Choose Your Path: Workshops Announced for the 2026 Synod Assembly

  • Friday, June 12, 2026 | Love of Christ Lutheran Church, Mesa, AZ

  • Session 1: 2:30–3:30 pm

  • Break: 3:30–3:50 pm

  • Session 2: 3:50–4:50 pm

As part of this year’s Synod Assembly, Rooted in God’s Story, participants are invited into two rounds of workshops designed to equip leaders, strengthen congregations, and deepen our shared life in Christ.

Led by leaders from across the synod and beyond, these workshops offer practical tools, faithful reflection, and real-world insight for ministry today.

Session 1 Workshops (2:30–3:30 pm)

  • Roots and Shoots: Youth Voices for the Church Today (Godly Play Room)
    Presenter: Deacon Laura Book and youth/young adult panel
    Hear directly from young people as they share how they experience faith, church, and community today. This interactive panel invites honest listening and fresh insight into the hopes and questions shaping the next generation.

  • Congregational Safety and Preparedness Strategies Workshop (Outreach Room)
    Presenter: Pastor Jeremy Nausin
    This session offers practical guidance for developing or strengthening safety and emergency response plans in congregations. Whether you’re just starting or building on existing work, you’ll gain tools, resources, and a sense of shared support.

  • Conflict Resolution & Relationship Restoration: Solving Today’s Issues (Leadership Room)
    Presenter: Teri J. Traaen, Ed.D., D.P.A.
    Explore how conflict unfolds and how it can be addressed constructively. Using interest-based problem solving, this workshop helps participants identify personal patterns, understand triggers, and develop healthier approaches to conflict in ministry settings.

  • Coaching as Developing a Meaningful Story (Room 8)
    Presenter: Rev. Philip Gustafson
    Learn how coaching can help leaders and congregations move from where they are to where they are called to be. Includes a live coaching demonstration and conversation about how coaching supports growth, clarity, and faithful decision-making.

  • Common Legacy Giving Obstacles and How to Navigate Them (Room 17)
    Presenter: Lisa Marie Higginbotham, CFRE
    Gain insight into current trends in charitable giving, common misunderstandings, and practical ways to strengthen legacy giving in your congregation. A helpful session for anyone thinking about long-term stewardship.

Session 2 Workshops (3:50–4:50 pm)

  • Telling God’s Story Through Godly Play (Godly Play Room)
    Presenter: Kathye Hamm
    Experience Godly Play as a way of entering deeply into scripture and the life of faith. This session introduces how storytelling, wondering, and reflection can shape spiritual formation for all ages.

  • AI in Ministry: Faithful Use and Practical Tools for Today (Outreach Room)
    Presenter: Brian Flatgard
    Explore the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence through a theological lens, alongside practical tools you can use right now. Learn how AI can support communication, writing, and ministry work while staying grounded in faithful witness.

  • Congregational Vitality – Survey and More! (Leadership Room)
    Presenter: Karen Olson (with Mark Myers and Rev. David Pavesic)
    Discover how the Congregational Vitality process and survey can help assess and strengthen the health of your congregation. Learn how the synod’s team can walk alongside you in this work.

  • Effective Reentry Ministry for Ordinary Congregations (Room 8)
    Presenter: Fred Nelson
    This workshop explores how congregations can engage meaningfully with people returning from incarceration. Participants will learn about challenges, research, and practical pathways for building reentry ministry based on their context.

  • The Great Transition (Room 17)
    Presenter: Rev. Stewart McDonald
    What is happening to the church we have known—and what is God bringing to life next? This session places today’s changes within the broader history of the church, offering perspective, language, and hope for the future.

Rooted in God’s Story—Together

Each of these workshops reflects the reality that the church is both grounded and growing—rooted in God’s story, and continually being shaped for what comes next.

Whether you are looking for practical tools, deeper understanding, or new imagination for ministry, these sessions offer meaningful opportunities to learn and engage.

Plan ahead, choose your sessions, and come ready to grow together in Mesa.

Grand Canyon Synod, Leader ResourcesBrian Flatgard2026 Synod AssemblyComment