Cruciform Community: A Theological Foundation for Sacrificial Service | Rev. Stephanie Lobdell

As humans, we naturally seek purpose, longing to be part of something greater than ourselves. This sermon calls us to embrace a life of self-giving, modeled after Jesus, who emptied Himself for the sake of the world. Too often, we are drawn into lesser narratives—materialism, nationalism, or personal comfort. But the true, compelling story worth giving our lives for is the Kingdom of God. We are called to pour ourselves out in service, embodying Christ’s love so others may come to know Him. Rather than being passive consumers of church life, we are invited to actively participate in God’s redemptive work. Like a starfish that regenerates and thrives through shared strength, we as a church must function together—each using our unique gifts to further God’s mission.

Discipleship: The Ecosystem for Evangelism | Dr. Sam Barber

Evangelism has for too long been seen as the precursor to discipleship. This workshop flips that idea on its head to reveal that a discipleship lifestyle actually creates a kind of ecosystem where evangelism can flourish.

(Sponsored by NDI)

Dr. Sam Barber was elected Global Nazarene Discipleship Director in July of 2024. Sam most recently served the church as District Superintendent of the South Central Ohio District. He and his wife, Jill, have served four churches as lead pastor for 30 years. Their ministry has taken them from Ohio to North Carolina and to Kansas before returning to South Central Ohio.

Dr. Barber holds a Doctor of Ministry from Nazarene Theological Seminary in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship. Sam enjoys adventure whether that be on the face of a rock, lost in the woods on a trail, or hitting the open road by motorcycle.

Sam is passionate about discipleship and believes that the Great Commission is not reserved for the spiritually elite but is instead, the very heart of the gospel and interwoven with the decision to follow Jesus.

Sam is married to Jill who has served in ministry and leadership roles across the years in the local church, the business world, and the denomination. She currently serves on the staff of Nazarene Discipleship International overseeing marketing and events.

Multi-Context Ministry Panel | Rev. Jon Griggs, Rev. Melissa Jones, Rev. Thomas Miller, Megan Taylor

Have you ever wondered how other leaders run or build their youth group? This workshop will be an opportunity for those attending to pick up best practices from others in their same ministry context but also to hear other practices that may be used to further their own ministry. We will open the floor to questions as we desire to educate and equip others to take a fresh look at their own ministry.

(Sponsored by NYI)

Rev. Jon Griggs: Multi-generational Youth Leader – Pastor Jon currently serves at Bowling Green Church of the Nazarene. He is married to the lovely Jessica Griggs, and they have 3 great kids together. Jon will be sharing what it is like to serve outside of a city in a church whose youth are largely part of attending families.

Rev. Melissa Jones: Outreach Youth Leader – Pastor Melissa is serving at Rolla Church of the Nazarene.  She is married to Bryan Jones and together they have a total of 7 kids.  Rolla’s youth ministry is largely an outreach ministry. Melissa will be sharing how she reaches out to both the students and families.

Rev. Thomas Miller: City Youth Leader – Pastor Thomas Miller has been serving at Trinity since 2021. He married his lovely wife Haleigh on April 24, 2021, and they have a beautiful baby girl. Thomas will be sharing what ministry looks like in a city context along with his best practices. 

Megan Taylor: Lay Leader – Megan serves as a lay leader of the youth group of Ferguson Church of the Nazarene. She will be sharing what youth ministry looks like from a non-staff position and best practices for this model of youth leadership.

Techno Theology: The Technological Promise of Infinitude| Rev. Danny Quanstrom

Rev. Danny Quanstrom is the husband of Kayla and father of two daughters. He pastors Hastings Church of the Nazarene in Hastings, MI. As co-founder of APlainAccount.org, he is passionate about providing the Church with rich theological and practical resources. Danny is a PhD student at Calvin Theological Seminary where he is studying Systematic Theology with a concentration in Theological Anthropology. 

God Spoke Two Words | Les Thomsen

In January 2007, God brought a layman from Texas with an unusual hobby together with a local Nazarene pastor from Zimbabwe, Africa all because of TWO WORDS. Join Les Thomsen, the Texas layman, as he shares how he and Rev. Noah Sibanda, the pastor in Africa, came together for 18 years to build, plant, drill, and provide education opportunities in Zimbabwe. The story of Noah’s FARM will inspire and challenge you to listen as God may be speaking those TWO WORDS to you!

(Sponsored by NMI)

Les Thomsen In 1964-66 Les lived as a teenager in Uganda and Kenya, East Africa. He came face to face with one of history’s most brutal dictators, Idi Amin. God spared Les’ life when the train he was riding on was attacked by drunken warriors with knives and machetes. Little did he know that so many years later God would call him back to Africa. Les was a member of the Pioneer Class at Mid-America Nazarene College in Olathe, Kansas. For over 25 years he has worked as an Enrolled Agent (EA) in the tax department at a CPA firm in San Antonio, Texas. Proudly married to his college sweetheart for over 50 years. His hobby is judging BBQ cook offs.

Becoming a Community of Belonging: Learning from Patrick and the Celtic Community | Rev. Stephanie Lobdell

St. Patrick’s mission to Ireland was not about imposing Roman culture but about creating authentic Christian communities where people could belong before they believed. Rather than demanding immediate conversion, Patrick and his followers lived out the Gospel—modeling peace, generosity, and faith in the midst of a violent and divided culture. Their communities reflected key Kingdom values:Radical Hospitality, Authentic Living , Cultural Redemption, Imaginative Faith. This incarnational approach—living among the people, honoring their stories, and patiently guiding them toward faith—led to an unprecedented movement of Christianity in Ireland. Patrick’s model challenges today’s church: Are we creating communities where people can belong, wrestle with faith, and experience transformation? Like the Celtic Christians, we are called to embody the Gospel, not just preach it, and to invite others into a way of life that reveals God’s redemptive love.

What is Discipleship? | Dr. Sam Barber

It seems every author, every conference, and even every church has a little different take on the meaning of discipleship. This workshop will offer a scriptural, universal, and timeless definition of discipleship taken from the words and life of Jesus. In addition, this definition is organic and achievable for everyday Nazarenes.

(Sponsored by NDI)

Dr. Sam Barber Sam Barber was elected Global Nazarene Discipleship Director in July of 2024. Sam most recently served the church as District Superintendent of the South Central Ohio District. He and his wife, Jill, have served four churches as lead pastor for 30 years. Their ministry has taken them from Ohio to North Carolina and to Kansas before returning to South Central Ohio.

Dr. Barber holds a Doctor of Ministry from Nazarene Theological Seminary in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship. Sam enjoys adventure whether that be on the face of a rock, lost in the woods on a trail, or hitting the open road by motorcycle.

Sam is passionate about discipleship and believes that the Great Commission is not reserved for the spiritually elite but is instead, the very heart of the gospel and interwoven with the decision to follow Jesus.

Sam is married to Jill who has served in ministry and leadership roles across the years in the local church, the business world, and the denomination. She currently serves on the staff of Nazarene Discipleship International overseeing marketing and events.

“Clean the World” Service Project | Rev. Melissa Jones

Have you ever had the desire to take on a critical problem in the world but thought it was far too large for you to conquer? Come learn about how a few men, some vegetable peelers and a garage began the work on reducing/ending child morbidity due to communicable diseases. What’s even better than that is you will get to make some hygiene kits and learn about how you can help them succeed and have an impact in your youth group at home.

(Sponsored by NYI)

Clean the World began in a garage with a mission to decrease/eliminate child morbidity due to communicable diseases. They were established in 2009 and since that time have partnered with hotel chains to recycle soap and plastics from the products provided in each room. The organization has also diverted 9 million pounds of plastic amenity bottles and over 28 million pounds of total waste from landfills and helped Clean the World Foundation provide an estimated 17 billion individual hand washes to those in need across the globe.

Better Together: The Church in Action | Rev. Alshandra Visagie

Scripture calls for each of us to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. This kind of love compels us to do whatever it takes to give our neighbors and colleagues a fighting chance of making it to heaven by speaking Jesus into their lives. We do this with our words, with our actions and with our attitudes. In this workshop we’ll explore how Cactus Nazarene Ministry Center through compassionate ministry is passionately building relationships, deepening its roots in the community, and an actively not just serving the community but being a significant part of the Cactus community in order to be better together by working and serving together with our community to love our neighbor through our actions and our words.

Rev. Alshandra Visagie is the Executive Director called to lead the Cactus Nazarene Ministry Center in Cactus Texas. She is South African, and an ex bank executive with a passion for the gospel and a burning desire to see the Church of Jesus Christ mobilized to take back our cities for Jesus. Her driving belief is that as carrier of the presence of Jesus, where we show up, change must happen. She is married to a handsome man named Olbin. They have two wonderful adult children who also reside in the United States.

NORTHern Journey Down Under – Ministry in Remote Corners of Australia |  Rev. Dr. Cindy and Mr. Rob North

God is moving in Australia, especial through the ministry of Jongil Kim who has been a missionary in Australia for 28 Years serving the 1st Nationals People. Hear how the North’s are coming alongside this ministry in the remote areas of Western Australia. And what big plans are in store for the work in places like Kununara and Broome.

(Sponsored by NMI)

Rev. Dr. Cindy & Mr. Rob North For 15 years Rob and Cindy have served in Africa. 2014 to 2023 at Africa Nazarene University (ANU), in Nairobi, Kenya – Cindy as Director of Spiritual Development (Chaplain) and Rob as Director of University Advancement where he had the privilege to work with volunteers, Work and Witness teams, visiting professors and professionals coming to lend a hand at ANU. Since Oct of 2014 they have served as International Staff for ANU and transitioned back to missionary service through the Church of the Nazarene on 1 March 2021. Prior to serving at ANU, the North’s served for six years as missionaries in Johannesburg, South Africa. Cindy as Professor/Lecturer/Chaplain at Nazarene Theological College. Rob as administrator at the regional office for Africa in the departments of Communications, Aviation, Partnership Development and as Facilities manager. These roles contributed to the development of leaders for the Church of the Nazarene in Africa. Rob and Cindy have served on the Australia/New Zealand Field since January of 2024.

Living From an Identity Rooted in Love | Revs. Elizabeth & Michael Palmer

We are all given a true identity as the beloved sons and daughters of God. However, we often find ourselves attempting to *earn* God’s love. In this workshop we will explore observations of how we try to earn identity through our own efforts. With this awareness, we will go into more depth of ways we may instead live in freedom and obedience rooted in love.

Elizabeth & Michael Palmer are ordained pastors in the Church of the Nazarene who serve as spiritual directors. They are the co-founders of The Center for Spiritual Formation and Retreat. They are also serving as the interim pastors at St. Louis Trinity Church of the Nazarene. Michael and Elizabeth have three children. As a family they love to read, hike, garden, and cook together.

Maximizing Spiritual Formation in Children Through Godly Play | Ms. Dorie Moore

(Sponsored by NDI)

Dorie Moore works part-time at St. Aidan’s Anglican Church in Kansas City, MO, serving in their rapidly growing children’s ministry. She has a degree in Elementary Education from Moody Bible Institute and has taught in various classroom contexts, most notably in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Chicago, IL. She has worked in children’s ministry for nearly 13 years and has a deep love for seeing children grow in their relationship with the Lord. Dorie and her husband Nathaniel have been married for five years and have been blessed with two sons.

For Teens by Teens  | George Broyles, Elijah Bryant, Isaac Purl

Do you feel the urge to participate in the activities of your church but don’t know where to start? Have you wondered if teens like you could even really make and impact? Come hear from other teens like you about how God is using them in their churches and learn ways that you could get involved too.

(Sponsored by NYI)

George Broyles was very active in the youth group at Ferguson Church of the Nazarene. He continues to be active in leadership through the Serve Team at Teen Camp.

Elijah Bryant is a sophomore and is active on Bowling Green COTN’s quizzing team and helps in many ways behind the scenes of his church

Isaac Purl is a Senior in high school and participates on the worship team for Harvester Church of the Nazarene.

Partnering With God to Serve Your Community: How small churches can make large impacts on their community | Revs. Makenzie & Mario Flores

Do you have a small church and ever wonder what kind of impact you can make in your community? Good news, God is always at work and you’re invited! In this workshop we will talk about assessing the needs in your community and finding how your church can join where God is at work, no matter the size of your budget.

Revs. Makenzie & Mario Flores are co-pastors of Community Cup Church of the Nazarene. They planted this church in 2017 and have always sought to have the DNA of their church to serve the community. They were also married in 2017 and now have two biological children. However, they also have a calling to opening their home and have fostered multiple children and teenagers. They are both Emergency Response Chaplains for multiple police and fire departments in their county. Makenzie has her Master’s in Social Work and is a Licensed Social Worker. Mario is in the middle of his Master’s of Divinity and is doing his second unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Riverside Hospital in Kankakee. They love trying new coffee shops and they love eating Indian food.

The 4 P’s of Evangelizing Our World | Revs. Pablo & Viviana Tello

Throughout our modern world, the response to the Gospel message seemingly has become more resistant. What we have to recognize is that, as believers and proclaimers of the Gospel, we must earn the right to be heard before the World will listen. We “earn” that right through the 4 P’s of Evangelism- Presence (in our world and culture), Proximity (not just “present,” but close to those who need salvation, caring about what’s important to them, Passion (being an agent of restoration and demonstrating the compassion of Christ) and then, finally, Proclamation (having shown we care, as Christ cares, we truly “earn” that right to share the promise of salvation and a life changed). While Christ preached to thousands, more often than not His ministry focused on personal relationships who came to recognize His love for them was genuine. It’s a timeless form of evangelism that is not complicated, but requires us to be intentional and willing to give others something that seems to be in short supply–our time.

(Sponsored by NMI)

Revs. Pablo & Viviana Tello are from Argentina. They have three children: Matteo, Stephen and little Aramí.

In 2005, both were graduates of Bachelor of Theology from the Nazarene Theological Seminary of the Southern Cone, in Argentina. In 2007, they were involved in a Voluntary Missionary Project of the church of the Nazarene, called Isaiah and Caleb, their missionary camp was in the city of Florence Italy. There they worked with a Latin congregation, in the preparation of leaders. And they planted a church in the city of Borgo San Lorenzo, an Italian congregation. In 2011 they returned to Argentina, Pablo began working in the Area of Decentralized Theological Studies (ETED) at the Nazarene Theological Seminary of the Southern Cone and also as coordinator of the Faculty of Decentralized Studies (FADES). That same year, Paul graduated from the Bachelor of Theology Program. Viviana became involved in the area of Finance and in 2012 completed her Theological studies graduating from the Bachelor’s program. In 2012, both were ordered to the Presbytery in the Cuyo District. In July 2013 they received the invitation of the Argentine Central District to pastur the Church The Good Shepherd of Victoria. They accepted this challenge and served there until 2016. From the end of 2015 to the end of 2016, Pablo was coordinating the National JNI for Argentina. Viviana was involved since 2014 – 2016 in the Ministry of MNI of the Central Argentinian District. In mid-2016, they received the invitation to leave as Missionaries to Paraguay, where they are currently serving.

His assignments in the missionary field are: Pablo, serves as Integral Coordinator of Ministries (CIM), currently 13 National Ministries are active with their respective leaders and work teams, in order to support with resources, tools and trainings to local districts and churches. He served five years as the Superintendent of the Southern District (2018-2023) now working heavily as the Superintendent of the Northern District from mid-July 2022 to the present day. The philosophy of work is based on: Pastoral Care, Evangeism, Church Development and Teamwork Since July 2022 is also coordinating the Ministry of Evangelism (Development of Church) There are once 23 teams of Pelicula Jesus with the aim of planting new churches, of which 6 have already been built and inaugurated. It also coordinates theological education at the national level (ETED).

Viviana, served in the area of Finance, was National Coordinator of Discipleship Nazarene International (DNI) and National Coordinator of the Ministry of Women (MAM) for 5 years and after having delegated her responsibility, she will serve as Coordinate of the Ministry of Literature in Paraguay (PRODUSAM) At the end of January 2021, Paul and Viviana were Commissioners for the Global Mission Office of the Church of the Nazarene during the 97th General Assembly held in a virtual way.

They are very grateful to God, and to the church of the Nazarene, for this privilege of being able to serve, being channels of blessing and bridges so that many can know the love of God and wish to surrender their lives to the service of God.

In June, they begin their new assignment, returning to Italy to open a new church in Genoa.