From Feb. 12 to Feb.16, faculty and students from Concordia joined Lutheran Church Missouri Synod church workers from around the United States at Christ Lutheran Church in Phoenix, Arizona, for the Best Practices Conference. Christ Lutheran Church describes the Best Practices Conference as “a free conference to encourage ministry support workers as we reach out with the gospel of Christ”. With a wide range of breakouts, keynote speakers and powerful worship, the Best Practices Conference continues to be one of the leading events in the Lutheran church for current and future church workers, reminding them “You are Not Alone.”

For Senior Director of External Relations, Bil Hood, the Best Practices Conference is something he looks forward to every year. “It is the largest annual gathering in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and one of the most energizing events of the year for church workers. It brings together leaders from every corner of our church body, including pastors, teachers, principals, district presidents, university and seminary leaders, DCEs, musicians and deaconesses. It really is a cross-section of the whole church in one place,” said Hood. 

As a quickly growing ministry conference, hundreds of new attendees participate each year, and Concordia Irvine’s presence at the conference grows. Every day of the conference, members of the Concordia faculty were at a booth, ready to talk to current and future church workers. 

Additionally, this year included sessions led by President Dr. Michael Thomas, Dr. Sandra Mercier, Dr. Lori Doyle, and Dr. Michael Schulteis. 

President Thomas presented a session on how Concordia University Irvine transformed from a small college on a hill to a university deeply engaged with the Orange County community. Thomas wrote in his description for the session, “This session will show how a confessional Lutheran university moved from 'best kept secret' to visible partner, offering practical lessons for ministries seeking to align mission, brand and bold community engagement.”  

Mercier and Doyle from the Master of Arts in Education program were also present and led a session titled “Servant Leadership and Self-Efficacy as Protective Factors Against Burnout.”  

Another area of the Best Practices Conference focuses on children’s ministry and Directors of Christian Education (DCEs). Schulteis has continually led conference sessions on this topic for many years. “My co-presenters, Becky Chaplin and Sam Reinhard, and I have been presenting on how to create meaningful Children's lessons and Chapel talks that are more than just an object lesson.  We have people from around the country who learn our stuff and have used it to great success in their ministries,” said Schulteis. The wide variety of topics discussed in these sessions is a testament to the fact that the Best Practices Conference is for everyone and anyone called to work in the Lutheran Church.

Beyond the excellent keynote speakers, current and future church workers are given the opportunity to network and build professional relationships. With the theme of the conference being “You Are Not Alone,” Best Practices aims to create a unified community within the Lutheran church. “The overarching theme of Best Practices is 'You are not Alone,' which is meant to be a statement of comfort that no matter where you serve, there are others who are engaged in the mission to spread God's word along with you.  Sometimes church workers can feel isolated, and this message is to say we are one body,” said Schulteis. 

As Concordia’s Christ College continues to educate and lift up the next generation of church workers, conferences like Best Practices allow like-minded Lutherans to come together, share what is working in their churches and encourage one another. Adjunct Professor, Rev. Michael Eschelbach, noted, “Perhaps most importantly, this is a time and place for meeting old friends and classmates, plus making new friends. It is like a family reunion where you connect with people you have just met because we are part of the same family.”

Tags: community, Faculty

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