Allison Arsenault is the Director of Community Engagement at Forum for Theological Exploration where she leads coordination efforts for the Youth Theological Network. Prior to this role, Allison supported the design and implementation of experiences centered on young adults exploring a call to ministry and church leaders who accompany them. She is an ordained Minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Allison will lead the main sessions during the YTN Annual Gathering and the Leadership and Connection Grant Info Session.

Megan Bissell is the co-founder of Future of Faith and an applied sociologist and researcher specializing in young people's lives, relationships, and group dynamics. She has spent her career turning research into actionable insights people can use to make a meaningful impact. She has extensive experience leading research, facilitating workshops and educational programs, and consulting with organizations that want to enhance their relational and organizational dynamics. Megan was previously Head of Research for both the Social Research Lab at the University of Northern Colorado and then at Springtide Research Institute. She served as the Vice President for Research at the National Catholic Educational Association. 

Workshop: Sacred Listening Tools

This workshop is an introduction to Sacred Listening, designed to teach you how to effectively use sacred listening tools to foster deeper, more meaningful connections. Through a blend of theory, hands-on practice, and practical tips, you will gain the skills and confidence needed to implement Sacred Listening in your personal and community interactions.

Anna Del Castillo (she/her/hers) is a Mississippian, Peruvian-Bolivian American, and healer innovating at the intersection of justice, politics, and healing. She is the Executive Director of Our Own Deep Wells, a social enterprise providing resources for healing and revolutionary love. Our Own Deep Wells provides soulful practices to mitigate the growing mental health crisis and feelings of isolation in the United States. Before OODW, Anna served in the Biden-Harris administration as the Deputy Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) for the White House. She received her Master of Divinity as a Dean's Fellow at Harvard Divinity School, where she studied public policy, racial justice, and healing.

Workshop: Soulful Practices as Tools for Mental and Emotional Resilience

What is a soulful practice? How can communal practices support our wellness and work against feelings of isolation? How can engaging in soulful practices help us to slow down and connect to our internal wisdom?  In this 90-minute workshop, Our Own Deep Wells Executive Director will discuss these questions and more. In this interactive workshop, you will learn about soulful practices as well as how to lead them in your own context.

Kimberly R. Daniel helps purpose-driven organizations clarify and design compelling brand and communication strategies. With over 15 years of experience developing and leading communications efforts, it is her commitment to produce effective processes and create authentic, “sticky” brands that are community-centered. In January 2024, she launched a brand and communications consultancy and has collaborated with nearly a dozen organizations to build their communication skill-set and capacity, and design strategies to strengthen their engagement, brand reputation, and impact. Kimberly is the former senior director of communications at the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) where she served for over a decade developing and overseeing the communications strategy to build awareness, grow FTE’s community and resources, and advance the organization’s mission. Kimberly also catalyzes entrepreneurs and organizations to do good. She is co-founder and project director of DO GOOD X, a community that provides programs and support for faith-driven social entrepreneurs whose businesses focus on positive change. In addition, Kimberly has nearly 10 years of experience as a certified life coach and has facilitated workshops, spoken to communities, and written about innovation and entrepreneurship centered on social impact. She is co-author of A Way Out of No Way: An Approach to Christian Innovation (2021).

Workshop: Navigate the Noise: Design Stories that Inspire Action

Struggling to articulate your program's story and value to your audiences in ways that gain their attention and lead to action? This workshop will help you uncover your program's unique story and learn how to effectively communicate it to your target audience and community. Whether you're facing program changes or simply looking to enhance your marketing efforts, you'll experience practical steps to help design compelling stories that resonate with your audience. You will also explore ways to weave your story and messaging into your marketing efforts. Discover and walk away with a clear understanding of how to use storytelling to increase your program's engagement and impact.

Meghan Hatcher is the director of the Innovation Laboratory. She holds a Master of Divinity with a specialization in community engagement from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., Bachelor of Journalism and a Master of Science in Sustainable Development & Applied Sociology from the University of Missouri. The thread that runs throughout Meghan’s academic and professional experiences is the power of story to knit communities together around a collective vision. She is a graduate of The Life Stories Institute in Washington, D.C., and has a tremendous passion for guiding individuals to reflect on their personal stories and the sacred stories of faith. Meghan has served rural, urban, and suburban congregational settings across four denominations in the areas of pastoral leadership, innovative ministry development, youth ministry, new church development, and community engagement. Meghan makes her home in Austin with her spouse Corey.

Workshop: Adapting Your Program to Thrive, Not Just Survive

The lived experiences of young people, the role of Christianity in America, and the ministry landscape have shifted monumentally in recent years. Whether your program is two or ten years old, it’s imperative to adapt for today’s realities by prioritizing a program’s function over its form. This workshop will draw upon the Innovation Lab’s Theological Innovation Process to guide you to identify your program’s purpose in 2025, name which components of the program are thriving and which aren’t as you move forward, reassess how you think about program effectiveness, and help you articulate tangible next steps. You’ll be introduced to the Lab’s approach to prototyping and how we measure effectiveness through the lens of theological innovation.

Brian Hull loves that God allows him to do great things with great people. An ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene, Brian is the Gardner Scholar and Professor of Pastoral and Christian Ministries at Asbury University, Director of Partnerships for the Youth Becoming Leaders High School Christian Leadership Institute, and President of the Association of Youth Ministry Educators. He has his Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary, M.A. Christian Education with a Youth Ministry Diploma from Nazarene Theological Seminary, and B.A. in Philosophy and Religion from Olivet Nazarene University. Serving in church ministry for more than 25 years, including work at the local church and denominational levels, Brian continues to present and write about the church, culture, youth ministry, Christian leadership, and the Christian Endeavor Society. He recently co-authored the book, Youth Ministry As Mission: A Conversation About Theology and Culture, with Patrick Mays. Brian is married to Carol and they have four children.

Workshop: What Works: Pivotal Practices with and from Youth Theology Institutes

What can youth ministers and the church learn from the successes and challenges of the overarching project that is the Youth Theology Network? Over the last year, theological researchers Rev. Brian Hull, PhD and Kate Lassiter, PhD investigated transformative practices and themes from youth theology institutes throughout North America. In this presentation, they share the findings from their research and invite you to learn about the pivotal practices and themes that are most relevant, relatable, and replicable for youth ministry and theology today.

Erin Weber-Johnson has worked as a fundraising and strategic planning consultant and educator for over two decades. She joined Vandersall Collective in 2016. A published author, she strives to root her work in practical theology while utilizing her experience in the nonprofit sector. She also serves as Primary Faculty of Project Resource, a national training program on stewardship for the Episcopal Church. In 2017, she co-founded the Collective Foundation, which is currently working to address the gap in giving characteristics in faith communities of color. Previously, Erin served as the Senior Program Director at the Episcopal Church Foundation, as a grants officer at Trinity Wall Street in New York City, and as a missionary for the Episcopal Church. Her book, Crisis and Care: Meditations on Faith and Philanthropy co-edited by Dr. Dustin D. Benac, is available through Cascade Books. A new book, Pathways to Belonging, will be released in early 2025.

Workshop:  Reframing Your Money Story

“I am happy to serve, but I am not willing to ask others for money.” Sometimes best practices around the inviting and raising of funds are ineffective and ineffectual due to the individual and collective money narratives of a program and its stakeholders. The stories we tell ourselves about money and God impact our ministries and our life together. In this workshop, participants will understand the role of cognitive dissonance and schema in how we translate new information based on our existing narratives, work to identify our individual and collective money stories, receive case studies of how money stories have impacted faith communities, and obtain practices for release for individuals and communities to engage in this cultural work.

Kate Lassiter is Senior Director of Lifelong Learning at Meadville Lombard Theological School (Chicago), where she directs the Leadership Institute for Growth, Healing, and Transformation (LIGHT) and the Doctor of Ministry in Social Justice Leadership. Her research as a practical theologian is guided by a desire to understand how structural violence impacts self and community and how religious leadership and spiritual practices are vital for personal and social resistance and transformation. Dr. Lassiter is the author of Recognizing Other Subjects: Feminist Pastoral Theology and the Challenge of Identity, among many other articles. She holds a Ph.D. in Religion, Psychology, and Culture from Vanderbilt University. She is also a yoga and meditation instructor and an avid outdoorswoman.

Workshop: What Works: Pivotal Practices with and from Youth Theology Institutes

What can youth ministers and the church learn from the successes and challenges of the overarching project that is the Youth Theology Network? Over the last year, theological researchers Rev. Brian Hull, PhD and Kate Lassiter, PhD investigated transformative practices and themes from youth theology institutes throughout North America. In this presentation, they share the findings from their research and invite you to learn about the pivotal practices and themes that are most relevant, relatable, and replicable for youth ministry and theology today.

Stephen Lewis is the president of FTE. He has over 15 years of experience in corporate and nonprofit leadership, strategic planning, program development, and group facilitation. Stephen is currently the chair of the Center for Courage & Renewal’s Board of Directors and was a member of Duke Divinity School’s Board of Visitors from 2008 to 2013. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in banking and finance from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Master of Divinity from Duke University. 

Workshop: DISCERN Together: An FTE Framework for accompanying young adults in vocational discernment

For decades, FTE has conducted discernment work with partners and young adults discerning vocation and calls to Christian ministry. FTE has discovered several insights about accompanying young adult discerners. We want to now share these learnings through FTE’s new DISCERN Together framework and process for communal discernment. Through this framework, we will introduce you to six key disciplines of discernment that undergird FTE’s vocational discernment work with young adults. In this workshop, participants will discover the six disciplines, the science behind why the disciplines are practical in discernment, and how to be more articulate about their practice of vocational accompaniment and discernment. We will be joined by several YTN colleagues who participated in FTE’s Discernment Labs and are willing to share how they have used the disciplines in their contexts.

Aqueelah Ligonde is an enthusiastic speaker and leader with a passion for today's generation of leaders, youth, and women. Aqueelah holds a Master of Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry and a Certificate in Black Church Studies from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She is an ordained clergy person in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Aqueelah has worked with various theological, youth, and leadership organizations, institutions, and programs throughout the country. Aqueelah is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) professional certified coach. She is currently the Director of Coaching and Consultant for Ministry Architects and the Vice President for Coaching and Training for Ministry Incubators, both of which are organizations that are designed to champion congregations and leaders to help them live into their full ministry potential.

Pre-Gathering Workshop: Making Participation Predictable: A Hernia-Free Approach to Recruitment

The good news is that getting a full roster for your upcoming program is a very doable task. The less-good-news is that it takes some work. Ministry Architects’ leaders Aqueelah Ligonde and Trey Wince will share some key rhythms and disciplines that can produce predictably good results rather than last-minute surprises. In this pre-gathering workshop, take a deep dive on recruitment and participation practices so that you can walk away with a jumpstart on your recruitment process that is easily picked up when you get home.

Meredith McNabb is the Associate Director for Education at Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at Indiana University's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and she also serves as an Associate District Superintendent in the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. Meredith is an ordained clergy elder in the UMC in Virginia and served there from 2014-2019 as the Director of the Center for Clergy Excellence, overseeing candidacy and clergy formation, continuing education, and conference relationships for 1600+ clergy. Prior to that, she served a congregation in the Washington DC suburbs and in her early career worked as an attorney-at-law, serving rural, low-income victims of domestic violence.

Pre-Gathering Workshop: Sustainability Through the Lenses of Evaluation and Fundraising

Utilize practical tools drawn from the work of evaluation and fundraising in order to develop strategic, effective, and faithful approaches to sustainability for your program. Participants in this interactive workshop will develop a holistic understanding of sustainability and hone their skills in communicating their mission to would-be donors and other funders.

Emanuel Padilla, born in Detroit, the experience of the Puerto Rican diaspora is central to Emanuel's research and ministry. He is completing a PhD in theological and ethical studies at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, working to construct a theology that accounts for the history of colonization in Puerto Rico and recovers Afro-Caribbean modes of belonging and peoplehood. He is committed to serving bi-cultural congregational leaders facing questions of identity, culture, and theology through his work as president of World Outspoken, a ministry preparing the church for cultural change. Emanuel also serves at his church, The Brook, along with his wife Kelly.

Workshop: Saved by Christ, My People, & the World: The Gospel and its Three Conversions

Does the gospel require me to lose my cultural connection? Must I leave behind my ethnic, racial, and cultural formation to receive Christ? Puerto Rican theologian Orlando Costas believed he did have to sever these ties to become a follower of Jesus, and this led to years of alienation and feeling as if he lost his home. In this workshop, we will analyze Costas' story to discover a different relationship between gospel and culture. We will learn that rather than alienate us, the gospel has the power to reconstitute our connection to ourselves, our cultural homes, and the peoples we call "other."

Christina Repoley serves as the Vice President of Program at the Forum for Theological Exploration. She works to make spaces for discernment, connection, resourcing, and community building amongst various FTE constituencies, including young adults, campus ministries, high school youth theology institutes, denominational organizations, intentional communities, and faith-rooted volunteer service organizations. Before joining FTE, Christina founded the national organization Quaker Voluntary Service and served as its Executive Director for nearly a decade. She serves on the board of directors of Friends Fiduciary Corporation and the National Advisory Council to the North Carolina Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission. Christina holds an MDiv from Emory University's Candler School of Theology and a BA from Guilford College.

Workshop: DISCERN Together: An FTE Framework for accompanying young adults in vocational discernment

For decades, FTE has conducted discernment work with partners and young adults discerning vocation and calls to Christian ministry. FTE has discovered several insights about accompanying young adult discerners. We want to now share these learnings through FTE’s new DISCERN Together framework and process for communal discernment. Through this framework, we will introduce you to six key disciplines of discernment that undergird FTE’s vocational discernment work with young adults. In this workshop, participants will discover the six disciplines, the science behind why the disciplines are practical in discernment, and how to be more articulate about their practice of vocational accompaniment and discernment. We will be joined by several YTN colleagues who participated in FTE’s Discernment Labs and are willing to share how they have used the disciplines in their contexts.

Derrick Scott III is passionate about the Church and raising up a new generation of leaders and laborers who will live as disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world. As the Associate Director of Learning and Innovation at Wesleyan Impact Partners, he leverages over two decades of experience in college/campus ministry to explore the potential of digital technologies for sharing the Gospel. Additionally, he serves as Creative Producer and Digital Campus Minister at Studio Wesley, a ministry dedicated to serving young adults in the digital space. Derrick holds an undergraduate degree in history, is a Cicerone Certified Beer Server, and a textbook introvert. He loves eating sushi, flying on Delta, talking about the Enneagram and taking care of his Chihuahua-mix dog Winston and Bengal cat Julian. Most importantly, he hates mayonnaise. #blm #FaithfullyLGBTQ

Workshop: Spiritual Community in the Digital Space

We'll discuss the potential in using new technologies to gather young people for discipleship, community, and vocational discernment.  This will be a conversation that will center the perspectives of young people with an eye for leaders who are NOT digital native leaders.

Susan Weber coordinates the evaluation processes for Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Religion Division. She spent several years as the Indianapolis Center for Congregation’s director of evaluation and congregational learning, as well as a resource consultant to congregations. Susan is a Roman Catholic lay woman. Prior to her work at the Center, she served the Archdiocese of Indianapolis as coordinator of boards of education, office of Catholic education from 1976-1985. For almost 20 years thereafter, she was an independent consultant and group facilitator for dioceses, churches, religious communities, and schools nationwide. Sue has degrees from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and Indiana University, Bloomington and is professionally certificated as a group facilitator through Indiana University.

Pre-Gathering Workshop: Sustainability Through the Lenses of Evaluation and Fundraising

Utilize practical tools drawn from the work of evaluation and fundraising in order to develop strategic, effective, and faithful approaches to sustainability for your program. Participants in this interactive workshop will develop a holistic understanding of sustainability and hone their skills in communicating their mission to would-be donors and other funders.

Trey Wince serves as the President and CEO of Ministry Architects, a consultancy and resourcer for churches, theological institutions, and nonprofits. Ministry Architects offer a systems-based approach to tackling

the challenges facing mission-driven organizations. Trey also serves as the Executive Vice President of Ministry Incubators, an innovation consultancy start-up dedicated to helping missional innovators get their ideas clarified, launched, and sustainable. He is the former executive director of the Bridges Project, an initiative of the United Methodist Conference of Greater New Jersey, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. Previously, as the Director of New Disciples for the coach, resource, and church plants with the more than 550 churches across the area. During his years of church leading, planting, consulting, coaching, and pastoring, Trey has remained convinced that high-impact organizations simply know how to build steady habits that make healthy growth predictable. In his past lives, Trey has served as Preaching Pastor of Princeton UMC, Lead Pastor of Kingston UMC, College and Young Adult Ministries Director at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, and international missions coordinator with Joshua Expeditions. Trey spends his most important hours coaching his sons Jack and Liam in soccer and watching early 2000’s sitcoms with his wife Debbie.

Pre-Gathering Workshop: Making Participation Predictable: A Hernia-Free Approach to Filling Your Programs with the Right Participants

The good news is that getting a full roster for your upcoming program is a very doable task. The less-good-news is that it takes some work. Ministry Architects’ leaders Aqueelah Ligonde and Trey Wince will share some key rhythms and disciplines that can produce predictably good results rather than last-minute surprises. In this Pre-Gathering workshop, take a deep dive on recruitment and participation practices so that you can walk away with a jumpstart on your recruitment process that is easily picked up when you get home.

Dr. Tony McNeill, affectionately known as "Dr. T.," is a sought-after workshop clinician, lecturer, consultant, mentor, and guest choral conductor nationwide. He is also the Founder and curator of THE CALL 2 WORSHIP GROUP, an online community of musicians and clergy. Dr. T was a Visiting Professor and Interim Choral Director at Texas Southern University (TSU) in Houston, TX, and served four and a half years as the Director of Worship and the Arts at Atlanta's Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, “America's Freedom Church," and served as Director of Choral Activities and Chairman of the Department of Performing Arts at Clinton College in Rock Hill, SC, from 2019-2022. In 2022, Dr. McNeill served as Artist-in-Residence for Covenant Presbyterian Church (Charlotte, NC) and Myers Park Presbyterian Church (Charlotte, NC). He currently works as an adjunct lecturer for the Masters Degree in Black Sacred Music at University of Arkansas and previously as the adjunct professor of music and worship at Campbell University (Buies Creek, NC), Clinton College, and The Interdenominational Theological Center (Atlanta, GA). He is a member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity.

Darlene Hutto serves as FTE’s consultant for worship at the YTN Gathering. She also consults for young adult discernment experiences and event facilitation. She served on FTE’s staff for 16 years and brings a wealth of experience to the church, supporting young adults in vocational exploration. She is a native of Charlotte, NC. Rev. Hutto was ordained as an Itinerate Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 2005 and has served as an Associate Pastor, Youth Pastor and Campus Minister. Her life’s work is birthed from her passion for personal, communal and organizational transformation where she seeks to celebrate the gifts, knowledge and experiences of all creation God’s Kin-dom. She earned a BA degree in Religion and Philosophy from Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, OH (2000) and a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, GA (2007) where recently completed of a Doctor of Ministry degree (Church Leadership and Community Witness) in 2023.