Improve Your Serve – March 5, 2016
8:00
9:00
10:15
11:30
12:30
1:30
2:40
Registration
Opening Plenary Session (streaming)
Session 1 Workshop
Session 2 Workshop
Lunch
Session 3 Workshop
Closing Plenary Session (streaming)
Nashville First Church
Track 1 Nazarene Youth International (NYI)
Session 1 Sharing the Story: How Your Youth Ministry Can Spark Hope
#N1A Youth ministries do many marvelous things for the Kingdom that aren't always shared
with the greatest level of success. In this workshop we will share some tools to help your
youth share, your church know, and your community connect to the story of the good
things happening within your group.
Presenter: Nate Pruitt
Nate Pruitt is a minister to youth and families having served at Westwind Community of
Faith and Trevecca Community Church on the MidSouth District. He is a father of three,
an author, and an occasionally sought after speaker.
Session 2 High Fives and Heroes – Realizing the Power of Small Groups and Middle School
#N1B
Ministry
Small groups provide an opportunity for students to be known and loved by a consistent
leader. This leader models Christlikeness in the way they interact with their group, lead
discussions/games, and connect with students and families outside of group time. One of
the highest and hardest callings within a ministry context, but then again “Hero” is not a
title easily earned.
Presenter: Jeremy Byler
Pastor Jeremy Byler is the Middle School Pastor at Erin Church of the Nazarene in Erin,
Tennessee. He also serves the MidSouth District as Pre-Teen Director and organizer of
the annual #Nazatween event.
Session 3 Open Forum on Youth Ministry and MidSouth NYI
#N1C Have questions about how others do youth ministry? Questions about the MidSouth
NYI? Bring your questions, thoughts, ideas and let’s collaborate our local ministry
efforts together and find out more about what is going on with the MidSouth NYI.
Presenter: Stephen Kihnley
Stephen has served as the youth pastor at Gallatin First Church of the Nazarene since
November 2011. He and his wife Bethany have a 2/12 year old. Stephen has also served
on the district council for the past 4 years.
Track 2 Children’s Ministry
Session 1 Preschool 101: Bright Ideas to Light Up Your Preschoolers
#N2A1 We'll cover classroom management techniques for smooth transitions and to draw
everyone in, fun and interactive ways to present the Bible story, and games and activities
to round out your day!
Presenter: Tonya Marks
Tonya serves Children’s Pastor at Columbia Grace Church of the Nazarene, where she
and her husband, Tracy, have been since 1999. She loves helping children grow in the
grace and knowledge of Jesus. Tonya believes the key to raising people of God is
encouraging the church and family to partner together. She grew up in a loving Christian
home in South Carolina and was taught and shown how to live for Jesus from an early
age. Over the years God has provided Tonya with many opportunities to lead children
through camps, childcare jobs, earning and Education degree at Trevecca Nazarene
Univeristy, being a public school teacher, and – best of all – being a mom to her children.
#N2A2
Technology on a Shoestring Budget
Adding technology to a children's ministry environment doesn't have to be
expensive. This session will provide practical ways you can add a little technology to
your children's ministry without breaking your ministry budget or being a computer
genius. The value of printed material will also be discussed and there will be time for
Q&A!
Presenter: Ed Yeager
Ed Yeager has been a children's pastor for almost 18 years, currently on staff at
Clarksville First Church of the Nazarene in Clarksville, TN. Ed collects Pez and ugly
Hawaiian shirts. He enjoys geocaching, fishing, canoeing, camping, and being outdoors
(when it isn't too hot or too cold). He is also fascinated with all things tech and, even
though no one who knows him would believe it, has an apiary.
Session 2 Nursery 101: Setting Up a Nursery to Welcome
#N2B1 We will cover the basics of nursery ministry. Topics include setting up a multi-age
nursery (infants-preschool), policies, and teaching tools. When do we start nursery
ministry? I'll give you a hint… It begins at conception! We will discuss ministering to
expectant parents all the way to dedication.
Presenter: Jessica Byler
Pastor Jessica is the Administration and Preschool Pastor at Erin Church of the Nazarene.
She has been in ministry for 15 years. Jessica is married to Jeremy (PJ), who also serves
as a pastor at Erin. They have 3 daughters, Aubree (10), Paisley (7) and Chloe (5).
Jessica enjoys zumba, playing volleyball, cooking and reading. She also LOVES church
camp. Jessica has a deep desire for children to know God and know that they can have a
relationship with Him.
#N2B2
High Fives and Heroes – Realizing the Power of Small Groups and Middle School
Ministry
Small groups provide an opportunity for students to be known and loved by a consistent
leader. This leader models Christlikeness in the way they interact with their group, lead
discussions/games, and connect with students and families outside of group time. One of
the highest and hardest callings within a ministry context, but then again “Hero” is not a
title easily earned.
Presenter: Jeremy Byler
Pastor Jeremy Byler is the Middle School Pastor at Erin Church of the Nazarene in Erin,
Tennessee. He also serves the MidSouth District as Pre-Teen Director and organizer of
the annual #Nazatween event.
Session 3 Elementary 101: Basics of Elementary Ministry from Worship to Events
#N2C1 Discover the Joy of ministering to elementary age children. Learn some basics to
planning age appropriate worship for them, including setting up a team of volunteers and
planning a calendar of events, small and large, to help grow your ministry inward and
outward. Most importantly how to help them find Christ!
Presenter: Crystal Petty
District Children’s Coordinator, Pastor to Children and families at Jason Chapel Church
of the Nazarene for the past 12 years. Family Camp Children’s Coordinator, She has led
camps, worship, speaking, etc. and has served in Children’s ministry in some capacity for
the past 30 years. Her greatest desire is for children to find Christ at a young age so they
can discover He has a purpose and plan for their lives. Jeremiah 29:11
#N2C2
Special Needs Ministry (Multi-cultural and ESL)
Do you worry if your children are understanding the story? Does your ministry have
children from different cultures? Ministering to different cultures or in settings where
some are just learning English, brings out challenges both on the part of the minister and
the English learners in your ministry trying to grasp what you are teaching. Pulling
strategies and best practices from research and experience in the teaching field, this
session will equip you with techniques and activities that you can implement to help all
children, not just the English learner.
Presenter: Michelle Bergman and Lance Connor (ESL)
Michelle Bergman graduated from Trevecca with a degree in math education and then
completed her master's degree in teaching with a focus in teaching English learners. Now
a district licensed minister working towards ordination, she ministers weekly to children
at Jason Chapel Church of the Nazarene. Michelle's passion is teaching and learning.
Track 3 Nazarene Missions International (NMI)
Session 1 I’m an NMI President: What Now?
#N3A Local NMI presidents are encouraged to attend this workshop and benefit from the
experience and creativity of other MidSouth NMI leaders. Hear up-to-the-minute news
about NMI and get a jumpstart on your annual report!
Presenter: Sharron Shands
Sharon lives in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee and attends the Hermitage Church of the Nazarene.
She was an NMI president for eight years, was district Deputation Director for five years,
and currently serves as a North Nashville Mission Area Coordinator.
Session 2 The Changing Face of Work and Witness
#N3B
Learn about all the possibilities for Work and Witness, including multigenerational trips,
engaging youth, and creative new opportunities for work and outreach.
Presenter: Joe Drake
Joe is the Regional Elder for Bikers For Christ overseeing Florida, Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi, and Tennessee. He and his wife serve on the Nazarene Motorcycle
Fellowship for the global church. Joe has been on four Work and Witness trips:
Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina; Capetown, South Africa; and two trips to Senegal.
Session 3 The Articles of Faith StudyMap (This workshop will be broadcast from DaySpring to
#N3C the DMRC. Transportation to DMRC will be provided.)
Experience this innovative teaching tool, developed by missionary Stéphane Tibi, as he
guides participants through the Nazarene Articles of Faith. Learn the foundations of the
Christian faith interactively and come away with a greater understanding and retention of
our foundational beliefs.
Presenter: Stéphane Tibi
Stéphane and his wife Sandra are Nazarene missionaries in Africa, where he currently
serves as Field Strategy Coordinator for Africa Central Field. Stéphane has developed
graphic tools called StudyMaps for memorably and creatively communicating the truths
of Scripture as well as the Nazarene Articles of Faith.
Track 4 Adult Ministries
Session 1 Exploring Motorcycle Ministry
#N4A Motorcycle Ministries, Biker Sundays, and Protocol of Motorcycling. There will be
presentation and discussion of forming motorcycle ministries and conducting Biker
Sundays. We will look at the difference in Biker Church, Motorcycle Ministry (MM),
Independent Clubs and Motorcycle Clubs (MC).
Presenter: Ron Bailey
Ron Bailey pastors the Hope Riders Biker Church in Clarksville, Tennessee. Before
becoming a pastor, he served as Men's Ministry Director at his local church and as Men's
Ministry Director on the District. He has served as the Adult Ministries Director for the
District for several years.
Session 2 Exploring Men’s Ministry
#N4B
Exploring the importance of Men serving Men in today's world. Discussion will be
conducted on why to offer men's ministries and ways to encourage participation. There
will be information on the upcoming Men's Retreat and opportunity to register on site.
Presenter: John Meeks
John Meeks is a Minister serving at First Church of the Nazarene in Clarksville
Tennessee. He is the newly appointed District Men's Ministry Director. He served
Woodlawn Church of the Nazarene for several years as a layman working in several
areas of the church.
Session 3 Women Ministering To Women
#N4C Your District Women's Council invites you to share ministry ideas and learn new ways to
reach women. Also to participate in a time of commitment, prayer, and anointing for
service.
Presenter: Judy Frazier
Judy testifies God has been most gracious and merciful to her. She was saved as a young
child and called into ministry when in her forties while at her desk in a Trevecca office.
Judy presently serves as senior adult pastor at Franklin Community of Faith, teaches a
Sunday School class, and enjoys one-on-one ministry and small group ministries. She
serves on the District Women’s Ministries Council along with a team of godly, loving
women.
Track 5 Refresh
Session 1 Tell THE Story
#N5A Tell THE Story is keeping Jesus' message with his method in order that we can go out
and make disciples. This workshop is easy to receive, remember, and retell. It is
discovery based, highly engaging, orality centered and uses group discussion.
Presenter: Barbara and Larry Fox
Larry and Barbara Fox have been married for almost 49 years, have 3 grown children
and a couple of granddaughters. They have been on several mission trips and enjoy
meeting new brothers and sisters in Christ.
Session 2 Tell THE Story
#N5B
Same workshop offering as #N5A. It is being offered twice in the schedule.
Presenter: Barbara and Larry Fox
Session 3 Ministry to Age-Groups and Families – Partnership Between Lead Pastor and Staff
#N5C Wonder what age-group ministry pastors wish the senior pastor knew, and vice versa,
with regard to ministering to children, youth, and families? What's the importance of the
relationship between staff and lead pastor in these ministries? How can staff teams be
developed effectively? How do you maintain morale of these staff teams? Hear the
perspective of one who has served as senior pastor, as well as in children's, youth, and
family ministries.
Presenter: Dustin Bilbrey
Dustin Bilbrey is the Senior Pastor at Lewisburg First Church of the Nazarene. He has
been serving in this role for 8 months. He wasn't always called to lead as the Senior
Pastor, though, as he has served for 9 of the last 12 years in Children's Ministry, Youth
Ministry, and Family Ministry.
Track 6 Renew
Session 1 Sabbatical: Why Every Church Should Offer It, Why Every Pastor Should Take It
#N6A (This workshop will be broadcasting from the DMRC. Transportation to the DMRC will
be provided.)
Explore in this workshop the mandate for sabbatical rest and apply those concepts to the
life of the pastor. Learn what sabbatical is and learn how your church can be faithful to
encourage and implement this biblical concept in your pastors’ lives.
Presenter: Steve Estep
Dr. Steve Estep has been Sr. Pastor at Clarksville Grace since January 2008. He serves as
adjunct professor of preaching at Nazarene Theological Seminary, is an active member
of the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce, Clarksville Area Ministerial Association,
and is a 2012 graduate of Leadership Clarksville. He serves on the credentials board and
Advisory Board of the MidSouth District. He has served as chaplain to the Rossview
High School football team since 2010. He is the President/CEO of Restoring the
Warriors Heart, Inc. a non-profit ministry to soldiers and their families. In addition, Steve
was elected as President of the NTS Alumni Association in 2014 and is on the Board of
Trustees for Nazarene Theological Seminary. His hobbies include working out, fishing,
hunting, riding motorcycles and jet-skis. He enjoys date nights with Michelle, traveling,
and spending time with their kids Brandon (21), Brooke (19) and Blake (17). He is a big
fan of the 6-time Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Steve’s passions are
preaching and prayer.
Session 2 Improving Worship by Improving the Details
#N6B
Putting the order of worship together for a worship service is just a small portion of what
it takes to be a leader in worship. The Call, The Team, and The Work are areas that can
transform our worship leading from the inside out. This overview of the ministry of
leading a congregation to worship will discuss the foundational understanding of those
called to lead and develop teams for local church worship services.
Presenter: Jonathan Trees
Jonathan Trees serves as pastor at Nashville Grace Church of the Nazarene.
Session 3 Missional Administration
#N6C If a Church is to fulfill its mission, then the entire team needs to work together. There is
an administrative process that can help the pastor plan, evaluate, and build a missional
team. This discussion is designed to point the pastor to tools that can move the staff or
ministry team to work toward that same mission. Clarifying roles, defining goals, and
working with elevated accountability will be discussed.
Presenter: Jonathan Trees
Jonathan Trees serves as pastor at Nashville Grace Church of the Nazarene.
Track 7 Retool
Session 1 NazSafe – Developing Safety Policies and Providing Sexual Abuse Awareness
#N7A Training in the Local Church
Every local church should develop and implement a policy regarding safety in their
ministries to children and youth. This session will provide information regarding the
importance of such policies, why it should be supported from pastoral and church board
leadership, and how to get started developing a policy in the local church.
Presenter: Crystal Petty
District Children’s Coordinator, Pastor to Children and families at Jason Chapel Church
of the Nazarene for the past 12 years. Family Camp Children’s Coordinator, She has led
camps, worship, speaking, etc. and has served in Children’s ministry in some capacity for
the past 30 years. Her greatest desire is for children to find Christ at a young age so they
can discover He has a purpose and plan for their lives. Jeremiah 29:11
Session 2 Using Your Local Church’s Office 365 Subscription (This workshop will be broadcast
from the DMRC. Transportation to the DMRC will be provided.)
#N7B
Were you aware the district provides your local church with one user-subscription to
Office 365 Enterprise 3. Were you aware this is a powerful tool for ministry? Would you
like to know how to use the tools available through this subscription? This session will
introduce you to those tools, including Outlook, Power Point, Word, Excel, One Note,
Skype for Business, One Drive for Business, Publisher, and Access.
Presenter: James Lunsford
James is a co-vocational pastor. He has served as pastor at Fly Church of the Nazarene
for the past 22+ years. For 25+ years he has supported his preaching habit as an
Information Technology professional. He is Microsoft Certified Professional as well as
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer + Internet. James currently runs his own private
technology consulting business, helping clients in various industries select, utilize, and
optimize their use of technology tools to achieve their business goals.
Session 3 Developing a Multi-Cultural Church and Ministry
#N7C Nashville First Church of the Nazarene now includes two immigrant congregations as
part of its ministry, including a Haitian Church and a new African congregation mostly
from the Republic of the Congo. Join the discussion as Dr. Ulmet shares lessons they
have learned in reaching unique groups in their communities.
Presenter: Kevin Ulmet
Kevin M. UImet has been senior pastor at Nashville First for 4 1/2 years, leading them
through transition. Dr. Ulmet holds the B.A. from Trevecca, the M.Div from NTS and
the D.Min from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.