Spring 2026 District Training
Schedule
Sat, 14 Mar, 2026 at 09:00 am
UTC-05:00Location
North Liberty First: A United Methodist Community of Faith | North Liberty, IA
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March 14- District Leadership TrainingFirst UMC in North Liberty
9 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Critical Conversations and Conflict Transformation, Presented by: Rev. Ryan Christenson
How are you and your church at coming together with passion and ideas? When important conversations arise, do you navigate them constructively—or does the fire quickly burn out? Sometimes, those sparks of creativity and conviction can lead to harmony and world-changing mission, but other times they ignite dissonance and division.
The truth is: conflict happens. “Conflict” simply is the presence of two or more ideas held by people that care about them. That’s why it’s essential to equip church leaders with the skills to engage in critical conversations and transform conflict.
This 90-minute workshop will provide practical tools, teaching, and strategies you can take back to your congregation. Together we will:
Explore the nature of conflict and why it matters.
Review best practices for speaking and listening well.
Reflect on personal tendencies in conflict situations.
Consider actionable strategies for your local church.
Join us to transform conflict into an opportunity for deeper connection and stronger ministry.
Workshops:
Aye-Yi-AI: Artificial Intelligence's Ethics and Opportunities For Ministry, Presented by: Mr. Lyle Muller
We can ignore artificial intelligence, or we can embrace it for our ministries. Either way, it is here, and it presents ethical issues we must consider while also realizing the newly evolving ways we can use it for deeper exploration of the Bible and spreading the Gospel to others.
Missions in a Connectional System, Presented by: Rev. Michelle Williamson
This will give us a chance to look at where our Mission apportionments, go; as well as looking at Special Offerings and the wide variety of Conf. and Denominational Advance Special. There will be handouts and lists with descriptions of the many mission opportunities we have.
From Firefighting to Fruit-Tending—Spiritual Leadership for Church Boards and Committees, Presented by: Rev. Christ Childs
If leadership were mostly about having the right answers, the church would already be thriving. Yet many boards and committees find themselves caught in reactive decision making, conflict avoidance, and constant firefighting—often with the best of intentions.
This workshop invites participants to reimagine spiritual leadership not as problem-solving under pressure, but as cultivating a non-anxious, hopeful presence grounded in clarity about God’s mission and purpose for the congregation. Drawing on practical tools and leadership practices developed at Grace Ottumwa, we will explore how emotionally healthy leadership helps churches discern direction, resist the pull of anxiety-driven urgency, and refocus the church on its missional calling.
Participants will reflect on the qualities they seek in leaders, the mission field their congregation is uniquely called to reach, and how sustained focus on that calling reshapes the work of boards and committees—especially when the fires are loud.
Register here: https://iaumc-reg.brtapp.com/SEDistrictTrainingforLocalChurch71
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Where is it happening?
North Liberty First: A United Methodist Community of Faith, 85 N Jones Blvd, North Liberty, IA 52317-9046, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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