2026 NPD Conference Workshops
3:00 PM Friday
Resiliency as a Solo Pastor: Matthew Dehnert - solo pastor for 13 years and currently serves as the Discipleship and Youth Pastor at Calvary Church in Walker, MN.
Serving in a small-church or rural context is a unique calling—and often a heavy one. This workshop will explore how pastors can cultivate resiliency while carrying ministry largely on their own. Drawing from *The Resilient Pastor* by Glenn Packiam, we will address the pressures of pastoral identity, loneliness in leadership, and spiritual practices that sustain a long, faithful ministry.
Spiritual formation that informs civic engagement: Steven Eng, Advocacy director for NAE
How can pastors help their congregations engage faithfully in today’s divided public square? In this workshop, Steven Eng, advocacy director for the National Association of Evangelicals and a pastor who served evangelical churches in the Pacific Northwest and in Greater Minnesota for three decades, will explore how our identity in Christ reshapes political engagement—moving us beyond partisanship toward humility, hope, and service. Drawing from the NAE resource For the Health of the Nation, Eng will share spiritual practices that form us inwardly and outwardly as we seek the good of our communities, nation and world. Come be encouraged to lead a congregation that reflects Christ’s character in both word and public action.
Supporting and Encouraging the Pastor’s Family – A view from Pastor’s Kid: Sarah Nielson and Anne Wright
The P in PK does not stand for perfect. Take an inside look at what it is like to be a pastors kid through stories and scriptures from two pastors kids. We will cover common misconceptions about pastors kids and how we can better care for the kids and families of pastors.
Immigrant Hope - Northern Plains: Q & A Time with the Immigrant Hope Northern Plains Launch Team
Immigrant Hope is a ministry of the EFCA that provides affordable and reliable immigration legal services through local church partners, helping individuals take their next step toward legal residency. A launch team is currently working on plans to have an Immigrant Hope office in the Northern Plains District. Come meet with the launch team and learn more about how this ministry can equip the churches in our district to to serve immigrants with excellence and compassion.
How To Be Real: Freedom For Ministry Wives – Kim Trouten (Pastors wife and counselor at Great Oaks Counseling Center Bozeman MT)
As a ministry wife you carry expectations, roles, and stressors that are seldom understood by those in the church, even by those with good intentions. Your role is layered with relational complexity and it can be exhausting at times. How can a ministry wife experience freedom? What are the costs of not seeking this? Is it ever too late? Together we'll discuss the unique pressures of the role of ministry wife and explore sustainable, God-honoring ways to thrive as a woman of God in a unique role.
How Credentialing Supports Resilient Ministry: Greg Strand
In the EFCA, credentialing is critical because it is one of the primary ways of safeguarding doctrinal/theological integrity and denominational alignment. Additionally, credentialing is also one of the ways of ensuring accountability of pastors and ministers, especially in today's culture where doctrinal integrity is questioned, and misuse of the pastoral role has caused harm. In this session, we will learn about credentialing, the process, and its importance, both for pastors and ministers and the church.
10:30AM Saturday
Small Group Ministry: Donald C. Guthrie
Financial Planning and Ministry Resilience: Jerry Rich FCMM
Financial concerns can weigh upon one’s ministry focus. What are some practices, both now and in the future, that can enhance our resilience and well-being? This workshop will include family finances, planning for life after paychecks, and Social Security/Medicare tips.
Resilience in Christ: Keeping Your First Love, First: Carey Green
Discouraged. Tired. Weary. Burned Out. Stressed. Done.
It’s interesting how often those serving in volunteer or paid ministry roles can feel these things, when what we WANT to feel (and expected to feel, back when we started) is joyful, confident, full of faith, satisfied, and content. In this session you won’t learn the newest approach to spiritual vitality and effective ministry. You’ll be taken back to the beginning. Reminded who has promised to be your life. Encouraged to re-connect with Jesus.
Right Perspectives on Church Conflict – Mark Underkofler, RHMA
The most dreaded thing for most pastors is their church getting into bitter conflict. In this seminar we will discover how to Minimize, Survive, and Recover from the damaging effects of church conflict. But we will also look at how God can redeem the worst situations to accomplish good.
Student Ministry: NPD Student Ministry Team
Your Word Is Truth” Vs. truthiness, post-truth, misinformation, disinformation, fake news, and conspiracy theories – Greg Strand
We live in a day marked by a crisis of truth and a crisis of trust, a crisis of content and a crisis of character. This is not only reflected in society, but it is also manifested by Christians and in the church. Our task is to preach and teach the truth of the Scriptures. Part of that also consists of debunking and refuting lies. We will not live by lies, nor will be allow lies to be perpetuated without addressing them. In this breakout we will address the significance of truth, as spoken and lived, contrast it with the various worldly alternatives to truth, and address how we love God and how we love others at this moment in this cultural context by speaking the truth, living/modelling the truth, and encouraging one another to live by the truth.