Join Forward Movement and inspiring church leaders for the Renewing Discipleship Conference, January 12-14, 2027 in Houston, Texas.
This conference will offer workshops on how to nurture discipleship in your community, led by cutting-edge leaders from across the church. Preview two of these workshops below:
The Rev. Ryan Hawthorne is a lifelong Texan and revels in the great joy of raising Noelle, a super cool teenager. Ryan loves exploring ministry and theology on the edge and at the intersections of race, class, and gender/sexuality. In her free time, Ryan enjoys exploring Houston and any activity involving water.
Workshop with Ryan Hawthorne: Beyond Welcome: Belonging as Discipleship
The vocation of Christian community is not simply to extend welcome or ensure that people feel welcomed when they walk through our door. It is to nurture belonging, so that each person comes to know they belong in and have a meaningful place in the body of Christ. In this workshop we will explore practical ways to help your community move from inclusion to belonging and deepen their practice of discipleship through that process.
The Rev. Perry Mullins is the Canon for Congregational & Mission Vitality in The Episcopal Diocese of Texas. He oversees the team that partners with our congregations in the work of church planting, campus missions, missional communities, area mission, multi-ethnic ministry, and congregational vitality. Rev. Mullins comes to the Diocese from McKinney, Texas where he has served as rector of St. Peter’s since 2017.
Workshop with Perry Mullins: Stewardship as Discipleship
Intentional stewardship forms us, both personally and corporately. This workshop is for leaders who want to design a system that does both, starting with the questions underneath the pledge card: What do we actually own? What does it cost to give something away? And how does a congregation keep those questions alive in June as well as October? Participants will work with practical tools: how leaders model sacrificial giving, how a parish learns to talk about money out loud, and how formation, testimony, and the annual ask reinforce one another.
Other presenters include:
- Jeff Fisher | Bishop Suffragan | The Episcopal Diocese of Texas
- Taylor Devine | Church Relations Coordinator, Forward Movement | Tucson, AZ
- Miguel Escobar | Curate, San Andrés Episcopal Church | Brooklyn, NY
- Joseph Yoo | Vicar, Mosaic Episcopal Church | Pearland, TX
- Melody Shobe | Chief of Staff & Ministry Operations, Forward Movement | Dallas, TX
- Robert Hendrickson | Chief of Discipleship, Forward Movement | Tucson, AZ
- Scott Gunn | Executive Director, Forward Movement | Cincinnati, OH
You will leave this conference renewed in your own journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ and empowered to make disciples in your community.
If you register before October 20, you’ll get a special Early Bird Rate of just $195!
Register today: forwardmovement.org/renewingdiscipleship