Church Leadership Schedule
Discuss the role of the local church in equipping Christians with a biblical worldview to celebrate what is good and restore what is broken.
Day-of Event Timeline
Follow this personalized itinerary to know where you need to be throughout the summit.
Registration Opens
Check in, pick up your attendee badge and summit welcome materials, and connect with fellow leaders in the Heart Of It All Ballroom Lobby.
Ballroom Doors Open
Doors open to the Heart Of It All Ballroom. Find your seat and prepare for the morning keynote sessions.
Worship Session
Join us in unified praise and worship as we consecrate the day to the Lord and seek His guidance for the family in America.
Keynote Session with Bishop Patrick Wooden
Bishop Patrick L. Wooden delivers a powerful opening keynote addressing the spiritual foundation of the family and our calling to stand uncompromisingly for biblical truth.
Shepherding Your Church Between Secularism and Politicized Faith
Drawing from his book "Religious Freedom: A Conservative Primer," historian John Wilsey will guide pastors through a principled approach that avoids the pitfalls of both aggressive secularism and a hyper-politicized faith. Church leaders will walk away with a robust framework to defend their congregation's constitutional freedoms while preserving the Church's prophetic, Gospel-first witness.
Understand the Times, Know How to Respond
This timely panel explores the critical cultural and societal shifts that are coming down the pipeline. Dave Yost, Senior Counsel and Vice President of Policy Innovation at Alliance Defending Freedom, and David Mahan, Center for Christian Virtue's Policy Executive Director, will give pastors and ministry leaders practical guidance on how to proactively equip and shepherd their congregations for what lies ahead.
Keynote Session with Frank Turek
Frank Turek presents an engaging, evidence-driven keynote equipping believers to articulate the truth of the Gospel in a skeptical age.
Lunch & Networking
Enjoy fellowship, lunch, and explore partner sponsor booths throughout Heart Of It All Ballroom C & A110-A115.
Keynote Session with Matthew Spalding
Navigating the New Frontier of Family Ethics
From modern reproductive technologies to the rapid redefinition of the family, our culture increasingly views children as commodities designed to fulfill adult desires. Founder and President of Them Before Us Katy Faust will equip pastors to flip the script, moving from an adult-centric model to one that fiercely protects the spiritual and emotional well-being of kids. Church leaders will walk away with a robust biblical framework to shepherd families through complex modern ethical dilemmas while unashamedly advocating for the most vulnerable among us.
Biblical Practices for Families of LGBTQ Prodigals
Designed for church leaders walking alongside struggling families, author Rosaria Butterfield will outline a Gospel-centered framework for navigating the relational heartaches of prodigal children with Christlike grace and theological depth. This session explores how to anchor parents in God’s sovereign love, continuous personal sanctification, and persistent prayer, reframing severe family trials as opportunities for gospel endurance rather than divine punishment.
Worship Session
Join us in unified praise and worship as we consecrate the afternoon to the Lord before our closing keynote.
Keynote Session with Rosaria Butterfield
Author and speaker Rosaria Butterfield delivers the closing keynote on Christ's power to redeem and restore our culture, homes, and future generations.
Communio Dinner
Pastors and church leaders in the Church Leadership track are invited to join us for dinner after the final session of the Essential Summit, generously sponsored by our Hope and A Future initiative partner, Communio. Communio recently worked with the Institute for Family Studies on a groundbreaking report—Passing The Torch: How Faith Moves Across Generations.
Need Assistance or Directions on Summit Day?
Summit staff and volunteers are stationed in the Heart Of It All Ballroom Lobby and along all concourses to help you locate Rooms A210-A212 and answer any questions.
