use of this tool now in over 1,168 languages to help reach the world at our doorstep in America!

Come and receive a free multi-language DVD to give to a friend!

Nancy Weigel

Nancy Weigel, a commissioned Christian worker with the CCCC, is currently on staff with the JESUS Film Project. She has seen the JESUS Film used effectively on numerous mission outreaches in Europe, reaching out to Arabic speakers as well in the U.S. Previously, she spent 16 years training missionaries for Japan. She holds degrees in Intercultural Studies, Teaching English as a Second Language and Christian Apologetics.

The Changing Role of the Pastor’s Wife with Sharon Galloway

Church Planters Roundtable Discussion with the Church Multiplication Team

From Preparation to Presentation-Keys to an Impactful Preaching Event!  (Part 2) with Troy Dobbs

See description above

Helping People Find Their Identity in Christ (2 Part Seminar) with Ed Rinehart and Rich Cook

See description above

Leading from the Middle with John Sommerville

Rarely do leaders have an opportunity to dictate vision and direction “from the top.” Leaders, particularly in churches, find themselves working with hosts of peers and even with supervisors. How can successful leaders lead from the middle?

John Sommerville

John is a University of Kansas graduate (go Jayhawks!) and has an MBA from Indiana University. After spending 12 years in marketing at General Mills, (he still eats Cheerios most every morning), John left the corporate world for the non-profit— going to seminary and serving on the boards of several Christian organizations. After several years as a staff pastor at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, MN, God called John to plant City Church in Southwest Minneapolis. John says, “When I heard the vision for starting a church in this community, I was all in. Our love for this neighborhood and the vision of a church committed to serve the city is what grabbed me. To be a part of a church committed to “love God and love others” is something I can give my life to.” John and Kathy have two daughters.

SAT-7: A Christian Satellite Television Ministry to the People of the Middle East and North Africa with Don Zoller

Every day and every minute of the day, SAT-7 brings the message of transforming hope in Jesus Christ  to over 15 million viewers in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Europe, by way of satellite television.  Operating on two satellites, SAT-7 supports five channels in three languages: Arabic, Farsi and Turk.  A wide range of programming includes a 24/7 kids channel that is watch by several million children and their parents. A new leadership initiative is providing theological training to pastors of house churches.
(sat-7@usa.org)

Don Zoller

Since 2007, Don Zoller has been the regional representative for SAT-7.  After 35 years with US Department of Interior, he served as Director of Development for the Raleigh Rescue Mission, North Carolina with short-term mission assignments to Panama, Honduras, Mexico and Scotland, and as director of missions for a local church.  He teaches the Bible to adults and is involved with inner-city mission initiatives. Don is a graduate of Sioux Fall University, SD and lives with his wife, Bev, in Overland Park, Kansas.

Infectious Generosity: Building a Culture of Giddy Generosity with J. Loring Carpenter

The enthusiastic generosity of the Macedonian church stirred others to model their joy in giving. Paul tells us “God loves a cheerful giver (2Cor 9:7).” Yet the American church is more frugal than excited, restricting rather than releasing the joy of God’s bounty. How can we release disciples to overflow with joy when faced with financial challenges and asked also to give generously? Let’s explore what God says and principles of stewardship that should be the fabric of any congregation.

Loring Carpenter

Rev. J. Loring Carpenter has spent over forty years in pastoral ministry as well as coaching congregations and nonprofit organizations in transforming the future and funding new vision and mission. He has served as pastor, director, board member, and leader for many nonprofit ministries, being part of the start-up of five, including a shelter for homeless families, a day camp, a preschool and a youth. As coach and consultant he has assisted churches and nonprofits seeking new directions of mission and support. He has served many nonprofit boards including the North American Maritime Ministry Association, the CCCC, and is currently Finance Chair of our Conference. Loring is currently is Executive Director of Seafarer’s Friend and lives in Haverhill, MA with his wife MaryAnne, enjoying time with their three grown children and 6 grandchildren whenever possible.

The Seven Guiding Values of the CCCC with Paul McPheeters and Todd Venman

As a Conference we have prayerfully committed ourselves to seven “Guiding Values” which we believe God has called us to live out in our ministry and mission together.  These values flow from the clear teaching of Scripture and are rooted in the local church.  This seminar will flesh out these guiding values and provide opportunity for people to respond and interact with them.  The seminar is led by Paul McPheeters and Todd Venman, the President and Vice President of our Board of Directors.

Paul McPheeters

Paul McPheeters is a happy husband to Nancy, and a devoted dad to Sarah and Rebekah.  He has served as the pastor of the Forestdale Community Church in Malden, MA for 30 years.  He currently serves the Conference as the President of the Board of Directors, and a member of the NEX church multiplication hub in New England.  In the past he has served as an Area Representative in New England, the local arrangements chairman for the 1999 Annual Meeting in Sturbridge, and the chair of the national Church Multiplication Committee.

Todd Venman

For the past thirteen years, Rev. Todd Venman, his wife Dawn, and their three boys have been serving the Lord in Russell Pennsylvania. He received his B.S. in Bible with a minor in Christian Education: Youth Ministry Focus, from Lancaster Bible College.  After graduation he served at Harmony Grove Community Church in Dover PA as Pastor of Youth and Christian Education for five and a half years.

Todd currently serves the CCCC’s as Chair of the Development Team and Vice President of the conference.

Leading Change in the Small Church and Living to Tell About It with Jeff Holton

Pastors have many joys and challenges in serving small churches.  One of the greatest difficulties small church pastors encounter is implementing healthy and successful change in their congregations.  Join Jeff Holton as he shares his stories, struggles and insights as he has prayerfully (and continually) implemented change in his rural church.  This seminar will look at how healthy change can happen. There will also be a designated time to share ideas and stories from other small town peers in our Conference.

Jeff Holton

Jeff Holton is the Pastor at Spring Valley Congregational Church, a small rural church in Western Wisconsin since 2007.  He graduated from Calvary Chapel Bible College in 1994 and entered full-time ministry that same year.  He served in youth ministry for nearly 14 years at Fluvanna Community Church for 7 years, and at Church of the Cross in Erie, PA for 6 1/2 years.

Jeff is originally from Jamestown, NY.  He enjoys spending time with his family, his wife Carrie and four children: Micaiah, Gabe, Simon-Charles and Berea; reading and music.

Maintaining a Healthy Family in the Midst of Ministry with Shawn Winters

One of the top reasons that pastors leave churches is because they don’t know how to have a healthy family life and a healthy ministry at the same time. Too many pastors allow the demands of ministry to wreak havoc on the family. This seminar will give ministry leaders some practical tools for strengthening family connection, staying balanced in the life of church leadership, and being the primary disciple-maker of your home

Shawn Winters

Shawn Winters is Wooddale’s Discipleship Pastor and oversees the Small Groups at Home, One-to-One Spiritual Mentoring, Disciple U, and Sports Ministry. His desire is to help Wooddale Church feel smaller— that is, be a place that each person can get to know others, and grow deeper in their walk with God. “I enjoy connecting people to others,” he says, “helping them find a place and discovering that a life lived whole-heartedly for Jesus is the very best life!”

Shawn was born in Canada, raised in the state of Washington, graduated from high school in Colorado.  He holds a Bachelors in Business Management from Biola University, and an M.Div. from Bethel Seminary.  He is currently pursuing a D.Min. at Gordon Conwell Seminary in South Hamilton, MA.  Prior to coming to Wooddale Church, Shawn served 10 years as Senior Pastor of a church in central Kansas. Shawn and his wife, Becky, are the proud parents of four children. The family enjoys many activities including looooong road trips, Jayhawk basketball and hiking cool new trails.

Volunteer Development with Jill Fox

Many ministry leaders spend hours recruiting people to serve on their teams, or they give up and do the work themselves. Volunteer Development strategies can make staffing ministries more successful. Even better, staff ministries can give volunteers a deep sense of satisfaction as they realize that God is using them to do something important. Let’s talk about how.

Jill Fox

Jill Fox works at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, MN as Pastor of Volunteer Development, The Gathering and Young Adults. She has been the Pastor of Volunteer Development for 7+ years. A graduate of Bethel University and Bethel Seminary, Jill does consulting for churches pertaining to volunteer development. Her passions are developing future leaders, building teams, and shoes. Jill is married to Paul and has a son named Grey, who is 8 months old.

“Being Changed” in the CCCC’s with Paul McPheeters and David Kemper

The theme of this year’s Family Conference is  applies not only to individuals and churches, but to the CCCC as a whole.  We are being changed as God leads us into a shared life and mission for the 21st Century.  This seminar will lay out the ways in which our priorities of healthy pastors, healthy churches, and church multiplication are reshaping our Conference for the future.  This seminar is led by Paul McPheeters and David Kemper from the Board of Directors.

Paul McPheeters

Paul McPheeters is a happy husband to Nancy, and a devoted Dad to Sarah and Rebekah.  He has served as the pastor of the Forestdale Community Church in Malden, MA for 30 years.  He currently serves the Conference as the President of the Board of Directors, and a member of the NEX church multiplication hub in New England.  In the past he has served as an Area Representative in New England, the local arrangements chairman for the 1999 Annual Meeting in Sturbridge, and the chair of the national Church Multiplication Committee.

David Kemper

David Kemper has come to rediscover his love for our Father God and His Son within the past six years of his 25 years of ministry experience, and has learned a life changing devotion as a disciple of Jesus. He has served as a youth pastor, senior pastor, and solo pastor. David’s roots have grown deep, as he loves God and others, and as he walks in the light of Jesus with people (life on life). He has a burden for so many who do not know yet that they are God’s creation.

He has been married to Cheryl for 37 years; they have brought up four boys’ and enjoy their five grandchildren. Presently David is a pastor of a development church in Tamworth New Hampshire, and founder and executive director of Life Bridge Inc, a mentoring ministry reaching at–risk children and families.  His passion is to develop a structure as the Holy Spirit leads to support and empower pastors as they lead their congregations. He joined the CCCC’s in 1993 as an ordained minister.

Building a Positive and Effective Children’s Ministry in a Very Negative World with Kimberly Park

This workshop will take a look at how we as Children’s Ministry professionals and Lay Leaders can build a positive and effective Children’s Ministry when it seems as though the world is against us. Topics to be covered include “Principles of a Positive Ministry”, Building Relationships that Bond”, “How to Develop a Child’s Spiritual Potential”, and “God’s Process for Teaching Obedience”. This workshop is based on Chip Ingram’s Parenting workshop and has been adapted for use in “Building an Effective Children’s Ministry”.

Kimberly Park

Kimberly Park has committed her life to two life challenges. Her primary focus is reaching the lost for Christ, and the second, easing the suffering of hurting children.

Kimberly is a graduate of Edinboro University and serves as Christian Education Director/Children’s Pastor at Fluvanna Community Church in Jamestown, NY.  Prior to answering the call to ministry in 2004, she enjoyed 26 years teaching in both public and Christian schools.

Her commitment to children has included adopting three children, Stephanie, Elizabeth, and Brittany, with her husband, Skip. She also, is an Ambassador for Group Publishing, writing, field-testing and equipping children’s ministries across the country with quality Christian literature.

What Needs to Change? with Shirley Debeau

Prayer with Bob Bakke

Prayer is fundamental to our partnership with God in the unfolding of his purposes in history: “Without God we cannot, without us he will not.”  We will study why the Bible commands it, how Jesus modeled it, how history is filed with the stories of God’s transforming power in response to it, and how we can improve it in the local church.

Bob Bakke

Bob has been the teaching pastor of Hillside Church since 2007. He and his wife Sally live in Burnsville, Minnesota. The Bakkes have three sons, a daughter, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, three grand kids and a black lab. A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Bob spent fourteen years serving Connecticut and New Jersey churches. For twelve years he served as an Executive Director of the Evangelical Free Church of America, promoting prayer and spiritual awakening. He is an author, and has produced television and radio simulcasts since 1994.

Bob produces occasional broadcast events that afford millions of people the opportunity to pray simultaneously. As one who honors the local pastorate as the highest calling, Bob uses his gifts as a preacher, teacher, networker and tactician for promoting, forging and cultivating prayer-based movements, domestically and internationally, that lead to the transformation of people and places. His designs are to ensure that local churches — and Hillside Church in particular — becomes the principle agency for the revival of the Church and the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom today.

Effective Children’s Ministries Affect Church Growth with Lisa Jacobson

Ministry to children and their families pays dividends. The dividends depend on how ministry to children is integrated into the church’s overall strategy. This seminar is aimed at pastors with questions about the place of children’s ministry in the church and at workers who want to help senior leaders understand the critical importance of children’s ministry.

Lisa Jacobson

Lisa Jacobson graduated from Wheaton College with a Bachelor of Arts in Spiritual Formation and Ministry. She has served as the children’s ministry pastor at Wooddale Church and as a curriculum consultant for churches and for David C. Cook Publishing. Currently she is the Discipleship Pastor at Brookwood Community Church in Shakopee, Minnesota. She is passionate about children’s ministry and the role the church can play in helping families shape the faith of their children.

Leaving a Legacy: When a Church Must Close with John Kimball and Lenn Zeller

It’s a difficult and even painful decision, but there comes a time in the life of some local congregations when effective ministry and witness becomes impossible.  Without finding fault, this seminar provides information on what leads to that conclusion, what steps are recommended to close the church with grace, while still caring for the people. It also will cover ideas on how a church can leave a legacy that continues to invest in the Kingdom of God after its closure.

John Kimball

John Kimball has served as CCCC Director of Church Development since 2007.  Prior to that, he was in local church ministry while serving the CCCC in various capacities including Chair of the Missions Committee, Mid-Atlantic Area Representative and CCCC Vice President.

John and his Church Development Team work with CCCC congregations at various stages along the Church Life Cycle, helping with assessment, training, coaching and facilitating our LifeFlow Church Development process. He also mentors local pastors with respect to both leading the LifeFlow process in their churches and in personal ministry development.

Lenn Zeller

Lenn Zeller has been the pastor of St. Paul’s Church in Stowe, PA since 2001, previously pastoring churches in Illinois and Ohio. Ordained in 1981 by the Lebanon Association of the Penn Central Conference of the United Church of Christ, Lenn’s ordination was transferred to the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference in 1994.

Lenn has served as an Area Representative for Southern Illinois and Missouri and as Area Representative for Eastern Pennsylvania. He was the Area Representative Chairperson from 2009-2011. He has served on the Annual Conference Local Arrangements Committee in 1996 and 2005. Lenn presently serves as the Volunteer Director of Conference Care.

A Culture Shift: How to Best Serve at Home and Abroad with Randy Mortensen

Join, Randy Mortensen, President of World Wide Village (WWV), as he shares how pastors and churches can make an impact in Haiti. Every year, Randy leads three Senior/Lead Pastor trips to Haiti, where pastors have an opportunity to interact with other leaders from across the United States, interact with Haitian pastors, and experience daily life in the communities where WWV has focused ministry. WWV pays all the in country expenses for the pastors who take this trip. This seminar will teach you how you can be involved in a mission trip to Haiti, with the hope that someday you will lead a team of people from your church to Haiti.

WWV’s Development Teams (our church team mission trips) are a fresh approach to foreign and local missions. We are intentionally non-prescriptive, instead seeking guidance from Haitian leadership teams, as we seek to partner with them to eliminate chronic dependency. Our approach is based on three core questions: 1) What do you have for resources? 2) What would you like to accomplish? and, 3) How can we come alongside community members to achieve the goal?

Don’t “go to do” instead “go to learn”. We seek to develop spiritual vitality, while building meaningful relationships within the community by working with pastors, the elders, and local church leaders. Attending this seminar might be one of the most important decisions you will ever make as a pastor. Nothing changes a church like a commitment to experiencing missions first-hand.

Randy Mortensen

For 30 years Randy gained experience in the banking, commercial services, construction and energy sectors. Culminating with a role as vice-president of an unregulated subsidiary of a $10 billion utility based in the Upper Midwest. He’s led small to multi-million dollar organizations with hundreds of employees through start-up, survival, turnaround and growth modes.

As he was turning age 50, a book titled, From Success to Significance radically altered plans for his life. Randy made the decision to exit a lucrative corporate career to pursue life in the non-profit sector. Over the past 8 years he’s been a founder of a Christ-centered recovery ministry that serves 250 to 300 people on a weekly basis. He and his wife are staff members with Cru, serving in the professional marketplace arena, with a passion for showing others how to “Take Sunday morning worship to Monday morning work.” And, since 2006 he has been president of World Wide Village (www.worldwidevillage.org), a 501C3 that’s been serving the people of Haiti since 2001. WWV’s programs have grown exponentially over the past seven years, and the number of men, women, and children being served growing each month. Currently, WWV has between 80-85 full and part-time Haitian staff members.

Randy is a private pilot, enjoys playing golf and spending time on the beaches of the Caribbean. He has a degree in business, has served on numerous church boards, and presently serves on three non-profit boards of directors. He lives in Saint Paul, is married to Patricia and has one son, Joel.

Leadership Development with Jill Fox and Rob O’Neal

What makes a good leader? How can good leaders grow up within local churches? Every leader benefits from knowing themselves better. When they know themselves better, they begin to see how God has shaped them and how they can work with other team members.

Jill Fox (See bio above)

Rob O’Neal

Rob O’Neal has been married to Tammi for over 20 years. They are raising their two children in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Rob is the founding pastor of Brookwood Community Church and an active participant in the CCCC. He has degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Stetson University.

Effective Small Groups with Shawn Winters

Small groups form the backbone of many churches, giving attendees chances to connect and grow. What makes for a strong small group? What makes for an effective small group ministry for a church? And how do churches train and deploy small group leaders? The answers to these and other questions can make or break a small group ministry.

Shawn Winters (See bio above)

Lessons Learned in 60 Years of Preaching and Teaching with Barry Jones

Barry Jones has served as a pastor for more than 60 years. This seminar will teach the lessons that he has learned in preparing and preaching God’s Word in churches of 50 members to 1,000 members. He will share how he learned lessons the hard way and at times by gentle persuasion. Barry will share how he kept a balance while preparing four messages a week.

Barry Jones

Barry Jones has been a member minister of the CCCC since 1965. He is a past president of the conference, former president of the World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship and has pastored CCCC churches in Canada, Minnesota and California.

The Practical Pastor’s Wife with Women’s Ministry Team