Session Schedule
and Topics

View Conference Schedule Here

Our sessions are built to equip elders, ministers, and their spouses with both spiritual encouragement and practical leadership tools. From keynote messages to focused workshops, each session is intentionally designed to strengthen leaders, foster healthy church cultures, and build unity among teams.

  • Shepherd Network brings elders, ministers, deacons, and spouses together because each is vitally important to the life of the church and to one another as we share in its leadership. Before we talk about how we lead, we need to remember why God has called us together. What are we ultimately trying to become, and what are we helping the church become?

  • Before we are a leadership team, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. How do we nurture that life together?

  • If we are cultivating this kind of spiritual life together, how should it change what happens when we sit down to lead? When we, as spiritual family, gather to lead, how do we discern God’s wisdom and make decisions together?

  • What will we do with what we’ve experienced here? What will we take home, who will walk with us, and how will we keep moving forward together? What will we commit to before we leave?

  • One of the highlights of our gatherings is where participants sit at tables to network with other leaders and spouses, and to share ideas and insights from the conference.

  • Two-Part Session:

    Part 1 , Friday - Rooted: More than the Role, Staying Grounded in Christ While Sharing the Joys and Pressures of Ministry Leadership.

    Part 2, Saturday - Reaching: Using Your Influence With Purpose, Serving From Your Gifts Without Carrying Expectations that are Not Yours

  • Two-Part Session:

    Part 1 - Recovering the Heart of Spiritual Leadership

    Part 2 - Building a Culture of Shepherding

  • Two-Part Session:

    Part 1 (Friday), Selection, Choosing Elders Wisely - Leslie Chapman

    Part 2 (Saturday), Succession, Developing the Next Generation of Church Leaders - Frank Mills

  • Repeated Session, Friday & Saturday:

    Shepherding a Disciple-Making Church

  • Repeated Session, Friday & Saturday:

    Reaching and Building Faith With Young Adults

  • Repeated Session, Friday & Saturday:

    Strengthening Elder-Minister Relationships

  • Repeated Session, Friday & Saturday:

    Navigating the Unique Dynamics of Small Church Governance

  • Repeated Session, Friday & Saturday:

    Wisdom from the Trenches, Q & A with Experienced Elders

When leaders are renewed, churches are strengthened.