Making Room: More Love, Less Fear

In a polarized world, peacemaking is more than avoiding conflict—it’s learning how to make room for one another.
About this Event

Making Room: More Love, Less Fear

In a polarized world, peacemaking is more than avoiding conflict—it’s learning how to make room for one another as Jesus calls us to. Join us for Making Room: More Love, Less Fear, a gathering of local ministry and nonprofit leaders sharing real stories of building connection, practicing hospitality, and creating communities where people can belong.

Together, we’ll explore questions like:

• What fears keep us separated from one another?

• What does peacemaking look like in everyday life?

• How do we create space for people who often feel overlooked or excluded?

• What practices help us move toward curiosity, courage, and love?

Through conversation, storytelling, and practical next steps, you’ll leave with ideas for making room for peace in your relationships, neighborhoods, churches and communities.

Agenda

🕑: 09:20 AM
Welcome & Prayer
Host: Heather Johnson, Emcee
🕑: 09:30 AM - 09:50 AM
Worship Music
Host: Justin Rhorer

Info: Justin planted Restoration Church in 2017 in downtown Lexington and has been pastor there ever since. He is passionate about helping people relearn and rediscover their faith in the midst of doubt, disillusionment, and difficult seasons. Prior to pastoring, he served the local church as a worship leader and songwriter for 12 years.

🕑: 09:50 AM - 10:20 AM
Living Peaceably with Our Neighbor and Welcoming the Stranger
Host: Bishop John Stowe
🕑: 10:20 AM - 10:40 AM
Q&A with Bishop Stowe
Host: Bishop John Stowe
🕑: 10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
Breakout Session Instructions
Host: Heather Johnson, Emcee
🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Breakout Sessions
Host: Various

Info: Steph Peterson)//Steph Peterson,"Pint-sized Peacemakers: Practicing Peace with Kids"// Julius Johnson, "Bringing Peace to Families & Individuals Impacted by Violence"

🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Breakout 1: Partnering for Peace in Eastern Kentucky

Info: Father Dan Noll is Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington. 40 of the 50 counties in the Diocese are in the Appalachian Region of Kentucky. Since August 2022, he has been heavily involved with residents of the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, as they face both the challenges of poverty and flood recovery, and sustain the joys of their rich culture.

🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Breakout 2: Making Room for Differently Abled Persons
Host: Megan Russell

Info: Megan Russell has worked in the Lexington disability field for more than 10 years as a direct support professional and job coach. In her work, she supports adults with disabilities in fostering independence, building employment skills, and creating inclusive community and work experiences. Megan is also a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary, where she earned a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies.

🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Breakout 3: Pint-Sized Peacemakers: Practicing Peace with Kids
Host: Steph Peterson

Info: Steph Peterson (Pastor of Children’s Discipleship for the Brethren in Christ U.S. Great Lakes Conference) is a Jesus-following, dinosaur-loving, mac and cheese-eating mom, wife, artist and children’s minister who lives and works in Wilmore, Kentucky. She works to create resources for the BIC U.S. designing and developing kids crafts and curricula and serving the children and families of Asbury Theological Seminary where she works as the Childcare Team Lead.

🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Lunch Together
🕑: 01:00 PM - 01:30 PM
Worship Music
Host: Justin Rhorer
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:15 PM
Second Chances with DV8
Host: Rob Perez

Info: How can we bring dignity and healing through employment and redemptive work culture?

🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:20 PM
Q&A with Rob Perez
Host: Rob Perez
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Breakout Sessions
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Breakout 1: Calor Humano: Loving Immigrant Prisoners
Host: Karissa Porter

Info: Karissa is currently a full-time instructor at BCTC where she teaches humanities, English and ESL. She has a long history of work with refugees and immigrants in Lexington having worked 13 years with Kentucky refugee Ministries. Currently she volunteers and is on the steering committee for Calor Humano. A project born out of concern for our immigrant neighbors being unlawfully and unjustly detained by ICE. Calor Humano works to provide transport support for individuals released from incarceration so they can get home safely to their families. They also support detained individuals with funds for commissary, phone and texting account. In addition to providing bridges to legal resources and in facility visitation for those who are far from home. Since November 2025 they have helped over 80 people successfully reunite with their families from as far as Oregon, Florida, New York to as close as Louisville. They have also provided funding to over 100 immigrant detained persons in Kentucky.

🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Breakout 2: Bringing the Peace of Christ to Urban Youth
Host: Michael Overstreet
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Breakout 3: Recovery as Peacemaking: Going Beyond Sobriety
Host: Heather Johnson

Info: Revive works with hundreds of clients each year providing residential and outpatient addiction treatments. "We know that Kentucky really struggles with this opioid epidemic," Heather explains. "We just wanna make sure people know that they are valuable, that they are worthy, they have a purpose and we're here to give them those opportunities."

🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Breakout 4: Bringing the Peace of Christ to Homeless and Poor Neighbors
Host: Laura Carr

Info: Laura Carr works at the Lexington Rescue Mission, a ministry dedicated to meeting the needs of hurting people in the greater Lexington area. Since 2001, Lexington Rescue Mission has served people who were living in poverty, homelessness, and addiction. The mission meets their critical needs for food, clothing, and shelter and builds relationships with people to address their underlying needs and offer the hope of Jesus Christ.
For the last five years, she has served as the Executive Director. In addition to her work at the mission, she serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Fayette County Emergency Food and Shelter Program and on the Vestry of Saint Patrick’s Anglican Church. Laura is the daughter of the founders of the Lexington Rescue Mission, Jim and Becky Connell. She is married to Jason Carr, who works at the University of Kentucky.