North Central University presents the NCU Leadership Conference on its campus in Minneapolis, Sept. 20–21, 2019, with the theme, “The Now and the Next.” Aimed at senior pastors, youth pastors, and worship pastors and leaders, the conference will provide opportunities for knowledge and skill development for their current roles now and create a forum for conversations about what is next in church leadership.
Larry Bach, Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Conference Co-chair, said the theme for the conference was selected to represent what he sees as a pivotal moment for the Christian church. “In our academic world, all of us are trying to teach best practices now but we also need to look at our students embarking on a 40-year career,” Bach said. “Are we giving them something for the next?” He believes this is an important question to wrestle with for churches, as well.
The NCU Leadership Conference is a new event but it’s building on a foundation established by the Pure Worship Institute (PWI), hosted for several years by North Central for worship pastors, worship leaders, and worship team members and musicians. Jeff Deyo, Worship Arts Specialist in the College of Fine Arts, sees the new leadership conference as a natural outgrowth of PWI and is excited about opportunities to educate, equip, and inspire those involved in all of church leadership, not just worship.
Deyo said, “Our heart is just to serve the church, to equip the body of Christ. The musical worship side of things is part of most people’s experience in church, but we also wanted to have the voice of the pastors in these conversations.”
Exploring excellence in church leadership
President Scott Hagan, who has a 35-year background in church leadership and will be a featured speaker at the conference, is thrilled to be able to open North Central’s doors to pastors and leaders for this event. “I see this as an opportunity for church leaders to combine real-time, practical leadership experience in the field with the learning academy,” Hagan said. “It blends the intellectual with the pragmatic in a think-tank environment.”
Hagan noted that the conference theme is designed to spark dynamic conversations. “We will be exploring the now and examining what represents highest excellence in church leadership,” he explained, “and then as best we can, we will ask: ‘What does the future hold?’ How do we participate in that future, how do we create that?’ and most importantly, ‘How do we keep the both the present and the future God-honoring?’”
Bach observed that elements of church and worship move over time, and the conference will provide a place where leaders can explore ideas and ask we are reaching another tipping point in how we “do church.”
“Our level of excellence is unprecedented,” Bach said in reference to planning and execution of worship in most churches. “Yet I see this as an interesting time for discussion. We’ve been doing this model for quite some time—are we going to keep this up? Or would God be saying something new to us? Would there be some other things that come to mind? For example, as our world is becoming more diverse, how might our worship services moving forward reflect that? The NCU Leadership Conference is an opportunity to open ourselves up to the discussion.”
Keynote speakers
In addition to Hagan, the headline speakers for the two-day conference include orator, author, artist, and advocate Eric Samuel Timm ’01, youth evangelist and author Reggie Dabbs’87, and North Central University Chancellors and well-known pastors Rich and Robyn Wilkerson.
North Central’s worship arts faculty, including Deyo, Vinnie Zarletti ’02, and Ellington Porter, will lead worship and be involved in several breakout sessions for the conference.
Deyo sees the conference as a whole and the breakout sessions in particular as avenues for connecting with other leaders to strengthen the Church. “One of our goals is to be able to get church leaders sharing and collaborating … coming together at North Central to be encouraged by each other—our role is to facilitate that.”
Learning with future leaders
Holding the conference on the North Central University campus provides unique opportunities for current church leaders to connect with future church leaders. Two of the conference general sessions will be held in conjunction with daily chapel, giving students access to the world-class conference speakers and giving attendees a chance to be experience the worship culture of the university. Students will also be able to participate in some of the conference sessions as learners, providing a forum for interaction, dialogue, and connection.
Hagan sees the opportunity for students and church leaders to connect as one of the most powerful aspects of the conference. “The university setting is exhilarating,” Hagan said. “To be immersed with over one thousand young people pursuing their own excellence in life, who are hungry to become all that they were created to become—just being in that atmosphere will fill your cup.”
Conference registration
Registration is still open for the conference at nculeadershipconference.com. The registration fee of $129 includes all conference general sessions, breakout sessions, and lunch on Thursday and Friday. The vibrant backdrop of downtown Minneapolis will provide abundant opportunities for dining and exploration for attendees.
Eager with anticipation, Hagan extends an invitation to church leaders to attend. “I think the NCU Leadership Conference will provide a world class combination of inspiration and thinking,” he said. “Exploring the next is a fascinating and compelling opportunity. I believe that people will not just leave with their hearts full, but their minds set ablaze. Most conferences don’t do both.”
