Chad Harrington breaks down five great discipleship conferences in 2023 and 2024 with names, descriptions, logistics, and his two cents.
Each year around this time, we try to provide a list of conferences we’re excited about and recommend.
In the next nine months, there are five conferences I recommend for those whose ministry is focused on discipleship (or are aiming in that direction).
See below the conference names, descriptions, logistics, and my two cents.
We’ll be at the first two conferences listed here under our YouPublish brand, and we might be at the others if we can!
By the way, we receive no financial kick back for these links/conferences. It’s out of our own volition that we’re recommending them to you.
1. 2024 National Disciple Making Forum: A Disciple Making Conference
My two cents: This is the highlight of the year for me and my team. We love connecting with leaders at this conference. Perhaps we’ve met you there! This is a perfect conference for practitioners or people who want to grow in discipleship methodologies and practices.
Description from the host: “Join 1,300 disciple-making leaders and practitioners to learn, share insights, and connect in person. For two days on May 1–2, Discipleship.org will host disciple making tracks, consisting of hyper-focused teaching, panels and live Q&A sessions that will fuel your disciple making efforts in 2024 and beyond! The 2024 Forum will be held at Mt. Pleasant Christian Church. The address is 318 N Bluff Rd Greenwood, IN 46142.”
- Theme: Disciple Making Culture: Where Everyone Is On Mission With Jesus
- Dates: May 1–2, 2024
- Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
- Cost: $129 (currently)
- Sign up here.
2. Renew.org’s National Conference: A Theology Conference
My two cents: This is closely connected to the Discipleship conference, but it has a narrower focus on “theology that fuels disciple making” as opposed to the disciple-making practices.
Description from the host: “Our era is a time of tribalistic ethics, tech anxiety, class envy, and ‘owning’ the opposition as if they were trophies. In such a time, disciples of Jesus can’t afford to let the surrounding cultures box the Christian faith into a preset, predictable mold. We are disciples of a creative, courageous King. The gospel of King Jesus renews everything it reaches, starting with us and moving outward into all creation. Our courageous King rescued and redeemed us, and he invites us to participate in his courageous renewal of all things.”
- Theme: Courageous Renewal
- Dates: April 29–30, 2024 (6:30 to 9 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Location: Mount Pleasant Christian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Cost: $99 (currently)
- Sign up here.
*Also, on September 14, Renew is offering a Cincinnati Regional (from $25).
3. Discipleship City Tour
My two cents: This will be a great, more intimate Discipleship.org Forum. It’s a new offering, and will be just as solid, even if shorter, than the National Forum.
Description from the host: “An unparalleled lineup of church practitioners have come to share their experiences from the trenches of church leadership. They will present actionable insights, data-driven knowledge, and innovative ideas to help you make disciples in a rapidly changing and challenging environment.”
- Oct 27–28, 2023: Nashville, TN ($139) (Use discount code “youpublish” to get 50% off your ticket for this location.)
- Nov 27, 2023: Houston, TX ($99)
- Nov 28, 2023: Dallas, TX ($99)
- Nov 30, 2023: Raleigh, NC ($99)
4. DiscipleShift1: Relational Disciple-Making Training
My two cents: This is more of a training event than a conference, but call it what you might, it is perfect for teams who want to grow in their disciple-making culture. This will set the trajectory of your church or group culture. I have been through this multiple times and in fact have trained other leaders. I highly recommend this for all church staff and elder teams to go through at some point.
Description from the host: “A two day (16 hour) hands-on training where pastors and leaders learn to make disciples of Jesus in authentic relationships. The problem today is most pastors have never been discipled in real authentic relationship; most pastors haven’t been equipped to make disciples who can make disciples; churches have replaced discipleship with unsuccessful programs and events. This has left pastors feeling exhausted, discouraged, and alone. We believe Jesus demonstrated the best method and model for relational discipleship that works in any context which is why we have created the DiscipleShift1 experience to become confident disciple making leaders.”
- October 4–5, 2023: Villa Rica, GA ($395 early bird)
- Nov 15–16, 2023: Post Falls, ID ($395 early bird)
- Jan 24–25, 2024: Tomball, TX ($395 early bird)
5. The Art of Teaching Conference 2023
My two cents: For those who teach and preach, this looks amazing. The lineup of speakers is strong, and I’m hoping that I can make it! This is not the typical “discipleship” conference you’d expect from us, but it’s about communicating as teacher/preacher. Who’s coming?
Description from the host: “Calling all emerging teachers and preachers. We’ve been dreaming about this for a while and are happy to announce we are doing a two-day practicum on all things teaching/speaking related. The two days will include homiletics, how to craft a sermon, best practices for study and research, emotional and spiritual dynamics, the triad of cultural commentary, biblical theology, and spiritual formation in a sermon, and how to teach not just for information and inspiration, but in the direction of transformation. Not to mention some good coffee and food trucks tossed in for good measure as well.”
- Dates: October 24–25
- Location: Nashville, TN
- Cost: $300
- Sign up for this here.
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