Friday, April 19, 2024 – 8am-4pm

Christ United Methodist Church 

8:00am                                              Continental Breakfast and Fellowship 

8:30am                                              Opening Prayer  

• The Rev. Chris Morgan, Sr. Pastor Christ, United Methodist Church
• The Rev. Liddy Barlow, Executive Minister, Christian Associates of SW PA

8:40am                                              Welcome

• The Rev. Canon Dr. Jay Geisler, Co-Founder,  Pittsburgh Pastoral Care Conference

8:50-9:10am                                    Opening Remarks  

Serve the World, Love the Family, Listen to the Heart

• Saleem Ghubril, Executive Director, Pittsburgh Promise

9:15-10:30am                                  Keynote Speaker 

Out of the Depths:  Offering Care Amid Mass Trauma

• The Rev. Kimberly Wagner, Assistant Professor of Preaching, Practical Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary

Whether due to a natural disaster, act of violence, or public health crisis, faith and community leaders will be asked—sooner or later—to care for and speak into communities experiencing mass trauma. Yet, the fact that leaders often experience trauma alongside their communities combined with the ways that trauma resists language makes this task especially challenging. In our time together, we will begin by examining the impact of trauma on individuals and communities. Looking to biblical models, theological insights, and ancestors in the faith, we will then consider how we might best respond to communal trauma and understand our role as faith leaders. Finally, we will consider how we might set the stage and embark on the longer road of trauma recovery alongside our communities.

10:30-10:45am                   BREAK (Exhibit Hall)

10:45am-12:00pm            SESSION ONE (Pick One)

 A1.  MINISTERING TO THE NEEDS OF THE HOMELESS AND ADDICTED

Learn about the emotional, physiological and spiritual issuesof the homeless beyond the needs of food and shelter to rebuild their lives.  Hear reports from the leaders of three powerful local ministries to homeless men, women, and veterans on how God is working in their ministries.

Moderator:  Dr. Tom Grden, Director, Life Resurrection Ministries

• The Rev. Jerrel Gilliam, Executive Director, Light of Life Rescue Mission
• Jim Sed, President & COO, Cornerstone Residence for Veterans in Recovery
• Leah Dietrich, Director, Residential Programs, Washington City Mission

A2.  I’LL WALK WITH YOU TWO MILES:  Compassion and the Trauma- Informed Life

Take a moment now to think through the people who surround you, day to day. How many hurried assumptions might you make about what they value, what they’ve lost, and how to best help them shine?

Building a deeper understanding of trauma and the brain, learning to explore our own trauma reactions and assumptions, and cultivating a trauma-informed lens of compassion for the hurting are all tools which will be explored together in this workshop. These tools are invaluable for creating environments and relationships safe enough for transformation to occur.

• Cassy Wimmer, MSW, LCSW, Living Stones Counseling Services

A3.  SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS FOR MEN

Understand men as a mission field in the church. Learn about the problems associated with ministry and how to build effective men’s ministries in the church.

•  Bob Jamison, Founder and President, Adam’s Quest

A4.  PREACHING TO THOSE WALKING AWAY

Based on his most recent book, Preaching to Those Walking Away, Dr. Standish will explore what nones, dones, and the spiritual but not religious are seeking, and how we can adapt our preaching to speak to where they are, instead of expecting them to adjust to where we are.

• The Rev. Dr. Graham Standish, Ph.D., M.Div., MA, MSW Author, Preaching to Those Walking Away, Executive Director/Director, Caring for Clergy and Congregations Program Samaritan Counseling, Guidance, Consulting

12:00pm                   Lunch

1:00pm                     Dave Else Award Presentation

1:15-2:30pm           SESSION TWO (Pick One)

B1. HISTORY OF THE 12 STEPS FOR RECOVERY

Learn the basic ABC’s of the 12 Step program and how they emerged over time through the First Century Christian Fellowship, the Oxford Group and others who paved the way for a modern spiritual revolution.

• The Rev. Canon Dr. Jay Geisler, Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh
• Pam Birr, Clinical Supervisor, Pittsburgh Recovery Center

 B2.  TRAUMA AND PTSD

Learn how to define and identify trauma, using helpful tips from the Bible and therapy/trauma-informed techniques for pastors and therapists to assist individuals, families, and the community recovering from trauma.

• Toya Jones, Ph.D., BASW Program Director and Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh, School of Social Work

 B3.  POWER ON – ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

According to PEW Research, 95% of teens in the U.S. use smartphones, 97% use the Internet daily, and 46% say they are on the Internet “almost constantly.”  It is imperative for helpers who serve youth to have a basic awareness of how technology can influence their wellness.  This workshop will focus on how adolescents’ interface with technology including social media and gaming.  Adolescent development, current technology, warning signs of problematic use, and tips for productive conversations with youth will be addressed.

• Dr. Natalie Drozda, Assistant Professor, Slippery Rock University

B4.  REACHING OUT TO COLLEGE STUDENTS

For far too long teenagers raised in our youth groups have found it difficult to sustain their faith in college and beyond. How do we help them grow spiritually in the face of pressures to leave church and put aside faith? Are there ways to work effectively with college students in today’s world that helps them grow in faith? Come to this panel of experienced campus ministers to find out.

Moderator:  Rachel Becker, MSW, LCSW

• Meghan Larsen Reidy, Diocese of Pittsburgh Campus Minister, Waynesburg University, Penn West California, & Washington & Jefferson
• The Rev. Jennifer Peters McCurry, Coordinator of Religious and Spiritual Life Initiatives, Carnegie-Mellon University
• Jamie Donne, Coalition for Christian Outreach

 2:30-2:45                  BREAK (VISIT EXHIBITS)

 2:45-3:45pm           BIBLE STUDY (TBA)

Moderator:  The Rev. Liddy Barlow, Moderator, Christian Associates of Southwestern PA

• Bishop Kurt Kusserow of the Southwestern PA
• Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 

 3:45pm                     CLOSING PRAYER

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