November 5, 2026
Not Just on Sunday
Lonetta McKee
Ministries & Organizations
Independent Christian Church
Independent Christian Church Conferences highlights conferences and gatherings that serve leaders and churches in the Independent Christian Church tradition. These events typically provide teaching, practical training, networking, and encouragement for pastors, elders, ministry staff, volunteers, and church planters—often featuring breakout sessions, workshops, resource vendors, and opportunities to connect with trusted ministries and partners.
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ConferencesChrist in Youth (CIY)Christ in Youth (CIY) is a Joplin, Missouri-based ministry that partners with local churches through student…Conferences · Independent Christian Church
Christ in Youth (CIY)
Christ in Youth (CIY) — Organization Profile Christ in Youth (CIY) is a youth-ministry organization headquartered in Joplin, Missouri, that partners with local churches to help students follow Jesus and live out what CIY calls “Kingdom Work.” CIY traces its…
Christ in Youth (CIY) — Organization Profile Christ in Youth (CIY) is a youth-ministry organization headquartered in Joplin, Missouri, that partners with local churches to help students follow Jesus and live out what CIY calls “Kingdom Work.” CIY traces its beginnings to 1968, when Ozark Bible College professor Bob Stacy founded the ministry with a vision for presenting the gospel to young people in culturally relevant ways. Over time, CIY developed a nationwide event and resource strategy designed to support churches as they disciple preteens, middle schoolers, high school students, and youth leaders. CIY’s stated mission is to call youth to Christ and into a life of Kingdom Work through His Church. That focus shapes how CIY designs its experiences:…
Christ in Youth (CIY) — Organization Profile
Christ in Youth (CIY) is a youth-ministry organization headquartered in Joplin, Missouri, that partners with local churches to help students follow Jesus and live out what CIY calls “Kingdom Work.” CIY traces its beginnings to 1968, when Ozark Bible College professor Bob Stacy founded the ministry with a vision for presenting the gospel to young people in culturally relevant ways. Over time, CIY developed a nationwide event and resource strategy designed to support churches as they disciple preteens, middle schoolers, high school students, and youth leaders.
CIY’s stated mission is to call youth to Christ and into a life of Kingdom Work through His Church. That focus shapes how CIY designs its experiences: gatherings are built to serve church groups (not replace them), giving students shared moments with their peers and adult leaders, and helping youth leaders follow up in the months after an event. CIY also emphasizes a “core” framework that includes being rooted in the gospel, recognizing students as made for Kingdom Work, and staying connected to the church.
A major part of CIY’s work happens through its event programs. CIY describes SuperStart as a weekend event for preteens, MIX as a four-day summer event for middle school students, and MOVE as a five-day summer event for high school students. CIY Engage provides cross-cultural mission trips that train students for Kingdom Work through immersive service experiences. CIY also hosts Wilderness, a five-day retreat in the Rocky Mountains for youth ministers, and Youth Ministry Summit (YMS), a retreat designed to encourage and equip youth leaders.
Alongside events and trips, CIY develops tools meant to help churches maintain momentum between big gatherings. These include story-driven media and discipleship resources, CIY’s film and teaching content, and resources distributed through platforms like Convos and the FollowThrough app. CIY also publishes the Beyond the Event podcast and maintains a Facebook Community group as a space for youth leaders to learn and connect.
Churches and individuals can engage with CIY in several ways. Youth ministries can explore program options, find dates and locations, and register for events that fit their students’ age group and ministry calendar. Youth leaders can pursue training and connection through Wilderness, YMS, and community resources. Supporters can participate through giving options on CIY’s “Get Involved” pages, including targeted giving categories that CIY uses to expand capacity and support follow-through. CIY also offers opportunities to serve through summer event staffing and other roles, with job and application information available on its website.
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ConferencesDisciple Heritage Fellowship ConferenceThe Disciple Heritage Fellowship Conference is a national gathering in Decatur, Illinois, that brings pastors and…Conferences · Independent Christian Church
Disciple Heritage Fellowship Conference
Disciple Heritage Fellowship Conference — Organization Profile The Disciple Heritage Fellowship Conference is a leadership gathering connected to Disciple Heritage Fellowship, a ministry that serves pastors and churches with roots in the Stone-Campbell movement. The conference functions as a focused…
Disciple Heritage Fellowship Conference — Organization Profile The Disciple Heritage Fellowship Conference is a leadership gathering connected to Disciple Heritage Fellowship, a ministry that serves pastors and churches with roots in the Stone-Campbell movement. The conference functions as a focused opportunity for church leaders to come together for worship, teaching, encouragement, and relationship-building. Rather than operating as a stand-alone organization, it reflects the broader work of DHF by creating space for ministry leaders to strengthen one another and engage topics that affect local congregations. Disciple Heritage Fellowship describes its mission in terms of helping churches and pastors thrive as they participate in the Great Commission, and the conference is one of the ways that mission is expressed. It is based…
Disciple Heritage Fellowship Conference — Organization Profile
The Disciple Heritage Fellowship Conference is a leadership gathering connected to Disciple Heritage Fellowship, a ministry that serves pastors and churches with roots in the Stone-Campbell movement. The conference functions as a focused opportunity for church leaders to come together for worship, teaching, encouragement, and relationship-building. Rather than operating as a stand-alone organization, it reflects the broader work of DHF by creating space for ministry leaders to strengthen one another and engage topics that affect local congregations.
Disciple Heritage Fellowship describes its mission in terms of helping churches and pastors thrive as they participate in the Great Commission, and the conference is one of the ways that mission is expressed. It is based in Decatur, Illinois, and serves church leaders across the United States through an event centered on shared learning and ministry support. The conference is especially aimed at pastors, elders, ministry staff, and other congregational leaders who want practical input and fellowship with others serving in similar settings.
The conference typically operates through a combination of general sessions, breakout teaching, shared meals, and informal networking opportunities. Its content is shaped around the real needs of local church leadership, with emphasis on discipleship, pastoral support, congregational health, and leadership development. As part of the wider DHF ministry, the conference also connects participants to the DHF Pastor’s Network, Elder Forums, and additional teaching resources offered through the organization’s website and media channels.
A distinguishing feature of the Disciple Heritage Fellowship Conference is its effort to serve leaders within a shared ministry heritage while staying focused on present-day local church realities. DHF presents its work as a source of resources, connection, and encouragement for pastors and churches, and the conference embodies that approach by gathering leaders for practical conversation and spiritual renewal. Its format is designed not only to deliver content, but also to strengthen relationships among leaders who may otherwise serve in relative isolation.
There are several ways people can engage with the conference and the ministry around it. Church leaders can attend the event, involve members of their leadership teams, and explore related DHF resources for support beyond the conference itself. Those interested in the broader ministry can also connect through Disciple Heritage Fellowship’s contact channels, giving opportunities, and online teaching content. For churches seeking encouragement, leadership development, and ministry connection, the conference serves as an accessible expression of DHF’s work from Decatur, Illinois to church leaders nationwide.
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ConferencesExponentialExponential is a nonprofit equipping leaders to multiply healthy, reproducing faith communities through conferences, digital training,…Conferences · Independent Christian Church
Exponential
Exponential — Organization Profile Exponential is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves the broader evangelical church planting community by accelerating the multiplication of healthy, reproducing faith communities. Rather than functioning as a planting network itself, Exponential works alongside church planters, church…
Exponential — Organization Profile Exponential is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves the broader evangelical church planting community by accelerating the multiplication of healthy, reproducing faith communities. Rather than functioning as a planting network itself, Exponential works alongside church planters, church planting organizations, and movement leaders to strengthen the people and systems that lead to new churches and multiplying outcomes. From its roots connected to the Christian Churches, Exponential has grown to serve leaders across many networks and denominations. Its work is designed to help leaders shift from addition-focused growth to multiplication-focused disciple making and church planting—equipping practitioners with shared language, tested frameworks, and practical next steps for movement-minded ministry. A major way Exponential supports leaders is through national and regional…
Exponential — Organization Profile
Exponential is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves the broader evangelical church planting community by accelerating the multiplication of healthy, reproducing faith communities. Rather than functioning as a planting network itself, Exponential works alongside church planters, church planting organizations, and movement leaders to strengthen the people and systems that lead to new churches and multiplying outcomes.
From its roots connected to the Christian Churches, Exponential has grown to serve leaders across many networks and denominations. Its work is designed to help leaders shift from addition-focused growth to multiplication-focused disciple making and church planting—equipping practitioners with shared language, tested frameworks, and practical next steps for movement-minded ministry.
A major way Exponential supports leaders is through national and regional gatherings, including its Global and U.S. conference events. These conferences convene planters, sending church leaders, network and denominational leaders, and ministry partners for main sessions, workshops, and peer connections that emphasize reproduction, leadership development, and movement health. Exponential also supports ongoing learning beyond events through its resource library, podcasts, books, and curated content channels.
Exponential’s equipping pathway includes online learning through Exponential School and other digital resources intended to strengthen leaders in church planting, multiplication strategy, and leadership capacity. In addition, Exponential develops communities where leaders can learn and sharpen one another through cohorts and learning communities, helping practitioners apply multiplication principles in real ministry contexts.
In recent years, Exponential has expanded its future-focused work through Exponential NEXT, which includes research projects, a podcast and articles, and NEXT Ventures—its Kingdom venture platform for identifying and supporting innovative projects on the future of the church. Exponential also stewards collaboration among church planting leaders through the Church Planting Leadership Fellowship (CPLF), a peer community of denominational and network leaders across North America who gather for collaborative learning and resourcing.
Exponential is based in Centreville, Virginia, and its equipping reach extends across North America and beyond through events, resources, and digital access. Individuals, churches, and partner organizations can engage by attending events, using free and paid resources, joining learning communities when eligible, and supporting the mission financially through Exponential’s giving options.
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ConferencesInternational Conference on Mission (ICOM)The International Conference on Missions (ICOM) is a nonprofit that connects churches and individuals with missionaries…Conferences · Independent Christian Church
International Conference on Mission (ICOM)
International Conference on Mission (ICOM) — Organization Profile The International Conference on Missions (ICOM) is a registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) that serves as an intersecting point for the Great Commission by encouraging, equipping, and enlisting workers for the Harvest. Launched in…
International Conference on Mission (ICOM) — Organization Profile The International Conference on Missions (ICOM) is a registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) that serves as an intersecting point for the Great Commission by encouraging, equipping, and enlisting workers for the Harvest. Launched in 1948, ICOM convenes missionaries, mission organizations, churches, colleges, and individuals for an annual conference focused on global missions connections and next steps in service. ICOM’s work centers on bringing the local church and global mission efforts into the same space. The annual conference typically includes a large exhibit hall with mission agencies and ministry partners, main sessions, workshops, and opportunities for churches and individuals to meet missionaries, learn about ministry pathways, and explore practical resourcing for cross-cultural witness. In addition…
International Conference on Mission (ICOM) — Organization Profile
The International Conference on Missions (ICOM) is a registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) that serves as an intersecting point for the Great Commission by encouraging, equipping, and enlisting workers for the Harvest. Launched in 1948, ICOM convenes missionaries, mission organizations, churches, colleges, and individuals for an annual conference focused on global missions connections and next steps in service.
ICOM’s work centers on bringing the local church and global mission efforts into the same space. The annual conference typically includes a large exhibit hall with mission agencies and ministry partners, main sessions, workshops, and opportunities for churches and individuals to meet missionaries, learn about ministry pathways, and explore practical resourcing for cross-cultural witness.
In addition to its annual gathering, ICOM describes itself as “ICOM is 365,” offering year-round connection and resourcing. The ICOM Community is designed to help bridge the gap between conferences through groups, stories, and ongoing networking around mission interests and best practices.
ICOM also operates and/or hosts several mission-adjacent services and initiatives connected to its broader equipping vision. These include EnterMission, a guided gap-year discipleship and missions experience, and mission-support services such as Tower Accounting (accounting and consulting services for mission-oriented nonprofits). ICOM also highlights the Center for Global Business, a hub for faith-driven entrepreneurs and business-minded leaders, and partners with additional ministries presented through its conference ecosystem.
The conference experience includes next-generation components. SICOM (Student International Conference on Missions) is the student track for grades 6–12, and ICOM Kids provides age-appropriate programming for children alongside the main conference, helping families and youth groups engage missions together.
ICOM is based in Clayton, Indiana, and its conference and community bring together participants and ministries serving global mission fields. In 2026, ICOM announced a leadership transition in which Rob Maupin will succeed long-time executive director David Empson later in the year, with Empson continuing to serve through the transition and as president of the 2026 gathering. Individuals and churches can engage by attending the annual conference, participating in the ICOM Community, partnering financially, and connecting directly with mission agencies and exhibitors through ICOM’s events and platforms.
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ConferencesMissouri Christian ConventionMissouri Christian Convention is a statewide annual gathering in Lake Ozark, Missouri, offering main sessions, workshops,…Conferences · Independent Christian Church
Missouri Christian Convention
Missouri Christian Convention — Organization Profile The Missouri Christian Convention is an annual Christian gathering that brings together church leaders, families, students, children, and ministry partners for a weekend of teaching, worship, workshops, and connection. The convention’s website centers its…
Missouri Christian Convention — Organization Profile The Missouri Christian Convention is an annual Christian gathering that brings together church leaders, families, students, children, and ministry partners for a weekend of teaching, worship, workshops, and connection. The convention’s website centers its public information on event registration, speakers, schedules, children’s programming, student programming, sponsorships, and church partnerships. Its current event information points to the 2026 convention at the Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, showing that the convention functions as a recurring statewide event rather than a single local church ministry. Its core focus is gathering and encouraging churches through main sessions, practical workshops, and ministry networking. Public registration pages show multiple ways people participate, including standard attendee registration, church…
Missouri Christian Convention — Organization Profile
The Missouri Christian Convention is an annual Christian gathering that brings together church leaders, families, students, children, and ministry partners for a weekend of teaching, worship, workshops, and connection. The convention’s website centers its public information on event registration, speakers, schedules, children’s programming, student programming, sponsorships, and church partnerships. Its current event information points to the 2026 convention at the Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, showing that the convention functions as a recurring statewide event rather than a single local church ministry.
Its core focus is gathering and encouraging churches through main sessions, practical workshops, and ministry networking. Public registration pages show multiple ways people participate, including standard attendee registration, church partner registration, exhibitor registration, sponsorship registration, and a donation option. The event also includes a Senior Leader Pre-Conference for ministers and other leaders who carry primary shepherding and leadership responsibilities in their churches. That combination suggests a ministry model built around annual convening, leader development, and accessible participation for churches of different sizes.
The convention’s audience is broad. The site promotes discounted church partner registration so congregations can send more people, and it also makes space for ministries and organizations to exhibit or sponsor the event. Programming is not limited to adults. MCC Kids provides care and children’s sessions for ages birth through fifth grade, while MCC Students offers workshops and activities for students in grades six through twelve. In that sense, the Missouri Christian Convention serves both ministry leaders and whole church families, with a structure designed to help multiple generations attend the same gathering.
Geographically, the convention is rooted in Missouri and publicly gathers attendees at Lake Ozark, Missouri, in the Lake of the Ozarks region. Speaker listings on the site also show participation from organizations and churches in Missouri and beyond, including voices from Moberly, Joplin, St. Charles, Quincy, and Cincinnati. Its operating strategy appears straightforward: host a concentrated annual event with keynote speakers, breakout workshops, pre-conference training, student and children’s tracks, and opportunities for churches, exhibitors, and sponsors to connect in one place.
People can engage with the Missouri Christian Convention in several practical ways. Individuals can register as attendees, churches can become partner churches for discounted member registration, ministry organizations can register as exhibitors or sponsors, and supporters can give financially through the convention’s donation page. Those looking to participate can also review the convention book, workshop schedule, lodging details, and official social media page. Overall, the Missouri Christian Convention presents itself as a statewide event platform for encouragement, training, and connection among churches and ministry leaders.
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Leadership: Not publicly listed.
ConferencesRelational Discipleship Network (RDN)Relational Discipleship Network (RDN) equips churches through DiscipleShift training, coaching groups, memberships, and resources to build…Conferences · Independent Christian Church
Relational Discipleship Network (RDN)
Relational Discipleship Network (RDN) — Organization Profile Relational Discipleship Network (RDN) is a missions organization focused on helping churches restore the Great Commission through relational disciple-making. RDN describes its mission as restoring disciple making in “the Church in America and…
Relational Discipleship Network (RDN) — Organization Profile Relational Discipleship Network (RDN) is a missions organization focused on helping churches restore the Great Commission through relational disciple-making. RDN describes its mission as restoring disciple making in “the Church in America and beyond,” with an emphasis on Jesus’ model of discipleship lived out through intentional relationships rather than program-driven ministry. RDN serves pastors and church leaders who want to shift church culture toward reproducible disciple making. Its core strategy combines training, coaching, and community so leaders can learn a relational approach, apply it in their local context, and stay connected with other practitioners. RDN also curates resources—guides, tools, and media—intended to support leaders as they build discipleship systems that can be repeated…
Relational Discipleship Network (RDN) — Organization Profile
Relational Discipleship Network (RDN) is a missions organization focused on helping churches restore the Great Commission through relational disciple-making. RDN describes its mission as restoring disciple making in “the Church in America and beyond,” with an emphasis on Jesus’ model of discipleship lived out through intentional relationships rather than program-driven ministry.
RDN serves pastors and church leaders who want to shift church culture toward reproducible disciple making. Its core strategy combines training, coaching, and community so leaders can learn a relational approach, apply it in their local context, and stay connected with other practitioners. RDN also curates resources—guides, tools, and media—intended to support leaders as they build discipleship systems that can be repeated and multiplied.
A key entry point is DiscipleShift, a two-day hands-on training designed to help leaders understand and practice Jesus’ method of relational disciple making. RDN positions DiscipleShift as an immersive experience where participants learn in a small-group environment and leave with a clearer pathway for building a disciple-making culture. These trainings are offered in various dates and locations, giving churches an on-ramp to begin or renew a discipleship strategy.
After training, RDN encourages leaders to join coaching groups. These groups are structured as live online meetings (typically via Zoom) with small cohorts of like-minded leaders led by proven disciple-making coaches. RDN frames coaching as a relational process—walking step by step with leaders as they lead cultural change, develop disciple-making leaders, and build sustainable rhythms of multiplication in their churches.
RDN also offers membership pathways (including START and SHIFT memberships) that provide access to a library of tools and resources, ongoing coaching, and connection with a broader network of disciple-making churches. In addition, RDN hosts network gatherings, including an annual Gathering event, to strengthen relationships and shared learning among participating leaders.
RDN is based in Post Falls, Idaho, and supports churches and leaders across the United States and beyond through trainings, online coaching, and digital resources. Individuals and churches can engage by attending a DiscipleShift training, exploring membership options, joining a coaching group, and connecting with RDN’s team and network for ongoing resourcing.
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Church of ChristRENEW.org GatheringThe RENEW.org Gathering is RENEW.org’s annual national event for disciple-making leaders, offering teaching, discussion, networking, and…Church of Christ · Conferences
RENEW.org Gathering
RENEW.org Gathering — Organization Profile The RENEW.org Gathering is an annual event hosted by RENEW.org that convenes church leaders, disciple-making practitioners, and ministry partners for biblical teaching, conversation, and relationship-building. The Gathering is designed to help leaders pursue clear, Scripture-grounded…
RENEW.org Gathering — Organization Profile The RENEW.org Gathering is an annual event hosted by RENEW.org that convenes church leaders, disciple-making practitioners, and ministry partners for biblical teaching, conversation, and relationship-building. The Gathering is designed to help leaders pursue clear, Scripture-grounded theology that fuels disciple making and to connect with others who are working to build disciple-making cultures in their local contexts. As part of the broader RENEW.org Network, the Gathering functions as a recurring “in-person touchpoint” for a community that is largely resourced through digital content and ongoing connections. RENEW.org describes itself as a voluntary association of disciples and church leaders who collaborate to renew the teachings of Jesus for the mission of being and making disciples. The Gathering expresses…
RENEW.org Gathering — Organization Profile
The RENEW.org Gathering is an annual event hosted by RENEW.org that convenes church leaders, disciple-making practitioners, and ministry partners for biblical teaching, conversation, and relationship-building. The Gathering is designed to help leaders pursue clear, Scripture-grounded theology that fuels disciple making and to connect with others who are working to build disciple-making cultures in their local contexts.
As part of the broader RENEW.org Network, the Gathering functions as a recurring “in-person touchpoint” for a community that is largely resourced through digital content and ongoing connections. RENEW.org describes itself as a voluntary association of disciples and church leaders who collaborate to renew the teachings of Jesus for the mission of being and making disciples. The Gathering expresses that shared mission through a concentrated time of learning, alignment, and encouragement.
The event’s format is built for both depth and practicality. Sessions commonly feature short, focused presentations alongside guided discussions, prayer, and networking. Themes may vary year to year, but the consistent emphasis is on strengthening churches with biblical clarity, wise discernment, and durable disciple-making practices that can be lived out in ordinary church life.
The Gathering also connects to RENEW.org’s broader ecosystem of tools and training. Participants often engage with RENEW.org resources such as articles, videos, podcasts, and book projects, as well as learning pathways connected to Renew University. In that sense, the Gathering is not a stand-alone conference; it is one of several channels RENEW.org uses to support leaders and churches committed to disciple making.
Leadership and speaker involvement at the Gathering overlaps with RENEW.org’s ongoing organizational leadership and contributors. For example, RENEW.org’s point leader and cofounder, Bobby Harrington, is directly involved in guiding the network and shaping the Gathering’s disciple-making focus. Other staff leaders and key contributors serve in roles that connect organizational resourcing, editorial direction, learning communities, and training development.
People can engage with the RENEW.org Gathering by attending the annual event, following the event updates through RENEW.org’s events pages, and continuing year-round growth through RENEW.org resources and learning options. Churches and individuals can also support the mission financially, helping sustain RENEW.org’s work to renew the teachings of Jesus to fuel disciple making across the United States and beyond through digital resourcing and in-person convening.
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ConferencesSpireConferenceSpireConference is The Spire Network’s annual gathering that equips pastors and church teams through worship, teaching,…Conferences · Independent Christian Church
SpireConference
SpireConference — Organization Profile SpireConference is an annual gathering hosted by The Spire Network that exists to encourage and equip leaders who are building healthy, growing churches. Designed primarily for pastors and church staff teams, the conference creates space for…
SpireConference — Organization Profile SpireConference is an annual gathering hosted by The Spire Network that exists to encourage and equip leaders who are building healthy, growing churches. Designed primarily for pastors and church staff teams, the conference creates space for leaders to step away from weekly ministry demands, reconnect with their calling, and return with renewed vision and practical next steps. The conference is part of Spire.Network’s broader mission to encourage and equip leaders who inspire a movement of healthy growing churches. Spire.Network describes its vision as pursuing measurable Kingdom impact by supporting church leaders with an emphasis on biblical authority, Christian unity, and the Great Commission. In that sense, SpireConference serves as a concentrated “gathering point” within an ongoing…
SpireConference — Organization Profile
SpireConference is an annual gathering hosted by The Spire Network that exists to encourage and equip leaders who are building healthy, growing churches. Designed primarily for pastors and church staff teams, the conference creates space for leaders to step away from weekly ministry demands, reconnect with their calling, and return with renewed vision and practical next steps.
The conference is part of Spire.Network’s broader mission to encourage and equip leaders who inspire a movement of healthy growing churches. Spire.Network describes its vision as pursuing measurable Kingdom impact by supporting church leaders with an emphasis on biblical authority, Christian unity, and the Great Commission. In that sense, SpireConference serves as a concentrated “gathering point” within an ongoing leadership platform that also includes community connection, resources, and pastor health support.
SpireConference programming typically includes worship, main-stage teaching, and a wide range of breakout sessions. Breakouts allow attendees to customize their learning around ministry responsibilities and current challenges, and the conference also creates intentional moments for peer-to-peer connection—helping leaders build relationships with others serving in similar roles and contexts. These relational components are not treated as side benefits; Spire frames connection and community as core outcomes of the experience.
The event also involves ministry partners and exhibitors, giving church leaders access to organizations, tools, and services that can support ministry strategy and church health. For teams attending together, the conference can function as shared training: leaders can learn, discuss, and plan as a group, then return home aligned around priorities and equipped to implement what they’ve learned.
Because it is an annual conference, SpireConference rotates among host venues and cities, drawing participants from across North America who are connected to the Spire.Network community. Spire.Network is based in Longmont, Colorado, and provides year-round connection points for leaders through its broader platform and communication channels.
People can engage with SpireConference by registering for the annual event, exploring conference details and resources through Spire.Network’s event pages, and sharing the opportunity with other leaders on their team. Churches and individuals can also support the work financially through Spire.Network’s giving options, helping sustain leadership encouragement, resourcing, and community connection for ministry leaders beyond the conference itself.
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Rick Rusaw - Executive Director
ConferencesUncommon Men’s ConferenceUncommon Men’s Conference is a multi-site men’s ministry conference hosted by churches nationwide, designed to call…Conferences · Independent Christian Church
Uncommon Men’s Conference
Uncommon Men’s Conference — Organization Profile Uncommon Men’s Conference (often referred to simply as Uncommon) is a multi-site men’s ministry conference that operates as a nationwide movement calling men to pursue God and resist “ordinary” patterns of life. Uncommon’s messaging…
Uncommon Men’s Conference — Organization Profile Uncommon Men’s Conference (often referred to simply as Uncommon) is a multi-site men’s ministry conference that operates as a nationwide movement calling men to pursue God and resist “ordinary” patterns of life. Uncommon’s messaging focuses on helping men grow as disciples of Jesus and as husbands and fathers, with sessions and experiences intended to challenge character, strengthen faith, and encourage committed, everyday obedience. A defining feature of Uncommon is its distributed model. Rather than functioning as one centralized event in a single city, Uncommon is hosted independently by churches across the country, and registration is handled through each host site’s local church platform. This structure allows churches to serve their region while participating in…
Uncommon Men’s Conference — Organization Profile
Uncommon Men’s Conference (often referred to simply as Uncommon) is a multi-site men’s ministry conference that operates as a nationwide movement calling men to pursue God and resist “ordinary” patterns of life. Uncommon’s messaging focuses on helping men grow as disciples of Jesus and as husbands and fathers, with sessions and experiences intended to challenge character, strengthen faith, and encourage committed, everyday obedience.
A defining feature of Uncommon is its distributed model. Rather than functioning as one centralized event in a single city, Uncommon is hosted independently by churches across the country, and registration is handled through each host site’s local church platform. This structure allows churches to serve their region while participating in a shared conference identity and content approach.
Uncommon events commonly include main sessions built around biblical teaching and practical application, along with opportunities for men to connect with one another. Many host sites also create space for fellowship through activities, food, and men’s ministry moments that help attendees build relationships beyond the sessions. The goal is not only an impactful weekend, but a catalyst for ongoing discipleship, accountability, and spiritual leadership in the home and church.
For churches interested in participating, Uncommon provides a pathway for becoming a host site. The conference’s host guidance highlights commitments that emphasize discipleship relationships after the event, timely responses during the conference experience, and a posture of serving other churches—reinforcing that the conference is intended to be a blessing across congregations rather than “owned” by any one local church.
Uncommon also maintains a speaker listing that features past and current conference communicators, offering churches and attendees a sense of the kinds of teaching voices they can expect. While individual speaker lineups can vary by site and season, Uncommon’s consistent emphasis is calling men to pursue God with conviction and integrity and to take concrete steps toward spiritual maturity.
Uncommon is presented online through ChooseUncommon.com, and its conference materials and site directory indicate a connection with Crossing Church in Quincy, Illinois, while the hosting footprint spans churches across the United States (and occasional international locations listed in the host directory). Individuals can engage by attending through a nearby host site, and churches can engage by exploring the host interest process and partnering to bring the conference to their region.
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Clayton Hentzel - Lead Pastor, The Crossing
