It's widely acknowledged that ministry can be challenging at times. When I was younger and faced tough times, I often heard the saying "when the going gets tough, the tough get going." It's an old and perhaps cliché saying, but it speaks to the concept of resilience.
Resilience is defined in several ways in the dictionary, but the second definition listed is particularly personal: "the ability of a person to adjust to or recover readily from illness, adversity, major life changes, etc." If you're like me, you find yourself "adjusting" and "recovering" frequently these days, and it can be incredibly draining.
Our Ministers Conference, scheduled for January 27-29 at Gull Lake Ministries, will focus on "the Resilient Pastor." John Opalewski, of Converge Coaching, will share insightful wisdom from his own experiences and from scripture about where true resilience comes from. The aim is to help us all develop attitudes and practices that will empower us to "get going" when faced with challenging circumstances.
John Opalewski is a graduate of Oral Roberts University. He is an ordained minister, and author of four books:
• Pastor Disaster: Confronting the Growing Crisis among Church Leaders
• Unshakable You: 5 Choices of Emotionally Healthy People
• Putting the Good in Goodbye: A Healthy Conversation About the Comings & Goings of Church People
• Unshakable Leader: The Simple Yet Amazing Power of Alignment
John has served as an associate pastor, multi-site campus pastor, and lead pastor, and has held multiple leadership roles in the business world. John’s experience as a leader in both the church and business arenas has made him a sought-after international speaker, consultant, and mentor.
John, and his wife Laura, founded Converge Coaching in 2013. Converge Coaching’s mission is to help pastors get and stay healthy so they can lead better, lead longer, and have more fun along the way.
You can learn more about John and Converge Coaching at https://convergecoach.com/
Kim Salyer has served as the Worship Leader and Office Manager at Farmington Hills Church of God since August 2022. Raised in the church and serving in the worship ministry from a young age, Kim’s love for music has always been a central part of her life and has only deepened as it has intertwined with worship. After 17 years of working in healthcare, Kim felt called to transition into ministry, and God opened the doors that led her to where she is today. Kim and her husband, Ben, have two wonderful children, Bella and Isaiah. The whole family shares a love for music and actively uses their God-given gifts and talents in the worship ministry. Kim is passionate about God, about people, and worship through music. She finds great joy in gathering with her brothers and sisters in Christ to worship the Lord. In each worship experience she leads, Kim strives to create an opportunity for people to open their hearts, cultivate an atmosphere that invites the Holy Spirit, and allow each person to commune with God and grow closer to Him.
Rev. Sandy Kuepfer [kip-fer] was raised in Wisconsin and graduated from Anderson University and the School of Theology, where she met her husband Scott, who is also an ordained pastor. Sandy served as associate pastor at Rustic Hills Community Church in Sioux Falls, SD for nine years. She then stayed home with her children, Noah and Ella, for eight years. Seven years ago, her family moved to the Lansing area, where they worship at Pennway Church of God. Sandy completed her certification for Spiritual Direction from Sioux Falls Seminary in 2017. Currently she is bi-vocational and offering spiritual direction part-time. Through retreats, classes, spiritual direction, and everyday conversations, Sandy enjoys sharing with believers about contemplative spiritual practices, prayer, and creating space to rest and listen to Jesus.
01:30-4:00 p.m.
Registration in the Ministry Center
4:00-5:30 p.m.
Session 1 - John Opalewski
6:00 p.m.
Dinner
7:00 p.m.
Free time with bowling
8:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:30-11:00 a.m.
Session 2 – John Opalewski
12:30 p.m.
Lunch
2:00-3:30 p.m.
Session 3 – John Opalewski
6:00 p.m.
Dinner
7:15-8:15 p.m.
Community Worship - Kim Salyer, worship, Pastor Mark leading us in Communion
(communion during this service)
8:15 p.m.
Free time
8:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00-10:30 a.m.
Session 4 – John Opalewski
10:30-11:00 a.m.
Concluding Session -
Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Eastern Canada Ministers - Single Occupancy: $300.00
Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Eastern Canada Ministers - Double Occupancy: $250.00
Retired Ministers - Single Occupancy: $200.00
Retired Ministers - Double Occupancy: $150.00
Out-of-State Ministers - Single Occupancy: $350.00
Out-of-State Ministers - Double Occupancy: $300.00
Daily Attendance - Jan. 27: $90.00
Daily Attendance - Jan. 28: $125.00
Daily Attendance - Jan. 29: $30.00
Lifelong Learning Matching Funds may be used for this event. Email the Service Center to request your current balance.
Lifelong Learning Registration is part of the online registration.
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