In this Learning Lab, we will explore how the methodology of The Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry and the development of lay missioners can be helpful in developing inclusive and intentional congregations.

Through this Learning Lab, we will look at worship as a way to build resilience, as a way to build presence, as a way to build resistance, especially in these moments when the church needs to bear witness to God’s love, God’s compassion, God’s justice, and God’s mercy.

Isolation is one of the great soul wounds of our time, but the church has a unique gift to offer: communal life in Jesus—a gift that heals loneliness and reconnects us to God and one another. Too often, evangelism is misunderstood as a promise of a distant afterlife rather than the present reality of shalom and wholeness. This Learning Lab explores how Fresh Expressions can embody the goodness of the gospel in everyday life. Participants will unpack a practical process for cultivating new Christian communities that reflect the peaceable kingdom of Christ.

The church today finds itself in a time of both decline and renewal. This Learning Lab invites participants to explore how the foundational values of early Methodism, shaped by John and Charles Wesley, can guide the church’s mission in today’s world. By blending the treasures of the Wesleyan tradition with innovative ministry approaches, leaders and communities can meet today’s challenges with depth, creativity, and purpose. Together, we’ll rediscover a vision for a church rooted in tradition and ready for the future.

What if your church could move from scattered studies to a unified vision for welcoming new neighbors, making disciples, and raising up leaders? This Learning Lab is for pastors and church leaders ready to reimagine how people connect and grow, whether stepping into church for the first time or looking for a deeper next step. With a focus on disciple-making and leader-forming practices, this lab is designed especially with medium to large churches in mind, narrating a shift from a menu-to-map approach to discipleship that is both organized and organic. If your church is ready to craft intentional pathways for spiritual growth and create a leadership development culture that is accessible, ongoing, and owned by the whole community, this lab is for you.

Rev. Ben Roberts, Executive Director of Programs and Justice at Foundry UMC, will share lessons learned from 12 years of ministry in downtown Washington D.C. We’ll consider how Foundry’s direct service through its ID Ministry, which helps low-income and unhoused neighbors get vital documents (birth certificates, non-driver’s IDs), grounds itself in theology, participates in a continuum of care, and advances policy change to remove barriers to housing, employment, and schooling. Consider joining this Learning Lab if you want to take the direct service your congregation offers and let it inform the system changes you pursue for your wider community.