Conference 2024
Workshops
Workshops are a great way to share something you are passionate about, to lift up something you are doing in your context that is working or to highlight something you think others in the group may be interested in learning about.
Here are the 2024 Conference Workshops:
Wednesday, May 22
Block A: 1:00 – 1:50pm
Saving Our Spiritual Lives: Creating a Rule of Life for Sustainable Ministry
Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton, Sanctuary
It’s so easy, amidst the chaos and confusion of daily life and work, to put our relationship with the Divine on the back burner. However, research shows that in order to cultivate personal and professional resilience, we need to be grounded in our identities as beloved children of God. In this workshop, we will introduce the Rule of Life as popularized by St. Benedict, review contemplative spiritual practices, and discuss the rhythms of life that sustain, nurture and guide us. Participants will leave with a drafted Rule of Life personalized to themselves and their ministry contexts, designed to help each flourish in their life and call.
Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton (she/they) has spent their ministry career seeking to bring those at the margins into the center of communities of faith and learning the power of vulnerability in all aspects of spiritual life. Her vocational focus is accompanying journeys of crisis and transformation. She is a contributor to “Speaking Truth: Women Raising Their Voices In Prayer” (Abingdon Press, 2020) and “Worship Any Time Or Place: The Compact Book of Methodist Liturgies, Prayers and Other Acts of Blessing” (Abingdon, 2024). Kate is also a proud double alumna of Wesley Theological Seminary (M.A, M.Div), and is currently pursuing a D.Min in Leading Change at Fuller Theological Seminary.
A Shifting Landscape: Ministering to Interfaith Families
Rev. Samantha Gonzales-Block, Fellowship Hall
In a world of increased division and isolation, we are miraculously seeing more people than ever find love across faith lines. They are not however always finding clergy and houses of worship willing to fully welcome them in. In this workshop, we will explore how clergy can effectively meet the unique needs of interfaith couples and families, as well as help them recognize the vital role they can play in being bridge-builders for our time. (Cont.)
Reverend Samantha Gonzalez-Block is the Christian Spiritual Leader of the Interfaith Families Project of Greater Washington (IFFP), a community of nearly one hundred Jewish-Christian families seeking to practice both traditions side-by-side. A graduate of Barnard College and Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, Samantha has a passion for creatively building bridges across faith traditions and cultures in order to impact social change. Samantha is an ordained Presbyterian (U.S.A.) minister, who has worked in a number of different fields in the United States and abroad: including as a pastor in Asheville, NC, a communications officer for a United Nations campaign to end violence against women, a New York City public school teacher, and a women’s rights advocate in Chile. She loves teaching Salsa dance, slam poetry and storytelling as mediums to bring people together.
Hope for Small Churches: Celebration & Creativity
Rev. Sarah Juist, Chapel
Small churches often face pressure, from within and without, to grow at all costs. But my congregation will never be a megachurch, and we don’t want to be. What if we could celebrate and embrace the gifts of ministry in small churches without demanding they become something else entirely? What if we could grow into those gifts instead? Join us to celebrate the creativity, impact, and joy of small churches and their ministries, and brainstorm ways to help shift the narrative from growth-at-all-costs to hope, love, and justice starting precisely where we are.
Rev. Sarah Juist is the pastor of Parkwood Presbyterian Church, a small congregation in west Michigan, and a small church enthusiast. She has worked in urban, rural, and suburban small churches and seen their gifts in action.
Block B: 2:00 – 2:50pm
Inclusive Women’s Ministry for All Female-identified people
Rev. Samantha Hasty, Sanctuary
We look forward to gathering with you to help every congregation learn how to be inclusive of all female-identified people in their spaces and specifically their women’s ministry. For many of us, we were born female, so we are welcomed and included regularly. For others of us, we were assigned another gender at birth but relate and experience the world as a woman. We want to create intentional spaces for all of us to gather, share, and worship.
Samantha is the pastor of Pitch in Theology. Our congregation works to heal spiritual trauma for LGBTQ+ people who have been left out of the traditional Church community. Samantha speaks from a place of experience and compassion when working with queer people across the country. If you would like to learn more you can visit our website: pitchintheology.org
The HeART POUR: FINDING BEAUTY IN/FROM THE MESS
Estee Marie, Fellowship Hall
This workshop will explore the intersection of faith, art, and healing. This is an interactive workshop where participants will look within and evaluate their testimonies. Participants will leave with a work of art they create that is a reminder of God’s creative workings forming us into beautiful vessels.
Estee is a multitalented artist, educator, and leader who has dedicated her life to sharing the transformative power of art with others. With a name meaning “star,” Estee shines brightly in a variety of creative endeavors, including publishing a poetry collection, “These Dry Bones,” which shares the story of how she overcame childhood trauma; and hosting a spoken word TV show, “SPEAK,” that aired on Time Warner Cable’s Faith on Demand channel. After a decade in the classroom, Estee now works with individuals, groups, and organizations to amplify their authenticity and empower them to become a better version of themselves through the arts.
From Zero-602: Starting a Youth Program from the Ground Up in a Small Church
Rev. Bethany Apelquist, Chapel
Do you serve a smaller church with only a handful of youth? Would you love to see more youth engaged with your church but aren’t quite sure where to start when it feels like starting from zero? When I started at St. John’s we had almost no teenagers participating in the life of the church. About three years ago we started our “6:02 Community Youth Group” which is a partnership between my church and other churches in Clear Spring. We now have 20+ kids participating each month, with over 40 overall kids this school year. In this workshop we will talk about practical ways to start a new children or youth program. We will talk about assessing the needs of your community, considering the assets you have available within your congregation, making a plan, getting started etc.
Bethany Apelquist is the pastor of St. John’s UCC in Clear Spring, MD, a smaller rural church. She has worked at St. John’s for three years and loves working in the small church context! She has been thrilled to see her little church start three exciting ministries over the past three years. When she is not working Bethany likes playing Pickleball, hanging out with her friends and petting her cat Princess Waffles.
Thursday, May 23
Block C: 2:00 – 2:50pm
The Stained Glass Cliff: Surviving Ministry Settings in Crisis or Decline
Rev. Diane Kenaston, Sanctuary
The “glass cliff” occurs when women — especially young women — are invited to positions of leadership at high-risk times of organizational crisis or decline. The “stained-glass cliff” is the church version, created when experienced male pastors leave or avoid struggling congregations (sometimes leaving a huge mess for young clergywomen to clean up!). These churches and nonprofits have uncertain futures, and they may be on the threshold of concluding ministry. This collaborative workshop is for people who have previously experienced this phenomenon, those who are going through it, and those who want to avoid a stained glass cliff in the future. Together we will share best practices and generate wisdom for other young clergywomen.
The Rev. Diane Kenaston is a clergy coach, writer, and co-founder of the Good Friday Collaborative, your partner in the sacred work of congregational endings. Her first stained glass cliff experience occurred when she was asked to leave her first church — and she’s learned a lot in the decade since then! Diane later led a church merger with another young clergywoman, and co-founded The Good Friday Collaborative in order to support congregations concluding ministry. Diane is a board member of Young Clergy Women International. Read more at www.dianekenaston.com and www.goodfridaycollaborative.com.
Writing for publication: Getting YCW Voices out There
Rev. Shannon Sullivan & Rev. Merianna Neely Harrelson, Fellowship Hall
Many Fidelia alums, and even current writers, have experience of going on from writing for Fidelia to larger platforms. We have also been very involved in recent Chalice Press book inquiries. Come have a conversation about writing, editing, building platforms, and seeking publication!
Rev. Shannon E. Sullivan (she/her/hers) is a life-long writer, feminist, and United Methodist currently serving the community of Frederick, Maryland, as the pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church. She is one of the contributing editors for two books of devotions through Abingdon Press entitled We Pray with Her: Encouragement for All Women Who Lead (2018) and Speaking Truth: Women Raising Their Voices in Prayer (2020), and contributed a chapter to When Kids Ask Hard Questions, Volume 2 (2021) as well. In addition to her pastoring, she serves as the Managing Editor of Fidelia, an online publication for YCWI. More of her writing can be found at https://www.shannonesullivan.com/.
The Rev. Merianna Neely Harrelson is the Pastor of Garden of Grace United Church of Christ. She is a spiritual director and the author of Morning Light: A 30 Day Devotion Journey and Toast the Day: A 30 Day Prayer Journey. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Harrelson Press an independent press in Columbia, SC. She is always looking for a good book and a good cup of coffee.
So You Want to Start a Podcast
Jo Schonewolf, Chapel
Podcasting! Everyone’s doing it! This workshop will take you through the basics of getting your podcast idea up and running, from refining your focus to dropping your first episode. We’ll cover all the basics like audio quality, theme music, logos, hosting, and editing. If you have questions like: “Do I really need that expensive mic?”, “Should I pay for a podcast platform?”, or “How much time does a podcast take?” this is the workshop for you!
Jo Schonewolf wears many hats (and sometimes more than one at once!). Her current work includes astronomy education at the National Air and Space Museum and social media management with Barn Geese Worship, along with circulation services at Shenandoah University’s Smith Library. She is also YCWI’s administrative assistant and host of the podcast What the Hell is a Pastor.
