LT 2027 Pre-Conference Lunch & Learn and Workshops
Pre-Conference Lunch & Learn ($30)
Spiritual Gifts and Graces Workshop – Tammie Haynes and Laurie Nordan
What are spiritual gifts anyway and what in the world are the graces? Why does God give spiritual gifts to His church? Why is it important to know our spiritual gifts and help other women know and use their gifts in the church? These are just a few of the questions we will answer as we take a deep dive into the Bible’s teaching on Spiritual Gifts and Graces. In order to strengthen Christ’s Church, we need to not only know and understand our spiritual gifts, but also learn to steward them in Christ-like ways. This interactive workshop will include teaching, discussion, and completing a spiritual gifts assessment, all for the purpose of building one another up in Christ for His glory and the good of the Church. Since 2018, Laurie and Tammie have had opportunities to teach this workshop at The ONE Conference, at church retreats around Mississippi and in Trujillo, Peru.
The Sacred Stewardship of Faithful Bible Teaching: Using Our Gift to Strengthen the Church – Paula Miles
This workshop is focused on encouraging and equipping women who are currently teaching on a local church teaching team or have a heart and calling to teach Bible study. We will discuss the compelling “why” of healthy Word-based, relationally driven discipleship for women. We will practically consider faithful preparation and delivery–how we approach a passage, valuable resources, framework through which we think, participants’ backgrounds, etc.
Gospel Incubators: A Team-based Approach to Leadership Development – Karen Hodge
An incubator is a nurturing environment designed for growth and development with the aim of flourishing. A women’s ministry team should be the gospel incubator, encouraging and equipping women to identify how God has uniquely designed them for meaningful engagement that strengthens the whole church. The privilege of serving shoulder to shoulder with sisters who possess different gifts provides pathways to steward their God-given gifts and graces for the mutual good. A team-based approach sets a warm environment where women’s leadership potential can be nurtured towards maturity. This pre-conference will provide practical tools designed for women’s ministry teams who attend together to work towards a collective stewardship inventory. It will be equally beneficial for those who do not currently have a team but are looking to build ones with a stewardship and multiplication mindset.
Preparing Your Heart with Art – Eden Flora and Molly Thomas
Join us as we seek to prepare our hearts before the Lord as we enter into Leadership Training. Together we will spend time reflecting on scripture visually. We will use art materials to create artwork to encourage our hearts. No art experience required. Led by Eden Flora, Registered Art Therapist and Regional Advisor to the Mid-South.
Workshops (You will choose 2):
More Than What You Do: Embracing Your Identity in Christ – Katie Polski and Eden Flora
In a world that constantly measures our worth by achievement, appearance, productivity, and gifting, it is easy to lose sight of who we truly are. This workshop explores what Scripture teaches about our deepest identity – not as women defined by what we do, but as beloved daughters of God. Together we will look at 1 John 3:1-3 and discover how rooting our identity in Christ brings freedom from comparison, performance, and insecurity. You’ll leave encouraged to live from God’s love rather than striving to earn it.
Leading with a Team: Where Do I Start (or Start Over)? – Susan Tyner and Paula Miles
Ever thought of Jesus’s twelve disciples as the first “team-based ministry team?” If Jesus can use impulsive Peter, the big personalities of the “Sons of Thunder,” as well as a doubting Thomas, He can use women today with a similar range of personalities and quirks, of competitive spirits as well as calm presences. As a leader, how do you choose, train, and guide women for the team-based approach Jesus used ? Whether you are beginning a team from scratch, inheriting a long-standing one, or wondering what a healthy team even looks like, please join us as we discuss ways to begin, start over, or even improve your present ministry team.
Helping Every Woman Find Her Place – Kristie Harrick and Creigh Brown
Does your women’s ministry rely on the same 5-10 women to lead, serve, and volunteer? If you are ready to broaden involvement but aren’t sure where to begin, this session is for you.
Together, we will explore practical strategies for helping women discover their spiritual gifts, identify their natural talents, and connect those strengths with meaningful opportunities to serve and engage. You will learn how to intentionally build programming, leadership pathways, and training opportunities that invite women to participate and thrive.
Leave with fresh ideas and actionable tools to cultivate a culture where every woman can find her place, use her God-given gifts, and become actively engaged in the life and ministry of your church.
Relational Wisdom and Peace-Making: Living in Harmony with One Another – Cheryl Mullis and Chandra Oliver [offered only during Workshop #2]
Christ, our Peacemaker, secured our peace with God and now calls and equips us to faithfully steward the ministry of reconciliation by pursuing peace with one another. Because Christ is our Peace, we need not fear difficult conversations, misunderstandings, or relational tension. Through conversation, reflection, practical application, and real-life ministry scenarios, we’ll explore how the gospel transforms the way we navigate conflict and cultivate Christlike peacemaking within the church. Together we’ll explore biblical principles and practical tools that strengthen our fellowship and help us “live in such harmony with one another…that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5–6).
Come rediscover how Scripture calls us to use the gift of hospitality for kingdom-building. Whether you’re a veteran or a newbie, there’s a place for you to use this gift for the glory of God in your home, church, and community.
Beyond the Walls: Women on Mission Where We Live, Work, and Play! – Courtney Denton
Women’s ministry is not confined to Bible studies, church events, or the walls of a building. As women redeemed by Christ and sent into the world, we are called to live faithfully wherever God has placed us. This workshop will explore how the gospel compels us to engage our neighbors, coworkers, friends, and communities through evangelism, mercy, and missions.
Grounded in Scripture and an understanding of God’s sovereignty, we will discover that mission is not reserved for a select few but is the ordinary calling of every believer. Together, we will consider how God uses faithful women to proclaim the good news, demonstrate the compassion of Christ, and participate in His mission to make disciples among the nations.
Through biblical teaching, thoughtful discussion, and practical application, women will be encouraged to engage their heads with truth, their hearts with compassion, and their hands with intentional action as they seek to live on mission where they live, work, and play.
Partners in the Gospel: The Complementary Stewardship of Men and Women Serving Together in the Church – Chris and Karen Hodge
Let’s face it, this topic will either induce fear or invite freedom. It all depends on your approach. We will explore the beauty of partnership in the gospel that God has ordained for men and women to work together in the context of the church in a complementary fashion. Our time together will provide a biblical framework as well as practical tips. We invite you to bring your questions, concerns, and curiosity as we explore this topic in a refreshingly real fashion.
Answering Wisdom’s Call: The Daily Discipline of Quitting Folly’s House – Karen Ellis [only offered during Workshop #1] Like all great building projects, the world runs on the wisdom of its Architect. The Bible tells us that the universe—its foundation, inner workings, and relationships—is a carefully ordered place designed for humanity’s good and God’s glory. Too often, however, we attempt life based on our own understanding. This brings chaos, confusion, and consternation. Yet the Wisdom foundation that undergirds the world is so strong, not even the selfish folly of man could destroy our Creator’s peace-filled intentions.
To become wise, we must respond to Wisdom’s call—to dwell in Wisdom’s house. Proverbs is full of practical wisdom on everyday living. Scripture teaches that Christ Himself is our wisdom—our way back to understanding how to build and live as the Architect intended. Those who meditate on the wisdom of Christ will find themselves living in Wisdom’s house once again. You will be refreshed and able to bring life to those around you—just like Christ who breathed life from its start.
Scripture is full of one generous and welcoming invitation after another. In Wisdom’s Call, K. A. Ellis shows us how to claim the asset of wisdom and invites us to experience Jesus Christ—the Wisdom on which our world rests. Ellis calls us to live in God’s magnificent world as people who are wise.