
2025 Featured Speakers
David Kinnaman
CEO, Barna Group
David is the author of the bestselling books Faith For Exiles, Good Faith, You Lost Me and unChristian. He is CEO of Barna Group, a leading research and communications company that works with churches, nonprofits, and businesses ranging from film studios to financial services.
Since 1995, David has directed interviews with more than two million individuals and overseen thousands of U.S. and global research studies. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas and has three children.
Tim Badal
Lead Pastor, Village Bible Church
A six multi-site church with a tent-making pastor:
Since 1995 I have had the privilege to serve as General Manager of 5-B’s Catering Service a business my parents started in 1979. This time has enabled me to serve Christ in so many ways by being a light to my employees and customers. My bi-vocational work also allows me to be an example to the rest of the church that ministry doesn’t just happen when we are pastors but through every Christian using their vocation to glorify God.
In 2003, I began to transition from an active lay leader to an interim preacher at Village Bible Church. Then in early 2004, I took on the role of Lead Pastor across all VBC campuses. I also enjoy helping to lead our church staff, writing small group material and leadership training as well as dreaming about what God may have next for us as a church.
Nathan Baxter
SP to XP to Leadership Coach
Nathan has been coaching leaders for over 30 years and in the fall of 2001 he founded Lead Self Lead Others. For over a decade he was content to be a company of 1 until he realized that there were others who were interested in learning his coaching model and methodology. Today, he has trained 15 coaches and 9 of them have joined the LSLO Coaching Team.
To date they have successfully coached over 3,500 leaders, issued 1800+ Birkman® assessments and 360 performance evaluations, and designed and conducted 200+ individual and corporate surveys.
2025 Keynote Speakers
Mike Batts
Managing Partner, BMWL
Jenni Catron
Founder & CEO, 4Sight
Stan Endicott
Co-Founder, The Grand Plan
Bill Gaultiere
Co-Founder, Soul Shepherding
Kristi Gaultiere
Co-Founder, Soul Shepherding
Jason Hamrock
CEO, Missional Marketing
Dave Hess
Vice President, Financial Planning Ministry
Fred Johnson
Managing Director, Church and Institution Financing, Thrivent
Brad Leeper
CEO/Founder, Ministry Essentials
David Lee
Senior Relationship Manager, Thrivent Church Financing
John Lindsey
Director, Enviropop
David Middlebrook
Founder, The Church Lawyers
Dave Milam
Vice President of Strategic Design, Visioneering Studios
Dave Rhodes
Co-founder, Clarity House
Bryan Stine
Director, Brotherhood Mutual
Ken Tan
Partner, CapinCrouse
William Vanderbloemen
CEO & Founder, Vanderbloemen
Bruce Woody
President, HH Architects
Mark Yoder
Partner, CapinCrouse
Short Rides 2025
Warren Bird
Senior Vice President of Research, ECFA
JB Bowling
Vice President, Clark
Matt Davis
President, Pastoral Transitions
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.
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 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
4th Quarter Discipleship: How to Actively Step into the Greatest Discipleship Opportunity in Your Church
Could your church be missing out on the greatest discipleship opportunity of our lifetime? How many Bible characters make or break the potential impact of their lives in the 4th quarter of their lives? Does your church have a process for helping people gain traction in this incredibly important life transition? In this workshop, the Grand Plan Team will help you work through and identify the greatest challenges facing one of the most strategic people groups in your congregation—people entering the 4th quarter of their lives (52–73-year-olds). Join us as we imagine together what discipleship and ministry could look like for this quickly emerging, but overlooked people group.
Stan Endicott, Co-Founder, Slingshot Group
Dave Rhodes, Co-founder, Clarity House
Five Pillars of Effective Outreach
Reimagine your church’s approach to outreach and evangelism by learning the Five Pillars of Effective Outreach. Drawing from decades of ministry experience, this workshop explores how to grow your church through an incremental approach to outreach and evangelism. Learn how to strategically integrate digital marketing and communications to enhance each pillar, creating multiple pathways for people to move toward faith. You will learn practical ways to leverage existing community partnerships, develop clear “next steps” for every outreach initiative, and build sustainable programs that energize rather than exhaust your congregation. Each participant will get access to a Strategic Outreach Assessment Tool to evaluate their current initiatives and plan future strategies across all five pillars.
Bart Blair, Brand Director, Missional Marketing
5 Real-Life Case Studies: How We Handled Impossible Staff Terminations And What We Learned
Meet Not-Retiring Randy, the pastor who’s been preaching for 30 years but now mutters, “I’m dying in the pulpit.” Or Family-First Frank, the elder’s son who’s been riding the church’s coattails as youth pastor for years, but isn’t pulling his weight. Then there’s Tone-Deaf Tom, the worship leader whose voice cracks under pressure but still has an army of loyal fans … in the choir. These aren’t hypothetical—they’re real, messy situations, and tougher to navigate than you’d expect. In this session, we’ll share 5 case studies of impossible staff terminations and the tough conversations that followed. Learn how we managed awkward family dynamics, cultural mismatches, and the tension of keeping love intact while making hard calls.
Matt Davis, President, Pastoral Transitions
5 Steps to Building a Culture Plan: Turn Your Culture into a Competitive Advantage
Your team is your greatest asset—are you stewarding it with the intentionality it deserves? Your people are the linchpin between your mission and strategy, yet many leaders overlook the importance of a clear culture plan. Research shows that while 90% of leaders agree that having an engagement strategy is vital, only 25% actually have one. Without a plan, even the best intentions can fall short of creating a thriving team culture.
This workshop will change that. Certified LeadCulture coaches Genea Browne and Karissa Parks will guide you through the proven LeadCulture Framework—a five-step process for creating a culture plan that aligns your team, empowers them to thrive, and helps your ministry achieve its mission. You’ll gain practical tools and insights to:
- Assess your current culture and identify key areas for growth.
- Clarify your team’s purpose and priorities to build stronger alignment.
- Create actionable steps to engage, develop, and retain your staff.
Whether you’re starting fresh or refining an existing approach, this session will equip you with a roadmap to steward your team well and build a culture where everyone grows, thrives, and is unstoppable.
Your team deserves more than hope—they deserve a plan. This workshop will help you create it.
Genea Browne, Executive Coach, 4Sight
Karissa Parks, 4Sight
5 Ways To Stretch Your Space
Maximize the impact of your building by making it flexible for a variety of ministry uses. Learn how to implement practical, adaptable design strategies that meet both current and future needs.
Nathan Elder, Director of Strategic Design, Visioneering Studios
Accounting Tech Stacks: Best Practices for Your Ministry
Technology changes quickly, and if you do not evaluate your church’s software and systems frequently, they can become outdated and inefficient. We’ll share considerations and tips to help your church create and maintain an effective accounting tech stack that can save time and reduce errors while supporting your mission-focused goals. You’ll learn how to assess your current financial management processes and systems to identify gaps or areas for improvement, recognize additional data and features that could optimize your workflows and decision-making, and evaluate potential accounting technology solutions to find the right fit for your church’s budget and needs.
Ken Tan, Partner, CapinCrouse
6 Simple Hacks for Lasting Impressions: Enhancing the First-Time Experience
Creating a meaningful and memorable first impression is essential for welcoming guests to your church. In this engaging talk, you’ll learn six practical strategies to transform how first-time visitors experience your space. From empowering greeters to foster genuine connections to simplifying navigation with clear signage and thoughtful design, these hacks will help your church create an environment that feels approachable and inviting. You’ll also explore the importance of clarity over creativity, meaningful guest gifts, and intentional follow-up to ensure every visitor feels valued and encouraged to return. Perfect for church leaders looking to improve their hospitality and build deeper connections with their community!
John Lindsey, Director, Enviropop
Adrenaline Recovery Practices
In this workshop, Bill and Kristi go deeper into the practical challenges of adrenaline and stress in ministry. They will share real life stories of adrenaline addiction and how it affects people they are in relationship with. They will also teach the Adrenaline Addiction Cycle and how to reverse it, as well as respond to questions about managing adrenaline. They will introduce fresh spiritual practices to aid adrenaline recovery for you, your staff, and your church.
Bill Gaultiere, Co-Founder, Soul Shepherding
Kristi Gaultiere, Co-Founder, Soul Shepherding
AI on Mission: Effectively Launching Artificial Intelligence within Your Church
Have you wondered how your church can effectively implement AI at scale? Are your staff members at different stages in their AI journey, making it challenging to move forward together? In this practical session, we’ll create your roadmap for bringing AI into your church’s future. You’ll learn how to assess your team’s AI readiness, identify ministry pain points, and choose the right tools for your mission. Walk away with a concrete action plan for integrating AI into your church in ways that serve both your staff and congregation.
David Thorne, ED.D, Research and Development, AI-for-Churches, Missional Marketing Group
Anchoring Your Church Giving: Leading Through a Quickly Changing Stewardship Landscape
Discover fresh strategies to build a sustainable giving culture, even in challenging times. This workshop equips executive pastors with tools to foster discipleship-driven stewardship, leverage technology, and engage all stages of giving.
Walk away with actionable steps to become a catalyst for change, ensuring your church remains vibrant and financially resilient for the road ahead.
Brad Leeper, CEO/Founder, Ministry Essentials
Background Checks—What We Don’t Know Can Lead to a Ditch
Many churches rely heavily on background checks as the solution for child sexual abuse risk. Is this heavy reliance well-founded? In this session, Kimberlee Norris will address the realities of background check effectiveness. She will also explain other factors that further impact background check effectiveness unknown to ministry leaders: federal and state legislative limits on search scopes and reports, state record purges, corners cut by background check vendors, and more.
Kimberlee D. Norris, Attorney at Love & Norris, Founder of MinistrySafe
The Basics of Estate Planning: Leaving a Legacy
We can’t predict the future, but we can plan for it. Financial Planning Ministry (FPM) takes the mystery out of estate planning, guiding you and your family through a straightforward process, allowing you to design a legacy plan that blesses your family and honors God. Take this opportunity to make decisions, pass on your values and valuables, and start planning for your future. Learn more about wills, trusts, guardianship, and health care directives as you work to create your own customized estate plan with FPM at no out-of-pocket cost to you.
Dave Hess, Vice President of Training & Development, Financial Planning Ministry
Chris Goulard, Vice President, Financial Planning Ministry
Building Nightmares: 7 Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring a Contractor
A bad contractor can sink your project, waste your budget, and leave you with a half-finished building—or worse, a finished one that doesn’t actually work. With millions of dollars and the future of your ministry at stake, hiring the wrong team isn’t just risky. It’s a gamble you can’t afford to take. If you’ve ever wondered, “Did we hire the right team for this job?” or worse, “How did we not see this coming?”—this workshop reveals the essential questions every leader must ask before signing a contract. Learn to spot red flags, negotiate contracts confidently, and safeguard your vision. This isn’t about playing it safe. It’s about playing it smart. Gain the tools to ensure your next project is a success.
Dave Milam, Chief Strategy Officer, Visioneering Studios
ChurchLaw&Tax Roundtable Forum
Invitation only
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 2025, 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, ChurchLaw&Tax
Church Tax and Regulatory Update
In this session, we will discuss recent and pending developments related to federal tax law impacting churches and ministers. The discussion will cover the impact of the recent election on future tax law changes.
Mike Batts, Managing Partner, Batts Morrison Wales & Lee
Kaylyn Varnum, Partner & Assistant National Director of Tax Services, Batts Morrison Wales & Lee
Creating the Right Space at the Right Time with the Right Feel
Every church facility tells a story, but is yours aligned with your ministry’s mission and purpose? This workshop will explore how to create spaces that strategically align with your vision, position your church for future growth, and resonate with your congregation. Join us as we delve into practical design tips, analyzing the balance of context, time, and budget to ensure your facility is impactful, functional for everyday use, and inspiring to those who enter. Discover how to design a space that not only meets your needs but also tells a powerful story and furthers your ministry’s impact.
Bruce Woody, President & CEO, HH Architects
Developing Greater Generosity from Online Attenders
How is your church reaching and discipling those who attend online, but cannot (or don’t yet) attend in-person? Specifically, how are you cultivating greater generosity for their online giving?
ECFA ran a recent research project where more than 100 leading churches gave input on strategies that are working to move people from spectator to participant, including their role in giving financially to the church. You’ll walk away with specific examples of what you can do, including obstacles that churches are overcoming to do digital discipleship more effectively. Many churches are seeing an increased impact in online discipleship; why not yours?
Warren Bird, Senior Vice President of Research, Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
Experience the Grand Plan-Clear Legacy
Legacy is a term that many people talk about, but few people have a proven pathway to deliver. We all want our lives to live on beyond our lifetime. But very few of us have intentionally designed a way for that to happen. In this workshop, The Grand Plan Team will provide a “hands on” experience to the process we use to help people climb the 5th Summit of The Grand Plan Process—The Summit of Clear Legacy. In this workshop, we will equip you with tools that will help you guide people to think ahead about what they want to leave behind.
Stan Endicott, Co-Founder, Slingshot Group
Dave Rhodes, Co-founder, Clarity House
From Starting to Finishing Well: Planning Your Financial Future
Planning for your financial future is important no matter where you are on your ministry journey. In this session, you’ll gain insights from industry experts regarding retirement savings and investment strategies, protecting yourself and the church against unexpected risks, and benefit strategies to help your ministry team stay physically and financially well.
Greg Love, Senior Relationship Manager, GuideStone Financial Resources
Fueling Ministry Growth: Overcoming Obstacles to Generosity
As passionate leaders, you work tirelessly to meet, invite, and connect with your congregation and donors, rejoicing in their spiritual growth. Yet, the path to greater ministry impact is often hindered by technical challenges—processing errors, outdated payment methods, and missed engagement opportunities.
Join us for an insightful session to discover how Pushpay, the leading church giving and engagement solution, helps ministries like yours overcome these obstacles. Learn how to rescue failed donations, maximize generosity, and deepen connections within your community. We’ll also unveil Pushpay’s latest product innovations and integrations designed to empower your ministry’s mission and inspire meaningful connection with your congregation.
Cary Yocum, VP of Sales, Pushpay
The Giving Journey: Engaging Every Stage of Generosity
Building a thriving stewardship culture requires more than repeating decades-old practice. This workshop equips executive pastors with actionable strategies to inspire first-time givers, nurture consistent generosity, and develop a pipeline for major contributors—plus, discern how to engage the conversation around wills and estates along with those who are 50 and above. Learn what systems are needed to make it all happen.
Through practical applications and examples from churches like yours, you’ll have a clear framework to guide your church leadership and all households toward deeper biblical stewardship. Walk away with a clear roadmap to spark lasting generosity at every level. Perfect for shaping your 2025 and beyond!
Brad Leeper, CEO/Founder, Ministry Essentials
How to Restructure Budgets and Free Up Resources for Debt Payoff
This session will focus on helping Executive Pastors structure their budgets to pay off debt faster and more effectively. Here’s what the session will cover:
- Debt Prioritization Methods—We’ll dive into the pros and cons of the Snowball vs. Avalanche approach and show pastors how to choose the best strategy for their ministry’s specific financial situation.
- Identifying Overlooked Budget Cuts—Participants will discover surprising areas where ministries typically waste money, such as energy costs, and how small changes can add up to significant savings. Tim will facilitate a sticky note collaboration where people will share how they saved money this past year and share it with others.
- Creating Accountability for Debt Reduction—We’ll explore ways to track progress, build transparency within the leadership team, and ensure financial goals are consistently met.
Tim Samuel, Chief Financial Officer, Bridgeway Community Church
The Intangibles of Finance
Have you ever wondered what non-financial data points lenders care about? Chris and David will be highlighting the data points that could prevent your church from obtaining the most competitive financing opportunities, even though your financial statements are on fire.
Chris Lewis, Senior Relationship Manager, Thrivent Church Financing
David Lee, Senior Relationship Manager, Thrivent Church Financing
Maximizing Multisite
Hitting 70%? Then chances are good that 80% is just around the corner! Many churches have found that solutions to capacity issues (God’s blessing) needs to be more than 1) more seats, 2) stacking more services, or 3) streaming into other rooms.
Get Ready!
Leaders of growing churches need to know all the options available in order to design strategies for when it’s time to pull the trigger. Ask yourself, “Am I thinking of everything?” What are the various options? How much does each option cost? Multisiting, and planting with momentum are two solutions to grow your congregation without growing an expensive monster facility. One church with multiple locations is growing bigger while growing smaller. But how?
Get Set!
In this session, we’ll unpack Seven Factors to Maximizing your multiplication strategy. Whether you are nervous about launching your first new location, have already launched a few locations, or have become a serial launcher, this session could help you take that next step. Or maybe you’ve just hit a snag! Bring it with you and we’ll help to untangle it! From comparing real estate options, to the when and how of capturing DNA and culture for your next location, all will be on the table for discussion.
Go!
Jeffrey Beachum, Church Multiplication Specialist, Portable Church® Industries
Ministerial Exception
Sometimes working in a faith-based organization brings on a unique set of challenges. Applying ministerial exception is one of those sticky spots. We’ll discuss some parameters and scenarios to help you apply the exception with integrity in your organization.
Ally Haefner, Senior Attorney, Middlebrook | Group, PLLC
Nick Wilbur, Attorney, Middlebrook | Group, PLLC
Nuts and Bolts of Healthy Internal Control
In this session, we will discuss practical considerations for maintaining healthy internal financial controls in a church environment. We will address revenue-side and expense-side controls, with a special focus on electronic transactions.
Danny Johnson, Partner and Assistant National Director of Quality Assurance, Batts Morrison Wales & Lee
Steve Cardwell, Senior Manager, Batts Morrison Wales & Lee
Steve Kahlke, Senior Manager, Batts Morrison Wales & Lee
Rethinking Staff Reviews and Compensation: Addressing the Evolving Needs of Today’s Ministry Landscape
Traditional performance metrics fall short of the new evolving ministry landscape. With four generations in the workplace and approaches to work varying drastically, the time for rethinking staff reviews and compensation is overdue.
In this session, discover how each generation approaches ministry, what new metrics to add to your next staff review, which metrics are no longer relevant (and, in fact, may be hurting your ministry efforts), and how to utilize compensation market data to implement effective and healthy compensation strategies.
Ivette Naron, Executive Search Consultant, Vanderbloemen
A Self-Guide to Auditing Your Space: 4 Categories to Question
As pastors and church leaders, your facilities are more than just buildings. They are sacred spaces that shape experiences and reflect your mission. This workshop provides a practical, step-by-step guide to evaluating and refreshing your church space, ensuring it supports your ministry’s goals and resonates with your congregation’s values. You’ll learn to assess the functionality, aesthetics, and engagement potential of your space, and consider its future adaptability. With actionable tips on technology, signage, decor, and hospitality, you’ll leave equipped to align your space with your vision, creating an environment that inspires and connects all who enter.
John Lindsey, Director, Enviropop
Signs Your Church May Be in Financial Trouble
Join us as we explore warning signs that may indicate a church is heading toward financial instability. We’ll share key financial ratios to monitor and discuss trends that could signal that financial trouble is on the horizon. You’ll gain practical tools and steps to assess your church’s financial health, make informed decisions, and develop proactive strategies.
Mark Yoder, Partner, CapinCrouse
Nathan Davis, Partner, CapinCrouse
Staffing Trends in 2025: How You Can Stay Ahead of the Curve
Stay ahead of the curve with William Vanderbloemen’s State of the Church: Staffing Trends for 2025. This workshop will examine William’s comprehensive report and explore the emerging trends reshaping church leadership, staffing, and communication. No matter your congregational size, you’ll find actionable insights to help your ministry thrive in the years ahead.
William Vanderbloemen, CEO & Founder, Vanderbloemen
State of the Church 2025: We Need More Thriving Churches
Is your church thriving? Are your people flourishing? And how do you know for sure? Be among the first to see a sneak peek of the upcoming State of the Church 2025 initiative, orchestrated by Barna and Gloo. See current research on the state of the Church, tools to measure the State of your Church, and next steps to help your people on a journey. We’ll cover key areas like attendance trends, evangelism, innovations in real estate and more. Bring your phone: During the workshop we’ll provide a quick survey that will instantly show you key aspects of your current state, and where you’ll most benefit from participating in this groundbreaking movement.
Craig Springer, Gloo
The Top Two Attributes Every Key Staff Leader Needs
There are two areas you need to be screening for when hiring, prioritizing when developing, and training your staff to grow in, for your team to be remarkable and move your mission forward. Matt will synthesize his extensive experience as an XP, coaching XP’s and leverage Slingshot’s 18 years of working with over 3,000 organizations to prioritize what you need to know about these top two attributes.
Matt Wright, VP Senior Leadership, Slingshot Group
What Your Church Needs to Know about Securing Financing from a Bank
Securing financing for a project can seem overwhelming. In this session we will learn about what information you need to provide and how Cass Bank analyzes requests for financing projects.
Michael Porter, Vice President, Cass Commercial Bank, Faith and Ministry Financial Services
YourChurchGPT
There is no replacement for the prayerful, spirit-guided process of bringing the Truth of God’s Word to God’s people. As the AI landscape continues to rapidly unfold, new tools have emerged that are truly helpful in the full lifecycle of your sermon … the preparation, the delivery, and the extended value of your content after it has been preached. We will explore some of these practical tools, and discuss the current state of AI through the lens of the pastor.
Chase Cappo, Director of Enterprise AI, Gloo
Platinum Sponsors
We want to thank Brad Leeper of Ministry Essentials for his twenty-one years as a sponsor. With over 30 years of financial stewardship experience, Brad Leeper has devoted his career to helping churches and nonprofits cultivate and strengthen their stewardship culture. For 23 years, he was a key leader at Generis, serving as both Principal and President for 11 of those years. Now, as Principal with Ministry Essentials, he continues to coach organizations to build strong stewardship cultures and fulfill their God-given missions.
Passionate about helping churches accelerate their visions, particularly during times of change and financial complexity, he takes a forward-thinking approach to guiding congregations of all sizes and forms across the U.S. His focus is on enhancing both the practical and spiritual aspects of stewardship, supporting leaders as they grow and evolve.
For the fifteenth year as a sponsor, we welcome HH Architects. For 53 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 fifteenth 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 fourteenth year, we welcome CapinCrouse. As a national full-service CPA and consulting firm devoted to serving churches and other 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 Gloo with ChurchLaw&Tax for the twelfth year. Gloo is the trusted technology platform that connects ministry leaders to resources, people data and insights, funding, and initiatives so their people and communities flourish and their organizations thrive. In 2024, it further advanced this mission when it acquired Church Law & Tax, a trusted resource serving pastors and church leaders since the early 1980s with legal, tax, finance, and risk management information.
Gloo, in partnership with Barna, has launched the State of the Church 2025 initiative to help leaders in ministry understand church trends, measure what matters in ministry, help their people flourish, and see their organization thrive.
We welcome for the tenth 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 ninth 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 eighth year, we welcome Vanderbloemen Search Group. Vanderbloemen specializes in finding key staff members, from worship leaders to family ministers to senior pastors. They go beyond simply filling open roles. They take the time to understand your church’s unique DNA and conduct nationwide searches to find the individuals God has called to serve your community. With experience completing over 2,500 executive searches with ministries all across the country and internationally, Vanderbloemen is an industry leader in executive search for the church.
In addition, Vanderbloemen understands that finding the right people is just the first step. They also offer a suite of solutions designed to help you develop and retain your staff. Their services include staff, diversity, and succession consulting, leadership coaching, culture assessments, compensation reports, and their newest tool, the Vander Index, based on the book Be the Unicorn: 12 data-driven traits that separate the best leaders from the rest.
For the eighth 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 seventh 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 sixth 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.
We welcome Financial Planning Ministry for the fifth year. FPM is a trusted name in estate planning and strategic planned giving. Since 1982 more than 50,000 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 $3 billion to Christian charities worldwide.
We welcome Enviropop for the first year. They transform ordinary environments into memorable spaces with their innovative wayfinding solutions, branded environmental designs, monument signs, Interior Design, and much more.
Blending imagination with expert fabrication and installation, the Enviropop team provides stunning solutions that move people intuitively through your space, magnify your story, and advance your mission every step of the way.
We welcome The Grand Plan for the first year. In December 2022, Stan Endicott, Dave Rhodes, Mark Thomas, and Scott Papador came together in Phoenix with a shared purpose—to explore how to better engage the 55+ community. They discussed everything from empty-nesters to retirement, aging, and the power of connection. Their goal? To help people thrive during life’s most significant transition. They realized that many church leaders may not fully recognize that 35% of their congregation is 55 and older. These individuals represent a wealth of experience and potential. Are we truly noticing them? Are we providing opportunities within the church that inspire and energize them?
The Grand Plan shines a light on the incredible adventure of engaging older adults in meaningful ways. We believe that this is a pivotal moment, and God is calling The Grand Plan to help people find renewed purpose and passion during this time of transition—while also empowering the next generation. Join this inspiring conversation that you’ll want to bring back to your church leadership. Let’s make a difference together! For more information, see mygrandplan.org
Gold Sponsors
For the fourteenth 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 eleventh 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 third 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 second 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.
For the second year, we welcome Soul Shepherding, led by Dr’s Bill and Kristi Gaultiere. Since 2009 they’ve been equipping pastors and leaders to go deeper with Jesus in emotional health and loving leadership. Their Healthy Pastor Care program offers retreats, spiritual, direction, and leadership coaching at a discount.
Silver Sponsors
We welcome GuideStone as a sponsor for the nineteenth 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 twelfth 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 eighth 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 seventh 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.
For the seventh 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 MinistrySafe as a sponsor for the third year. Gregory Love and Kimberlee Norris have a nationwide sexual abuse litigation practice representing victims of sexual abuse throughout the country. In addition, Love & Norris provide consulting services to secular and ministry organizations providing services to children. Representative clients include the United States Olympic Committee, Awana International, Church of the Nazarene, the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, Gladney Center for Adoption, and many church and para-church schools, camps and ministries. Love and Norris serve as directors of MinistrySafe, a consulting organization designed to help churches, Christian ministries and camps understand and address child safety risks related to sexual abuse.
“A wild herd of wolves and other critters could not keep us from partnering with the XP-Seminar!”
Brad Leeper, CEO/Founder, Ministry Essentials
Getting Ready for the Giving Shift. Understanding the Evolving Church-Giving Landscape from the Executive Pastor Seat with Brad Leeper. Few know more about generosity and church culture than Brad. He has been a key mover 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.
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.
Managing Your Adrenaline with Bill and Kristi Gaultiere. They founded Soul Shepherding in 2009, a ministry to help pastors and churches go deeper with Jesus in emotional health and loving leadership. They oversee 20 operations staff and over 40 contractors. Bill is a psychologist (Ph.D.), ordained pastor, and spiritual director. Kristi is a marriage and family therapist (Psy.D.) and spiritual director.
Stop Apologizing About Your Space: Completing Projects to Communicate Vision with John Lindsey. Your physical space tells a story—what is yours saying? Too often, leaders apologize for outdated, uninspiring environments that fail to reflect their vision. With over 10 years’ experience as the Creative Director for a multi-campus church, John’s passion for providing the highest level of concierge service can be seen in his strategic and structured approach to each project. John is the Director of Enviropop.
Management’s Perspective: Where Are We Headed in 2025 and Beyond? with Fred Johnson. He will share a broad perspective on the church market from a lender’s perspective. The Full breakfast is sponsored by Thrivent Church Financing. Thrivent has been serving churches for 120 years with over 6,000 churches served, and many lessons learned. Fred Johnson is the Managing Director, Church and Institution Financing, at Thrivent.
Estate Planning in the Church—7 Compelling Reasons with Dave Hess. Dave is a 22-year veteran of the United States Air Force. He served two congregations over a 12-year period as pastor of education, pastor of worship, and executive pastor. For the past twelve years Dave has served with Financial Planning Ministry. As Vice President of Training & Development, his role is to assist in the training and management of a team of 40 professionals who provide education on estate planning processes while assisting individuals and families with their specific planning needs.
Yes … Internal Control Is Boring and Annoying … Until It Isn’t with Mike Batts. Mike Batts is the managing partner of Batts Morrison Wales & Lee, a national CPA firm dedicated exclusively to serving nonprofit organizations and their affiliates across the United States. Mike 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. He 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. Mike has authored several books and has actively engaged in nonprofit legislative matters at the federal and state levels. Mike leads BMWL’s national headquarters office in Orlando as well as its Dallas office.
The Future of the Large Church with Fletch & Warren Bird. Warren is the SVP of Research 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.
Watch Out For Your Church Staff! with Bryan Stine. Are there risks or gaps when it comes to the financial well-being of you and your staff? Find out how to help save costs and increase the value of your employee benefits and avoid risks such as payroll tax errors and penalties plus other critical information to best serve your church and your valuable staff. Bryan Stine, a Director with Brotherhood Mutual, will present information to help you avoid pitfalls and find a better way to do things to help your church staff. While many companies are moving away from the church or at least not focusing on ministries, Brotherhood Mutual is forming Brotherhood Works to serve church staffs with critical cost savings on employee and health benefits, payroll and tax services and much more. Bryan will also share the heart behind this new venture.
Compensation with Fletch. This is always a hot topic. How much should we pay our staff? Where do we get solid data and how do we use the data that we get? Fletch with walk through specific salaries from XPastor’s $2.3 billion of church salaries in the Salary Forecaster.
Top Financial Matters for a Church’s XP to Navigate with Mark Yoder & Ken Tan. Learn insights into the top financial matters XPs should be navigating as they oversee their church’s finances. Topics will include technology, board matters, financial management, internal controls, and other considerations for churches of all sizes. Whether you’re a seasoned XP or new to the role, we’ll share practical, actionable ideas to help you lead your church well.
Legal Landmines for Your Ministry—How to Avoid Them and Thrive with David Middlebrook. The times are full of public storms which are best navigated when churches and ministries are prepared for the unexpected. Moral failures, donation refunds, and bad PR are just some of the many landmines that can be worked through with a good crisis management plan. We’ll discuss some ways in which your church can prepare itself now for the inevitable.
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.
Networking Lunch. Use this time to meet new colleagues and network with friends.
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.
Special Dessert Array
As we say in Texas, these are “ta’ die for.”
How AI is Drastically Changing the Landscape of Church Communications, Sermons, and Operations with Jason Hamrock. 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.
Lessons from Catering and the Church with Tim Badal. Since 1995 I have had the privilege to serve as General Manager of 5-B’s Catering Service, a business my parents started in 1979. This time has enabled me to serve Christ in so many ways by being a light to my employees and customers. My bi-vocational work also allows me to be an example to the rest of the church that ministry doesn’t just happen when we are pastors but through every Christian using their vocation to glorify God. In 2003, I began to transition from an active lay leader to an interim preacher at Village Bible Church. Then in early 2004, I took on the role of Lead Pastor across all VBC campuses. I also enjoy helping to lead our church staff, writing small group material and leadership training as well as dreaming about what God may have next for us as a church.
The Elephant In The Room: How to Help Your Church Grow by Taking Advantage of the Opportunity It Doesn’t Know It Has with Dave Rhodes & Stan Endicott. We see them every week but who are they? Should we pay attention to them? They are the 55+ age demographic in your church! They’re like customers who frequent a store who are welcome to enter and browse but there’s really nothing in the store that piques their interest. Lots of smiles, hellos, but no conversations. The elephant in the room surprise was, this important 55+ topic was simply either overlooked or not a priority. Regardless of church size, those 55 and older represent 35% of the attendance.
The Parable of the Boss & Brother with Matt Davis. With 25+ years in faith-based executive leadership, Matt Davis knows the wins, the losses, and everything in between. As Executive Pastor, he led a team of 140+, tackling the challenges that come with big vision and real impact. As President of Pastoral Transitions, he guides churches through tough leadership changes. Matt and his wife, Marilee, host the Life After Ministry Podcast, where they dive into real talk with former pastors who’ve found their kingdom assignment beyond church walls—unfiltered stories of grit, growth, and God’s purpose beyond the pulpit.
Church Design Nightmares: 5 Fatal Mistakes and How to Fix Them (Before It’s Too Late) with Dave Milam. Your church building might be a masterpiece—or it might be a ticking time bomb. From outdated, awkward layouts to spaces that don’t match your church’s vision, church design failures can be costly—and they’re more common than you think. Dave is the Chief Strategy Officer 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.
People Are the Point: Building an Operating System to Steward Your Greatest Resource 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.
Two Keynote with David Kinnaman. David is the author of the bestselling books Faith For Exiles, Good Faith, You Lost Me and unChristian. He is CEO of Barna Group, a leading research and communications company that works with churches, nonprofits, and businesses ranging from film studios to financial services. Since 1995, David has directed interviews with more than two million individuals and overseen thousands of U.S. and global research studies. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas and has three children.
What You Need to Know about Being a Coaching Leader with Nathan Baxter. Dr. Baxter has been coaching leaders for over 30 years—as a youth pastor, Executive Pastor, Senior Pastor, and for the past 15 years as a professional coach with Lead Self Lead Others, which he founded in 2009. Nathan and his wife Dianne have successfully coached over 5,000 leaders, issued over 3,500 Birkman® assessments and 360 performance evaluations, and designed and conducted hundreds of individual, church and corporate surveys. In 2020, they co-authored Real Coaching Success to encourage and equip coaches by sharing their best practices. They also share their coaching secrets on the monthly podcast, Real Coaching Sips & Tips. Nathan earned a M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a D.Min. from Dallas Theological Seminary.
6 Workshop Sessions
Pre-Seminar Workshops
Multisite 4.0 Ministry with Keith Duff & Tim Badal. This is for all interested in multisite strategy for growth. Whether you have two sites, get past the 4-site ceiling, or have a rhythm of 10+, share your challenges and successes. This is also open to investigate multisite for the first time. No charge for XP-Seminar attendees. Free but special enrollment needed
The Focused Leader with XP Bobby McGraw. 2025: The Year You Finally Overcome Overwhelm. Every new year begins with promise. By the end of January, most resolutions are forgotten—that sense of overwhelm creeps in. If you’re an executive leader, you may wonder: Is this just how it’s always going to be? No charge for XP-Seminar attendees. Free but special enrollment needed
The Middle Way with Bobby McGraw. The workshop uses table exercises and tailored content to create an experience that you will not forget. We discuss overall team dynamics and the impact of family of origin to uncover many problems teams face these days due to differences in individual orientation. Special enrollment needed.
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 role dynamics: Working with the Senior Pastor, staff leaders, the entire staff and the congregation. Special enrollment needed.
What Truly Drives Giving Discipleship? with Brad Leeper. Go beyond the basics of Church Management Systems and dive into what drives Giving Discipleship in your congregation. Explore the essential frameworks you need to inspire a spirit of lifetime giving and stewardship. Discover proven strategies and maximize your financial giving in 2025 and beyond. Special enrollment needed.