Renewing Faith Conference featuring Thomas Jay Oord, Sheri D. Kling, Bruce Epperly, Jeff Wells, and others

January 23-25, 2025 (Online)

Reignite Your Faith and Your Ministry at the Renewing Faith Online Conference

Join fellow open-minded Christians in a transformative journey to rediscover your calling and rejuvenate your spirit.

Experience a Faith Renewal Like None Other

Are you feeling burnt out and disconnected from your ministry or spiritual life? The Renewing Faith Online Conference is designed specifically for forward-looking Christian pastors, staff members, lay leaders, spiritual directors, chaplains, and those outside traditional church settings - whether you consider yourself a progressive mainliner, a quiet contemplative, a spiritual seeker, or a “deconstructing” post-evangelical - who are seeking to reignite their passion and find life-giving purpose in their faith journeys.

At the Renewing Faith Conference, you will:

  • Grow and Deepen Your Theological Roots: Participate in thought-provoking discussions led by renowned theologians and ministry leaders.
  • Gain Fresh Perspectives on Ministry: Hear and discuss ways to incorporate process and open-relational theology and practice into your preaching, ministry, community, and personal faith journey. 
  • Build Lasting Connections: Network with like-minded Christians who share your commitment to fresh expressions of Christianity, forming lasting relationships and networks of support.
  • Embody Your Faith: Experience worship and practices that connect mind, body, and spirit through the arts and movement, fostering a holistic approach to ministry and well-being.

Imagine leaving the conference with a renewed sense of purpose, a refreshed spirit, and practical tools to sustain your faith and your ministry for years to come. This isn’t just another conference; it's a life-changing experience designed to help you thrive in your calling and spirituality.

Don't let burnout or boredom define your ministry or faith life. Take the first step towards renewal and transformation.

Join us online at the Renewing Faith Conference and rediscover the joy and life-giving spirit at the heart of Christian life.

Themes

During this multi-day online event, we’ll dive into core themes of Christian faith, including:

Renewing Faith

Can faith be reimagined to renew our spirits, our lives, and our communities?

Renewing God

Renewing
God

Who is God and does God care about us? How does God act in the world in each and every moment?

Renewing Jesus

Renewing
Jesus

Who is God and does God care about us? How does God act in the world in each and every moment?

Renewing Message

Renewing
Message

How can ancient texts come alive for us now? What is the good news in this adventure of faith?

Renewing Worship

Renewing
Worship

What is still beautiful and nourishing in our liturgy, creeds, and sacramental worship?

Renewing Spirit

Renewing
Spirit

How can religious experience and practice bring us to wholeness and transformation?

Renewing Community

Renewing
Community

What is truly renewing in our education, outreach, and service?

We’re going to do our best to not be all heady about it, but actually drop down deeper - into our bodies and souls! It’ll be ONLINE, so both body and soul can join from home. Access to recordings will be provided after the event to registrants.

Speakers

Thomas Jay Oord

Thomas Jay Oord

Thomas Jay Oord, Ph.D., is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. He is an award-winning author, and he has written or edited more than thirty books. Oord directs a doctoral program at Northwind Theological Seminary and the Center for Open and Relational Theology. He won the Outstanding Faculty Award twelve times as a full-time professor and now speaks at institutions across the globe. Oord is known for his contributions to research on love, open and relational theology, science and religion, and freedom and relationships for transformation.

Website

Sheri D. Kling

Sheri D. Kling

Sheri D. Kling, Ph.D., is the director of Process & Faith with the Center for Process Studies and interim minister of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Bradenton, FL.  Sheri earned her Ph.D. in Religion: Process Studies from Claremont School of Theology. She is a theologian, songwriter, and spiritual teacher, as well as a faculty member of the Haden Institute, adjunct faculty with Claremont School of Theology, and the author of A Process Spirituality: Christian and Transreligious Resources for Transformation. She regularly delivers dynamic “Music & Message'' presentations to groups, and offers courses, concerts, and spiritual retreats. She may be found online at sherikling.com.

Bruce Epperly

Bruce Epperly

Rev. Bruce Epperly, Ph.D., is a teacher, pastor, spiritual guide, writer, lecturer, retreat leader, and reiki teacher. He is the author of over 70 books, including Finding God in Suffering: A Journey with Job, Process Theology: Embracing Adventure with God, Become Fire: Guideposts for Spiritual Pilgrims, One World: Process Theology and the Lord’s Prayer, Piglet’s Process: Process Theology for All God’s Children, and Restless Spirit. He is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ. He has served on the faculties of Georgetown University, Lancaster Theological Seminary, Wesley Theological Seminary, and Claremont School of Theology.

Jeff Wells

Jeff Wells

Rev. Jeff Wells is the lead pastor of the Church of the Village, a progressive, radically inclusive, and anti-racist community in New York City. He practices and promotes open, relational, and process theology. Jeff co-edited the book, Preaching the Uncontrolling Love of God: Sermons, Essays, and Worship Elements from the Perspective of Open, Relational, and Process Theology (2024). Jeff is an active member of the Alliance for Ecological Civilization. In 2022, he helped found and co-chaired the Living Earth Movement. With John B. Cobb Jr., he co-authored, Is International Cooperation Possible? A Bold Appeal for a Living Earth (2022).

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Elvi Bjorkquist
Tim Burnette
Monica Corsaro
Andrew M. Davis
Teri Ditslear
Mark Feldmeir
Al Gephart
Beth Hayward
Thomas Hermans-Webster
Leslie King
Dongwoo Lee
Jorge Lockward
Jay McDaniel
Timothy Murphy
Paul Nancarrow
Sandra Nixon
Rebecca Parker
Bonnie Rambob
Vikki Randall
Kathleen Reeves
Jeanyne Slettom
Bonnie Tarwater
Nichole Torbitzky
Matthew Duplessie

Schedule (all ONLINE)

This is an overview of the current schedule. A detailed schedule will be published in the program book PDF and made available to registrants prior to the event. This is not a final schedule, and is subject to change. 

Each day will include periodic breaks and Zoom breakout discussions, as well as experiential offerings that include art reflections, movement, and worship.

Thursday, January 23, 2025

3:00 PM-6:30 PM Pacific/6:00 PM-9:30 PM Eastern

  • Conference Opening
  • Keynote Conversation: “Renewing Faith” with Sheri Kling, director, P&F, and Bruce Epperly 
  • Big Conversation: “Renewing God”
  • Sacred Way, Art Reflection

Friday, January 24, 2025

7:15 AM-6:00 PM Pacific/10:15 AM-9:00 PM Eastern

  • Sacred Way, Optional Wake Up Movement
  • Welcome to Day 2
  • Big Conversation: “Renewing Jesus” 
  • Big Conversation: “Renewing Message”
  • Sacred Way, Art Reflection
  • Big Conversation: “Renewing Worship” 
  • Zoom Breakouts
  • Sacred Way, Worship Experience
  • Sacred Way: Dance Party

Saturday, January 25, 2025

7:15 AM-1:30 PM Pacific/10:15 AM-4:30 PM Eastern

  • Sacred Way, Optional Wake Up Movement
  • Welcome to Day 3
  • Big Conversation: “Renewing Spirit”
  • Big Conversation “Renewing Community”
  • Sacred Way, Art Reflection
  • Zoom breakouts
  • Closing and Vision for the Future

This conference is fully ONLINE. Access to recordings will be provided after the event to registrants. 

Sponsoring Partners

The Renewing Faith conference is grateful for our Supporting Partners who are helping to make this event possible. Please explore their work and offerings below.

Center for Christogenesis

Christianity is fundamentally a religion of evolution premised on the Incarnational symbol of the Christ—matter matters. Like the physical sciences, Christianity must remain ready for discovery, exploration, and innovation. The Center for Christogenesis is an organization catalyzing this transition. At the cutting edge of Christian and Western scientific thought, we serve all those hungry for discernment in an era of religious convergence, and those searching for a future that opens toward a unified, planetary whole beyond conventional definitions and divisions. Find out more at https://christogenesis.org/

Center for Open & Relational Theology

The Center for Open and Relational Theology fosters networks, develops resources, sponsors projects, and promotes events that deepen and broaden open and relational theologies. It promotes and serves as a hub for people and organizations promoting this broad theological vision. Find more at the Center's website: c4ort.com. Contact the center director Thomas Jay Oord, its advisers, or those listed as voices to find out more.

Center for Process Studies

The Center for Process Studies fosters interdisciplinary research and education to cultivate holistic understanding for human and planetary flourishing. Our core values are whole persons, whole communities, whole planet, and holistic thinking and we offer scholarship, conferences, webinars, and educational resources. Process & Faith is a program of the Center. Find out more at https://ctr4process.org

Claremont School of Theology

One of 13 seminaries of The United Methodist Church, Claremont School of Theology (CST) aspires to nurture communities of compassion, justice, and belonging by promoting learning through interreligious, intercultural, and global contexts. To that end, we seek to form leaders and lifelong learners who are adept at engaging the wisdom in sacred textual and artistic works; tending the movements of the interior life; practicing liberative and creative action; exploring the complex legacies of their traditions; cultivating cultural humility; celebrating diversities; and striving for equitable and accountable sustainability in the institutions, communities, and ecologies of the world. Find out more at https://cst.edu/

Cobb Institute

Named in honor of our founder John Cobb, the Cobb Institute promotes process and relational ways of understanding and living in the world, seeking to cultivate ecological civilizations through just and compassionate communities. Its aims are accomplished by fostering creative transformation through initiatives in holistic education, community building, and spiritual discovery. It provides a wide variety of offerings, such as a weekly online gathering that features fascinating thinkers and topics, a certificate program in process thought and practice, courses covering many captivating themes, learning circles exploring profound texts, and publications that offer insights about life, meaning, and fulfillment. Find out more at https://cobb.institute

Haden Institute

Since 1994, the Haden Institute has trained participants to serve as guides on the transformational path to health, wholeness, spiritual maturity, and individuation. We focus on the core tenets of Jungian psychology in the sacred work of individuation in our 2-year Spiritual Direction and Dream Work Training Courses, as well as our Summer Dream and Spirituality Conference. We offer both in-person and virtual experiential learning through group work, ritual, creative expression, and embodiment, along with large group lectures, the best of current and classic literature, and self-study to include mind, body, and spirit. Learn more at https://hadeninstitute.com.

(Re)Thinking Faith

(Re)thinking Faith is a Theology/Philosophy podcast that seeks to explore the depths of Religion and Spirituality from a Process-Relational perspective. Listen on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts!