Hebrews 8:10

“For this is the covenant that I will establish … I will put my laws in their minds and I will inscribe them on their hearts.” Hebrews 8:10

Limited to a Tribe of 200 People

Sold out … and then some!

Fly, Drive, Walk … but get there

Our Featured Guest

Richard R. Hammar
The 5 Legal Threats Every XP Needs to Know

Attorney, CPA and Author

Richard R. Hammar is an attorney, CPA, and author specializing in legal and tax issues for churches and pastors. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and attended Harvard Divinity School. He is senior editor of Christianity Today’s Church Law & Tax Team and author of several of its books, including Pastor, Church & Law, the annual Church & Clergy Tax Guide, Reducing the Risk, the biannual Compensation Handbook for Church Staff, and the Essential Guide to Copyright Law for Churches.

He also is the senior editor of the Church Law & Tax Team’s Church Law & Tax Report, a bimonthly newsletter reviewing significant legal and tax developments for churches and clergy, and Church Finance Today, a monthly newsletter for church treasurers.

Richard has contributed articles to numerous journals and publications, including Leadership Journal, Christian Century, and Enrichment; is a frequent speaker at legal and tax conferences; has taught church law at a number of seminaries; and is often asked to consult with attorneys, CPAs, and church and denominational leaders on legal and tax issues.

He has been a lecturer at the annual Washington Nonprofit Legal and Tax Conference since 1992; addressed a National Institute of the American Bar Association on the tort liability of charitable and religious organizations; has been a featured speaker at the annual Program on Philanthropy and Law sponsored by the New York University School of Law; and has taught continuing education seminars at several institutions, including Princeton Theological Seminary and Emory University

Richard has been inducted into the church management “hall of fame” by the National Association of Church Business Administration, and has served on the boards of several prominent charities, including the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

Our Featured Guest

Rich Birch

Trends Impacting Our Churches
Some You See, Some You Don’t!

In this conversation, Rich explores cultural trends impacting all of our churches that we need to be aware of. You’ll be challenged with this a new thought and consider how you could leverage these trends for your church. Rich is a pastor, entrepreneur and thought leader.

Rich founded unSeminary, “stuff you wish they taught you in Seminary” … a place to collect some thoughts about the local church and doin’ stuff right in the local church. He says, “I really am not a ‘know it all’ or ‘expert’ but really just somebody who has made a lot of mistakes in leadership and is attempting to pass along some learning so you don’t have to pay the ‘stooopid tax.'”

Rich has been involved in church leadership for over 20 years. He led in one of the first multisite churches in North America, The Meeting House in Toronto, which became the leading multisite church in Canada with over 4,500 people in six locations (today they are seventeen locations with somewhere over 6,000 people attending). In addition, he served on the leadership team of Connexus Community Church in Ontario, a North Point Community Church Strategic Partner.

For seven years he served as a part of the four member Lead Team at Liquid Church in the Manhattan facing communities of New Jersey. In his time with the church it grew from one campus to six and attendance grew to over 3,500 people.

He has a dual vocational background that uniquely positions him for serving churches to multiply impact. While in the marketplace, Rich founded a dot-com with two partners in the late 90’s that worked to increase value for media firms and internet service providers. He speaks at conferences like Orange, WFX and various regional multisite church events—and s a featured writer on Auxano’s Vision Room, ChurchLeaders.com and MinistryBriefing.

Rich’s first book, Unreasonable Churches: 10 Churches Who Zagged When Others Zigged and Saw More Impact Because of It, is an Amazon bestseller in the Church Leadership category. It’s designed to help church leaders think a new thought and take new risks in impacting their community.

‘But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,’ says the Lord. ‘I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be my people.’ Jeremiah 31:33

We limit attendance to 200 people. We are a tribe not a town. This enables everyone to talk to our distinguished speakers and sense the XPastor Community.

Why Come?

Gene Getz, Pastor and Author of 60+ Books

David Fletcher has been helping Executive Pastors for over a decade through XPastor.org. I love what he is doing through the keynotes and workshops—and I had a great time a couple of years ago when I was a speaker. To learn and grow, this is a fantastic place.

I’ve also seen first hand the results of his own leadership where he serves at the local church level and in helping train leaders in cross-cultural situations—which has added to his ability to structure a dynamic learning environment regardless of the societal factors. Don’t miss this opportunity!!

Clint Smith, XP of NORTH Church

The XP-Seminar has had a huge impact on my leadership and development as a person, as well as an executive pastor. Years ago, when I began the journey as an XP in my late twenties, it provided the networking, mentoring and insight that I needed to grow in this demanding role. I continue to attend the Seminar to increase my knowledge in church law, HR, staff development, budgeting and so much more. The relationships I have built through XPastor grow every time I attend. I believe in this seminar and what it represents and would love to give back any way I can.

Tim Samuel, CFO of Bridgeway Church

The Seminar enables me to create future opportunities. Daniel Rolfe’s talk last year helped shape my year. It connects me with church leaders from around the country so that I can innovate and save money for my local church.

Eddie Park, Church Planter

At the seminar, I was exposed to some of the most experienced church leaders from all over the nation. I never thought I would ever be prepared for senior leadership until I came to the seminar and received the invaluable wisdom and resources provided by David Fletcher, the speakers, and participants. 

A LinkedIn Post after the 2017 XP-Seminar …

I’ve attended four XP-Seminars and can vouch for its Christ-centered, ministry-minded approach. I highly recommend the good work David Fletcher is doing!”

Matthew Branaugh, Editor, Church Law & Tax Team, Christianity Today

A Tweet after the 2017 XP-Seminar …

Blessed to interact personally today with gurus @drfletcher, @DanReiland, @Mike_Bonem, and @philtaylorxp. Each is the real deal. #XPSeminar

Dan Brubacher

From a first time attender …

We are off-the-hook impressed with the XP-Seminar … no wonder you have such a strong following!
Mike Batts, Managing Partner Batts Morrison Wales & Lee, P.A., Certified Public Accountants

From a Senior Pastor …

I loved the entire XP conference. Probably the best overall conference I’ve attended in 21 years of Senior Pastor ministry.
Rod MacIlvaine, Senior Pastor, Grace Community Church, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

The Annual Event

XPastor’s unique format combines nationally-known authors, the most current thinking in church leadership and pastors from cutting-edge churches. No one has the mix of thought and practice that XPastor offers.

Now in its 14th year, the XP-Seminar brings together Executive Pastors, Senior Pastors and other church leaders from around North America. We have pertinent and penetrating sessions together.

Why XPastor?

XPastor is the market leader with proven capacity in reaching church leaders. XPastor brings together influential decision-makers from churches, both coast-to-coast and around the world.

XPastor.org has hundreds of free, insightful online articles and annually receives hundreds of thousands of visits.

XPastor’s online courses provide training to grow as a church leader. Learn from peers who are in cutting-edge churches around the globe.

Grow with Friends

Meet peers from similarly-sized churches. You are a key decision maker in your church, so grow with others like you. We have a wide assortment of denominations and church polity.

Get cognitive input in the large group presentations and your questions answered in the small group discussions. We always bring in outstanding national leaders. Just to name a few of our past speakers: Sam Chand, Gene Getz, Will Mancini, Reggie McNeal, Larry Osborne, Ken Sande, Jim Tomberlin, Dr. John Townsend and Dr. Thom Rainer.

Short Ride

The short ride is our live case study on church leadership issues. To the point. Clear. Impactful. In the XP role, there are the executive and pastoral functions. This year we will examine some of the vital aspects of pastoring a congregation. This first-person story will show you how one pastor is doing just that. Tap into some power here.
Horse not provided.

Workshops

On each day, we have three sets of workshops led by some of the best church leaders from North America—people who are coming up with innovative solutions to practical ministry. Hear from your peers! The workshop leaders speak from their amazing areas of expertise. They talk to you as “one skilled leader to another.”

Location

Our 13th year at the Hilton Dallas/Park Cities! Enjoy a special rate at the Hilton. The special rate will be available until January 30, 2017 or until the group block is sold out, whichever comes first. Guests wishing to arrive early or stay late may do so, based on availability.

Click here for the special XPastor room rate at the Hilton.

What Attendees Say

“The most important part to me is the ability to ‘network.’ I loved being able to ask questions, probe and encourage the other folks I spent time with outside of the scheduled events.”

“Thank you for continuing to offer this most wonderful vehicle for growing, learning and stretching in service to Him!”

“A few of the beneficial things for me: The structure of the conference. The speakers are accessible. The large room is comfortable. The free material is amazing. Chatting between speakers.”

“I love that the conference is small. I liked the clarity I received regarding, What I should do as a new XP?” —attendance limited to 200 people—

“Thank you so much for the obvious work that was put into the conference. It was my first time attending and it was very beneficial. The Open Forum Workshop was great. It’s so helpful to dialogue and process out loud with other XPs.”

“On our flight home, my XP said to me, ‘So was the conference worth it for you?’ I answered, ‘Yes it was.’ He agreed as well.”

“I appreciated hearing from two Senior Pastors regarding their partnerships with their XPs. And, it was great to hear from David, Mike and Paul about navigating challenges. Those kinds of stories are unique in seminars where typically it’s all success.”

Enrich your life and ministry

Check out more photos and video of past XP-Seminars

The XP-Seminar has been a career and a life changer for me. Thank you for taking the time to put on this event.

Tim Samuel
CPA & CFO, Bridgeway Community Church
Columbia, Maryland

We limit attendance to 200 people of our tribe.

2018 XP-Seminar Attendees

The Seminar is the time for XPs, SPs and church leaders
to come together, hear from national leaders
and peers, and be life-long learners.

“The topics were relevant to where I am at—both personally and professionally.”

Our 14th Year of Powerful and Motivating Speakers …

Tuesday—February 20, 2018

7:30-8:30 Registration and Dessert. Evening welcome and social in the Beverly Ballroom. Join us for this informal time to pick up your materials, get your free books for the huge selection, talk to old friends and meet some new ones. Coffee and a cookie dessert is open to all (and spouses are welcome to join you for this dessert time!)

Wednesday—February 21, 2018

7:30 Full breakfast sponsored by FellowshipOne with a discussion between Chris Nelson and David Fletcher. We get the XP-Seminar kicked off with a focus on doing ministry. This year’s topic is one which every XP lives in everyday: “Business Brains + Pastoral Heart = Your XP Calling.”
8:30-9:30 Workshops: Session #1 Yes, alumni will notice that Wednesday workshops are in the morning this year. Saddle up early!
9:45-10:45 Workshops: Session #2
11:00-12:00 Workshops: Session #3
12:15 short-rideLunch with A Short Ride on a Hot Topic. As we eat, it is a time to hear a different perspective on church–innovative, creative, Jesus focused. Dr. Gene Getz has written over 60 books, started an entire movement of Fellowship Churches and so much more in his 86 years on this planet. Yet, he has asked God for another very active 5-year plan for ministry–that will take him to age 91! Be challenged to continue on in life and ministry in this lunch with Gene.
1:30

Keynote by Richard Hammar, The 5 Legal Threats Every Executive Pastor Needs to Know. Having written over 100 books, Richard is the national expert on church law and tax issues. Society is exceedingly complex and churches consider fiduciary issues everyday.
2:30 Afternoon snack on first floor
2:45 Keynote by Rich Birch. Trends Impacting Our Churches—Some You See, Some You Don’t!
Rich is a Pastor, Entrepreneur and Thought Leader. Rich founded unSeminary. Get ready for “stuff you wish they taught you in Seminary.” Rich brings to the table a mix of business and ministry, sometimes unconventional and always innovative. His experience and interviews with so many pastors gives him enormous expertise on “doing ministry.”
4:00 “Business Brains + Pastoral Heart = Your XP Calling” by David Fletcher. Being in ministry for 35+ years and an XP for 18 of those years, David has insights on the role of the XP and church leaders. What does it take to successfully minister to the needs of a congregation? What do they expect and need from an XP? Be ready to take home some challenges about doing ministry.
5:15 Take an XP/SP friend to dinner! Schedule it early with someone from your state or similar-sized church. We saw scores of people do this last year.

Thursday—February 22, 2017

7:45 Breakfast–a great time to network
8:45 Keynote on “Having a Security Mindset in Your Church.” This isn’t as simple as guns or no guns. Mike Kramer of Brotherhood Mutual will bring years of firsthand experience about case studies on church safety and security. David Fletcher will pose challenging questions on the topic for small group discussion. Brotherhood Mutual is giving to each attendee their $40 book on Church Safety: “The guidebook is a great tool to engage leadership and start the safety and security discussion at your church, as well as a step-by-step manual with instructions on creating a church safety and security team and plan. With more than 20 checklists, sample policies, training scenarios, and a sample plan, you’ll have practical help with a ministry focus.”
9:45 Keynote on “the Pastoral Heart.” What is this thing of shepherding and how does it relate to XPs? Can an XP be all business and no pastoral presence? Some see shepherding as weddings, funerals and pastoral counseling. It is far deeper than that–it is actively bringing the ethic of Jesus’ Kingdom, as laid out in the Sermon on the Mount, to the leadership and management of the church.
11:00 Break for Lunch—Pick up lunch outside the Ballroom and take it to a workshop
11:30-12:30 Lunch Workshops: Session 4
12:45-1:45 Workshops: Session 5
2:00-3:00 Workshops: Session 6
Have a safe trip home

“I’m truly excited about the excellence of this seminar.”

“A wild herd of wolves and other critters could not keep us from partnering with the XP-Seminar!”

Brad Leeper, President, Generis

Thanks to our 2018 Sponsors!

We want to thank Generis for their fourteenth year as a sponsor. Brad Leeper has served in church leadership roles and has real-life experience to offer far beyond that of most industry consultants. We welcome Generis’ Principal and President, Brad Leeper.

Generis is a church consulting firm passionate about helping ministries of all sizes bridge the gap between vision and resources by engaging the hearts of givers and accelerating generosity. Generis has served over 13,500 churches, helping them raise more than $13.5 billion for Kingdom expansion.

For the twelfth year, we welcome FellowshipOne, the industry’s premier church management software. FellowshipOne streamlines ministry details with the simple approach of aligning people, processes, and technology to maximize ministry efficiency and growth.

With the launch of FellowshipOne Insights, church leaders can have instant visibility into the attendance and giving trends in your church. This analytics tool offers unparalleled visibility into the effectiveness of your ministries. Lead your church into greater accountability based on data-driven analysis of where you are using your resources.

For the twelfth year as a sponsor, we welcome Evangelical Christian Credit Union. ECCU is an alliance of Christian people and organizations committed to fueling Christ-centered ministry worldwide. While their mission extends far beyond banking, they have been providing ministry-centric financial services and resources for over 50 years to churches and their members, missionaries, and many others.

We welcome GuideStone as a sponsor for the twelfth year. GuideStone® is one of the leading providers for retirement, medical, life and disability coverage, investment management and executive planning services to the evangelical Christian community. Since 1918, they have worked to enhance the security of more than 230,000 individuals and oversee $12 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2017. GuideStone offers its clients access to Christian-screened investment funds for retirement, endowment and operational assets.

For the eighth year as a sponsor, we welcome HH Architects. For 45 years, HH Architects has had the privilege of working with and planning campuses for many of the fastest-growing and top-attended churches and private Christian schools across America.

HH Architects has worked with a broad range of churches and schools on a wide variety of facilities, from first-unit buildings to 7,000+ seat Worship Centers, providing Strategic Positioning, Master Planning, Architectural, and Interior Design services for nearly all aspects of religious facility projects.

For the seventh year, we welcome CapinCrouse. As a national full-service CPA and consulting firm devoted to serving nonprofit organizations, CapinCrouse provides professional solutions to organizations whose outcomes are measured in lives changed.

Since 1972, the firm has served domestic and international outreach organizations, universities and seminaries, foundations, media ministries, rescue missions, relief and development organizations, churches and denominations, and many others by providing support in the key areas of financial integrity and security.

With a network of offices across the nation, CapinCrouse has the resources of a large firm and the personal touch of a local firm. CapinCrouse is an independent member of the BDO Alliance USA. Learn more at CapinCrouse.com

For the seventh year, we welcome Clark. Clark is the leading provider of custom audio, video, lighting (AVL) solutions for churches. Clark’s mission is to help you communicate your story, personally connect with your audience and inspire change.

Twenty years of experience enables Clark to partner with your organization, transforming your environment into a space that uniquely reflects your core values.

For the fifth year, we welcome Slingshot.  Slingshot Group partners with the local church and ministry minded non-profits to find and develop next level people through relational search and coaching services.  Founded in 2007 by Stan Endicott and Monty Kelso, Slingshot Group has 40 associates nationwide that serve in the following divisions:  Senior Leadership, Students, Childrens, Worship Arts, and Communications.  What sets Slingshot Group apart is their winsome and relational team who provide innovative solutions that facilitate the work of God on the journey of finding and developing the people you need.

For the fourth year, we welcome Church Community Builder. Church Community Builder is a technology and services company focused on equipping church leaders for better ministry. We exist to give you the tools you need to know, grow, and keep your people—through comprehensive software and church leader coaching. We focus on the tools and processes so you can focus on reaching and empowering your people. Our inspiration is “the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11b-12).

For the fourth year, we welcome the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. With its mission of Enhancing Trust, ECFA now certifies over 2,100 Christ-centered churches and ministries based on its high standards in financial management, governance and gift administration.

ECFA is also a leading provider of church resources, including the free ChurchEXCEL subscription at ECFA.church.

Check out the XPastor page and free items at ECFA.

For the fourth year, we welcome Worlds of Wow. They create ridiculously cool, fun environments for kids and families! They assist with stage design, theming for various ages and stages, indoor play and any other design idea you may have. They provide original artwork and graphics to bring your ideas to life! With over 13 years experience and more than 600 completed projects, they are the experts when it comes to theming and play. Whether you are a multi-site, a mobile church or just giving your space a whole new look, they know what it takes from the very first conversation as we dream together to the very last nail put into place. WOW loves the creative process of working with you through the development of concepts, characters, elements and stories. It’s just their role to bring your vision to life. Themes are always original, never borrowed from check in, to hallways, to large group rooms, our themes are designed to tell a story and create destinations where kids want to be! 

We welcome for the third year, Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, one of the nation’s leading insurers of churches, Christian schools, and related ministries. Its comprehensive property and liability coverage for ministries fills gaps left by standard insurance policies.

Brotherhood’s travel service, Faith Ventures®, helps missionaries reach the world without fear of being sidelined by illness, injuries, or lawsuits. And its payroll service, MinistryWorks®, takes the pain out of payroll administration. More than 50,000 ministries across America trust Brotherhood Mutual, so they can focus on ministry.

We welcome for the third year, Ziegler. Since their first financing in 1913, Ziegler has become a recognized leader in providing creative, tailored solutions to religious institutions.

Ziegler offers fixed-rate financing for multidenominational churches, religious schools, colleges and universities, and other organizations in the healthcare and senior living sectors. Ziegler is headquartered in Chicago with regional and branch offices throughout the U.S.

We welcome for the second year, Batts Morrison Wales & Lee. BMWL is a national CPA firm dedicated exclusively to helping churches, Christian ministries, and nonprofit organizations cover their financial bases through professional audit and assurance, tax, and advisory services.  BMWL has a highly experienced and motivated team of professionals, all of whom share a common passion for serving organizations that make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of people.  The BMWL team helps organizations maintain strong donor trust and confidence, produce highly effective financial reports, strengthen internal controls and financial oversight, improve overall risk management, maximize tax exemptions, protect exempt status, provide board member governance orientation and training, and simplify financial administration.  BMWL is honored to serve clients across the United States.  Please visit nonprofitcpa.com to learn more.

For the first year, we welcome Visioneering Studios. They are the only nationally-licensed, faith-based design-build firm that specializes in commercial, nonprofit and worship environments. We are not just developers, designers, architects, and builders—we are storytellers.  We come alongside our partners, who lead movements and organizations that have unique stories crafted by a unique people, place, and passion, to be trusted stewards of their story and space.

Our beliefs positively impact the relational nature and integrity of our work. Visioneering Studios’s “look to launch” services include: Real Estate and Development Advisory Services (Visioneering Studios Real Estate), Master Planning, Architecture and Interior Design (Visioneering Studios Architecture), National Construction and Construction Services (Visioneering Studios Construction).

For the first year, we welcome Vanderbloemen Search Group. Vanderbloemen helps churches and ministries build great teams by finding their key staff. Vanderbloemen is an industry leader in executive search for the church, having worked with ministries in nearly every state and several countries. God has uniquely called and positioned your church to do what only you can do, and having the right team members in the right roles is vital to fulfilling that calling. From finding the right worship leaders to children’s ministers and senior pastors, Vanderbloemen helps discover your church’s DNA and then conducts a nationwide search for whom God is calling to your church. Whether you’re planning your next hire, reorganizing your staff, analyzing your compensation structure, or need help with succession planning, build your best ministry team with Vanderbloemen.

2018 Promotional Sponsors

We welcome Leadership Network for the thirteenth year, www.leadnet.org. Leadership Network’s role is to foster innovation movements that activate the Church to greater impact for the Glory of God’s name. What began in 1984 with 20 leaders now serves over 200,000 leaders all over the world.

Our programs work with entrepreneurial innovators—leaders starting and doing new things. We focus on the practical parts of ministry action. We use what we call a “peer protocol” which means that our approach is to put leaders with leaders and let them learn from one another.

We work with multiple innovations—such as multisite, city impact and generosity—and multiple leaders—including senior pastors, executive pastors and campus pastors—using multiple models and approaches. We help the church teams move from ideas to implementation to impact. Learn more about the programs offered at leadnet.org/programs

We welcome Christianity Today for the fifth year.  Christianity Today’s Church Law & Tax Team publishes the award-winning Church Law & Tax Report and Church Finance Today newsletters, the award-winning ChurchLawAndTax.com and ManagingYourChurch.com websites, and numerous print and digital resources that help church leaders keep their congregations safe, legal, and financially sound. The Church Law & Tax Team is led by senior editor Richard R. Hammar, a Harvard Law School graduate, CPA, and author of more than 100 books (including the annual Church & Clergy Tax Guide, Pastor, Church & Law, the 2018 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff, and Church Finance, a book co-authored with Michael Batts. The Church Law & Tax Team is led by an esteemed group of Editorial Advisors that include attorneys Chip Grange, David Middlebrook, and Frank Sommerville, and CPAs Michael Batts, Dan Busby, and Elaine Sommerville.

For the third year, we welcome the Historic Agency as a sponsor. Historic doesn’t call itself a marketing agency because they want to do more than just move product and grow numbers. They want to tell lasting stories.

With over five decades of experience, their team provides a suite of expert services fit to meet your unique needs. Whether you’re investing in brand & identity, communication strategy, assessments & coaching, or all things creative, they’ll align your short-term solutions with long-term strategy. “Let’s create something Historic together.”

Special thanks to the Historic Agency for their design and production of the XP-Seminar notebook–their excellence, creative design and attention to detail is readily apparent!

Workshops

Most workshops will be offered twice. No pre-registration for the workshops is necessary–but it is advised to get to the room as soon as possible as some rooms fill up fast.

Thanks again for the conference. Thanks for the privilege (and I mean that term, privilege) of sharing a slice of life from my experience with the conference participants. You continue to provide a necessary, stimulating, and exciting energy to many of us in ministry.

–Paul Utnage, XP of Catalina Foothills Church, Tucson, Arizona

Workshops on “Business Brains”

Basics of Tax Compliance

All XPs need help with the basics of tax compliance for churches.  Mike and BMWL have compiled excellent materials on this vital topic. This will cover the basics of federal tax compliance for churches. They have such a wealth of experience that this workshop will be done in two parts, back to back.

This workshop will be led by Mike Batts. Mike is the president and managing partner of Batts Morrison Wales & Lee, a CPA firm dedicated exclusively to helping churches, Christian ministries, and other nonprofit organizations cover their financial bases through professional audit and assurance, tax, and advisory services. Mike has more than 30 years of experience serving churches and ministries in a variety of ways. He advises churches on matters related to board governance, financial reporting, tax compliance and strategy, risk management, corporate structure, international activities, and related topics. Mike recently co-authored, together with attorney and CPA Richard Hammar, the book Church Finance, published by Christianity Today. Church Finance has become the “go-to” reference in America providing practical guidance for church financial administration.

Building a Vision-Centered Staff

This workshop is both ‘business’ and ‘ministry.’ It often feels like everyone on staff is running in different directions. Work is duplicated, ministry opportunities are overlooked and communication is a mess. Silos form to solve the problems, but can complicate ministry. As an XP, your role as a staff leader is crucial to eliminating these distractions and uniting your team with one central purpose. At Northside, recently we have been intentionally seeking to unite our staff with our vision, becoming disciples who are making disciples. It has been a slow, sometimes bumpy ride, but so worth every investment. If you are interested in creating or honing a workplace that starts as vision-centered, this workshop will be a great discussion.

Julie Eastman is the Executive Minister at Northside Christian Church. With a Masters in Administration degree, she works closely with their Lead Pastor to develop the overall leadership and direction of the church staff in order to carry out its God-given vision of becoming disciples who are making disciples. Her role also includes assessing current church health, the development of strategic planning, goal and budget setting, with an eye on overall staff operations. One of her favorite parts of the role is the opportunity to act as a catalyst in the formation of needed teams and ministries to carry out their vision.

Executive Pastor 101

Reviewing the basics of the XP role is a good idea for seasoned veterans and newbies alike. Question Zero from the Harvard Business School is one good place to begin: “What exactly are we trying to accomplish here?” There are a lot of things to master, but not many people to ask. In this session, we will dialogue together about the role. We’ll talk through the best areas on which to focus, common pitfalls and practical resources for XPs. Don’t expect a lecture from David but his synthesis with you on the salient issues that face XPs today.

Architect and Pastor Alliances

Bruce Woody will share what a great alliance of architect and pastor can look like. Their credo says it all—“We Believe, We Serve, We Create.” When you are looking for an architect, what are the guidelines that you will need? How can you build a relationship working towards a common goal? The keys are removing barriers, opening pathways to connecting, and setting the ministry up with Strategic Positioning towards growth.

Bruce is the President and CEO of HH Architects. Based in Dallas, this architecture and planning firm has done work around the country. This award winning firm has a commitment to quality and thorough understanding of planning for growth. It has attracted a wide range of clients with needs on both a small and large scale. For 45 years, they have provided Architectural, Interior Design, Strategic Positioning and Master Planning services to clients ranging from churches to municipal entities to schools to corporate buildings. They approach projects from the client’s perspective. Building upon your image and identity, they strive for creative solutions that meet the project’s scope, schedule, and budget. They have developed an expertise in designing to a highly complex set of requirements and constraints, and through this process, they provide the facility that meets and exceeds all of the owner’s expectations.

Pulse on Capitol Hill

With all that’s happening on Capitol Hill these days, who has time to keep up? This informative ECFA workshop will highlight the most significant changes impacting churches, from recent tax and legislative developments to charitable giving trends, judicial activities affecting religious freedom, and other areas of interest.

David Fletcher heard Dan Busby give a “Pulse” in March 2017 … it was an enthralling 45 minutes. Bring your questions for some discussion after Dan and Michael’s presentation.

Dan Busby is the president of ECFA, an organization that accredits Christ-centered ministries in the areas of governance, financial management and stewardship/fundraising. ECFA’s seal enhances trust of givers, which increases generosity, providing greater resources to help fulfill the Great Commission. ECFA accredits over 2,200 churches and nonprofits. These organizations have annual revenue of nearly $26 billion, receiving charitable contributions of nearly $17 billion. Dan has over forty years of experience serving the Christ-centered church and nonprofit community and frequently speaks nationally on related issues. He is a prolific writer with 55 volumes of five book titles published including a 2015 release, TRUST: The Firm Foundation for Kingdom Fruitfulness. His latest book,co-authored with John Pearson, Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom, a 2017 release. Dan received a masters of business administration degree from Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas. The University also named him as a Distinguished Alumnus in 2014. Dan served as a member of the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations, a national legislative advisory commission convened to address legislative proposals for the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit Times named him as one of the 50 Most Powerful Nonprofit Leaders from 2010-2015.

Michael Martin serves as ECFA’s vice president and legal counsel—and a newly minted CPA. He graduated with a bachelor of arts in government, summa cum laude, from Oral Roberts University and a juris doctor from Regent University School of Law, where he was editor-in-chief of the Regent University Law Review. Michael is passionate about helping churches and ministries with legal and tax-related issues and compliance with ECFA standards. In addition to authoring and reviewing articles and other resources featured in ECFA publications, he assists with member compliance and leads ECFA’s church initiative. Beginning with the 2013 edition, Michael co-authored the Zondervan Minister’s Tax & Financial Guide and the Zondervan Church and Nonprofit Tax & Financial Guide with ECFA President Dan Busby and ECFA Executive Vice President John Van Drunen.

How Risk Management and Internal Controls can Improve Performance

There are two often hidden issues at a church—risk management and internal controls. Both are vital and need your attention. Using the COSO Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Control frameworks, this workshop will explore how well-designed and implemented risk management and internal control processes lead to improved operational performance and governance.

Rob serves as Partner and Church and Denomination Services Director at CapinCrouse. He has more than 35 years of financial leadership experience in serving both for-profit and nonprofit entities, as well as more than eight years of direct ministry experience as Executive Pastor and CFO of large churches. He previously served with a Big Six accounting firm, where he was the lead manager on the project that developed the COSO Internal Control framework. Rob holds a MA in Ministry Management from Azusa Pacific University Graduate School of Theology.

Leveraging Technology to Know, Grow, and Keep Your People

Shannon Neely

The people in your church matter. Your ministry is about more than managing data – it’s about connecting with your people and helping them connect with each other, so they can grow in their faith.  Join us as we discuss using the power of technology to build community, engage people, and help grow disciples.  In our time together you will learn how you can:

  • Know first-time guests and stay connected with fully engaged members
  • Provide opportunities for people to connect with each other and grow deeper in their faith
  • Follow up with people so they feel valued and keep coming back to your church

Shannon Neely has been advancing the local church through Church Community Builder for the last five years, where she serves both churches and denominations. Shannon is often a speaker on behalf of Church Community Builder at various national conferences and seminars. Prior to joining the ChMS team, she was leveraging technology to develop brand management and online marketing campaigns for various companies. Her paths have always involved furthering the church in some capacity through church planting, worship leading, mentoring young women, commencing homeless outreach of college students in Santa Cruz, lay counseling for grief and loss sufferers, serving high school and college populations, and employing short-term missions to Mexico, Germany, and Chile. And now, she enlists all her experiences to encourage the church to engage technology in order to follow Christ’s command to “go and make disciples.” She is passionate about Jesus, His church, and her local church, Rock Harbor in Bakersfield, California, where she is involved in mentoring junior high and high school girls and playing the keys every Sunday morning on the worship team.

Retirement Planning for your Staff

Jeff Robinson

Thirty years ago, most workers retired with a traditional pension plan. Employers managed everything. Employees made no decisions, but retired with a set amount of money. The rise of 403(b) and 401(k) retirement plans in the 1980s and 1990s shifted responsibility from employers to employees. This workshop will help you think through the different options out there as you consider what would best benefit your employees in their retirement years.

Jeff Robinson joined GuideStone in 2002. His background includes 29 years in the financial services area. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor University and Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. His professional credentials include: the CFP®; CLU; ChFC; CEBS; FLMI; and the Series 6, 7, 26 and 63 investment registrations.

How To Establish Your Staff Values & Build A Winning Team Culture

Building a winning team culture is hard work, but it’s crucial to retaining a high capacity church staff. The foundation to a winning culture is establishing staff values that unify your team. They are more than words in an employee handbook – they guide the daily rhythms of your team. In this session, you will learn how to establish your staff’s values, develop leaders, and build a winning culture where staff and volunteers are lining up to get on board.

William is an entrepreneur, pastor, speaker, author, and CEO/Founder of Vanderbloemen Search Group. He is a regular contributor to both Forbes and Fortune. William has combined over 15 years of ministry experience as a Senior Pastor with the best practices of executive search to provide churches with a unique offering: a deep understanding of local church work with the very best knowledge and practices of professional executive search. Vanderbloemen Search Group has served over 800 churches since its founding eight years ago, has grown to thirty-five full-time employees, and has won several company culture awards.

William has written: Next: Pastoral Succession That Works (2014), Search : The Pastor Search Committee Handbook (2016) and Culture Wins: The Roadmap to an Irresistible Workplace (March 2018).

21st Century Giving: How to Use Technology to Fuel Church Growth

Gary Kehr

Tom Mays

As a successful XP, you should not only understand your giving trends, but all of the tools available to grow top-line revenue. Join us as we discuss the ins and outs of electronic giving, including how it is priced, the advantages and disadvantages of “flat rate” pricing models, how to use it both to reach millennials and existing givers, how to automate your giving, and how to better incorporate social media platforms. Additionally, we will present an overview on how to use that giving to prepare for your next expansion. If you are considering buying a property, refinancing existing debt, or even embarking in a building project, we will show you what lenders are looking for, how to prepare your ministry for those expectations, and what to expect when applying for a loan in today’s changing market.

This workshop will be brought by Gary Kehr, Regional Director Lending, and Tom Mays, both with Associate Vice President, both with the Evangelical Christian Credit Union.

Communication Strategies that Shape Culture and Grow the Church

Ted Vaughn

Communicating in an effective and compelling manner has never been more important to sustainably growing your church and shaping a healthy culture. From your digital presence to the print collateral you distribute, intentionally connecting the right message to the right people at the right time is critical to ensuring your voice not become white-noise and be pushed into the background. In this session, we’ll review the fundamentals of a good brand and communication strategy and consider innovative new solutions and best practices that make communicating with excellence more possible (and affordable) than you might think.  From social media to storytelling, come learn strategies and solutions that can take your brand and communication to new levels of excellence and impact.

After 22 years of local church leadership, Ted serves multiple congregations in America, Africa, and the UK as a consultant and strategic advisor in areas of brand, vision, strategy, and organizational alignment.  His most recent staff position (2009 – 2014) was as Chief Creative Officer for the Rock Church in San Diego, CA, a young, urban, and forward-thinking church of roughly 16,000 weekly worshippers.  With an additional 14-years of leadership experience in mainline denominations, Ted has unique insight and passion for the local church of all stripes and sizes.  Today Ted coaches vision clarity, strategic planning, and organizational alignment through Leadership Capital and is a partner in Historic Agency helping churches and non-profits grow their brand and digital communication strategies.

Christianity Today Forum

This invitation-only forum will discuss key topics of church ministry. Rob is a Publisher at Christianity Today, overseeing its Church Law & Tax, Small Groups and Christian Bible Studies brands. He has 15 years of experience in brand strategy and content development and 8 years of pastoral roles at Park Community Church and MissioDei in Chicago.

Workshops on “Pastoral Heart”

Developing Elders

Phil Taylor is the XP of Mosaic Church and is a frequent part of XPastor.  He has just released Eldership Development: From Application To Affirmation. What does it take to develop the next group of elders for your church? This workshop will show you the actual process that one church uses to develop their elders over a two year period. Think of it like a case-study. You’ll see the prerequisites and the application that potential elders fill out, and even the questions asked during the interviews. You’ll get an in-depth look at the two-year process, all the way to the final moment when you affirm the new elder on stage in a gathering. Phil will explain from experience why he made the decisions he made on everything from book assignments to awkward questions in an application.

Also, Phil has also written Defining The Executive Pastor Role and more in his Backstage Pastor Series of books are in the hopper. Phil has served the church for over twenty years. He is passionate about bringing vision into reality and has spent the last eleven years serving alongside of gifted communicator-visionary Lead Pastors of Acts 29 Network churches in New York and now Florida. He serves as the Executive Pastor of Leadership and Development at Mosaic, a multi-site church in West Orlando and at Walt Disney World. He is passionate about serving the XP community around the world through writing, speaking and coaching.

Church Analytics

This workshop will focus on what your giving data says about you and your church. Let’s examine what that data means and what to do about it. Like a properly designed medical test, understanding what to look for in your church giving patterns can reveal hidden insights into how your giving flows and does not flow. Using real data from churches, we will examine data points rarely looked at by church leaders. Good news: whatever that data might be, you can take steps to elevate the giving direction by year’s end.

Brad is the President and Principal of Generis Partners. Based on experience and affinity, he is drawn to innovative, growing churches and the challenges of helping them expand practically and spiritually.

Forum for Churches Under 2,000 in Worship

Mike McDonough

This forum will be for XPs in churches with under 2,000 people in worship. Gather with your peers to talk through an open agenda. We will identify specific issues to the church in this size range and then “have at it.”

The discussion will be open to all, rapid and exciting! Bring your questions, issues and thorny problems! Meet people who serve in the same size church as yours. This is a great way to form friendships with other XPs. Executive Pastor Mike McDonough will lead the discussion.

Forum for Churches Over 2,000 in Worship

This forum will be for XPs in churches with over 2,000 people in worship. Gather with your peers to talk through an open agenda. We will identify specific issues to the church in this size range and then “have at it.”

The discussion will be open to all, rapid and exciting! Bring your questions, issues and thorny problems! Meet people who serve in the same size church as yours. This is a great way to form friendships with other XPs.

Nick Smith is the Executive Assistant Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, Lindenwold, New Jersey, where he assists pastor/teacher Bishop David G. Evans. This is a dynamic church with mega-thousands of worshippers. Nick brings pastoral warmth to his staff and leadership style. He is one of our favorites! There are always great take-aways with Nick.

Make Your Church the Primary Giving Destination of More Givers

In an increasingly complex giving environment, churches battle factors that constantly reinforce not to give to a church. This workshop will cover not only the mounting pressures but will give you practical skills to overcome the threats. You will know how to make the complex simple. Turn threats into strengths to have your church as the primary giving destination–not just one of many.

Brad Leeper is the President and Principal of Generis Partners. Based on experience and affinity, he is drawn to innovative, growing churches and the challenges of helping them expand practically and spiritually.

Maximize

You’ve heard the adage: strengthen the culture and effectiveness of your staff for a variety of reasons—reasons that don’t need to be repeated because they’ve been rehashed dozens of times. Yet can you maximize—not just strengthen—the effectiveness of your staff during seasons of change, whether small or great change? The answer is, absolutely yes. Change does not need to diminish effectiveness. Aim to maximize. In this workshop, learn to implement four crucial skills that maximize the immediate impact of staff members’ leadership upon your church ministry.

Paul has been an XP and SP, serving in ministry for decades. He has served with some of the most noted pastors in the nation. Paul has been a noted contributor to the XPastor world, giving mentoring to many upcoming XPs. Currently he is the XP of Catalina Foothills Church in Tucson, Arizona and earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Dallas Seminary.

Mentoring Your Staff

Mentor your staff and help them move their lives and leadership forward—helping them strengthen their gifts, talents and abilities while keeping balance in their lives.

Dr. Nathan Baxter, founder of Lead Self Lead Others has been leading teams and helping people move their stories forward for over twenty years. Before starting his Executive Coaching career, he served for 28 years in full time ministry, filling the roles of Youth Pastor, Senior Pastor, and Executive Pastor.

Multi-Site Strategies

It seems every church is going multi-site these days, so shouldn’t you? To quote Lee Corso, ESPN’s college football prognosticator, “Not so fast, my friend!” Multi-site is a strategy and a tool, but not a magic bullet for church growth. In fact, if done incorrectly, it can be harmful to your church. So, what is the purpose of a multi-site location? When, Where, and Why should I launch a multi-site? What role should contextualization and demographics play in selecting a multi-site location? This workshop will discuss general trends, provide insights into what gives a multi-site the best chance for success, and highlight potential pitfalls.

Jody Forehand, MBA, LEED AP, DBIA, is President of Visioneering Studios Real Estate. Jody has been working with churches nationwide since 2003 helping them with development advisory services, real estate consulting, and coordinating the design and construction of everything from multi-site tenant improvement projects in repurposed retail locations to new ground-up campuses on greenfield sites. Jody also holds general contractor’s licenses in several states and a real estate brokers license in North Carolina.

Rowing in the Same Direction

As leaders, we understand the crucial importance of leading a team that’s rowing in the same direction, with everyone on the same page. Do the ministries on your team determine their own vision, language and ministry plan, or do you have a shared ministry plan that answers not only the “why we do ministry” question (mission statement), but also the “how we do ministry” question?  Not having a united mission and plan leads to confusion among your staff and within your church. A shared ministry plan, on the other hand, provides clarity and simplicity as your church seeks to carry out the mission Jesus gave us. Developing a shared plan can revolutionize your team and ministry effectiveness, while providing a great measuring tool for accountability. This seminar offers practical steps to help you create a unified team rowing together in the same direction.

Dave Brandolini is the Executive Pastor at Austin Ridge Bible Church, in Austin, Texas. He brings 14 years of XP experience to his role, which began at Christ Community Chapel in Hudson, Ohio. Prior to that, Dave served 18 years as a student ministries pastor. He loves working alongside his lead pastor to shape the vision and philosophy of Austin Ridge, and helping teams to row in the same direction is his passion.

Tune Up Your Small Groups Program

This workshop is based on “Lessons Learned From A Study of Hundreds of Church Small Groups.” Over the past year, Dr. Ryan Hartwig, a professor from Azusa Pacific University and author of Teams That Thrive: Five Disciplines of Collaborative Church Leadership, has led a research team studying church small group ministry philosophies and practices, and what thriving small groups do and don’t do. Combing through a rich data set, Ryan and his research team have learned what’s really happening in small groups across the country, what differentiates thriving groups from those that struggle, and what support group leaders need as they seek to lead transformational small groups.

Ryan will offer a sneak peek into his team’s research findings and share implications for pastors and leaders, and those who architect and direct small group ministries. Learn data-driven, practical tips you can implement right away to take your small group ministry to the next level of health and effectiveness.

The XP During a Senior Pastor Transition

The Executive Pastor role is dynamic, rarely the same from one season to the next. Few changes are bigger or more unsettling than a transition in lead/senior pastors. In this workshop, we will look at ways that the XP role changes during and after a pastoral transition. We’ll explore some of the things to do and to avoid and whether it is possible to remain as XP after a transition.

Mike Bonem is an author, consultant, speaker, church leader, businessperson, husband and father. He loves to help ministries and their leaders grow in effectiveness to reach their God-given potential. Mike’s books include Thriving in the Second Chair, In Pursuit of Great and Godly Leadership and Leading from the Second Chair. He has spoken across the country and internationally on topics related to ministry leadership and congregational effectiveness. Mike has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a breadth of experience in ministry and business, including 11 years as an executive pastor, consulting with Fortune 100 companies, and leading a start-up business. More information is available at www.MikeBonem.com.

Ministry Planning … Does It Really Matter?

We know that without vision people and ministry perish and that a vision, without a strategy or plan is just a dream. Join us as we look at how to design and implement a ministry planning process that will serve as a blueprint to help the ministries at your church think differently and create a “bigger” and “better” way of executing ministry in the preferable future. Our time will focus on designing a ministry planning process and schedule, integrating the churches vision, mission and values into the life of every ministry, building a culture of accountability and synergy to outcomes, designing a ministry planning retreat, implementing standards of excellence within the organization and providing you with several tools to implement great ministry planning in your church.

Chris is a Lead Associate with Slingshot Group, where he focuses on helping Kingdom-minded leaders and organizations thrive. Chris is a strategic thinker, project specialist and experienced leader. His passion is to help leaders and churches move forward by maximizing their focus, clarity and performance. Chris worked for 17 years as a Pastor and Champion of several ministries at Mariners Church in Irvine, California. Chris and his team at Slingshot leverage their relationships and experience to deliver expert staffing and coaching focused on helping churches find clarity at the senior leadership and multisite level. Chris also serves as the Executive Catalyst for Mission Orange County, which exists to Mobilize and multiply churches in Orange County to collaborate within their cities to impact every man, woman and child with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The New XP

What is needed in the first 90 days, the first six months and the first year of being an XP? There are special challenges when entering the role. Are you ready or in the midst of it already? Some new XPs have been in their church for years and enter the role. Others move to the city and become the XP. Still others transition from business to ministry life.

Craig McLain is the Executive Pastor of Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota–an active and growing non-denominational church of over 5,000 members and attendees with two campuses in the Southwest suburbs of the Twin Cities. He works closely with the Senior Pastor to define and deliver organizational leadership and vision for Grace Church while leading the efforts of staff to accomplish the church’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities. Professionally, Craig has an extended background in both the public and private business sectors. Most recently, he served as the Vice President of Global Business Development for a medical device company. Prior to that he was one of the founding executives of a company that provides innovative technologies to the Life Science industry. Craig has just finished his “first year” and has plenty of stories to share and lessons learned.

Focus Discussion on Small Groups

This invitation-only forum will discuss key topics about Small Group Ministry in local churches. Ryan is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Studies at Azusa Pacific University, an evangelical university near Los Angeles with over 10,000 students. He teaches group, organizational, and leadership communication courses, and his engaged scholarship, training, and consulting work aims to help nonprofits and churches thoughtfully leverage effective group and organizational communication practices, processes, and structures to fulfill their missions.

How to Be a Better Coach to Your Staff and Volunteer Leaders

Pre-Seminar Special with Dr. Nathan Baxter
Tuesday, February 20, 1:00-4:00 pm
Hilton Dallas/Park Cities

We all know that one of our key roles is coaching our leaders towards higher levels of effectiveness. But not all coaching results in change and that can be frustrating. Why not learn from an expert?

Here’s a fantastic opportunity to be with a gifted and national-level coach. XPastor has partnered with Dr. Nathan Baxter to bring this coaching resource to the 2017 XP-Seminar.

What you will learn

  • How to create customized coaching templates to fit your ministry culture.
  • The latest research that identifies the key components for healthy leadership cultures.
  • Practical tips for using assessments to develop your leaders.

And

  • How to structure 20 minute coaching conversations that bring the best results.
  • Best practices for holding leaders accountable.
  • The 10 Commandments of Coaching

Before the workshop

A reading list will be provided as an option for those that want to take a deeper look into leadership coaching.

About Dr. Baxter

Nathan is a former XP and SP and now is an executive leadership coach. Every month, both corporate and ministry leaders from around the country fly to Tulsa for a two-day private coaching session with him.

In 2008, Dr. Baxter founded Lead Self Lead Others and has coached with over 3,300 people—from CEOs to pastors to physicians. Also, he has recruited and trained five Leadership Coaches who work with him to meet the demand for his services.

Nathan and his coaches work with leaders to help them create a personal and professional growth strategy. He loves to follow up with each person to help keep them on track.

I had reached a point of frustration in not knowing the next step in my personal leadership development and he helped me bridge that frustration gap and send me on my way into the next season of my journey. Each session and contact was like connecting with a friend.

Jim Kuykendall, Executive Pastor

Dr. Baxter Has Coached …

Nathan has all the necessary tools and experience to meet you where you are, to speak your language quickly and, in a disciplined manner, guide you towards your objectives.

Doug Welsh, President, Strategic Sales Planning, Cincinnati, Ohio

Non Profit Organizations

  • John Sharp, Regional Director, Young Life, Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Dave Jewitt, Founder/Director, Your One Degree, Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Adam Donyes, Founder/Director, LinkYear Kanakuk, Branson, Missouri
  • Dr. David Fletcher, Founder/Director, XPastor, Fullerton, California
  • Chris King, Founder, GPS Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Dr. Scott Barfoot, Director of DMin Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas
  • Eric Hill, Founder/Director, Withyou, Atlanta, Georgia
  • Jeff Anderson, Founder, Acceptable Gift, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Dr. Baxter cares genuinely about helping people. He does what it takes to help folks understand and use the tools to find their way. As a result I have more focus in my life. The tools he uses and the approach he takes are better than many other similar consultants.

Randy Welsch, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Ministry Leaders

  • Micah Davidson, Lead Pastor, Real Life Fellowship, Corpus Christi/Austin, Texas
  • Toby Slough, Lead Pastor, Crosstimbers Church, Argyle, Texas
  • Daniel Rolfe, Lead Pastor, Mountain Springs Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • Dwight Yoder, Executive Pastor, Asbury Methodist Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Eric Bryan, Senior Pastor, Fellowship Bible Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Fred Neal, Executive Pastor, Harvest Community Church, Kittanning, Pennsylvania
  • Marc Evanger, Elder, Crossroads Bible Church, Bellevue, Washington
  • Keith Duff, Elder, Village Bible Church, Chicago, Illinois
  • Matt Roberson, Campus Pastor, The Met, Houston, Texas
  • Rob Curry, Executive Pastor, Cypress Bible Church, Cypress, Texas
  • Terry Langenberg, Executive Pastor, New Beginnings Church, Bixby, Oklahoma
  • Thomas Thompson, Lead Pastor, Pulpit Rock Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • Tom Messer, Senior Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Florida

Nathan knows what he is doing and does it well. He has good insight and recommends realistic behaviors to improve performance.

John Urbin, Business Unit Manager, Linde Process Plants, Inc.

Executives

  • Bob Skaggs, Northwestern Mutual Insurance Agency, Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Dustin Parker, President, Box Insurance Agency, Grapevine, Texas
  • Aaron Shelby, Executive Vice President, Legacy Texas Bank, Plano, Texas
  • Paul Fredette, President, Legacy Texas Insurance Services, Plano, Texas
  • Brandt Hamby, Managing Partner, Six Pillars Partners, Addison, Texas
  • Chris Cadeiux, Board Member, QuikTrip, Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Chuck McDaniel, President, Lockton Insurance, Denver, Colorado
  • Dwight Mankin, President, NCN, Dallas, Texas
  • Mike Greer, Owner/Director, Ironman Buffalo Springs Lake, Lubbock, Texas
  • Mike Loomis, Owner, Loomis Consulting, Winter Park, Colorado
  • Ron Decker, Founder/President, Innovative Health Care Systems, Edmond, Oklahoma
  • Ronnie Dunn, Client Partner, MicroStrategy, Dallas, Texas
  • Sean Kouplen, President, Regent Bank, Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Hank Coleman, President, TriggerPoint, Austin, Texas
  • Dan Peckenpaugh, MD, President, HEB Emergicare, P.A., Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
  • Rob Kenagy, MD, Senior Vice President, St. John Health Network, Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Tom Ellis, Vice President/Partner, MHBT (Commercial Insurance), Dallas, Texas
  • 32 National Sales Directors, 25 Top Sales Directors, Mary Kay Cosmetics

Dr. Baxter’s coaching has allowed me to take my strengths, understand them and ultimately begin to incorporate them into my ever changing role as CEO. Working with Dr. Baxter is worth the investment because we have seen results in effectiveness in communication, efficiency in decision making.

Ron Decker, CEO, Innovative Healthcare Systems, Inc., Edmond, Oklahoma

Pre-Seminar Event

Generosity—
Unveiling the Mystery of Your Church’s Donors

With Brad Leeper

Tuesday, February 20, 2:00-4:30 pm

Limited attendance.

Enroll in the Generosity Workshop and receive for free the XPastor Online Course “MS202–Generosity.”

Why did donors leave you last year? Job transfer? Getting mad? How do you shut the back door and how do we emphasize the front door? Are you attracting new donors? This session will give a different slant on your church’s data. It will tell you many things that are different than what is readily apparent.

Most of Us Have Assumptions

Brad Leeper will lead the workshop. He is the President and Principal at Generis, a team of coaches that accelerates generosity toward God-inspired vision. Brad works with churches across the country, and now internationally, to increase everyday church giving, project giving and legacy giving.

Imagine seeing a new perspective on your church’s financial health. See your church in a readable, understandable and helpful format. This is a must for your next steps of your church.

The Generosity Workshop will be held on Thursday, February 20 from 2:00-4:30 pm., right before the XP-Seminar. This is the place to get a handle on your church’s financial health.

This workshop will give you plenty of data to work with, in an eminently understandable format. Generis is just releasing a diagnostic tool and is offering free use of it for the workshop. This includes a 3-page summary report. Plus, you can talk through your report at the workshop and receive more personalized discussion in person or by phone.

Get a numerical analysis of:

    • People giving above a strategic amount
    • Lapsed donors
    • Banding of key donation levels … and much more.

Requirements:

    • Must have Church Community Builder (other software platforms to follow).
    • Attend the Coaching Workshop before the XP-Seminar.
    • Data analysis needs to be begun 14 days before the XP-Seminar.

Get expert advice from national leaders! Enroll today!

What You Need to Know

Suppose you see that giving is up ten percent. Is that more donations per attendee or more donors?

Knowing your metrics tells you where you are, where you are going and measures how you are doing getting there.

With a ten percent increase in donations, how many of those were new donors? Are you attracting new donors?

Increase your giving without requiring a capital campaign.

Even with a ten percent increase in donations, how many donors stopped giving? Are they still attending? When do people stop giving and how much later do they typically leave your church?

  • Why did donors leave you last year? Job transfer? Did they leave mad?
  • How do you shut the back door and how can you emphasize the front door?
  • Are you attracting new donors?

This session will give a different slant on your church’s data. It will tell you many things that are different than what is readily apparent.

Ministry Fund

Are giving increases a result of a growing donor constituent base or are you pressing into a small portion of donors to make budget growth? Learn why one is sustainable while the other is short lived.

Connecting and Growing First Time Donors

First time visitors are great!  However, are you able to on-board them as donors? Are you able to assimilate them into the fabric of the ministry? If not, learn why weekend attendance growth can be a false positive for healthy ministry growth.

Donor Churn

New faces in church are great, but what is the financial impact of losing the old ones? Minimizing donor churn can supercharge weekend attendance and annual giving growth. Monitoring donor trends is one way to surface ministry opportunities. Rule based push reporting can increase your ministry efficiency and connect with those that need pastoral care.