Networks

Networks are small groups of congregations and individuals from across the Indiana-Kentucky Conference, gathered around a shared interest or shared ministry, whether that’s youth ministry, small membership church life, worship and music, community outreach, or something else entirely. Rather than individuals and congregations figuring things out in isolation, Networks give churches and individuals a standing way to learn from one another: what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s worth trying next.

Click Here if You’re Interested in Joining a Network!

RISE Pastoral Initiative

Those sensing a call in your congregation do not need a seminary education to be a leader in ministry, and you do not need to wait for someone to find their own way to us. We need you to help us in actively taking steps to identify future pastoral leaders. Here are a few practices for helping to “rise” up new pastoral leaders that might work for your congregation:

• Look at your congregation and ask who has gifts for leading and serving. Have a conversation with these people about what you see in them and encourage them to attend a Discovery Day.
• Use the forthcoming media packet for RISE to plant seeds for people wondering about a call to ministry.
• Let the Authorization Support Team walk with your congregation through discernment, formation and authorization. process.

This path does not require your candidate to leave your congregation to be formed. RISE is built so the forming happens right where the calling was first noticed: at home, among you.

We have heard you, IKC, and we are doing our best to faithfully respond to your needs for equipped and well-trained pastoral leaders for the 21st Century. Here is where we really need your help. We hope you’ll share this initiative with your board so that you can all be praying about who might have the gifts and graces for ministry that you will want to encourage. As part of this initiative, the Indiana-Kentucky Conference is hosting a Discover Day on November 14th 2026 on ZOOM. You can encourage those in your congregation interested to sign up for Discovery Day by contacting Monica Ouellette, Izzy Harbin, clicking here. If they are unable to make the event, we would still love to sit down with them or your church leadership and talk through what RISE could look like for your congregation. If you have any questions or want to find ways to encourage someone in your church to rise up to serve, please reach out to us in the ways below. The leaders your church needs may already be there; let’s name them, form them, and send them out together.

Click Here to Join us For a Discovery Day!