Upcoming Digital Workshops

Category: Administration/ Buildings

Finding Growth Opportunities Outside the Traditional Church Model
Tuesday, December 3 at 3:00pm ET

This workshop will explore how churches can use their facilities creatively to support both their mission and financial growth. By opening spaces for activities like community events, educational programs, and local partnerships, churches can generate extra income while deepening their community connections.

This approach not only helps to sustain finances but also strengthens the church’s presence and relevance in the local area. Initiatives like these can attract a wider audience, encourage collaboration, and expand the church’s mission in fresh ways—creating a dynamic space for faith that extends beyond traditional services.

Learning Objectives:

• Assess Facility Potential: How to evaluate your current facilities to better support mission and financial goals.
• Explore Revenue Options: Discover various ways to create income streams that align with your mission, from event rentals to community partnerships.
• Attract Resources: Understand strategies for attracting investments and resources—both financial and human—to maximize the value of your church’s assets.

Panelists Include:

• Bill Keslar – CEO, Building Solutions; Dallas, Texas (moderator)
• Jeff Stone – Managing Member, Campus Innovations Group LLC; Dallas, Texas
• David Ashworth – Managing Member, Campus Innovations Group LLC; Dallas, Texas
• Dana Dabek – Director of Transition Services, Partners for Sacred Places; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Category: Current Affairs

Crisis in the Sudans: Action Needed to Save Lives
Tuesday, December 10 at 3:00pm ET

Join us for a powerful digital workshop that delves into the ongoing crisis in Sudan and South Sudan, where devastating violence has claimed thousands of lives, displaced over 10 million people, and pushed millions more to the brink of starvation. As rival military factions battle for control, civilians bear the brunt of the conflict, facing unimaginable hardship and human rights abuses.

This timely conversation will feature Sudanese and American experts who will shed light on the roots of the conflict, the current humanitarian situation, and the path toward potential solutions. Panelists will explore how people of faith—including members of the Episcopal Church—and advocates of good will can take action to support peace, justice, and survival in the region.

In collaboration with the American Friends of the Episcopal Church in the Sudans (AFRECS), this webinar will also highlight the crucial work being done by Episcopal leaders in Sudan to offer hope amidst the crisis. Learn about AFRECS’s initiatives to amplify the church’s witness for peace and provide humanitarian aid to those in desperate need.

Why Attend?

This workshop provides a unique opportunity to hear directly from those on the frontlines of the conflict—faith leaders, humanitarian experts, and advocates working tirelessly to find pathways to peace. Participants will:

• Understand the complex dynamics driving violence in the Sudans
• Hear first hand stories from Episcopal leaders in the region
• Learn what advocacy, partnerships, and faith-based efforts can do to make a difference
• Discover how you and your community can support the ongoing work of AFRECS and other initiatives

Now more than ever, action is needed to save lives and prevent further devastation. This conversation will equip you with the knowledge, tools, and resources to make a meaningful impact.

Register today and stand in solidarity with the people of Sudan and South Sudan. Together, we can support their journey toward peace, stability, and hope.

Panelists Include:

• Andudu ElNail – Bishop of Kadugli & Nuba Mountains, Episcopal Church of Sudan; Kadugli, Sudan
• Niemat Ahmadi – Founder & President, Darfur Women’s Action Group; Washington, District of Columbia
• Tom Staal – Former Counselor, USAID; Acting USAID Director, Sudan (Summer 2024); Board Member, AFRECS; Alexandria, Virginia
•  Anita Sanborn – President, AFRECS; Alexandria, Virginia
•  Tom Prichard – Executive Director, Sudan Sunrise; Fairfax, Virginia

Category: Changing Church/ Preaching

​​Being Human & Pastoring Toward the Good Life
Wednesday, December 11 at 3:00pm ET

How do we find the good life as creatures loved, limited, and liberated by God, in a culture that values independence and endless options? This conversation will focus on how to pastor faithfully these mortal, yet beloved creatures, known as humans, from birth to death, and how we can answer, and help others answer, the great commission in light of this reality.

The panel hopes to equip clergy and lay leaders to better address contemporary ethical and pastoral concerns related to contemporary life, from welcoming new life and navigating relationships, to embracing change and dying well. Join us for this important session with leading thinkers.

Panelists Include:

• Matthew S.C. Olver – Executive Director and Publisher, The Living Church Foundation (moderator)
• Amy Peeler – Kenneth T. Wessner Chair of Biblical Studies and Professor of New Testament, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois
• Katherine Sonderegger – Affiliated Faculty, Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Virginia
• Victor Lee Austin – Theologian-in-Residence, Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, Dallas, Texas
• Elisabeth Rain Kincaid – Director of the Institute for Faith and Learning, Baylor University, Waco, Texas

Category: Changing Church/ Formation/ Technology

​​Faith Podcasting: Reaching the Seeker
Wednesday, January 15 at 3:00pm ET

In a world flooded with podcasts, reaching spiritual seekers has never been easier—or more complex. Digital content creation is a powerful tool for faith formation, and this session offers a unique opportunity to learn how to harness its potential effectively.

Join the hosts of the popular Popping Collars Podcast as they share insights on starting a faith-based show, its impact on their ministries, and how their digital content has adapted over the past decade. You will also gain practical knowledge that can guide your own ministry’s digital journey.

Panelists Include:

• Greg Knight – Director of Spiritual Development, 1st Unitarian Universalist of the Palm Beaches; North Palm Beach, FL
• Liz Easton – Canon to the Ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska; Omaha, NE
• Ricardo Avila – Rector, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church; Los Gatos, CA
• Laura Manley – Administrative Resource, EPN; Co-Founder, Being Truly podcast; Lake Worth Beach, FL (moderator)