Develop a Discipleship System
4 Every Generation Conference: November 4-6, 2025
Creating a Culture of Intergenerational Faith
📍 The Gathering McCausland, St. Louis, MO
Imagine a community where wisdom meets youthful energy—a space where every generation plays a vital role in shaping a fresh, dynamic culture of discipleship.
Are you ready to break age barriers and build a faith community where all generations grow, worship, and serve—together?
Join us for the “4 Every Generation Conference,” where church leaders, ministry teams, and passionate disciples will reimagine faith formation as a vibrant, intergenerational experience.
This intergenerational conference is an evolution of what used to be a Children’s Ministry Forum. The planning team for this event has dialed in on intergenerational approaches to children’s and youth ministries as the focus.
This transformative event will engage, equip, and inspire you to cultivate a culture of discipleship that connects all ages in meaningful ways. Don’t miss this opportunity to imagine, wonder, and create a fresh new vision for your church’s future!
Why 4 Every Generation?
We believe that churches have a unique opportunity to integrate and influence the faith formation of younger generations in meaningful ways.
“4 Every Generation: Creating a Culture of Intergenerational Faith” is designed to help churches envision innovative approaches to becoming intergenerational communities where all ages can grow and thrive together in faith.
What you will experience at “4 Every Generation”
✅ Worship experiences that bring together all generations in meaningful and transformative ways.
✅ Inspiration provided through insights from dynamic speakers, panel discussions, and interactive Q&A sessions that challenge and support growth in intergenerational ministry.
✅ Connection in rich conversations that foster relationships with colleagues, denominational leaders, resource organizations, and fellow participants.
✅ Network opportunities with fellow leaders to build relationships that last beyond the conference.
✅ Meaningful relationships that flourish through authenticity and a deep sense of community, including Dream Lab opportunities.
✅ Practical applications for bringing intergenerational faith formation to life and transforming your church’s approach to ministry in innovative ways that foster a welcoming environment for every generation.
Meet Us in St. Louis
Where: The Gathering United Methodist Church
Join us at The Gathering Church in St. Louis, Missouri, for a transformative experience that will engage, equip, and empower you to live out the vision of being a church 4 every generation.
The Gathering Church, a United Methodist multisite church centered in St. Louis, is known for its welcoming, vibrant, and casual community, offering multiple worship services, small groups, and ministries for all ages, with a focus on connection and community building. “4 Every Generation” will be held at the McCausland campus of The Gathering.
Click here to learn more about The Gathering, McCausland, St. Louis, MO.
Register Now and we’ll email you as soon as registration is open!
Mark your calendar, invite your team, and get ready to experience a groundbreaking shift in how we live and share our faith. Step into a future where every generation thrives, and let’s create something extraordinary together “4 every generation”!
What to expect in each session of 4 Every Generation:
1. Imagine the Future: Why This Work Matters
Casting a Vision for the Next Generation of Faith
The landscape of faith formation is shifting in a post-pandemic world, and kids and youth ministry has never been more essential. How can we reimagine discipleship in ways that cultivate deep faith, justice, and resilience? This session explores the theological foundations, cultural shifts, and urgent needs shaping the future of NextGen ministry in the United Methodist Church.
Speaker: Starsky Wilson
2. Imagine the Mind: How Spiritual Development and Human Development Work Together
Tools for Building Inclusive Ministries
Faith Formation is not just spiritual - it's biological, emotional, and cognitive. This keynote explores how spiritual development stages unfold alongside human development, including the diverse ways people grow, learn, and connect with God. Recognizing these stages—and the unique pathways shaped by neurodiversity and other exceptionalities—helps us meet each person where they are, honoring their individual experiences and strengths, and equipping them with the knowledge and practices they need to grow into who they are called to be. Join us as we gather tools and insights, working together to make our ministries more inclusive, accessible, and responsive to the full spectrum of God's beloved children.
Speaker: Elizabeth Christie
3. Imagine Sanctuary: Building Ministries That Heal
Radical Welcome for Every Child, Every Family
In an age of rising anxiety, exclusion, and systemic injustice, how do we create spaces where every child and teen experiences belonging? This session explores trauma-informed ministry, radical hospitality for LGBTQIA+ youth and marginalized communities, and practical strategies for addressing racism, ableism, and mental health challenges. Reimagine church as a sanctuary of love and justice.
Speaker: Cameron Bishop
4. Imagine the Home: Nurturing Faith in Families
Expanding Faith Formation Beyond the Church Walls
Faith doesn’t just happen at church—it happens around the dinner table, in the carpool line, and in everyday conversations. Research is shifting the way we think about faith formation in families, showing us how to empower parents, caregivers, and intergenerational communities to nurture faith in real, meaningful ways. This session explores innovative strategies for supporting families in an era of shifting church dynamics.
Speakers:
- Sacred Roots Network
- Wesley Theological Seminary
- Lawrenceville UMC
- UMPH
5. Imagine Courage: Leading Change with Hope
Resilient Leadership in an Uncertain Future
The future of ministry is being written now. How do we lead with courage, adaptability, and hope? This keynote offers practical wisdom on leading through change, navigating limited resources, avoiding burnout, and sustaining spiritual resilience. We’ll explore the power of advocacy in kids and youth ministry, from curriculum challenges to justice work, and cast a vision for partnerships that extend beyond the church.
Speaker: Charlie Conder
Keynote Speakers
Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson is president & CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and CDF Action Council. Founded in 1973, CDF builds community so young people grow up with dignity, hope, and joy. Children’s Defense Fund envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being, and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive. It pursues this vision through policy advocacy, community organizing, and a network of CDF Freedom Schools in 100 U.S. cities and thirty states.
Distinguished for activism in philanthropy, faith, and community for child well-being and racial justice, Dr. Wilson’s public ministry includes service to vital national institutions. He serves as board chair for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Duke University’s Divinity School. Starsky previously led boards of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) and Forum for Theological Exploration.
Since joining CDF in 2020, Wilson has sharpened the organization’s strategy while managing its first leadership transition. Upon arrival, he re-activated CDF Action Council as a sister organization for grassroots legislative education, lobbying and public accountability. In 2021, Wilson established a dedicated Leadership Development and Organizing department focused on base building with key constituencies. In 2022, this team relaunched CDF’s Black Student Leadership Network to train students in community organizing and policy analysis, and initiated capacity building cohorts for faith communities to advocate for children’s policy. To infuse public policy with youth voice, in 2023 he merged the American Youth Policy Forum into CDF and published a 2030 public policy agenda informed by listening sessions and focus groups within CDF Freedom Schools.
With over 26 years of experience in education and ministry, Charlie Conder has dedicated her career to creating spaces where students experience unconditional belonging. She has served in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church since 2005, leading thriving student ministries and on-campus programs that amplify students’ voices in their churches and communities.
A former Deaf and Hard of Hearing educator and ASL professor, Charlie brings a unique perspective to ministry, blending inclusivity with strategic leadership. As a certified coach and consultant, she spent nine years with the Rethink Group (Orange), equipping leaders to build sustainable, legacy-driven ministries. Her expertise helps churches move beyond short-term programming to create lasting impact in the lives of students and families.
Elizabeth Christie has been working in the field of children's and family ministries for over two decades. She has served in a variety of ministry settings as both staff and consultant, finding great joy in helping make lifelong faith formation transformational for all. Her particular passion is making ministries inclusive for all of God's children. She is currently serving at The Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and is the children's ministry consultant for Practical Resources for Churches. Elizabeth has been married to Tom, a college librarian, for 25 years, sharing their lives with their seven amazing children.
Cameron Bishop is a transformational leader, speaker, and facilitator whose life mission is to fight for every child’s right to play by developing leaders who are skilled and devoted to bringing about equity and freedom. His work centers on researching human transformation and designing immersive experiences that integrate human differences across lines of race, class, culture, and generation.
With over 17 years of experience in youth development across schools, religious communities, and youth-centered nonprofits, Cameron has worked directly with more than 10,000 young people in the 2024–2025 school year alone—facilitating retreats, workshops, and leadership programs for students from 4th to 12th grade. Cameron also teaches a college course titled Transformational Leadership for Global Impact and leads cohorts of DEI-focused college students who are seeking to create meaningful change.
Academically, Cameron holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a bachelor’s in theology, and a master’s in divinity and integral psychology. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in Transformative Leadership with a thesis titled DEI as a Form of Spiritual Formation. Still, he considers his greatest academic achievement to be earning his GED after completing only an 8th-grade education—an act that launched him into a life of impact beyond his wildest dreams.
From 2021 to 2025, Cameron served as Executive Director of ImpactLives, a global nonprofit dedicated to equipping students to become justice leaders through cross-cultural, immersive experiences. In 2025, he is stepping back to rest, reflect, and listen deeply for what’s next.
Contact Us for Help
Contact Discipleship Ministries staff for additional guidance.