Special Alert
In light of current recommendations and in a collaborative effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Art of Hospitality Conference scheduled for April 23-24, 2020.
Plan to join us for next year’s Art of Hospitality Conference, scheduled for April 22-23, 2021.
Other Options include:
Abingdon Press is publishing a bundle of resources, written by Yvonne Gentile and Debi Nixon and available in May 2020, related to The Art of Hospitality. For purchase details, visit Abingdon Press.
Join us for Leadership Institute, September 23-25, where a Pre-Institute Session on The Art of Hospitality will be offered as a “taster” of the full conference content. Registration for Leadership Institute will open in April.
Engaging worship and intentional follow-up are important, but what compels guests to return to church is the warmth of our welcome and hospitality that goes beyond their expectations.
April 23–24, 2020
Church of the Resurrection, Leawood KS
This conference — designed for pastors, staff, and volunteers focused on the ministry of welcome, hospitality, visitor care, outreach, connections and membership — is designed to equip church leaders to make everyone feel welcome and included, from first time visitors to deeply engaged members.
Conference
Schedule
Thursday, April 23
| 8:00 – 9:00 am | Registration |
| 9:00 – 10:15 am | Inward vs. Outward Focus / Why Hospitality Matters |
| 10:15 – 10:30 am | Break |
| 10:30 – 11:30 am | Principles of Radical Hospitality |
| 11:30 – 12:00pm | Creating a Digital Front Door |
| 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Lunch (included) |
| 1:00 – 1:45 pm | Outreach and Marketing |
| 1:45 – 2:45 pm | Providing an Excellent In-Person Experience |
| 2:45 – 3:00 pm | Break |
| 3:00 – 4:30 pm | Intentional Follow-Up |
| 4:30 – 5:30 pm | Conversation with the Senior Pastor |
Friday, April 24
| 9:00 – 10:30 am | Recruiting/Equipping Volunteers |
| 10:30 – 10:45 am | Break |
| 10:45 – 11:15 am | Strategic Planning Principles |
| 11:15 – 12:00 pm | Preparing your Congregation |
| 12:00 – 12:45 pm | Lunch (included) |
| 1:00 – 2:30pm | Bonus Conversations (Optional Session, Topics Below) |
What will I
Learn?
Participants will learn key principles and methods to create a culture of radical hospitality that permeates your entire congregation:
- The principles and touchpoints of radical hospitality
- How to attract visitors
- Effective Follow-up
- Training your volunteers and congregation to live into the value of radical hospitality
What will I
Experience?
Plenary sessions led by Executive Director Debi Nixon and Senior Director Yvonne Gentile
Connect with peers serving in hospitality ministry at churches of all sizes from across the nation
Small group discussion and Q & A to help apply the principles learned to your own context
Bonus Conversations
Roundtable Topics
These optional sessions take place after the conclusion of the conference. As your schedule allows, we invite you to stay and participate in an informal conversation in your topic of interest.
Planning Successful Community Events
Pre-Service Team Huddles
Communications
Volunteer Appreciation
Hospitality when Serving:
Empowering vs Enabling – How to Help instead of Hinder
Hospitality through Congregational Care
Featured Speakers
Debi Nixon
Executive Director, ShareChurch
Church of the Resurrection
Debi Nixon joined the Resurrection staff in 1994 as the founding children’s ministry director and has served in a variety of executive roles, from adult discipleship to capital campaigns and campuses. Debi is passionate about the renewal of the church, leading workshops on church leadership, sharing principles of outwardly focused churches, and extending radical hospitality. She has been married to Reed since 1984, and they treasure time with their two grown children and the joy of being new grandparents. Debi is author of CATCH: A Churchwide Evangelism Program, Catch a New Life: Connect with a Church and The Art of Hospitality: A Practical Guide for a Ministry of Radical Welcome (release date May 2020), all published by Abingdon Press.
Yvonne Gentile
Senior Director of Hospitality and Connections
Church of the Resurrection
Yvonne Gentile serves as Senior Director of Hospitality & Connections at Church of the Resurrection. Before joining church staff in 2011, Yvonne worked in an executive leadership capacity in retail, where she discovered the power of radical hospitality. She is co-author of four books: Serving from the Heart: Finding Your Gifts and Talents for Service, Leadership from the Heart: Learning to Lead with Love & Skill, Leadership Essentials: Practical Tools for Leading in the Church, and The Art of Hospitality: A Practical Guide for a Ministry of Radical Welcome (release date May 2020), all published by Abingdon Press. Yvonne and her husband Frank have been part of Resurrection since 1996. Together they enjoy movies, road trips, and spending time with family.
I [was] overwhelmed with the attention to detail, the outward-focused volunteers, the sharing of your experiences (both positive and negative), the desire to grow other congregations, and the facility! You are truly a model for growing God’s Kingdom.
[The Art of Hospitality Conference is] well designed and perfectly coordinated. The volunteers and staff embodied the principals of Radical Hospitality to one and all.
The advance planning and volunteer training was obvious in how well every need was anticipated and addressed. From being escorted in the rain from my car to the entrance by a friendly gentleman with a golf umbrella, to being greeted and assisted by joyful volunteers answering my questions almost before I asked. From your team always going above and beyond in communicating information about the facilities, to Pastor Hamilton’s leadership, vision and humility! Presenters were organized, genuine, and well prepared as they squeezed in a lot of information and helpful stories in each session, and they even made themselves available for questions afterward.
This conference [gives] me and my colleagues so much information to bring back to enhance our processes. Thank you for sharing your expertise with all of us. Every single person working the seminars was a shining example of what radical hospitality looks like. What a great way for us to learn. You have helped us grow in our work here in Arizona.
Really outstanding! Every detail was well thought through. Well worth the trip. Likely the best church conference I’ve ever attended, in terms of both content and execution!
ShareChurch Conferences is a ministry of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. Our purpose is to equip, strengthen and inspire local churches.
Free Resources for Churches
Quality, practical tools and training to help local congregations and leaders be more vital and effective.
(913) 232-4139
sharechurchconferences@cor.org