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Thank you for your interest in the Connect Leadership Summit. After careful consideration and prayerful discernment, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the February 7 gathering due to lower-than-anticipated registration. In light of current participation levels, we believe this is the most responsible decision and an important act of good stewardship of our shared resources.
While we are disappointed not to be together in person as planned, we remain committed to equipping and supporting leaders across our area. Several of the workshops scheduled for the Summit will be offered in the coming months through our Training Tuesdays series, so that this learning can still be shared more broadly. All registration fees will be fully refunded over the next few days. For credit cards, this process may take up to 7 days to appear with your bank. We are grateful for your understanding and for your continued partnership in forming courageous, hope-filled leaders for this season. |
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Connect Leadership Summit is on February 7, 2026 at 9 am. Similar to the church leadership events of the past (think BWC's Leadership Days and PDC's The Well), the Connect Leadership Summit, hosted at seven locations across the Area, is designed to spark creativity and inspire lay and clergy to transform lives, churches, and communities. This year’s theme is "Living Water." In a time when many leaders are weary, systems are strained, and hope feels parched, "Living Water" invites us to return to the source, to Jesus, who offers water that quenches our deepest thirst and flows through us to nourish others.
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Locations
- Main location: St. Mark’s UMC, Easton, MD
- With 6 satellite locations:
- Asbury UMC, Salisbury, MD
- Avenue UMC, Milford, DE
- Journey of Faith, Waldorf, MD
- First UMC, Hyattsville, MD
- Rehoboth UMC, Williamsport, MD
- Towson UMC, Towson, MD
Agenda
9:00 a.m. - Centering
9:15 a.m. - Keynote speakers
12:00 p.m. - Lunch
1:15 p.m. - Workshop 1
2:15 p.m. - Workshop 2
3:00 p.m. - Closing
9:15 a.m. - Keynote speakers
12:00 p.m. - Lunch
1:15 p.m. - Workshop 1
2:15 p.m. - Workshop 2
3:00 p.m. - Closing
Workshops
View workshops. Updated Jan 5.
Cost
Early bird registration until December 15: $35
Regular registration: $40
Registration closes January 21, 2026.
Regular registration: $40
Registration closes January 21, 2026.
Keynote Speakers
We are thrilled to have Rev. Jonathan E.L. Brooks of Lawndale Christian Community Church and Rev. Luke Edwards of the Western North Carolina Conference as our keynote speakers. They will be live at St. Mark’s in Easton, but streamed at the other 6 site locations.
Rev. Luke Edwards will explore how learning to listen—to God, to one another, and to our communities—can help us notice where that Living Water is already at work. Through stories and simple listening practices, we’ll discover how paying attention can become a way of joining in with what the Spirit is already doing. Come ready to slow down, listen deeply, and find refreshment in the grace that’s flowing all around us.
Jonathan Brooks will invite us to reimagine what it means for the church to be truly present in the places where God has planted us. Drawing from his book, The Church Forsaken: Practicing Practice in Neglected Neighborhoods, and the prophetic call of Jeremiah 29, Brooks challenges congregations to move beyond proximity toward a practiced, faithful presence—loving not only our neighbors, but the neighborhoods entrusted to our care.
Rev. Luke Edwards will explore how learning to listen—to God, to one another, and to our communities—can help us notice where that Living Water is already at work. Through stories and simple listening practices, we’ll discover how paying attention can become a way of joining in with what the Spirit is already doing. Come ready to slow down, listen deeply, and find refreshment in the grace that’s flowing all around us.
Jonathan Brooks will invite us to reimagine what it means for the church to be truly present in the places where God has planted us. Drawing from his book, The Church Forsaken: Practicing Practice in Neglected Neighborhoods, and the prophetic call of Jeremiah 29, Brooks challenges congregations to move beyond proximity toward a practiced, faithful presence—loving not only our neighbors, but the neighborhoods entrusted to our care.
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Rev. Jonathan E.L. Brooks, M.Div, affectionately known as Pastah J, serves as Lead Pastor at Lawndale Christian Community Church in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago, IL. Lawndale is a non-denominational church that seeks to provide a place for worshiping Jesus Christ and meeting both the spiritual and physical needs of the community through involvement in people's lives. Pastah J is a gifted preacher and teacher who is comfortable preaching in diverse contexts.
Through various ministries and partnerships, Lawndale Christian Community Church provides youth development, holistic health care, senior care, college scholarships, recovery ministry, legal services, affordable housing, and support for those returning to their communities after incarceration. Due to his years of pastoral experience in both youth and senior pastor roles, Pastah J is often called on to preach to adults, youth, and young adults. However, a non-denominational pastor, Jonathan, is both licensed and ordained through the Baptist denomination and is a graduate of Northern Theological Seminary in Lombard, IL. Pastor Brooks is ordained and licensed and is an accredited chaplain and experienced counselor available for spiritual, biblical, premarital or marital counseling. |
Rev. Luke Edwards is the author of Becoming Church: A Trail Guide for Starting Fresh Expressions and a United Methodist minister. He serves as the Associate Director of Reimagining Congregations for the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, where he helps launch and support micro-faith communities across the region and beyond.
Luke began this work in Boone, North Carolina, where he started a network of fresh expressions. With a background in social work, Luke brings a wholistic lens to church-based community engagement. He’s spent the last 15 years exploring how faith communities can thrive in post-Christian contexts—drawing insight from his upbringing in Western Massachusetts (once named the most post-Christian metro area in the U.S.) and from his leadership at local, regional, and national levels of the Fresh Expressions movement. Above all, Luke believes that healthy ministry begins with deep listening. When he’s not writing or walking alongside church leaders, Luke enjoys hiking trails, listening to jazz on vinyl, and leading a house church. He lives in Denver, North Carolina, with his family and welcomes conversations anytime at [email protected]. |
Graphics
Save the Date Canva slides
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