20th Annual XP-Seminar
A ChurchLaw&Tax Top Conference
Limited to 200 people 2017-24 Seminars were sold out
Unsolicited Comments from Prior Attendees
Thanks for a great conference. It was my first and I was very glad I attended.
Thank you for another power-packed conference. Your ministry is needed more than ever as XPs are getting bombarded by the enemy from all sides regardless of church size. The relationships you have with all the keynote and workshop speakers and their willingness to share ideas to strength the body of Christ is so much appreciated.
Thank you for all the work that you put into XPastor this week. Over these last 12+ yrs, your ministry has been so instrumental in helping shape me as a husband, as a dad and as an XP. This year I had the opportunity to speak with several new XPs. It was great hearing their stories and being able to provide them input and insight!
Already have plans to come back next year Lord willing. My trip report is 4 pages for just my top 3 takeaways. Without a doubt, this was the most beneficial conference I’ve attended to date. In all I took 18 pages of notes for my 13th XP-Seminar.
Thank you for the uniquely profound ministry of the XPastor Seminar. There is something beautiful and enriching about the design and format of the conference that fosters connection and shared learning. The size, the meals, the round tables, etc. all make it very special and meaningful. I had a great experience listening, learning and making connections. Fletch has a unique gift of interacting with the presenters and the audience in a remarkable way that engages people in conversation and reflection.
You guys are doing an incredible work in gathering and resourcing XPs. I heard story after story of the hope and insight your events have provided to leaders over the years.
That was a great conference. Definitely one of my favorite ones that I’ve ever attended!
Our team had a great time. I can’t believe it will be 20 years next year! What an amazing ministry have built. We love encouraging and equipping leaders with you!
I am watching online and am so glad to have found a place and a people that I can relate to and be encouraged by. I pray to be able to attend in person next year and participate in the workshop discussions.
The seminar was extremely beneficial. 100% relevant and applicable to my role. Tons of takeaways. Looking forward to the keynote videos being posted. Glad I attended!
Its the major leagues, not A or AA ball.
The information, networking, and interaction was great! I learned a lot from each speaker. Still going through material and trying to digest it. I look forward to next year! Already suggested to our SP and Elders that they should come.
You did a magnificent job organizing the XP-Seminar. It was my first time there and I’m sure you’ve evolved your protocols over the years—and it shows. Every time I asked a question of you, and there were several, you had the answer and you were so very helpful. God bless you on your path as you fulfill God’s calling on your life.
Words can’t express the gratitude I have for you.
Loved the seminar! Well done!
Am grateful for the conference last week. God has used your ministry to XPs to help me greatly. Glad to have now attended for three years.
Thanks again for a great XP event! It was informative and inspiring.
The conference was another home run. As much as I enjoyed and learned in prior years, this round I walked away with more actionable ideas. This was both good for my soul and a great investment for my church.
I attended my second XP -Seminar this year. I am a CPA that has had to meet CPE requirements my entire career, therefore lots of conferences. This conference was the finest I have ever attended. So many times conference titles are engaging and timely, but the context is a bust. Every single session met and exceeded expectations. From my seat it is a labor of love, and a true gift to people like me for the benefit of our church
Wow, what a week—I don’t think I’ve ever stayed up past my bedtime in such a professional way. There was so much that I learned from the incredible speakers and more that I learned in my conversations with all of you. I have a renewed sense of encouragement in how the Lord is working in the Church as you advance the kingdom.
It was another excellent conference.
Working on my trip report … up to 18 pages with several charts.
The XP Seminar is always my favorite conference for so many reasons.
Thank you for such an amazing conference. I have been to a lot of conferences over the last 20 years and most are not worth the time, but this one was.
The XP-Seminar was just magnificent. My big mystery is that I don’t know when you eat–since you’re up there interviewing during most meals for 48 hours!
As usual, it was well worth the time and done with excellence. There was much to learn, much to experience, and relationships were built.
Again, the XP-Seminar both met and exceeded expectations. What continues to impress me about is that each presenter brings forth fresh and creative approaches to ministry with humility and conviction. Everything is actionable. There’s never empty hype. Each presentation is rooted in reality, and it’s an encouraging reality that God is good, and the body of Christ has avenues for flourishing. Well done!
Your ministry and yearly seminar have been an incredible lifeline for me. Grateful for you and all you do to minister to XPs in the trenches.
I grew so much by listening to the speakers and talking with fellow XPs. The whole experience is a gold mine of knowledge, wisdom and experience. Totally worth it!
This is my favorite conference of the year.
You guys are amazing. Thank you for an awesome event last week. It really is a tribe and not a town. The chance to connect with so many church leaders and run into them repeatedly over three days was amazing. I can tell you that it was an amazing event and I was thrilled to be a part of it.
This was a good reminder of how much we don’t know that we don’t know. I’ve been working through my notes and creating key takeaways for the past few hours. Much to think through to boil it down to 2-3 actionable items that could help us move our mission forward.
This was the best XP-Seminar ever.
I don’t of anyone that is doing what David Fletcher is doing with the XP Seminar! It’s such a unique, niche gathering of like-minded professionals that get equipped with immediately helpful information from some of the best leaders in this field from around the country. It’s an absolutely don’t-miss-this seminar every year.
You two are the poster children for how to run a conference well … and how to communicate well … and how to be timely in all you do.
I wanted to say how excellent the live stream was! I was so thankful to still be able to glean a lot from so much helpful content (while missing the in person connection that makes this my favorite conference of the year). I was super bummed to not be able to be in person this year, pesky flight cancellations!
2024 Featured Speakers
The Future of Theological Education
David Hogg, President, Phoenix Seminary
Preventing
Child Abuse
Kimberlee D. Norris, Attorney at Love & Norris, Founder of MinistrySafe
Soul
Shepherding
Bill Gaultiere
Co-Founder, Soul Shepherding
Soul
Shepherding
Kristi Gaultiere
Co-Founder, Soul Shepherding
Launching a
New Church Vision
David Hsu, Senior Pastor, West Houston Christian Church
From Youth Pastor to Award Winning Filmmaker
Kurt Neale, Independent filmmaker, Founder and President of Compelling Light
2024 Keynote Speakers
Mike Batts
Managing Partner, BMWL
Rob Faulk
Partner, CapinCrouse
Ryan Fitzgerald
Director of Marketing, BELAY
Ally Haefner
Senior Associate Attorney, The Church Lawyers
Jason Hamrock
CEO, Missional Marketing
Kurt Hetherington
President, James Greene and Associates
Wendi Hodges
Senior Attorney, The Church Lawyers
David Lee
Senior Relationship Manager, Thrivent Church Financing
Brad Leeper
Executive Vice-President, Generis Partners
Dave Milam
Vice President of Strategic Design, Visioneering Studios
William Vanderbloemen
CEO & Founder, Vanderbloemen
Bruce Woody
President, HH Architects
Short Rides 2024
Warren Bird
SVP of Research and Equipping, ECFA
JB Bowling
Vice President, Clark
Jenni Catron
Founder, 4Sight Group
Matt Davis
President, Pastoral Transitions
Dave Hess
Vice President, Financial Planning Ministry
30 Workshops Are Planned During the Seminar
Last year’s XP-Seminar was a significant milestone for us. We decided to initiate my succession over the next seven years. I would never have started this process had I not attended the conference.
The outstanding workshops made me realize that the best way I can ensure the legacy of the church I planted is to skillfully and intentionally pass the baton to those who will lead in the next generation.
Come Early for Great Pre-Seminar Workshops
The Art of Culture
with XP Bobby McGraw
Building Healthy People Systems
with Jenni Catron
Multisite 4.0 Ministry
Duff, Badal & Beachum
New XPs
with David Fletcher
What if Financial Giving Drops
with Brad Leeper
Why Come?
Gene Getz, Senior Pastor and Author of 60+ Books
I love what Fletch is doing through the keynotes and workshops. This is a fantastic place. I’ve seen first hand the results of Fletch’s leadership in the local church level and in cross-cultural situations.
Clint Smith, XP of NORTH Church
The Seminar has a huge impact on my leadership and development in networking, mentoring and insight. I attend to increase my knowledge in church law, HR, staff development and so much more. I believe in the Seminar and want to give back any way I can.
Tim Samuel, CFO of Bridgeway Church
The Seminar enables me to create future opportunities. 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
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.
Matt Branaugh, Editor at Church Law & Tax Team, Christianity Today
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!
Dan Brubacher, XP at Connexus Church
Blessed to interact personally today with gurus @drfletcher, @DanReiland, @Mike_Bonem, and @philtaylorxp. Each is the real deal.
Mike Batts, Managing Partner, Batts Morrison Wales & Lee
We are off-the-hook impressed with the XP-Seminar … no wonder you have such a strong following!
Rod MacIlvaine, Senior Pastor, Grace Community Church
I loved the entire XP conference. Probably the best overall conference I’ve attended in 21 years of Senior Pastor ministry.
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.
The Seminar brings together Executive Pastors, Senior Pastors and other church leaders from around North America. We have pertinent and penetrating sessions.
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 has 1,300 free, insightful online articles and annually receives hundreds of thousands of visits.
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 input in the large group presentations and your questions answered in the small group discussions. We bring in outstanding national leaders such as Sam Chand, Gene Getz, Will Mancini, Reggie McNeal, Larry Osborne, Ken Sande, Jim Tomberlin, Dr. John Townsend and Dr. Thom Rainer.
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.”
The short rides focus on church leadership issues. To the point. Clear. Impactful. In the XP role, there are the executive and pastoral functions. Short rides are spaced throughout the Seminar and give quick insight into selected topics. Tap into some power here.
Horse not provided.
Investing in the XP-Seminar was a catalytic decision for our organization. The value of an expanded network and broadened perspective helped us take major steps forward.
Learning to develop both the business brain and pastoral heart, and having the self-awareness of which to lean on in various situations, is crucial for anyone in the Executive Pastor role.
It’s a gift to have a community like this to provide support, insight, and education through the ministry journey.
XP McKenzie Schreck
Capital Church, Salt Lake City
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.
Enrich your life and ministry here!
I love that the conference is small. I liked the clarity I received regarding, ‘What I should do as a new XP?’
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.
—attendance limited to 200 people—
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.
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.
The keynote sessions are a content-rich time to learn. Take home deliverables for your church.
It’s never a dull moment at the Seminar. The days are full of vital information for your church.
By sitting around tables, discussion is easy. Get to know other church leaders.
Whether in the 25 plus workshops, through individual discussions or in the keynotes, bring a pad of paper, tablet or computer to take notes.
After Carey Nieuwhof spoke on Spiritual Leadership, he takes a picture of William Vanderbloemen …
… while William was delivering his keynote address on Hiring: Behind the Scenes Lessons in Interviewing.
Pre-Seminar Workshops
Tuesday—February 27, 2024
9:00-12:00 noon
Multisite 4.0 Ministry: How to Launch, Grow, and Sustain 4+ Sites with Keith Duff, Tim Badal & Jeff Beachum. Are you ready to take your multi-site ministry to the next level? Join us for this pre-seminar workshop, where you will learn from some leading churches in this field. You will hear from pastors who have been leading 4+ site churches for years, as well as an industry consultant who helps churches expand their reach by adding sites. This workshop is for anyone interested in the multi-site model, whether you are already multi-site, planning to go multi-site, or just curious about it.
No charge for XP-Seminar attendees.
Keith Duff
XP, Village Bible Church
Jeff Beachum
Portable Church
Tim Badal
SP, Village Bible Church
1:00-4:00 pm
Building Healthy People Systems with Jenni Catron. Building a system that fosters employee engagement, protects alignment, and accelerates growth is the secret weapon of successful organizations. Jenni will guide you through building a plan for engagement of your staff.
1:00-4:00 pm
The Art of Culture with Bobby McGraw. The Middle Way is an ancient paradigm that has powerful modern-day applications. Aristotle asserted that the Middle Way was, Where human beings are the happiest.
1:00-4:00 pm
New XP Workshop with David Fletcher. Fletch leads this time on the critical first year for an XP. Some XPs had prior roles at the church for many years and others are new to that culture. The key is learning your new role and responding to the dynamics of that role: Working with the Senior Pastor, working with staff leaders and the entire staff and working with the congregation.
1:00-4:00 pm
What If Financial Giving Drops? with Brad Leeper. Brad walks you through key questions: What if your board and team have ministry goals that cannot be funded either at budget or to handle a capital investment that accelerates mission? What if there is a giving resignation trend from economic conditions or giver fatigue?
Seminar Begins
Tuesday—February 27, 2024
Focus on XP Growth and Development
6:30 pm
XP-Seminar Registration and Dessert. We like to begin with an evening welcome and social in the Beverly Ballroom. Talk to old friends and meet some new ones.
7:00-7:30 pm
XP Leadership and Stewardship with Brad Leeper. Few know more about generosity and church culture than Brad. He and the Generis team were key movers in instigating a “culture of generosity” in the church landscape. Brad earned a Masters in Theology degree from Dallas Seminary and a B.S. in Economics from West Virginia University. He has diverse experience in church risk management, human resources, financial analysis, adult education, cross-cultural missions and strategic planning.
7:30-7:45 pm
Short Ride with JB Bowling. Listen to a fresh interview on some tough questions with JB and Fletch. JB is the Vice President of Clark and leads the Design & Business Development teams. George and Houston Clark first met JB 25 years ago, while working at his home church. JB went on to work for a few large churches, including Shadow Mountain Community Church as Production Director and Turning Point’s television broadcast. He was the Global Arts Director at LibertyLive.Church, leading the worship, production, and creative teams across three campuses.
7:45-8:30 pm
Sexual Abuse Risk—Learning from the Mistakes of Others with Kimberlee Norris, JD. As a national leader in sexual abuse crisis management, Kimberlee works non-stop to help ministry organizations navigate child sexual abuse issues. She explains predictable patterns in sexual abuse crises: ministry leaders cannot commit the same errors and expect different outcomes. Kimberlee describes frequent legal obstacles, how ministry leaders are stumbling, and offers guidance to avoid the most common mistakes.
8:30-8:45 pm
Documents To Die For a Short Ride with Dave Hess. Dave is a 22-year veteran of the United States Air Force, then served as an executive pastor. Now as Vice-President of Consultant Development with Financial Planning Ministry, his role is to help train and manage a team of 40 professionals who provide education on estate planning processes while assisting individuals and families with their specific planning needs.
8:45-9:15 pm
Busy ≠ Productive: 5 Productivity Hacks To Accomplish More & Juggle Less with Ryan Fitzgerald. Productivity isn’t just about task completion; it’s about optimizing all your resources. If you’re feeling lost or overwhelmed trying to grow your ministry’s impact while keeping up with the demands of church leadership, pastoral care, and your personal life, it may be time for a productivity overhaul. During this keynote, learn how to identify some of your roadblocks and explore strategies that harness—and maximize—productivity for your church. Before becoming the Director of Marketing at BELAY, a modern staffing company, Ryan Fitzgerald worked for North Point Ministries in Atlanta for 15 years. He also helped launch Decatur City Church, North Point’s sixth Atlanta-area location. While there, Ryan built the creative, communications, and operations teams and served as the lead pastor’s chief advisor and strategist.
Wednesday—February 28, 2024
Focus on the Business Brain
7:00-8:20 am
Breakfast on Healthy Pastor Care with Bill & Kristi Gaultiere. The co-founders of Soul Shepherding will begin a special two-part keynote presentation on the pastoral heart. The Full breakfast is sponsored by Thrivent Church Financing. Thrivent has been serving churches for over 100 years with over 6,000 churches served, and many lessons learned.
8:20-8:50 am
Implementing a Church Vision with David Hsu. David is the Senior Pastor of West Houston Christian Church. He received his Master of Theology (Th.M.) and Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary. He joined WHCC as the English pastor in 1993. He was appointed as senior pastor in July 2002. He is married to Cheryl and has two children, Nathan and Hannah.
8:50-9:20 am
Why Your Accounting Department May Be the Highest Risk Part of Your Church Right Now and What You Can Do About It with Mike Batts. Mike Batts is the managing partner of Batts Morrison Wales & Lee (BMWL) and has more than 30 years of experience serving nonprofit organizations in a variety of ways. He has served on and chaired the boards of nonprofit organizations—both nationally and locally. Mike is a member and former chairman of the board of ECFA, an organization that accredits Christian organizations in the areas of board governance and financial integrity. Mike regularly advises nonprofit organizations on matters related to board governance, financial oversight, tax compliance and strategy, risk management, corporate structure, international activities, and other related topics. He has also actively engaged in nonprofit legislative matters at the federal and state levels. Mike has authored several books, his most recent being Nonprofit Finance: The Field Guide for Financial Operations of Ministries, Schools, and Other Public Charities (Accountability Press, 2023). Mike is licensed or authorized to practice as a CPA in multiple states across the U.S.
9:20-9:35 am
Short Ride with Warren Bird. Warren is the SVP of Research and Equipping at the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Warren is an award-winning writer and researcher. His background includes pastoring and seminary teaching, and a 13-year run as research director at Leadership Network. Warren has authored or co-authored over 30 books including Hero Maker with Dave Ferguson, How to Break Growth Barriers with Carl George and Unleashing the Word with Max McLean.
9:35-10:25 am
The Changing Marketplace of Church Insurance—Trends You Need to Know! by Kurt Hetherington. Huge verdicts from juries, increased construction costs, public adjustors, cultural shifts and a history of four years of the worst catastrophic claims … These are some of the critical causes that has put the insurance market on its head. Your church feels the impact. Be informed and understand how to mitigate, insulate and enhance your risk portfolio. Kurt is the President of James Greene and Associates an agency partner with Brotherhood Mutual, who is a national property and casualty insurance company with a heart for helping Christian ministries thrive. As a leader in the industry, Brotherhood Mutual provides innovative insurance coverage and risk management resources, specifically designed for ministries, to help them operate safely and effectively.
10:25-10:55 am
Banking and Budgeting: Key Considerations in an Uncertain Economy with Rob Faulk & David Lee. Join us for a look at the current banking and economic environment and how that may impact church budgets over the next few years, with insight and updates from a CPA and a banker. We’ll discuss practical steps to help you create margin in your church budget for increased interest costs, inflation, pastoral transitions, and other risks that will impact churches of all sizes. Rob serves as Partner and Church and Denomination Services Director at CapinCrouse LLP and David is a Senior Relationship Manager at Thrivent Church Financing.
10:55-11:25 am
Legal Cornerstones: The Essentials for All Churches with Wendi Hodges & Ally Haefner. Wendi is a Senior Attorney and Ally a Senior Associate Attorney, both with the Church Lawyers. The firm has been a sponsor of the XP-Seminar for many years and always brings the best in penetrating legal insights. Let’s discover what is essential for all churches!
11:25-11:55 am
Architecture and Design with Bruce Woody. Bruce is President & CEO for HH Architects and a frequent speaker on both large and small-scale church/faith-based campus planning projects. Since joining the firm in 1990, he has served as Design Lead or Principal-in-Charge on the vast majority of the firm’s large-scale projects, many of which are award winning. Bruce is best known for his creative problem-solving skills and the passion he has for design, which is evident in each long-standing partnership he has developed through his 33 years with the firm.
Noon
Networking Lunch. Pick up lunch outside the Ballroom and take it to a room on either floor. Use this time to meet new colleagues and network with friends.
1:15-2:15 pm
Workshops: Session 1
2:15 pm
Afternoon snack on first floor
2:30-3:30 pm
Workshops: Session 2
3:45-4:45 pm
Workshops: Session 3
Dinner
Take an XP/SP friend to dinner! Schedule it early with someone from your state or similar-sized church. We see scores of people do this every year.
7:00-7:30 pm
The Top 10 List to Enhance Church Communications, Marketing, and AI with Jason Hamrock. These days so much has changed in a church communications department, especially with the deployment of AI, and when any of those issues arise, it disrupts forward momentum and can cause major issues throughout the whole church staff. As CEO of Missional Marketing, Jason guides the vision for how Missional Marketing best serves church partners and strives to help churches digitally to capture attention, engage, educate, and persuade people to take action. He was a Communications Director for 11 years at Central Christian Church of Arizona. He hosts the Missional Marketing podcast, which just passed 100 episodes and has thousands of downloads.
7:30-7:45 pm
Short Ride with Jenni Catron. Jenni is the founder of The 4Sight Group, a consulting group focused on developing healthy leaders and thriving organizations. Jenni’s passion is to lead well and to inspire, equip and encourage others to do the same. Jenni is the author of several books including Clout: Discover and Unleash Your God-Given Influence and The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership. She has served on the executive leadership teams of Menlo Church in Menlo Park, California and Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee.
7:45-8:00 pm
Kingdom Outplacement: A New Paradigm In Letting Staff Go with Matt Davis. Many churches fit the profile of onboarding new leaders as being a transparent, elder-run, prayerful deliberation. Unfortunately letting leaders go in many ministry settings can feel obscure, dominated by legal and HR procedure, and we’re all usually left with more questions than clarity. Lessons learned during his own triage experience out of vocational ministry helped build the foundation for the services Pastoral Transitions offers to outgoing leaders. Co-hosting the Life After Ministry podcast, Matt and his wife Marilee talk about best practices in discovering what’s next for outgoing leaders.
8:00-9:00 pm
From Youth Pastor to Award Winning Filmmaker with Kurt Neale. Kurt is an independent filmmaker, photographer and storyteller. He is the founder and President of Compelling Light, a non profit ministry. Kurt works to build relationships while unveiling the complexities of sensitive subjects, provoking self-reflection and focusing on the mysterious collision of love. He earned a BFA in Broadcast Film from SMU in 1974. Kurt married Julie in 1979, they have two grown children and one grandchild. Some of his award winning films are, Ask: Can Love Survive Addition and Codependency and Normie: The Illusion of Normal. See his interview with Dr. Phil.
Thursday—February 29, 2024
Focus on the Pastoral Heart
7:45-8:30 am
Seeing Around the Corner: 2024 Design Trends, Breakfast with Dave Milam. Every year brings a parade of design trends that often create an avalanche of expense requests to upgrade your site. In this short session, Dave will reveal which trends matter and which trends should be ignored. Don’t miss this inspiring breakfast with Dave. He is the Vice President of Strategic Design at Visioneering Studios. Dave stands firmly at the intersection of ministry, design, and visual storytelling. Having served in the church for over 20 years, Dave has a heart for guiding pastors through unique challenges of ministry to awaken the beauty that God has placed within them and their facilities. His writing has been featured in LifeWay, Outreach Magazine, Influence, Christian Standard and other national periodicals.
8:30-9:15 am
Soul Shepherding to Get Through the Wall with Bill & Kristi Gaultiere, Co-Founders, Soul Shepherding, which is a ministry to help pastors and churches go deeper with Jesus in emotional health and loving leadership. Bill is a psychologist (Ph.D.), ordained pastor, and spiritual director. Kristi is a marriage and family therapist (Psy.D.) and spiritual director. They co-lead the Soul Shepherding Institute which features four 5-day retreats on Spiritual Formation, Spiritual and Psychological Development, Soul Care Ministry, and Relationally Healthy Leadership and includes an option to earn certificates in spiritual direction and coaching. They have trained over 200 spiritual directors and coaches with over 40 serving on their staff as Sr. Spiritual Directors that offer spiritual direction, leadership coaching, Enneagram coaching, and Sabbatical coaching. They are authors of a number of books, including Journey of the Soul, which was #1 on Amazon in Christian Counseling, Your Best Life in Jesus’ Easy Yoke, and their latest book, Healthy Feelings, Thriving Faith.
9:15-9:30 am
2024 Church Tech Trends, a Short Ride with Cary Yocum. Pushpay builds world-class giving and engagement solutions to help organizations grow their communities. We deliver a donor management system, including donor tools, finance tools and a custom community app, to help the faith sector connect with their congregation. Pushpay acquired Church Community Builder, the industry-leading church management software. Together, they serve more than 10,000 customers.
9:45-10:45 am
The Future of Theological Education with Dr. David Hogg. David is the President of Phoenix Seminary. He taught at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Beeson Divinity School, where he also served as the Academic Dean. David has also served as a visiting professor at Biblický Teologický Semináři in the Czech Republic. As one of a few conservative evangelicals in medieval theology and history, his work has been published by, among others, Oxford University Press, NYU Press and Crossway. David was an Associate Pastor and then Senior Pastor over an 11-year period.
10:45-11:20 am
Be The Unicorn with William Vanderbloemen. William started Vanderbloemen because he understands that when your team isn’t whole it disrupts your mission. He has written: Next: Pastoral Succession That Works, Search: The Pastor Search Committee Handbook, Culture Wins: The Roadmap to an Irresistible Workplace and his latest blockbuster Be the Unicorn (2023).
11:20 am
Break for Lunch. Pick up lunch outside the Ballroom and take it to a workshop.
11:30-12:30 pm
Lunch Workshops: Session 4
12:45-1:45 pm
Workshops: Session 5
2:00-3:00 pm
Workshops: Session 6
Have a safe trip home
“I’m truly excited about the excellence of this seminar.”
Thanks to our sponsors who help bring the XP-Seminar.
Each one is carefully vetted to align with our standards and practices.
2024 Platinum Sponsors
We want to thank Generis for their twentieth 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.
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 fourteenth year as a sponsor, we welcome HH Architects. For 51 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 fourteenth year, we welcome Middlebrook | Group, The Church Lawyers. They are dedicated to providing outstanding and practical legal services to churches, ministries, and schools of all sizes across the nation with their Church Lawyers Team program. Their team of attorneys and paralegals have transactional, tax and litigation experience and are attuned to the unique legal needs specific to religious nonprofits.
They handle everything from a new church-plant to complex and contested litigation matters, and provide services to organizations of all sizes. “Whether you are just starting out and want the proper foundation, need to stay on track and legally compliant or require an advocate in the courtroom, we are on your legal team.”
For the thirteenth 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.
For over 50 years, the firm has served churches and denominations, domestic and international outreach organizations, universities and seminaries, foundations, media ministries, rescue missions, 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.
We welcome for the ninth year, Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company. Brotherhood Mutual is a national property and casualty insurance company with a heart for helping Christian ministries thrive. As a leader in the industry, Brotherhood Mutual provides innovative insurance coverage and risk management resources, specifically designed for ministries, to help them operate safely and effectively.
The company looks toward the future, working with and anticipating the unique needs of more than 65,000 churches, Christian schools, colleges, camps, missions, non-profits, and related ministries. Additionally, Brotherhood Mutual provides access to payroll and tax filing services, employee health benefits, commercial auto insurance, worker’s compensation insurance, and mission travel insurance.
We welcome for the eighth year, Batts Morrison Wales & Lee. Batts Morrison Wales & Lee (BMWL) is a national CPA firm exclusively serving churches, ministries, and other nonprofit organizations through audit & assurance, tax, and strategic advisory services. BMWL understands that you want to protect the financial health and reputation of your church. Their service model is built around that very idea.
BMWL will help your church protect your mission, maintain strong donor trust and confidence, produce highly effective financial reports, strategically budget for improved financial condition, improve overall risk management, maximize tax exemption, protect your exempt status, provide board member governance orientation and training, simplify your financial administration, and be better informed. Please visit nonprofitcpa.com to learn more.
For the seventh 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.
For the seventh year, we welcome Visioneering Studios. They are the only nationally-licensed, faith-based design-build firm that specializes in commercial, nonprofit and worship environments. Visioneering is not just developers, designers, architects, and builders—they are storytellers. They come alongside 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.
Visioneering’s beliefs positively impact the relational nature and integrity of their work. Visioneering Studios’ “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 sixth year, we welcome Thrivent Church Financing. For more than 115 years, Thrivent Church Financing has provided ministries with flexible financing solutions coupled with dedicated service. In our history, we have helped over 6,000 Christian churches achieve their missions, grow their ministries and meet their financial stewardship through mortgage loans for refinancing, new construction, renovation or capital improvement.
Thrivent Church Financing is part of Thrivent, a membership-owned fraternal benefit society of Christians and a holistic financial services organization that helps guide individuals, churches and non-profits to make the most of all God has given them. Known for our financial strength and stability, as well as our approach to helping Christians connect their financial decisions with their faith, Thrivent blends faith, finances and generosity to improve lives and build stronger families and communities.
We welcome Missional Marketing for the fifth year. Missional Marketing is a church-focused agency that brings a variety of communications solutions. Our ultimate goal is to help every church we partner with bring people to the church so they may hear the Good News. The strategy we use is to leverage content to capture attention, engage, educate, and persuade people to take action. The solutions we bring revolve around offering: Communications consulting and outsourcing (yes, we get hired to be your Communications Director); Communications Project Management; Social Media strategy and management; Digital advertising with Google, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube; Website building and SEO for websites, Local (your church building), and YouTube; Leveraging the content that you create and the content we have created; Implement our sermon flywheel to connect with more people.
For the fourth year, we welcome BELAY, the incredible organization revolutionizing productivity with their virtual assistant, bookkeeping and social media manager for growing churches. Their first client was a pastor, so their ministry-minded, servant-hearted team knows how to help busy pastors and their growing churches with modern staffing that grows their teams without having to do everything on their own. Get the right help for your church so you can focus on your Kingdom work—and let BELAY handle the rest.
2024 Gold Sponsors
For the thirteenth 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 tenth year, we welcome the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. With its mission of Enhancing Trust, ECFA now accredits over 2,700 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 churchexcel.org.
For the sixth year, we welcome Pushpay. Pushpay builds world-class giving and engagement solutions to help organizations grow their communities. We deliver a donor management system, including donor tools, finance tools and a custom community app, to help the faith sector connect with their congregation. Pushpay recently acquired Church Community Builder, the industry-leading church management software. Together, they serve more than 10,000 customers.
We welcome Financial Planning Ministry for the fourth year. FPM is a trusted name in estate planning and strategic planned giving. Since 1982 more than 47,000 families and individuals have benefitted from their unique ministry efforts. They provide turnkey solutions for planned giving to over 160 ministry partners across the country.
Through the promotion of Christ-centered stewardship and estate planning, millions of dollars have been saved from probate while directing over $2.5 billion to Christian charities worldwide.
For the second year, we are excited to welcome The 4Sight Group. 4Sight is committed to and passionate about cultivating healthy leaders to lead thriving organizations. Their mission is to come alongside you and your team to provide the tools and resources you need to accomplish your purpose with clarity and confidence. Culture matters and The 4Sight Group brings the culture conversation to a practical level while providing a pathway and process to help leaders and their teams succeed together. 4Sight will provide you with their proven LeadCulture framework to take your leadership and the culture of your organization to the next level.
For the first year, we welcome Soul Shepherding. They equip pastors and leaders to thrive with Jesus in life and leadership. Their in-depth training and practical tools for soul care and ministry will help you grow in intimacy with Jesus, emotional health, and loving relationships with people you care for and lead.
For the first year, we welcome Pastoral Transitions. When a church faces the difficult decision to let a pastor or ministry leader go, the risk of hurt and misunderstanding can escalate significantly. Pastoral Transitions serves ministry leadership by offering compassionate care for departing leaders and their families. They provide a comprehensive roadmap to navigate ministry terminations and transitions gracefully, focusing on career guidance, coaching, and counseling. Their mission is to help outgoing leaders find their next path, upholding the church’s core mission to multiply unity, not divide, even in times of change.
2024 Silver Sponsors
We welcome GuideStone as a sponsor for the eighteenth year. Guidestone® is one of the leading providers of retirement, property and casualty, medical, life and disability coverage, investment management and executive planning services to the evangelical Christian community. For more than 100 years, they have worked to enhance the financial security of those they serve—which today includes more than 200,000 individuals and 36,000 churches, mission-sending agencies, hospitals, educational institutions and related ministries across the globe.
For the eleventh year, we welcome Slingshot Group. Slingshot Group builds remarkable teams through staffing and coaching. Founded in 2007, Slingshot’s team of ministry practitioners is what sets them apart. Every one of Slingshot Group’s 60+ nationwide associates has ministry experience. They know exactly what it takes to hire and develop great staff for the local church and ministry-minded nonprofits.
We welcome for the seventh year Portable Church®. For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. We design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue.
Everything you need to launch a mobile church—an experiential worship space, engaging kids ministry areas, inviting welcome spaces, timesaving storage cases, etc.—all in a system refined to make it fast and easy for the weekly volunteer teams.
We welcome Cass Bank for the sixth year. The Word says, Where there is no counsel, the people fall. But in the multitude of counselors there is safety (Proverbs 11:14). Cass Bank provides counsel to churches and ministries nationwide in the realm of financing and day-to-day banking needs. Our Kingdom-oriented services also include ministry credit cards, an online generosity platform called TouchPoint Giving and a best-in-class church management software solution called Touchpoint. At Cass, our great desire is to help churches thrive through sound counsel and tailored financial solutions in a highly relational context.
2024 Media Sponsor
We welcome Christianity Today’s ChurchLaw&Tax for the eleventh year. ChurchLaw&Tax, founded in the late 1980s by attorney Richard Hammar and James Cobble, publishes award-winning print and digital content, plus provides webinars, training, and a podcast that help church leaders lead their ministries with confidence.
Hammar, ChurchLaw&Tax’s senior editor, is a Harvard Law School graduate, CPA, and author of more than 100 books (including the annual Church & Clergy Tax Guide; Pastor, Church & Law, Fifth Edition; and Church Governance). He is joined by Matthew Branaugh, who has served as ChurchLaw&Tax’s content editor since 2008 and became an attorney in 2020. ChurchLaw&Tax is also led by an esteemed group of senior editorial advisors, including CPA Michael Batts, attorney and CPA Frank Sommerville, attorney Erika Cole, and CPAs Elaine Sommerville and Vonna Laue, as well as several distinguished advisors-at-large, including attorneys Sally Wagenmaker and Theresa Sidebotham, executive pastors Nicholas Smith and Tim Samuel, and XPastor’s founder, David Fletcher.
“A wild herd of wolves and other critters could not keep us from partnering with the XP-Seminar!”
Brad Leeper, President, Generis
2023 Workshops
Pre-registration is not needed. Get to the room as soon as possible—some rooms fill quickly.
The XP-Seminar was a significant milestone for us. We decided to initiate my succession over the next seven years. I would never have started this process had I not attended the conference.
The outstanding workshops made me realize that the best way I can ensure the legacy of the church I planted is to skillfully and intentionally pass the baton to those who will lead in the next generation.
—A Senior Pastor
Thanks again for the conference. Thanks for the privilege (and I mean that, privilege) of sharing a slice of life experiences with the conference participants. You continue to provide a necessary, stimulating, and exciting energy to many of us in ministry—Paul Utnage, XP
2024 XP-Seminar Attendees
- Matt Anderson, Associate Pastor, Operations, Church of the King, Katy, Texas
- Alex Armstrong, Executive Pastor of Campus Ministries, Woodside Bible Church, Lake Orion, Michigan
- Brad Aslin, Strategic Operations Pastor, Calvary Church, Dardenne Prairie, Missouri
- Todd Austin, CEO, Clark, Atlanta, Georgia
- Tim Badal, Lead Pastor, Village Bible Church, Sugar Grove, Illinois
- Bob Baker, Chief Technology Architect, Clark, St. Simons Island, Georgia
- Lisa Baker, Videographer, Clark, St. Simons Island, Georgia
- Scott Barfoot, Director, Doctor of Ministry Program, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas
- Brittany Barocsi, Communications Director, Batts Morrison Wales and Lee, Dallas, Texas
- Mike Bates, Executive Minister, University Place Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington
- Mike Batts, Managing Partner, Batts Morrison Wales and Lee, Orlando, Florida
- Jerry Bauzon, Chief of Staff, Southwest Bible Church, Austin, Texas
- Nathan Baxter, Founder, Lead Self Lead Others, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Jeff Beachum, Multiplication Specialist, Portable Church Industries, Troy, Michigan
- Dixie Beard, Senior Business Development Manager, GuideStone, Dallas, Texas
- Jared Belcher, Executive Pastor, Arrowhead Church, Morristown, Tennessee
- Scott Belon, Pastor of Students and Facilities, Fullerton Free, Fullerton, California
- Michael Beresford, Executive Pastor, High Point Church, Madison, Wisconsin
- Warren Bird, Senior Vice President of Research and Equipping, ECFA, Suffern, New York
- Bart Blair, Church Growth Coach, Missional Marketing, Lavon, Texas
- Scott Bolin, Business Development Manager, Pushpay, Austin, Texas
- Jose Bonilla, Executive Pastor, Central Peninsula Church, Foster City, California
- Paul Bosch, Executive Pastor, Coastline Community Church, Indian Harbor Beach, Florida
- Mark Bottrell, Executive Pastor, Covenant Community Church, Yukon, Oklahoma
- JB Bowling, Vice President, Clark, Atlanta, Georgia
- Lambert Boyd, Executive Director of Operations, Austin Ridge Bible Church, Austin, Texas
- John Boyle, Executive Pastor, Calvary Bible Church, Boulder, Colorado
- Matt Branaugh, Attorney & Editor, Christianity Today’s Church Law & Tax, Carol Stream, Illinois
- Leah Brown, Finance Assistant, Sugar Hill Church, Sugar Hill, Georgia
- Jeff Bruecker, Executive Director, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Encinitas, California
- Gibson Brueher, Enterprise Account Executive, Pushpay, Nashville, Tennessee
- Cody Callen, Worship Director, Mission Church, San Antonio, Texas
- Steve Cardwell, Senior Manager, Batts Morrison Wales and Lee, Dallas, Texas
- Shelby Carr, Solutions Consultant, BELAY, Atlanta, Georgia
- Joel Carter, Executive Pastor, Zoar Baptist Church, Central, Louisiana
- Stacy Carter, CFO, HR Director, Grace Chapel, Canby, Oregon
- Christopher Cate, Executive Minister/Church Administrator, Immanuel Church, Lakeside Park, Kentucky
- Jenni Catron, Founder, The 4Sight Group, Neenah, Wisconsin
- Ignacio Cerda, Associate Pastor of Stonebriar en Español, Stonebriar Community Church, Frisco, Texas
- Ray Chang, Manager, National & Community Partnership, Thrivent Church Financing, Brea, California
- Taylor Christensen, Executive Pastor, Cypress Creek Church, Wimberley, Texas
- Jessica Cichocki, Ministry Advancement Coordinator, Grace Community Church, Detroit, Michigan
- Adam Clark, Assistant Vice President, Agency Marketing, Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Darrell Cloud, Executive Pastor, The Compass Church, Naperville, Illinois
- Jim Cordes, Executive Pastor, First Baptist Church, Heber Springs, Arkansas
- Adam Cruse, Senior Associate Pastor, First Baptist Church, Arnold, Missouri
- Daniel Currie, Executive Pastor, Peavine Baptist Church, Rock Spring, Georgia
- Amy Dalke, Ministry Relations Advisor, Soul Shepherding, Irvine, California
- Adam Darbonne, Executive Pastor, High Point Church, Madison, Wisconsin
- Christina Davis, Executive Pastor, Grace Fellowship Church, Katy, Texas
- Colin Davis, Hospitality Pastor, Worship Center, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Matt Davis, President | Chief Pastoral Officer, Pastoral Transitions, Lexington, Kentucky
- Ronee De Leon, Director of Innovative Ministries, Grace Fellowship, Pickerington, Ohio
- Dustin Deere, Accountant, Grace Bible Church, Dallas, Texas
- Ryan Demello, Business & Ministry Coordinator, Chico Community Church, Chico, California
- Jorge Diéguez, Executive Pastor, Iglesia Vida, Guatemala, Guatemala
- Daniel Duce, Discipleship Pastor, Mission Church, San Antonio, Texas
- Rick Duesler, Director of Administration, Otterbein Church, Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
- Keith Duff, Executive Pastor, Village Bible Church, Sugar Grove, Illinois
- Gary Earle, Executive Pastor, Macedonia Baptist Church, Hallsville, Texas
- Will Eastham, Associate Pastor, Spiritual Formation and Theology, Bridgeway Community Church, Columbia, Maryland
- Nathan Elder, Director of Strategic Design, Visioneering Studios, Dallas, Texas
- Andy Engstrom, Business Development, Clark, Dallas, Texas
- Rob Faulk, Partner and Church & Denomination Services Director, CapinCrouse, Tarzana, California
- Matt Faulkner, Executive Pastor of Ministries, First Baptist Church, Bristol, Indiana
- Michael Faulkner, Vice President of Solutions, TouchPoint, a division of Cass Bank, Dallas, Texas
- Ryan Fitzgerald, Director of Marketing, BELAY, Roswell, Georgia
- David Fletcher, Founder, XPastor, Austin, Texas
- Tami Fletcher, Director, XPastor, Austin, Texas
- Tim Foot, CEO, Slingshot Group, Denver, Colorado
- Serena Forehand, Executive Assistant, HH Architects, Richardson, Texas
- Rob Foster, Executive Director of Operations, Grace Fellowship Church, Katy, Texas
- Josh Franklin, Operations Pastor, River City Church, Lafayette, Indiana
- Cameron Free, Executive Pastor, Boca Raton Community Church, Boca Raton, Florida
- Bill Gaultiere, Founder, Soul Shepherding, Irvine, California
- Kristi Gaultiere, Founder, Soul Shepherding, Irvine, California
- Ryan Gernand, Executive Pastor, Grace Community Church, New Braunfels, Texas
- Matt Gillum, Executive Pastor, Austin Baptist Church, Austin, Texas
- Kent Gregory, Executive Pastor, Heritage Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Virginia
- Mike Griener, Lead Pastor, Harvest Church, Kittanning, Pennsylvania
- Cody Groves, Administrative Pastor, New Life Baptist Church, College Station, Texas
- Francis Gyimah, Pastor, The Church of the Living God, Northern Virginia, Fairfax Station, Virginia
- Ally Haefner, Senior Associate Attorney, Middlebrook | Group, The Church Lawyers, Grapevine, Texas
- Brian Hamilton, Executive Pastor, Chico Community Church, Chico, California
- Jason Hamrock, CEO, Missional Marketing, Gilbert, Arizona
- Jonathan Hankin, Vice President of Operations, Phoenix Seminary, Scottsdale, Arizona
- Kris Harrison, Executive Pastor, Grace Community Fellowship, Eugene, Oregon
- Todd Hauge, Executive Pastor, Redemption Arizona, Mesa, Arizona
- Scott Hawk, Executive Pastor, Praise Church, Beaumont, Texas
- Bill Hawks, Executive Pastor, Highland Colony Baptist Church, Ridgeland, Mississippi
- Wayne Heffner, Executive Pastor, Life Church, Coralville, Iowa
- Austin Helm, Operations, RISEN Church, Santa Monica, California
- Dave Henry, Executive Pastor, First Assembly of God, San Angelo, Texas
- Dave Hess, Vice President of Consultant Development, Financial Planning Ministry, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Kurt Hetherington, President, James Greene & Associates/Brotherhood Mutual, Sherwood, Arkansas
- Jeff Hightower, CFO, Church Central Office, Fort Mill, South Carolina
- Kelsey Hill, Partnerships Marketing Specialist, BELAY Solutions, Buford, Georgia
- Jonathan Hinkle, Executive Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Yukon, Oklahoma
- Wendi Hodges, Senior Attorney, Middlebrook | Group, The Church Lawyers, Grapevine, Texas
- David Hogg, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Phoenix Seminary, Scottsdale, Arizona
- Adam Howard, Executive Pastor, River City Church, Lafayette, Indiana
- Steve Hron, Relationship Manager, VP, Cass Bank, Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Cheryl Hsu, Pastor’s Wife, West Houston Christian Church, Houston, Texas
- David Hsu, Senior Pastor, West Houston Christian Church, Houston, Texas
- Kirk Hudson, Executive Pastor of Ops & Admin, Grace Community Church, Tyler, Texas
- Gabby Hughes, Legal Specialist, Middlebrook | Group, The Church Lawyers, Grapevine, Texas
- Jon Hurst, Executive Pastor, The Grove Community Church, Riverside, California
- KyLea Ingram, Customer Success Manager, Leadr, Inc., Plano, Texas
- Danny Johnson, Partner, Batts Morrison Wales and Lee, Dallas, Texas
- Hunter Johnson, Chief Operating Officer, First Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas
- Jeremy Johnson, Executive Pastor, Emmanuel Faith Community Church, Escondido, California
- Adam Kersh, Director of Business Development, Blue Frog, Watkinsville, Georgia
- Will Klotz, Senior Client Relations Manager, Vanderbloemen, Houston, Texas
- Tim Kong, Director of Central Operations, Grace Fellowship, Watervliet, New York
- Mark Kuykendall, Executive Pastor of Leadership & Strategy, Bethel Bible Church, Tyler, Texas
- Samuel Kwan, Executive Pastor, Fort Bend Community Church, Sugar Land, Texas
- Will Land, Executive Pastor, Harvest Church, Kittanning, Pennsylvania
- Jeremy Landon, Senior Manager, Capin Crouse, Irving, Texas
- Thad Lanthripe, Executive Pastor, Church in the Valley, Ontario, California
- David Lee, Senior Relationship Manager, Thrivent Church Financing, Brea, California
- Brad Leeper, Executive Vice President, Generis, Atlanta, Georgia
- Chris Lewis, Senior Relationship Manager, Thrivent Church Financing, Glen Rock, Pennsylvania
- Les Lofquist, Executive Pastor, The Shepherd’s Church, Cary, North Carolina
- Greg Love, Attorney, Love & Norris, MinistrySafe, Fort Worth, Texas
- Scott Lyle, Executive Pastor, First Baptist Mansfield, Mansfield, Texas
- Rebecca Lyons, Account Executive: Strategic Marketing, Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Tudor Marici, Administrative Pastor, Seabreeze Church, Huntington Beach, California
- TJ Marrow, Next Gen Pastor, Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas
- Marc McAlpine, Executive Pastor, Belle Aire Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
- Matthew McDaniel, Senior Pastor, Boca Raton Community Church, Boca Raton, Florida
- Bobby McGraw, Executive Pastor, Sugar Hill Church, Sugar Hill, Georgia
- Vanessa McKinnis, Manager, Treasury Sales & Services, Cass Bank, St. Louis, Missouri
- Dave McMullin, Executive Pastor, Village Calvary, Thornton, Colorado
- Dave Milam, Vice President of Strategic Design, Visioneering Studios, Dallas, Texas
- Mike Miller, Executive Director of Operations, The Compass Church, Naperville, Illinois
- Jamie Mitchell, Enrollment Manager, Phoenix Seminary, Scottsdale, Arizona
- Renetta Montgonery, Sr. Director of Operations, First Baptist Church, Richardson, Texas
- Terry Moore, Executive Pastor, Nags Head Church, Nags Head, North Carolina
- Kurt Neale, Independent Filmmaker, Founder and President, Compelling Light, Dallas, Texas
- Don Neff, Executive Pastor, Worship Center, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Kimberlee Norris, Attorney, Founder, Love & Norris, MinistrySafe, Fort Worth, Texas
- Greg O’Connor, Executive Pastor, Grace Community Church, Riverview, Florida
- Gary Osborne, Executive Pastor, Calvary Bible Church, Boulder, Colorado
- Scot Overby, Executive Pastor, Crossroads Community Church, Valencia, California
- Darrell Owens, Senior Pastor, Christ the Rock Community Church, Cooper City, Florida
- John Parker, President/CEO, Visioneering Studios, Dallas, Texas
- Brian Paul, Operations Director, Mandarin Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville, Florida
- Dale Peak, Administrator Emeritus, Reston Bible Church, Dulles, Virginia
- Kevin Peck, CFO, Missional Marketing, Scottsdale, Arizona
- Carson Pedraza, Executive Director of Operations, The Local Church, Davie, Florida
- Doug Peters, Executive Director, Prairie Heights Community Church, West Fargo, North Dakota
- Stephen Pettis, Administrative Pastor, Christ Bible Church, Chicago, Illinois
- Julie Pierce, Executive Coach, The 4Sight Group, Flower Mound, Texas
- David Pranga, Executive Pastor, Brewster Baptist Church, Orleans, Massachusetts
- Rodney Querry, Executive Director of Business, Elevate Life Church, Frisco, Texas
- Dennis Richards, Business Development Manager | Faith-Based, Parkhill, Frisco, Texas
- Wade Ricks, Executive Pastor, First Baptist Church, Flint, Texas
- Jeff Roberts, Signing Director, CliftonLarsonAllen Wealth Advisors, Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Jerry Roberts, Associate Pastor – Administration, Hope Church, Fort Worth, Texas
- Josh Roberts, Executive Pastor, Preaching Christ Church, Kingsport, Tennessee
- Randy Robertson, Discipleship Pastor, First Baptist Church, Richardson, Texas
- Eric Rojas, Executive Pastor, Rolling Hills Community Church, Franklin, Tennessee
- Jeff Rountree, Executive Pastor, College Road Baptist Church, Ocala, Florida
- Rob Rudd, Team Lead, Insurance Relationship Management, GuideStone, Dallas, Texas
- Tim Samuel, CFO, Bridgeway Community Church, Columbia, Maryland
- Scott Schooler, Senior Associate Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Shawnee, Oklahoma
- Jon Michael Sherman, Marketing, Portable Church, Troy, Michigan
- Shannon Slover, Associate Pastor, First Baptist Church, Laurel, Mississippi
- Aanna Smalley, Strategic Operations Pastor, StoneBridge Christian Church, Omaha, Nebraska
- Kristen Smith, Director of Operations, Grace Community Church, Corsicana, Texas
- Nick Smith, Associate Pastor, Bethany Baptist Church, Lindenwold, New Jersey
- Joel Southerland, Lead Pastor, Peavine Baptist Church, Rock Spring, Georgia
- Andrew Stroup, Family Ministries & Operations Director, First Church, Wheatfield, Indiana
- Miles Takushi, CFO, Pearlside Church, Pearl City, Hawaii
- Ken Tan, Partner, CapinCrouse, Atlanta, Georgia
- Billy Tarka, Shepherd of Connections, Fullerton Free, Fullerton, California
- Ben Telfair, Executive Pastor, Mountain Brook Community Church, Birmingham, Alabama
- Micah Tesdall, Elder, Village Bible Church, Sugar Grove, Illinois
- JC Thompson, Executive Pastor of Strategy and Community Engagement, Brookwood Church, Simpsonville, South Carolina
- Bruce Trask, Executive Director, Central Baptist Church, Warner Robins, Georgia
- Dave Travis, Director of Strategic Counsel to Pastors and Church Boards, Generis, Snellville, Georgia
- Lance Unrau, Executive Pastor, Seabreeze Church, Huntington Beach, California
- William Vanderbloemen, CEO & Founder, Vanderbloemen, Houston, Texas
- Dave Vergara, Executive Pastor, Central Peninsula Church, Foster City, California
- Paul Volan, Executive Pastor, The Pentecostals of Cooper City, Cooper City, Florida
- Nathan Wang, Executive Pastor, West Houston Christian Church, Houston, Texas
- Micah Warren, Executive Pastor, Faith Baptist Church, New Port Richey, Florida
- Bill Webb, Associate Pastor, First Baptist Church, Richardson, Texas
- Kevin Welch, Chief Administrative Officer, The Shepherd’s Church, Cary, North Carolina
- Dave Whitehead, Executive Pastor, Stones Crossing Church, Greenwood, Indiana
- Stephen Wickliffe, Executive Pastor of Ministries & Missions, Grace Community Church, Tyler, Texas
- Jonny Williams, Executive Pastor, Vineyard Church, Maryville, Tennessee
- Chris Wood, Executive Pastor, First Baptist Church, Opelika, Alabama
- Bruce Woody, President & CEO, HH Architects, Richardson, Texas
- Rebecca Woody, Associate, HH Architects, Richardson, Texas
- Kevin Wright, Executive Pastor, New Life Community Church, Gardner, Kansas
- Matt Wright, Vice President, Senior Leadership Division, Slingshot Group, Arlington Heights, Illinois
- Cary Yocum, Vice President of Sales, Pushpay, Denver, Colorado
2024 Workshops
The XP-Seminar was a significant milestone for us. We decided to initiate my succession over the next seven years. I would never have started this process had I not attended the conference.
The outstanding workshops made me realize that the best way I can ensure the legacy of the church I planted is to skillfully and intentionally pass the baton to those who will lead in the next generation.
—A Senior Pastor
4 Unexpected Trust-Building Behaviors of Extraordinary Teams
In today’s volatile workplace, how do you attract and retain a great team? While creating a great team culture often feels elusive and frustrating, Culture Consultant Jenni Catron has found that a lack of trust is often at the heart of culture erosion. The good news is that there are some simple things we can do as leaders to begin rebuilding that trust or reinforcing it before it erodes. In this talk, Jenni addresses those behaviors and gives you suggestions to foster trust that builds healthy teams.
Jenni Catron, Founder and CEO, The 4Sight Group
5 Building Barriers that Kill Church Growth
Have you ever wondered why people may or may not be attending your church? It could easily be that your building is full of barriers killing the ability of your church to maximize growth. In this breakout, you will learn how to break through those barriers and discover creative ways to build bridges for more people to find community.
Nathan Elder, Director of Strategic Design, Visioneering Studios
Basics of Church Financing (in a Higher Rate Environment)
Navigating church financing can be a challenge. This is especially true when construction costs and interest rates are high. Come discover how lenders are assessing these factors as part of the underwriting process.
Chris Lewis, Senior Relationship Manager, Thrivent Church Financing
David Lee, Senior Relationship Manager, Thrivent Church Financing
Be the Unicorn: 12 Data Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest
William will talk with you about aspects of Be the Unicorn. It is a fascinating book and Fletch has reviewed it on Amazon:
William Vanderbloemen’s latest book, Be the Unicorn: Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest, is a goldmine of information. He gets right at what the best leaders do and how they think. With a plethora of examples from business, non-profits and church life, he illustrates twelve traits and habits.
What turns my crank is that his observations are based on 30,000 interviews with leaders. This gives the book a razor-sharp edge on seeing things that effective leaders do well. William’s quotes and short case studies illustrate his twelve points with great clarity. Here is how I applied two of the habits and traits. Read the book to get the other ten.
William Vanderbloemen, CEO & Founder, Vanderbloemen
Brace Yourself: How to Address the Shifting Church Giving Demographics for 2024
Brad always brings the latest and visionary thoughts about your financial future. Giving demographics are always changing and you need to stay on top of them. The pivotal question that you want to ask yourself is, “What should we do now to ensure healthy church finances for 2024?” As the title says, brace yourself for what you will hear in the workshop, changing church giving demographics and the emerging economy.
Brad Leeper, Executive Vice-President, Generis Partners
Building the Foundation: Structuring a Production Department
We will explore the essential elements of establishing a robust production department within the context of a local church. The production department is pivotal in enhancing worship experiences, congregational engagement, and outreach efforts. We’ll delve into the core principles of structuring this department, including team roles, equipment, and workflow. We’ll also discuss the significance of a flexible and adaptable structure catering to the diverse needs of your production team. Join us as we uncover the key strategies for leading your team well.
JB Bowling, Vice President, Clark
ChurchLaw&Tax Roundtable Forum
Invitation only
Christianity Today’s ChurchLaw&Tax again joins the XP-Seminar for a series of invitation-only roundtable forums with executive pastors and business administrators. The forums spur great conversations regarding legal, tax, financial, and risk management issues confronting churches in 2023, and help identify topic ideas and trends for ChurchLaw&Tax to cover in the future. The forums also offer networking and fellowship among the participants, including helpful tips and ideas for solving ministry-related problems.
Matthew Branaugh, attorney and editor of Christianity Today’s ChurchLaw&Tax
Church Finance 101
In this session, we will discuss the essentials for overseeing and managing the finances of a healthy church. Our discussion will include measurements for church financial health, sound budgeting practices, managing debt, and strategies for improving your church’s financial health. Attendees will receive copies of Mike Batts’s Amazon best-selling books, Church Finance and Nonprofit Financial Oversight.
Danny Johnson, Partner and Assistant National Director of Quality Assurance, Batts, Morrison, Wales & Lee
Steve Cardwell, Senior Manager, Batts, Morrison, Wales & Lee
Church Tax & Regulatory Update—Big Things that Need to be on Your Radar
Get the latest federal and state tax and regulatory updates for churches, including key changes, implications, and matters that could impact your ministry. In this session, Mike Batts will provide important updates in his well-known briefing format.
Mike Batts, Managing Partner, Batts Morrison Wales & Lee
Creating a Successful Project: 7 Common Mistakes Churches Make When Planning Facilities
This session will provide key tips involved with planning church facilities and discussions on avoiding 7 common mistakes made when planning. We will explore the importance of understanding the design process/role of decision makers, creating a vision to promote the project, trends in buildings, significance of various unique spaces, and other building design items to consider.
Bruce Woody, President & CEO, HH Architects
Delegate to Elevate: How Learning to Let Go Can Expand Your Impact and Help You Avoid Burnout
As Executive Pastors, it’s easy to become the “catch-all” of every miscellaneous project, last-minute crisis, or new initiative in your church. It’s tempting to feel like you have to be your team’s own personal superhero—handling everything on your own. But that’s no way to work, or live, and it’s a recipe for burnout.
As a leader, unlocking the power of effective delegation, it will not only transform your life, but it will transform your organization. Because sometimes the secret to getting more done is actually all about doing less.
Ryan Fitzgerald, Director of Marketing, BELAY
Shelby Carr, Solutions Consultant, BELAY
A Field Guide for Commercial Development for Your Site
For years you’ve imagined that irresistible coffee hot-spot on the corner of your property that lures the community to your campus and increases the bottom line. But you’re not sure how to pull that off without losing your focus, your non-profit status, or your mind. In this workshop, Dave Milam, Vice President of Strategic Design of Visioneering Studios, will walk you through the nuts and bolts of commercially developing your site while protecting your mission.
Dave Milam, Vice President of Strategic Design, Visioneering Studios
Financial Fraud—A Banking Perspective
Cybercrime is more sophisticated than ever. Consider email compromise and takeover; check fraud of all types; credit card compromise. All have seen a dramatic increase in recent years. Now, the bad guys are even utilizing Artificial Intelligence to gain unprecedented access to your information. What can be done from a banking perspective to protect your organization from these threats? Join us for this workshop to learn more about financial fraud and how to protect yourself.
Steve Hron, Vice President in the Faith and Ministry Financial Services, Cass Commercial Bank
Vanessa McKinnis, Manager, Treasury Sales & Services, A.V.P., Cass Bank
Hiring and Firing
In this workshop we’ll discuss:
- The values that help create an award winning staff team.
- The keys to a successful hiring process.
- How to ensure protection of your culture with your next hire.
- How to best execute the critical reference calls.
- The process of evaluation and coaching.
- How to coach someone off of your team.
- The keys to knowing the different types of firing.
Eric Rojas, Executive Pastor, Rolling Hills Community Church
How to Create a Strategy-Driven Budget
Effective budgeting is an ongoing process. Churches face a changing economic environment as well as shifting challenges, opportunities, and priorities. That means making sure your budget is aligned with your church’s strategic plan. We’ll examine how budget management is evolving. We’ll also discuss ways to assess and respond to current and coming realities and use practical strategies to set priorities and prepare for what’s ahead.
Rob Faulk, Partner and Church and Denomination Services Director, CapinCrouse
How to Keep Staff in a Culture of Quitting
Do you ever feel like your team is one resignation away from disaster? Statistically, nearly 50% of pastoral leaders have considered quitting in the past year. We are facing a season where your top leaders could be looking outside of your church to fulfill their calling, and our greatest asset is our enduring team. How do you proactively spend more time quit-proofing your staff and less energy on open positions?
Matt Wright, VP Senior Leadership, Slingshot Group
How To Start a Coaching Ministry in Your Church
During this workshop you will learn how the practice of coaching can add additional resources to your church’s discipleship ministry. Topics include the following: detailed explanation of coaching; the steps to launching a coaching ministry; and the recommended resources to support the ministry. Also, you will be introduced to Real Coaching Success which is an organization dedicated to encouraging and equipping coaches. Led by Dr. Nathan Baxter, Founder of LeadSelfLeadOthers and RealCoachingSuccess.
All participants will receive a free copy of Real Coaching Success by Nathan and Dianne Baxter.
Dr. Nathan Baxter, Founder of LeadSelfLeadOthers.com and RealCoachingSuccess.com
How to Successfully Build a Communications Team Using Outside Help
When your communications team is in disarray or you do not have a clear and structured communications strategy, everybody feels that pain. In this workshop, we will unpack a helpful approach to building a communications team that is aligned with your church goals without being overwhelmed or frustrated. We will share real examples of what other churches, large and small, have done to shore up their communications team to thrive, stay healthy, and be successful. You will walk away with a strategy you can implement.
Jason Hamrock, CEO, Missional Marketing
How Would Givers Rate Your Church on Trust–and How Could ECFA Help Increase It?
“In the twenty-first century, trust has become the world’s most precious resource,” one business writer observes. If so, how would your church rate on various trust standards, especially with its givers? What are the trends on trust building (and trust diminishing) that you need to be aware of, especially with younger generations? The mission of ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) is “enhancing trust,” and Warren Bird, their Senior Vice President of Research and Equipping, will help you identify specific ways to assess how well you’re doing, and where you might improve.
Warren Bird, SVP of Research and Equipping, Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
Leveraging Google and AI to Facilitate Better Communications and Church Growth
Your church is on a mission to make and grow disciples. In this workshop, we will provide a practical flywheel strategy for how you can leverage Google and the power of AI to reach more people in your community resulting in more disciples and a growing church.
Bart Blair, Lead Coach, Missional Marketing
Measuring Church Engagement: Metrics that Matter
The church is evolving, and so is the way we measure engagement. Understand what metrics truly matter in assessing the vitality of your church and learn about practical ways to enhance your church’s health. Explore how the metrics you measure—such as attendance, giving, serving, app activity, and more— can not only help determine the health of your church, but can surface outreach opportunities and foster meaningful connections with your congregation.
Cary Yocum, VP of Sales, Pushpay
Merging Visions: Legal Strategies for Church Growth
Church growth can take a lot of different forms, but one form we are seeing more and more of is growth through Church Mergers. As Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird said in their book, Better Together, “mergers are another example of God doing a ‘new thing’ (Isa. 43:19), helping existing congregations to reach new levels of unity, maturity, and fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13).” Join us as we discuss strategies for Church mergers, questions to consider in evaluating a potential merger, and common roadblocks to successful mergers .
Ally Haefner, Senior Associate Attorney, The Church Lawyers
Wendi Hodges, Senior Attorney, The Church Lawyers
Minimizing Aftershocks: Understanding the True Cost of Poor Pastoral Transitions
Letting go of anyone on staff is likely one of the hardest parts of any XP’s job. Most of us would rather sit through a four hour budget review with the elders than to navigate a bad staff transition. Add in difficult circumstances surrounding this transition and you have the recipe for devastation in your community. The good news is: it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, as the body of Christ, we should do this differently—better. This workshop will help you understand not just the financial costs associated with poor pastoral transitions, but the fallout that takes place on the spiritual, emotional, and communal fronts. You’ll leave with a tactical roadmap for doing transitions better and strategies for best possible outcomes.
Matt Davis, President, Pastoral Transitions
The Ministry Marathon: Enduring the Grind, Avoiding Burnout and Finishing Well
The number of pastors exiting the ministry is staggering. Jesus said that the harvest is ready but the laborers are few and since the pandemic, more pastors than ever are exiting the harvest field. Too many pastors and ministry leaders are weary, hurting, lonely, and on their way to burn out. Ministry is exhausting but is there anything we can do to help prepare ourselves to endure and finish well? In this breakout we will discuss enduring the ministry marathon and finishing our race well.
Will Klotz, Senior Client Relations Manager, Vanderbloemen
The Paces, the Faces, and the Places: Launching New Expressions of Your Church
Starting with the bottom line: The numbers of the unchurched living next to your church members are relentless and staggering! The Kingdom depends on your church to multiply! As a decision-maker, your church depends on you to be able to make well-informed decisions on strategy.
Putting your church through the paces—is it healthy enough to stand the rigors of launching new expressions of itself in new communities?
Because of your specific Kingdom-minded culture, DNA, and branding, what model might be best for you to launch with?
Do you know the places where each new expression in each new community would give you the best shot at success?
In this session you will go away confident about:
- 5 Marks that your church is ready to launch new expressions of itself into new communities
- 5 Models that your church might embrace to launch new campuses (multisite or plants)
- 5 Places you can launch in any community leveraging now and next!
Jeffrey Beachum, Church Multiplication Specialist, Portable Church® Industries
Planned Giving–The Missing Piece of Church Funding
As church leaders and pastors, we’ve all dealt with budget battles, fiscal fallouts, and donor downtrends. Too often we are forced to lean on weekly tithes, special offerings, and capital campaigns to meet the goals and vision of our church leadership. According to leading financial publications, approximately $84 trillion will transfer from Baby Boomers to Gen X and Millennials over the next 12 years. Planned giving offers the church an opportunity to tap into these resources to provide Kingdom funding for the future. Are you prepared to leverage this opportunity?
Dave Hess, Vice President of Training & Development, Financial Planning Ministry
Practical Steps to Protect Your Church Against Fraud
All organizations, including churches, are at risk for fraud. Fortunately, there are practical steps you can take to reduce that risk at your church. Learn about current fraud issues affecting churches, including adjustments you may need to make in response to changes in your operational environment, plus how to identify areas in your church that may be susceptible to fraud and apply best practices to reduce your risk.
Ken Tan, Partner, CapinCrouse LLP
Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in Ministry
Child sexual abuse risk is not intuitive. In this session, Greg addresses common errors and misconceptions that lead to sexual abuse risk, followed by an overview of the abuser’s grooming process and common grooming behaviors. The session concludes with a description of the MinistrySafe 5-Part Safety System (Sexual Abuse Awareness Training, Skillful Screening Processes, Appropriate Criminal Background Checks, Tailored Policies and Procedures, and Monitoring and Oversight) and how to access Safety System resources.
Gregory Love, Attorney with Love & Norris
Retirement and Health Care Strategies to Set Up Your Ministry for Long-Term Wellness
When faced with a multitude of benefits choices and challenges, it can be hard to find the strategy that best serves your ministry. Learn from industry experts on how to apply benefit strategies to steward your resources and help your ministry team stay physically and financially well.
Dixie Beard, Senior Business Development Manager, GuideStone Financial Resources
Rob Rudd, Team Lead, Insurance Relationship Management, GuideStone Financial Resources
Soul Care Practices for Thriving Churches
As a pastor and church leader you know that stress, conflict, and discouragement are part of church ministry and that prioritizing soul care is important to improving your staff’s health, unity, and fruitfulness. But what are some practical and affordable ways to do this? Dr’s Bill and Kristi Gaultiere started the ministry of Soul Shepherding in 2009 to meet this need.
This workshop includes rich content and time to ask your questions on:
- 5 unhealthy leadership rhythms to avoid.
- Using the CHRIST stages map of spiritual growth for your church.
- 7 essential (yet uncommon) soul care practices for healthy leaders and churches.
Bill Gaultiere, Co-Founder, Soul Shepherding
Kristi Gaultiere, Co-Founder, Soul Shepherding
The Wholistic Model of Senior Pastor Succession and Transition Your Church Needs to Know
Dave Travis started working on large church pastor succession in 1995 when he joined Leadership Network. After almost 30 years of working on the issues with over 400 churches, he has some approaches and models to share.
This workshop will address:
- How a church can multiply its ministry momentum in this season.
- The three biggest questions and issues that any approach to pastor succession must address.
- The latest trends from churches over the past two years.
Dave Travis, Director of Strategic Counsel to Pastors and Church Boards, Generis