October 1, 2026
Pastors and church leaders are not short on vision. If anything, many are carrying more vision than their people can realistically absorb. What is often missing is neither desire nor effort. What is missing is clarity.
Most churches are doing far more than they used to do, with fewer people carrying more responsibility. Volunteers are faithful, but tired. Leaders are committed but stretched. Conversations about change can feel personal and volatile, even when they are not meant to be. Even good plans can stall when the next step isn't obvious.
That is the heart behind Church Renewal Conversations.
Church Renewal Conversations is a practical, pastor- and leader-focused webinar series designed to help churches take one clear next step at a time toward healthier ministry. Each session addresses a real pressure point pastors and leaders face right now, then provides a simple framework, a usable tool, and an immediate action step that can be applied in the next 7 to 30 days.
The goal is not to add more to a pastor’s calendar, but to reduce confusion, lower fatigue, and restore momentum through clarity. These are live, conversation-driven Zoom webinars held from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Eastern. They are built for interaction, questions, and shared learning rather than a one-way presentation. Every session also includes a free pastoral support gift designed to help leaders take the next step without feeling like they have to build everything from scratch.
The 2026 schedule includes six topics, each built around a pressure point that many pastors and leaders are facing right now. To view the full schedule and register for any session, visit the landing page here: https://gabaptist.org/renewal/. Here are the conversations we are launching with and what to expect for each webinar.
Help Your Neighbors Find You
Tuesday, February 24: Sign Up
A surprising number of ministry opportunities are lost before a guest even parks. People are moving into new communities, returning to church after years away, and searching for a place where their children can be known and their questions can be welcomed. Often, their first interaction with a church is not a sermon clip or a staff member. It is a map listing, a photo, a review, or a confusing set of hours.
This conversation helps churches treat their digital presence as a front door. The goal is not marketing for marketing’s sake. The goal is clarity that serves real people. Attendees will walk away with a simple framework to strengthen their online visibility, a practical approach for inviting reviews with integrity, and guidance for responding in a way that reflects a pastoral tone. The takeaway is a clear set of steps that helps guests find you, trust you, and take the next step.
Why Good Churches Resist Good Change and What to Do Next
Wednesday, March 11: Sign Up
Resistance is one of the most misunderstood realities in local church leadership. Leaders often assume resistance is stubbornness or a lack of spiritual maturity. But more often, resistance is pain, fear, grief, confusion, or fatigue from wearing a mask. It shows up in committee meetings, hallway conversations, passive comments, and sudden conflictsabout issues that feel smaller than the reaction.
This session helps leaders interpret resistance with wisdom instead of frustration. It provides a framework for discerning what might actually be happening beneath the surface, along with practical next conversations that move people forward without shaming them or lowering biblical conviction. The takeaway is a clearer approach to change that protects unity, reduces relational damage, and helps the church move together rather than splinter under pressure.
Stop Exhausting People and Start Onboarding New Volunteers
Thursday, April 2: Sign Up
Most churches do not have a volunteer motivation problem. They have a volunteer pathway problem. When onboarding is informal, expectations are unclear, and training happens only after someone is already overwhelmed, exhaustion becomes normal. The same faithful people end up carrying the weight, and when they step back, leaders often blame the season, the culture, or the next generation. In reality, the process is usually the issue.
This conversation gives churches a simple, repeatable onboarding approach that honors current volunteers and makes it easier for new volunteers to say yes. Leaders will walk away with an onboarding template, a role clarity tool, and a practical plan to build a culture of serving that does not depend on guilt or crisis recruiting. The takeaway is a sustainable ministry where people know what is expected, feel supported, and can serve with joy.
Think Young Adults Do Not Attend Church? Think Again
Tuesday, May 5: Sign Up
Many pastors feel discouraged when they think about young adults and the local church. The narrative is often framed as if the church has lost a generation, and there is nothing to be done. But the reality is more complex, and the opportunity is more hopeful than many assume.
This session focuses on clarity of voice and clarity of next steps. Leaders will walk away with practical moves that strengthen connection points, follow-up, belonging, and pathways into groups and serving. The takeaway is a realistic 30-day plan that helps churches stop guessing and start building a clearer bridge from curiosity to community.
Revitalization Is Not a Verdict, It Is an Invitation
Monday, June 1: Sign Up
The moment a church feels judged is often the moment they stop listening. That is why the language of revitalization matters. Too often, revitalization conversations sound like evaluation rather than hope. They can feel like labels that reduce a church’s story to a score. But Scripture is full of God’s gracious invitations to return, rebuild, and renew. The gospel never begins with a verdict for those who come to Christ. It begins with an invitation.
This session reframes revitalization as a hopeful invitation from God and equips leaders with language that reduces defensiveness while still telling the truth. Leaders will walk away with a simple conversation script for key leaders and a practical approach for naming reality with dignity. The takeaway is a pathway that helps churches face challenges with hope, move forward with unity, and take the next step without fear.
Pastor Wellness and Church Health as the First Step of Revitalization
Thursday, July 30: Sign Up
Many churches try to fix systems while their leaders are running on empty. That is not a character flaw. It is simply what happens when needs keep coming, Sundays keep arriving, and leaders keep carrying more than they can name. But renewal is difficult to sustain when a pastor’s soul is depleted and when the church’s health is unclear. In those seasons, churches can unintentionally chase quick fixes, overcorrect in leadership, or add new initiatives that increase exhaustion.
This conversation helps pastors and leaders start from a healthier baseline. It introduces a simple snapshot of wellness and church health and shows how to interpret the results without shame. Leaders will leave with a practical next-step plan for the next 30 days that supports both the pastor and the church. The takeaway is clarity that leads to care, and care that makes long-term renewal possible.
A simple invitation
Church Renewal Conversations is not meant to replace what pastors are already doing. It is meant to support them. It is designed to help leaders move from overload to clarity, from fatigue to sustainable faithfulness, and from scattered effort to a next step that actually fits the church’s current reality.
These six sessions are only the beginning. The format is built to expand, because churches will continue to face new pressures and fresh opportunities. Our prayer is simple: that these conversations serve leaders, strengthen churches, and help the gospel move forward with renewed clarity across our communities.
To view the full schedule and register for any session, visit the landing page here: https://gabaptist.org/renewal/
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Dr. PJ Dunn is the Senior Consultant for Revitalization of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. He can be reached at pdunn@gabaptist.org.
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