Oftentimes we are called into ministry because we and others have seen pastoral gifts (think teaching, shepherding and preaching) in our lives. Internally we sense a call from God and so we head to seminary where we spend countless hours learning to read and teach God’s Word. And then, externally, we are called into the role of an associate, or an executive pastor and our hours are filled, well, in management. Strategic planning, budgets, and staff problems are what fill our time, rather than studying and teaching. But what does it mean? The reality is you are still a pastor. In this session we’ll talk about the identity of an executive pastor, and what that means for your day-to-day. The aim of this session is that you will walk away encouraged by the importance and uniqueness of your role, while also refreshing some of the vital habits that will keep you healthy for the ministry road ahead.

Facilitator: Eric Ryan

Organizational confusion is the breeding ground for politics, but clarity, driven by the alignment of vision, priorities, and values, acts as the antidote that restores our focus and fuels us forward.

Facilitator: Josh Patterson

God gives every church unique talents for its mission (Matthew 25:14-30). Unfortunately, leaders often ignore those gifts and try to follow someone else’s playbook, models often built for megachurches in very different environments. The result is frustration, misalignment, and missed opportunities. Executive and associate pastors often act as the church’s “shock absorbers,” adjusting strategy to fit reality. This section will push you to name who you are, the size you are, where you are, and what faithfulness requires next.

Facilitator: Steve Chang

Building a healthy team requires moving beyond the résumé to a holistic portfolio that recruits, evaluates, and develops the whole person through the lens of calling, character, competence, capacity, and chemistry.

Facilitator: Josh Patterson

Leading a team is part theology, part art, part science. As the team leader you simultaneously wear the “hats” of boss, colleague, coach, pastor, friend, and brother/sister in Christ. This session will explore the multi-faceted stewardship of building and developing a church staff. We’ll look at how to define roles with clarity, how to set expectations that cultivate faithfulness and effectiveness, and how to set up processes for feedback that strengthen trust and growth. We’ll also walk through onboarding and ongoing development practices that help your team mature in competence and character. The aim is to give you a comprehensive toolkit for leading people with wisdom and care so your staff can serve the church with excellence and resilience.

Facilitator: Paul Spilker

Leading a church requires more than good intentions—it requires systems that support faithfulness, clarity, and long-term health. This session will explore the theological and practical stewardship of building processes that help your church function with consistency and purpose. We’ll look at how well-designed systems reduce friction, strengthen communication, and free your staff and volunteers to focus on people, not chaos. You’ll learn how to create simple, effective SOPs, how to structure reliable ministry workflows, and how to build rhythms that keep teams aligned as the church grows. The goal is to give you a toolbox for operational wisdom—systems that serve the mission, protect your team, and make ministry sustainable for the long haul.

Facilitator: Zach Cochran

Practical considerations for building a church budget that aligns resources with mission, empowers leaders, and supports wise stewardship and accountable decision-making.

Facilitator: Bryan Lopina

Ask anything.