Workshops

REVIVING OUR SPIRITS

Daring to Dream Again

The challenges and uncertainty created by COVID-19 are real. Without a clearer portrait of the future, how do we cast a vision for our ministries? We must not lose our ability to dream big: God is our certainty. This session will focus on how we can inspire our teams, energize our creativity, look forward with confidence, and communicate more effectively than ever.

Renewing Spirits Through Corporate Scripture Reading

The public reading of Scripture helped God’s people remember who God is, who they are, and who they are called to be. This practice was so important to Paul that in 1 Timothy 4:13, he instructed all to “…devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.” But what can this practice look like in your organization, and how can it transform your ministry?

Fostering Good Mental Health at Your Ministry

COVID-19 has been beyond stressful. Fear and anxiety may have affected you and/or your staff in ways you haven’t considered: poor diet, no exercise, difficulty sleeping, and worsening chronic health problems. The result can be depression—yes, Christians deal with this. Look with us at some ways to mentally (as well as spiritually) get to a better place.

Signs of an Impending Leadership Crash and How to Stop it

Even without the problems of a pandemic, a lot of leaders seem to be headed for a crash. They feel tied to the work they do and find it hard to cut the tethers for more than a week for rest and enjoyment. They choose unhealthy isolation. They lose trusted friendships. A burned-out leader is an ineffective leader. Learn the 10 signs of an imminent leadership crash and how to avoid it.

REVIVING OUR TEAMS

Expanding Volunteer Roles

The volunteers serving food and sorting clothes for your organization likely have deep experience and talents to offer your ministry. From coaching soft skills, to conducting parenting classes, to making important connections in your community, this workshop will uncover new ways to engage your volunteers and further grow the value they can bring to your organization.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Remote Staffing

COVID is causing companies to rethink traditional officing. Only one in ten Manhattan office workers have returned to their desks. Employees are saying they are just as effective at home—demanding to work remotely going forward. Ministries are hearing the same thing. What could this mean for missions? How do we handle the HR issues that will arise? Learn to navigate the work-from-home craze that is getting real traction.

Leadershift: 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace

What if you could gain the ability to make leadership changes that will enhance your organizational and personal growth? Today’s leaders must learn how to shift their leadership to keep innovating, improving, and influencing others in today’s world. See how to rethink your perspective, adapt your style, challenge your team, and become a transformational leader.

Beauty from Ashes

Two leaders who contracted COVID-19 talk about how their illness and absence affected their morale and that of their staff. Hear how the death of a beloved team member (who was a former guest/student) impacted employees and, ultimately, the entire community. They will talk about feelings of sorrow, helplessness, guilt, peace, and then passion to continue working hard in honor of his memory.

REVIVING OUR STRATEGIES

Innovating Recovery

While still embracing the Holy Spirit’s work in recovery, we’ll show you some new tech tools being used to help people move from destructive behaviors to healthy choices. One tool employs a peer-driven community to encourage interactions between substance abusers and professionals. It’s powered by an AI system that measures recovery and suggests the best next steps for treatment.

A Post-COVID Look at Insurance

You might not think about insurance as a strategy, but from an executive perspective, it really is. With lessons learned from COVID-19, your liability coverages might need to change; employee health insurance should be reviewed. How about directors & officers insurance, errors & omission coverage, and key person protection? And then there is business interruption insurance.

7 Guiding Principles of Transformation

In order to revive the life of someone who's homeless, the entire service delivery system must embrace a culture of transformation. This session will detail what that looks like through best practices that have been identified after examining hundreds of service providers across the U.S. You'll be challenged and equipped to assess your programs, and those of your partner providers, with renewed vision.

Congregant Sleeping and Other Considerations in a Post-Pandemic World

We’ve heard from many of our members who have already said they will not return to their previous model of sheltering and will likely cut their capacity significantly. This represents some philosophical decisions that might prove unpopular with certain inside and outside groups. Listen to some new lines of reasoning and consider what you might want to do or not do going forward.

REVIVING OUR STAKEHOLDERS

Sparking Real-time Engagement

At the height of the pandemic, many members discovered a new mode for reaching constituents—ViewSpark. With missions seeing a 14:1 return on investment, this is a tool you want in your toolbox. This session will detail how the ViewSpark system works, how to get the most out of it, and how you can immediately begin engaging donors and others with amazing results.

Understanding What Makes a Donor Give More—or Give Less

In regard to donations, an unprecedented number of Citygate Network members said they saw the best March, April, and/or May in their history. Some think they can point to a reason. Others speculate but aren’t sure. But there are reasons people give in abundance, just as there are reasons why they make token gifts. Wouldn’t you like to know the biggest reasons why?

Do You Have a 21st-Century Board?

Ministry boards have come a long way in the past two decades, but have they come all the way to 2020? This workshop will tell you the makeup and mindset of the most effective nonprofit, faith-focused boards at this point in time—what studies they are reviewing and what policies they are enacting. Learn how to select and inspire board members to make them your best asset.

Inviting Stakeholders into Your Story

Particularly with the challenges of the past six months, our ministries are rich with stories of God’s grace and healing and how we have been able to be His hands and feet in the midst of the storm. How can we do justice to all we’ve experienced, and how can we leverage our experiences for more life transformation? This session will uncover how to use video to tell a story that engages, inspires, and invites more people into the story.

REVIVING OUR CITIES

Healing Our Communities

Before COVID-19, we were already facing high levels of divisiveness on political, social, and economic issues—and social distancing hasn’t helped. When this all ends, will we be positioned to be leaders in peacemaking? Explore how we can use the experience of fighting a shared enemy to promote more constructive patterns in our cultural and political discourse.

Going Before the Cameras

The footprint that Citygate Network made nationally earlier this year resulted in local-member acclaim in many cities. So now we can let it fade or we can leverage it to make an even greater impact for the cause of Christ, reviving our cities going forward. Learn five tactics to making a strong showing in your city—in the news, in churches, in civic groups, and in politics.

A Matter for the Police

One of the toughest jobs today is enforcing the law. Unfortunately, the periodic random actions of a few have put officers everywhere in danger. Partnerships between police departments and rescue missions and kindred ministries can bless cities, help missions, and shine a bright light on peace officers. The proven collaboration ideas will flow in this practical workshop.

Rethinking Government Partnership

The faith-based community and the government sector are not totally at odds. For many ministry leaders, this recent pandemic revealed that we really can forge meaningful connections with government agencies. This workshop will detail how we can partner with local and federal governments in ways that benefit the ministry, the government, and the common good.