There’s a place for women’s ministry in the local church. Women have gifts to minister to each other, and the need for equipping, support, and education is evident. Yet, what does it look like to lead and support a women’s ministry? What are helpful structures to create an organic ministry to encourage? This panel will discuss the purpose of a women’s ministry and practical ideas for serving women well.

As the pressures of health warnings, economic turmoil, and partisan politics continue to rise, the influence of gospel-focused Christians seems to be waning. In the public square and popular opinion, we are losing our voice right when it’s needed most for Christ’s glory and the common good. But there’s another story unfolding too—and we’ll show you where to look. Discover how, in these dark times, the light of Jesus shines even brighter.

The local church is the body of Christ and the place of his promised presence. We may know that, but do our children? When worship is long, when grown-up conversation seems dull, and when Sunday feels like an interruption, how do we encourage our children to love the church? In this workshop, we’ll explore how moms can help their children embrace the glorious privilege of life in the local church.

When was the last time you attended a women’s brunch addressing sexual issues? Most likely, you haven’t! This breakout will address a variety of struggles that women face when it comes to sexuality. We’ll discuss sexual temptations and the pursuit of sin, and the trauma of being sinned against sexually. Come listen in as our panel shares honestly about these tough topics, keeping our focus on Jesus and the hope we have in him for transformation.

Do you ever feel lost when you’re reading the Bible? This session seeks to explain how all of the smaller stories of Scripture are really telling one big, glorious story of how God rescues his people. Seeing how the pieces fit together will help you read and understand the beauty and continuity of the entire Bible.

Faithfulness to Christ flourishes when it is nourished by a long-term commitment to Bible-reading, prayer, and local church involvement. But ordinary, everyday expressions of faith can feel at odds with our culture that idolizes measurable, instant gains. When spiritual growth seems slow or when our faithfulness is threatened by doubt, suffering, waiting, or busynesss, we can still exercise perseverance because God is committed to our steadfastness. A lifetime of faithfulness to Christ can begin today!

How do we live out the Bible’s clear call to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph 4:3)? In our relationships we can sometimes mistake unity for uniformity, peace for complacency or silence, real inclusion of diverse persons for mere representation of diverse skin colors. In this workshop, we will discuss how we might live as one body in Christ while also celebrating God’s gift of diversity in the church and in our communities.

Stories form us for good and for ill. Some of the most powerful development in the life of a child happens indirectly as the stories he or she reads, hears, and watches shape the moral imagination. This workshop will consider how to help children develop a strong moral foundation through exposing them to stories that vivify a Christian worldview and reinforce what is true and beautiful according to God.

We live in an outrage culture where “all the news that’s fit to print” is often not fit for consumption. What does the Good News have to do with so much bad news? What’s the news got to do with you? Explore some of the leading news stories of the day and learn how to become a more informed, encouraged, and biblically wise news consumer.

The #Metoo movement has exposed widespread sexual harassment and brought accountability to those who have misused power and authority. This breakout will provide guidance on how to love our friends as they share with us about past (or current) sexual abuse. We’ll explore how to create redemptive communities where women can share their stories of abuse and trauma, and be compassionately helped in the process of healing and transformation available through Christ.

There is one common resource we can use to evangelize, disciple, and train in our local churches: the Bible. But it can be intimidating to know how to use the Bible well in these different settings. Reading the Bible One to One is the answer. We’ll explore the benefits of this helpful ministry and discuss practical ways to implement it.

In our technological age, many are sounding the alarm about social media. Experts tell us that we’re becoming a distracted, shallow, jealous people. But given these perils, are there any promises in social media? Are there ways to redeem our use of Instagram? Can God’s mission be advanced on Twitter? In this panel, we’ll discuss the practices that keep us grounded in the desire for God’s kingdom coming—even as we pick up our smartphones.

Women in the Chinese house church have remarkable testimonies of bearing the cross in experiences of government persecution, local ministry, the business world, marriage, raising children, and caring for aging parents. Join us as we reflect on 20 years of listening to our Chinese sisters’ stories, share how we as American women have personally grown in our faith in Christ as a result, and consider practical ways to help American churches learn from China.

Parenting is a beautiful call, a wonderful gift, and at times excruciating. How will our children turn out? Will we ruin them? These are a few of the questions our anxious minds wonder in our daily task of mothering. This panel will consider what God’s word has to say to us regarding our children and the hope we have in Jesus.

The prophetic books of the Old Testament both awe and intimidate us. The poetic language, broad historical context, literary devices, and seemingly bizarre imagery require a unique framework for interpretation. In this workshop, we will discuss principles for approaching the prophetic books of the Bible. This will include contemplating the at once present and future orientation of the text, rightly considering the promises of God to his covenant people, and discerning the final redemption to whom all prophecy points: the Lord Jesus.

Join us for a live episode of “Let’s Talk” with Jasmine Holmes, Jackie Hill Perry, and Melissa Kruger. In this episode they’ll discuss how to find time for spiritual disciplines like reading your Bible, prayer, service, and memorizing Scripture in the midst of busy seasons of life.

For most of us, powerlessness is uncomfortable. Yet throughout history and today, God sustains the unseen and “powerless” to represent Christ who radically transforms all who believe on His name. Our unity and identification with the ongoing story of God’s people marks us as uniquely His, and provides an alternative witness to the world that prefers control through cultural or political power. Recognizing our role in God’s Story and our connection to the global Church shapes our identity, priorities, virtues and habits—particularly as we find ourselves in a world increasingly hostile to the true, transformative, and Biblical Christ.

Got a story to tell? Or a reflection to share? Or an article to write? Join TGC editors Megan Hill and Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra as they discuss best practices in writing: how to get your thoughts on paper, ways to make your writing cleaner and more creative, and the process for submitting your piece to TGC.

Suffering touches all of us. God sometimes feels distant when we need him most and so it’s tempting to pull away from God rather than draw closer. What can we do to experience God’s presence more closely? A panel of those who have wrestled with suffering will share how they drew near to God in their pain and the ways that it has transformed them.

The beautiful vision of heaven is that we’ll spend eternity in deep fellowship with others from every tribe, language, people, and nation. While we want to reflect the complexion of heaven in our relationships, cross-cultural dynamics can create barriers to deep and lasting friendship. Join us as we look at the beauty of cross-cultural friendships and discuss ways to minimize the barriers and create safe spaces for connection and growth.

Many of our cities and regions are filled with children and teenagers in the foster care system. As Christians, what does it look like to participate in the ministry of reconciliation where families are experiencing brokenness and pain? How does the gospel motivate us not only to take care of children, but to see these children as part of a wider family in which we have opportunities to point toward God’s grace and love? This workshop will look at how the gospel comforts, provides hope, and sustains us in the difficult work of loving not just children who are “orphaned”, but their entire family of origin.