Theological Conferences

2017 Theological Conference

September 18-21, 2017
Marriott Hotel
5580 Tech Center Dr
Colorado Springs, CO

Registration update: We will still accept late registrations but cannot guarantee a room at the conference hotel. Commuters are welcome to register using the registration form. If you are looking for accommodations, email or call Erin Power before registering, to verify if there are rooms available. 

Speakers

 Rev. Sarah Ciavarri

Rev. Sarah Ciavarri is a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator-Consultant and a Lutheran (ELCA) pastor.  Sarah has a huge passion to support healing and transformation within churches by making the connections between faith in Christ and The Daring Way™/Rising Strong. Sarah has led workshops and events nationally in synods, campus ministries, Luther Seminary, and congregations.  She conducted a research project comparing ancient monastic spiritual disciplines with Brown’s encouraged practices.  Sarah received a Pastoral Study Project grant through the Louisville Institute to reflect on shame, vulnerability, and authenticity within church settings.  Also, Sarah is the Director of Spiritual Care at Augustana Care Health and Rehabilitation of Apple Valley, MN.  Sarah has four units (1600 hours) of Clinical Pastoral Education and is trained in Healthy Congregations, based on Bowen Family Systems Theory.  Sarah is currently pursuing leadership coaching certification.  She is a graduate of Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN where she was a Presidential Scholar.  She is married with two children and writes songs.  You can learn more at www.sarahciavarri.com. 

Mike Ward

Mike Ward, CFRE is an ordained ELCA pastor with over 15 years for fundraising experience.  Mike works almost exclusively with church based clients, most of which are Lutheran.  Mike’s passion is transforming culture from scarcity to abundance and thrives on helping create customized solutions for whoever he is working with. For over a decade, Mike worked for the ELCA camps in the Southeast US where he led three capital campaigns, growth to the annual fund, and planned giving appeals..  He has significant experience helping congregations re-develop stewardship to enhance mission development.  The key in developing stewardship is articulation of the vision and challenging people to engage that vision.  This happens in a personal way, not through “blanket” communication.  This often means having an uncomfortable conversation.  The guidance for his work are the words of Jesus in Matthew 6.21 “Where your treasure is, your heart will be also.” As people invest in ministry, their hearts are more closely aligned with what God is doing in that ministry.

Adam DeHoek​

Adam DeHoek is the program director for Resourceful Servants, a financial wellness initiative funded by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lilly Endowment. He has served in Research and Evaluation in the Office of the Presiding Bishop in the ELCA since 2011. He holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Loyola University Chicago. Prior to Resourceful Servants, Adam’s previous roles with ELCA churchwide included primary researcher for the Stewards of Abundance program, examining the extent, causes and consequences of educational debt among ELCA seminarians, and primary researcher for the Theological Education Advisory Council (TEAC). He is the author of research reports on educational debt, financial anxiety, theological education assets, and the supply and demand for ordained clergy in the ELCA. His current work focuses on financial wellness across the church.