Making Room: More Love, Less Fear
About this Event
Making Room: More Love, Less Fear
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 differences are welcomed.
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 different than us in our lives and churches?
• What practices help us move toward hospitality and welcome?
Through conversation, storytelling, and practical next steps, you’ll leave with ideas on how to cultivate peace by making room for differences in your relationships, neighborhoods, churches and communities.
Agenda
🕑: 09:20 AM
Welcome & Prayer
Host: Heather Johnson, Emcee
Info: We will welcome Rev. Marvin King of Shiloh Baptist Church to lead us in prayer.
🕑: 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
Info: Bishop Stowe will share stories from his time in El Paso working with immigrant folks. He will also share a theology of migration as central to the biblical story as well as what welcoming the stranger entails. He will conclude by discussing with us how recognizing the contributions of migrants to our society can also help create safer cities and communities.
🕑: 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 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.
🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Breakout 4: The Church's Role in Addressing Gun Violence
Host: Julius Johnson
Info: Julius grew up in the East End of Lexington, Kentucky. Like many young people searching for acceptance and purpose, life choices eventually led to a destructive path. By 18, his life had entered a revolving door of arrests, J*il cells, and broken opportunities, and at 25 he went to Pr*son. But then everything changed. Julius will talk about understanding gun violence and how we can get involved in preventing and responding to gun violence.
🕑: 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
From Transactional to Relational Chrisitianity
Host: Rob Perez
Info: How can we bring dignity and healing through employment and redemptive work culture? At DV8 we've learned:
A paycheck alone would not have kept people sober
Programs alone would not have kept people sober
People stay sober because they begin belonging.
🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:20 PM
Q&A with Rob Perez
Host: Rob Perez
🕑: 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: Setting the Lonely in Families
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.
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:20 PM
Loving Neighbors In Need Of Affordable Housing
Host: Dr. Nathl Moore
Info: We will talk about providing affordable housing through the Church, Community organizing, and Policy Change. Dr. Moore will share the story of First African Baptist Church and their journey to creating affordable housing.
🕑: 04:20 PM - 04:50 PM
Your Peacemaking Action Plan
Info: Using what you have learned from the talks and stories you heard, you will be able to use a Peacemaking Action Plan Template to create your next steps for peacemaking in your personal life or your ministry context. Through some simple questions and conversation, you can begin to imagine how to welcome differences in practical ways and cultivate relationships that bridge cultures. You will discover volunteer opportunities and new ideas for how you can promote peace in your community.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 10.00
