2026 spring conference

Wise as Serpents, Gentle as Doves – Thriving in the Presence of Difficult People

Stephanie Brewer

Every woman has encountered a “villain” at some point—whether in the workplace, family, ministry, or daily life. These are the challenging personalities who drain our energy, test our patience, and often cause us to question our worth, voice, or boundaries. This session invites women into a biblically grounded conversation about how to navigate those relationships with wisdom, grace, and spiritual authority.

Drawing from the speaker’s forthcoming book, Villains in the Corner Office, and rooted in Matthew 10:16, this talk explores real-world strategies for staying emotionally and spiritually grounded when facing controlling, manipulative, or difficult people. Using relatable examples and biblical parallels (like Saul, Jezebel, and the Pharisees), participants will discover how to:

• Set Godly boundaries without guilt
• Cultivate discernment without becoming bitter
• Maintain peace without losing power
• Respond wisely while staying gentle-hearted

With a blend of humor, Scripture, personal stories, and practical tools, this session will equip women of all ages and backgrounds to show up strong, stay centered in Christ, and thrive—even in the presence of wolves.

Why It Resonates:
Women across generations and life stages are navigating complex relationships—in leadership, caregiving, marriage, ministry, and beyond. This session speaks to the silent struggle many face: how to be Christlike without being crushed. It offers validation, wisdom, and real help for walking in both spiritual strength and emotional wholeness.

Living in Confidence as a Beloved Daughter - Identifying Barriers to Trust in God

Jaime Levi

Do I really trust God? How might my life experiences impact my ability to trust? The decision to trust, or not, is based on 4 distinct risk assessments. An honest reflection on these assessments and on our own ability to extend trust can bring about healing and hope, especially as it relates to our relationship with our Heavenly Father and our identity as the beloved daughters.

You will leave this session with practical tools to identify areas of distrust in your relationship with God, creating an opportunity for healing and repair that cultivates a greater confidence in living in and out of your identity as the beloved daughter.

When It Hurts to Hope – Finding God’s Mercy in Lament

Robbin Howey

The Psalms of lament reveal a rhythm of prayer that moves from raw honesty to renewed trust in God. This breakout will unpack the theology of lament and why it is essential for both personal and communal faith. Participants will be invited to reflect, practice, and embrace lament as a path that leads not away from God but deeper into His steadfast love.

Whole Peace in a Fractured World – How Women Lead the Way Back to God’s Original Design

Lisa Jernigan

From the beginning, women were created in God’s image with voice, wisdom, and authority. Throughout history, women have been the bridge builders, healers, and restorers - mending what is broken and calling communities back to wholeness.

In this breakout, we’ll explore how women today can reclaim that identity and lead in ways that bring peace and flourishing in a fractured world. Together, we’ll look at:

• Why women’s voices are essential to God’s design for wholeness.
• How peacemaking is not passive but a courageous act of restoration.
• What it means to stand in your God-given identity and lead with      influence.

This is an invitation to show up, stand up, and use your voice for healing and hope. Whole Peace begins with women who are willing to step into their calling as restorers and leaders for our time.

Did God Design the Body to Keep the Score – How the Body, Brain, & Bible Together Reveal Pathways of Healing

Tracy Johnson

Modern neuroscience has revealed what Scripture has whispered all along: our bodies hold memory, pain, and the possibility of redemption. Did God Design the Body to Keep the Score? invites pastors, lay leaders, and caregivers to explore how trauma science and biblical wisdom converge, offering a deeper understanding of God’s holistic design for healing.

Through engaging teaching, story, and practical tools, participants will discover how to honor the body as a sacred witness, create safe spaces for healing, and cultivate practices that restore dignity and hope. Whether you serve in ministry, counseling, or spiritual direction, this workshop will equip you to integrate faith and embodied wisdom for the flourishing of your community.

Thriving, Not Just Surviving – Finding Contentment & Joy in Unceasing Trials

Kristin Pattison

Some trials come and go. Through them we learn, we lament, we praise, we reflect. But what about the trials that are unceasing? What if that circumstance, relationship, infirmity, or hardship is something it appears God isn’t to remove from our life.

From a life of experience, Kristin will lead us to the Rock that is higher (Ps. 61:2) and help us transform unceasing trials to offerings of praise!

The Beauty of Deconstruction - When the Wilderness Becomes Holy Ground 

Dawn Farmer

Many of us have found ourselves in seasons where the faith we once carried so confidently begins to unravel. For some, it’s been burnout from serving and giving until nothing is left. For others, it’s the painful realization that the church has not always been the safe place it should be. In these moments, questions rise, structures crumble, and what once felt certain slips through our hands.

This breakout will be an honest space to explore how God meets us in the wilderness of deconstruction. Together, we’ll look at how letting go of rigid religion or unsustainable expectations can actually open the way to encounter Jesus more deeply. We’ll talk about how doubt and unraveling don’t have to mean the end of faith—but can become holy ground where grace, freedom, and new life take root. Whether you are in the midst of deconstruction yourself, or you’re seeking to better walk alongside a friend, child, or spouse in that journey, this conversation will give language, hope, and direction for the road ahead.

Foggy Lenses – How Family of Origin Impacts Our View of God, 

Self, & Others

Jenny Bayless & Jerria Williams

Growing up as kiddos, we receive messages from the world around us. These messages inform how we learn to see ourselves, how we learn to see other people, and how we learn to see God (or not see God). Often these messages are implicit and become subconscious lenses that color how we interact with the world. Family-of-origin (also known as the family unit we are born into) plays a significant role in shaping these messages. For example, a kiddo may learn that praise and affirmation are associated with their achievements at school. Reinforced over time, this can lead to a core message of, “when I do well, I am worthy of love.”

Jerria Williams will take us through her own story and explore how growing up in a predominantly white community as one of the few black families impacted her view of self, others, and God. She will talk about messages she internalized from different church contexts and black family cultural norms. She will also share her journey as an adult of identifying internalized messages and creating healthier truths and ways of seeing herself, others, and God. 

Unveiled: Experiencing Jesus and Becoming Whole Together

Lisa McFarland

This breakout session invites participants to move beyond theoretical belief into a living encounter with Christ that reshapes both personal and communal life. We’ll consider how God transforms us as we open ourselves to His presence, lay aside the masks of performance and shame, and discover the healing power of authentic friendships. Rooted in the biblical theme of unveiling, this session weaves together daily life with Jesus, genuine community, and spiritual wholeness into a vision of transformation and restoration.

When Anxiety Whispers in Your Ear – Learning How to Listen to Our Bodies Warning System

Tara Smith

Jesus tells us “Do not worry”. But that seems like an impossible command! In a world filled with thing to worry about, was Jesus just being hyperbolic? Or is it truly possible to live a life free of worry? The key to understanding may just lie in an unexpected source: anxiety. This breakout will give you tools for recognizing how your body is equipped with a God-given indicator system for when worry and shame have started calling the shots.