Dave Ferguson is the founding pastor of Community Christian Church, a multi-expression missional community. Ferguson highlighted the importance of whole-person health. Every day, he assesses his relational, physical, spiritual, and mental health and suggests we practice the same. It is impossible for an unhealthy leader to produce healthy followers. However, healthy leaders will create a lasting impact on the lives of others. Ferguson made the point that every Christ follower is to be a disciple and multiplier for the Kingdom. I appreciated his definition of disciple as “someone who hears from God, then does what God told him to do.” I have never heard the term defined so simply and yet thoroughly. Further, a multiplier is “a healthy disciple-making leader who champions reproduction.” We multiply what we are and what we do. He emphasized that disciple-making happens through relationships. As you invest in people one-on-one or in small groups, they learn to invest in others. And eventually you will see your fruit growing on someone else’s trees. Most importantly, church multiplication is possible in any church, through any disciple, and in every context. We don’t need to have all the answers, a master’s degree, or a large budget; we just need to make ourselves available to God. We don’t even need to be good at math; God will do the multiplying for us. Bishop Mark Webb thanked Ferguson for his message, then added that a multiplying culture is so intertwined with the Great Lakes Annual Conference and Global Methodist Church that he has told churches, “If your church isn’t willing to MULTIPLY disciples and MULTIPLY churches, the Global Methodist Church probably isn’t for you.”
During the Wednesday evening worship session, Bishop Webb challenged conference attendees to move from focusing on what we don’t have to offering what we already have to Jesus. “The Kingdom of God advances not through abundance, but through our surrendered trust in the provision of God,” Webb said. “The concept of multiplication is nearly impossible when we remain more concerned about keeping our doors open and more concerned about keeping people with us rather than focusing how to make disciples and the sending those disciples to make more disciples.” John 6:1-15 recounts a multiplication story for the ages. When faced with feeding a large crowd and his disciples in a panic about lack of resources, Jesus already knew what he was going to do. After the vast crowd sat down, Jesus took what they had, gave thanks, he broke the bread and fish into pieces and instructed the disciples to distribute to those who were seated as much as they wanted. The scriptures go on….so the disciples filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. Webb enthusiastically reminded the assembled group; there was more left over than when they started. “The miracle began the moment the problem was surrendered,” he said. Multiplication happens when we move from focusing on what we lack and move to offering Jesus what we have and surrendering what we have to him. The same Jesus who fed 5,000 is still saving, still feeding and multiplying today. He is asking us to believe again, dream again and trust him.
Rev. Dr. Scott Pattison spoke Wednesday morning during opening worship, encouraging the assembled members to live into our Great Lakes Annual Conference Culture Statement. He began by sharing where we came from and where we are now. In four years, the Great Lakes Annual Conference grew from humble beginnings with 4 churches and 6 pastors in Indiana to 313 churches across four states and 532 clergy. He reminded us to continue our growth; it will be necessary to live in a culture of experiments and failures. It requires a vision of churches as life-saving stations. Further, Pattison emphasized the need for our churches to be multiplying churches. He says, “Our primary job is to try to see where and how God has been working and to partner with him in bringing people to redemption in Jesus.” In the past, our priorities have been to fill pews and to keep our doors open. But that is not the commission we were given by Christ. As a young movement, the Global Methodist Church can change how we’ve done things in the past and to see a future filled with multiplying congregations and a healthy culture. In this new era of Methodism, Pattison promised accountability in shared ministry, asking us to watch over one another in love and work hard at building trust in our personal and professional relationships. By developing a culture of multiplication in the local church, the Great Lakes Annual Conference will continue to grow even faster than it has over the last four years and will keep its focus on living in God’s Kingdom through the Local Church.
One conviction ran through every report and recognition at this year's first business session of the 2026 Great Lakes Annual Conference: we are called to multiply disciples. From the strategic plan to new ministry endowments to a gift from across the world, members saw how God is using this connection to raise up new disciples, leaders, and churches. The Strategy Team set that tone with its "Forming for the Future" highlight report ( REP-05 ). Drawing from Isaiah 64:8 (NLT) — "We all are formed by Your hand" — team members Rev. Ben Palmer, Rev. Patricia Tristan, Ellen Harbin, and Rev. Tyler Best reintroduced the plan's simple architecture: five formation areas (Cultural, Discipleship, Leadership, Local Church, and Missional), twenty-five concrete goals, and a three-year horizon, all resting on the Conference's culture statement. Forming disciples and leaders, Palmer reminded the body, is exactly how a movement multiplies — and the Annual Conference exists to strengthen the local church where that multiplication actually happens, not the other way around. Patricia Tristan then celebrated early fruit. Chief among the wins was Mission Match — "You were made for more than a pew" — a tool created with goal champion Mark Schroeder and team member Todd Hartnell of Asbury Church in Madison that connects disciples eager to serve with congregations already living the Great Commission. She also highlighted the Conference's two missional partnerships with the Ethiopia and Oasis conferences, inviting members to Q&A sessions with Dan Miller and Anbessu Feyissa. The whole body stood to affirm the strategy team and goal champions, and members were invited to join the work at strategyteam@greatlakesgmc.org . Multiplying disciples requires raising up those who will lead them, and that was the heart of a moving "Formed and Sent" campaign presentation on ministerial education. Rev. Bob Phillips, a senior status elder and retired Navy chaplain, framed the challenge around Jesus' own words — the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few — then shared a remarkable blessing: the Lilly Endowment has granted the Conference $250,000 to establish a fund helping certified candidates with the cost of their education, with a second $150,000 offered as a dollar-for-dollar match. Every dollar pledged over the next three years will be matched up to $400,000, doubling the impact to $1.2 million. Before the session even began, one church and two individuals had already pledged $30,000. Click here to contribute to this new campaign today! Rev. Arthur Collins, Discipleship Team Lead, highlighted the many ways it resources congregations to make disciples: accountable discipleship, Christian education, stewardship ministries, camping, and the School of Lay Ministry, whose fall 2026 schedule will be available in early August. The team also brought updated guidelines for protecting children, youth, and vulnerable adults ( PET 03 ), including the Conference's MinistrySafe partnership and sample policies churches can adapt. After a thoughtful, good-humored debate, members refined the language on recording devices in private spaces before approving the report. On the practical side, Interim Dean of Cabinet Rev. Stan Pegram presented updated clergy compensation guidelines ( REP-06 ), anchoring 2027 in a full-time minimum of $46,700 — an 11.2 percent cumulative cost-of-living increase since 2024 — under the banner "healthy clergy, healthy churches." Members also joyfully received Grace Global Methodist Church of New Albin, in the far northeast corner of Iowa, a visible sign of a movement still growing. The sessions closed with a gift from beyond our borders. Brothers and sisters from the Grain Coast Conference, which includes Liberia and Guinea, presented a handmade map as a token of friendship — a reminder that the call to multiply disciples reaches across the globe, and that God is at work far beyond our own.
By Rev. Susan Roehs Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matt. 28:20 Thursday Focus: Jesus will be on the journey with us. Often, when I share with someone about a time when God spoke quite clearly, almost audibly, to me, they will say that they wish they were as holy as I am. Or they will say they wish their prayer life were deeper and more consistent so that they could hear God as I do. I want to remind them what Jesus tells us here, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Jesus is not waiting to be summoned like a genie in a bottle; He is with us always. We will feel his presence when we acknowledge his presence. I discovered this over my years of daily prayer. There was a time when I prayed as if I were typing an email to God. I would offer my praise or make my requests, then when he got into the office, he would read and respond to my message. I’m not sure when the transition occurred, but I moved from the idea above to realizing that God was listening to what I was saying and responding on the spot. Sometimes I heard the answers to my prayers as I prayed them, other times I understood he had acknowledged my request and would give me more details later. Yesterday, in my devotion, I shared how important it is that we not only ask Christ to be our Savior but also make him our Lord. The presence of God is most evident when we give our whole lives to God. When we surrender our own will to God’s will, his presence becomes more evident. I think yielding everything we want for everything God wants removes a screen that makes God’s presence visible. I recently read a quote from C. S. Lewis that I think would be appropriate to share here. “We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito. And the incognito is not always hard to penetrate. The real labour is to attend. In fact, to come awake. Still more, to remain awake.” WE must surrender our will and remain awake to Christ’s promise that He will be with us always. There, we will find the courage to go and make disciples as Christ has commanded. He will always offer us a way to do what He calls us to do. God, you have always been with your people. You were with Israel when you led them into the promised land. You were with your servant David when he was being hunted in the wilderness. You were with those first Christian disciples as they began the task of starting your church. And we can be confident you will be with us as we set out to multiply your church. Lead us clearly, making known each step we need to take, and make your presence evident to us as we reach out to you. In Christ’s holy name, amen.
By Rev. Susan Roehs Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matt. 28:18-19 Wednesday Focus: It was a command, not a suggestion. The word in this passage that I think we, as the church, seem to skip over is “go”. We would much prefer to wait in our pews until someone chooses to join us there. The church building is a safe place, one where many churches invest the bulk of their budgets. Church improvements and maintenance are expensive, but we think that if we create the perfect environment, “they will come.” But lost people aren’t looking for a building to inhabit; they are seeking hope, friendship, and answers to their many questions and problems. In a world where AI, social media, streaming worship services, and online dating, the church can offer something different. If we go , as Jesus commands, the opportunity to make disciples is endless. Opportunities that won’t walk through our front doors. The second concept that can get lost when talking about the Great Commission is the word disciple. Jesus didn’t tell us to make Christians; he said to make disciples. John Wesley illuminated Christ’s commission when he wrote, “The church changes the world not by making converts but by making disciples.” What’s the difference between converts and disciples? I believe the difference is that Christians are people who believe in Christ, but disciples are fully committed to Christ. The rich young ruler could be described as a Christian; he believed that Jesus was the great teacher, and he was moral, faithful, and generous. He fell short of being a disciple of Christ when he wasn’t willing to give up all he had to follow Jesus. For the Global Methodist Church to multiply, we must develop disciples. Men and women who accept Christ as not just their Savior, but more importantly, their Lord. Church multiplication requires members who are willing to go wherever God leads them and do all that God calls them to do. The future of the church will depend upon our willingness to leave our buildings and go and make disciples where they are. Lord, it is so easy to sit in our comfortable churches and wait for the lost to come to us. But that is not what you have called us to do. Embolden us with courage to step out of our church doors and share your great love and redemption with people who may not look like us. Open our eyes to see the lambs who have strayed. Fill us with your perfect love so our hearts will not rest until they hear from us the greatest message there is. Amen
Dave Ferguson is the founding pastor of Community Christian Church, a multi-expression missional community that is passionate about “helping people find their way back to God.” Community has grown from a few college friends to reaching thousands of people in Chicagoland and around the world. Dave is the CEO/President of Exponential; a catalyst for developing multipliers and church planting globally. He is an award-winning author of books that include Hero Maker, B.L.E.S.S., 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World and most recently Multiplier: How Healthy Leaders Create Lasting Impact. Dave and his best friend Sue are parents to three adult kids they are crazy about.
It’s almost here! We’re just days away from our Annual Conference at Green Lake Conference Center in Green Lake, Wisconsin, and we couldn’t be more excited to gather together from June 10-12, 2026, to fellowship, worship, and grow! This blog contains essential information you need to make the most of our time together and ensure a smooth experience. Please note that the online registration deadline has passed. Walk-up registration will be available for $95 per person, but on-campus housing, voting, and meal packages will not be available. If you do not have a meal plan, all meals must be purchased off campus. Conference Location The conference will take place at: Green Lake Conference Center W2511 WI-23 Green Lake, WI 54941 https://glcc.org/ (920) 294-3323 Please note that you will drive approximately one mile into the campus once you turn off the highway. Follow the Great Lakes Annual Conference signs and our hospitality team to help guide you. Loading/Unloading and Parking Information If you are staying on campus, Green Lake does not allow check-ins before 4:00 p.m. firm . Please plan to arrive after 4:00 pm Central. To keep traffic moving smoothly, please use the spaces near each building for loading and unloading only, then move your vehicle promptly to open space for others. Carpooling to Green Lake is strongly encouraged, as parking is limited. Golf carts will be available to help transport people and luggage throughout the grounds. If you do not plan to use your vehicle during Annual Conference, we encourage you to park away from the main venues after unloading to allow parking for daily commuters. Location Information Check-in for conference: Tuesday, June 9, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm – Brayton-Case in Kern Lodge Wednesday, June 10, from 8:00 am to 9:30 am – Roger Williams In Lobby Thursday, June 11, from 8:00 am to 9:00 am – Pillsbury Hall Lobby Check-in for lodging: Kraft Centre lobby ( after 4:00 pm firm ) Business Sessions: Pillsbury Hall Children’s Ministry: Kern Lodge Exhibitors: Staughton Hall Worship: Pillsbury Hall Youth Ministry: Lone Tree Lodge Prayer Room: Roblee Room in Pillsbury Hall Breakout Sessions: Various campus locations (see program) Meals: Dining Room at Kraft Centre Pre-Conference Training and Meetings: Kern Lodge Conference Meet and Greet and Missions Informal Gathering: Kern Lodge For questions about specific room assignments or directions between venues, check with the welcome desk/check-in staff at Pillsbury Hall lobby or view a map in the conference app. Conference App Make the most of your conference experience by downloading the official Great Lakes GMC app before you arrive! Available in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, the app features the complete schedule, campus maps of the beautiful Green Lake Conference Center, breakout session descriptions, and other helpful resources. Returning users, you're already ahead — it's the same app you know! Check-in Details You can check in at three convenient times: Tuesday, June 9, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm – Brayton-Case in Kern Lodge Wednesday, June 10, from 8:00 am to 9:30 am – Roger Williams Inn Lobby Thursday, June 11, from 8:00 am to 9:00 am – Pillsbury Hall Lobby For those participating in any pre-conference meetings or seminars, you will pick up your name tags prior to your meeting, but you will still need to check in at the listed registration times to receive your voting card and other materials. Conference Meet and Greet and Missions Informal Gathering As you check in, you're invited to a Meet & Greet and an informal Missions Gathering in Brayton-Case located in Kern Lodge. Light Refreshments will be provided. It's a great chance to connect with old friends and make new ones, to learn about missions initiatives, and enjoy some light conversation before the conference begins. We look forward to seeing you there! Prayer During Annual Conference The Great Lakes Prayer and Intercessory Team is gearing up for conference and is still in need of volunteers for our 58-hour prayer initiative. We invite anyone, anywhere, to commit to one hour of prayer during that time, lifting up the conference while it is in session. Those who sign up will receive prayer prompts via email to help guide their time. Once all 58 hours are filled, additional participants will be welcome to join any time slot, allowing multiple people to pray simultaneously. Whether you can join us in person for one-hour prayer shifts or commit to praying virtually from home, your intercession is vital to our goal of covering all 58 hours in prayer. Sign up here . Please share this opportunity with fellow prayer warriors and help us lift up this important gathering. The Prayer Team is also seeking prayer persons who can be onsite to cover the prayer room during the Great Lakes Annual Conference. We want to have three people available for one-hour prayer slots to pray with people seeking prayer during the conference. Sign up here . Exhibit Hall and Networking The Exhibit Hall will be located in Staughton Hall, below Pillsbury Hall, and will be open during designated breaks and meal times throughout the conference. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with ministry partners, vendors, and learn about resources available to support your local church. Meals & Dining All meals will be served at the Dining Hall at The Kraft Centre, beginning with Wednesday lunch. Breakfast is served at 7:30 am, lunch at 12:00 pm, and dinner at 5:00 pm each day. Thanks to our connectional funding, meals are provided at no cost for children and youth. If you did not register for a meal plan in advance, you will need to arrange meals off campus. There is no à la carte option. The dining hall is expected to be busy, so we encourage you to stagger your arrival times. Take the opportunity to enjoy the lakefront, walk the grounds, or browse the exhibitor hall before heading to a meal. Once you've finished eating, please be mindful of others waiting and make your way out so fellow attendees can be seated. Tower Room Events During select meals, you'll have the opportunity to connect with ministry partners and learn more about their work. Simply grab your meal and make your way to the Tower Room located just off the dining room. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Wednesday, June 10 7:30 am to 9:00 am Breakfast (Private) Discipleship Team Meeting 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm Lunch Methodist Foundation of Mississippi 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm Dinner (Private) General Conference Delegates only Thursday, June 11 7:30 am to 9:00 am Breakfast Heartland Methodist Foundation 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm Lunch Simpson Park Camp 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm Dinner One Mission Society Friday, June 12 7:30 am to 9:00 am Breakfast Child Evangelism Fellowship Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Wednesday lunch breakout Faithful Stewardship for Today and Future Generations What if your church could strengthen generosity today while securing ministry impact for future generations? This practical and inspiring presentation equips pastors and church leaders with biblical, actionable strategies to cultivate generosity, encourage legacy giving, strengthen financial discipleship, and promote clergy financial wellness. Heartland Methodist Foundation Thursday breakfast breakout A Different Perspective of Stewardship - Year-Round Stewardship Stewardship is an integral part of developing disciples, yet we often only spend a week or two on an annual campaign each year. Growth takes time and effort. In this breakout, we will talk about practical ways to strengthen your stewardship ministry and to build a calendar for stewardship that integrates with your congregation's life. Simpson Park Thursday lunch breakout Sabbath: The Lost Rhythm of Rest Many ministry leaders live in a constant state of hurry, distraction, and all-around exhaustion. Although we value the concept of Sabbath, the actual practice of true rest often feels difficult or even impossible. This breakout explores the biblical meaning of Sabbath, why it remains essential for healthy ministry, and practical ways to cultivate rhythms of rest, attention, and renewal in a distracted world Child Evangelism Fellowship Friday breakfast breakout Reaching The Next Generation For Christ Voting Information If you’re eligible to vote during our business sessions, you should have already registered via a unique voting link. Remember that voting is limited to active clergy members, qualifying senior status clergy, elected lay members from local churches, and equalizing lay persons. You will receive your voting credentials at check-in. Legislative Preparation Please read all legislation before arriving. The complete packet is available online at greatlakesgmc.org/AC26 , and we strongly encourage you to review everything in advance. Our discussions will be more productive and efficient when everyone comes prepared and informed. If you have questions about any piece of legislation, you can contact the person who submitted it directly, or reach out to Rev. Chris Gadlage, Sessions Legislation Coordinator, at chris.gadlage@greatlakesgmc.org for more information. Ordinand Special Instructions If you are being ordained this year, you will have a mandatory special time with Bishop Webb on Tuesday at 7:00 pm in the Brown Room in Kern Lodge. A mandatory Ordination Rehearsal will be held on Thursday at 7:00 pm in Pillsbury Hall located in Roger Williams Inn, followed by the Ordination Service on Friday morning at 9:30 am at the same location. Contact Rev. Shane Frederick at shane.frederick@greatlakesgmc.org if you have any questions about ordination. Childcare will be provided. Older children and youth are welcome to attend this meaningful service. Guests attending for just this special occasion should be directed to Pillsbury Hall attached to the Roger Williams Inn. All ordinands should bring their robes to registration check-in. They will be labeled and stored for the ceremony. All others wearing robes should keep them in their rooms and wear them to the ceremony. Children & Youth Programming We have an excellent children’s ministry team providing programming during most conference sessions at the appropriate areas of Kern Lodge. Your children are not only welcome but celebrated as part of our conference family. For our youth, we have a special Youth Ministry Track with late-night worship opportunities on Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 9 pm in the Lone Tree Lodge. Only adults who have been pre-screened through our volunteer screening process are allowed to be in the same areas as our children and youth. Lodging and Campus Information We’re grateful to Green Lake Conference Center for hosting us, and campus housing provides excellent, reasonably priced accommodations. If you’ve chosen to stay on campus, you should have already booked that directly with Green Lake Conference Center. If you need to speak to anyone about your accommodations, please contact Green Lake Conference Center at guestservices@glcc.org or (920) 294-3323. Please note that no pets are allowed at Green Lake Conference Center during our conference, though service animals are always welcome. Breakout Sessions We have ten outstanding breakout sessions led by excellent presenters on topics relevant to our ministry and mission. Breakout sessions are offered on Thursday morning and again Thursday afternoon. You can read more here . Since we know you can’t attend everything you’re interested in, we’re arranging for audio recordings of each session to be made available after the conference concludes. A listing of the breakout sessions is available online and in the conference app. Volunteer Update If you indicated interest in volunteering on your registration form, you should have already received a link for signing up for volunteer slots as well as volunteer training times. Thank you from the Session Team and the Great Lakes Annual Conference. It takes many hands to make Annual Conference possible and we could not do it without you. What to Bring If you are staying on campus, please be sure to check the Green Lake Conference Center website for your room amenities, as they differ by location and room. Please plan to bring a reusable water bottle. Staying hydrated is especially important during a full conference schedule. Coffee will be provided during meals in the dining hall, and there will be a light refreshment break each afternoon. However, if you're the type who needs a cup before your feet hit the floor each morning or you run on caffeine throughout the day, we recommend packing your coffee maker and a stash of your favorite blend for your room — we won't judge! Green Lake Conference Center has something for everyone! Enjoy the beach and swimming, boating, paddling, fishing, golf, tennis, pickleball, basketball, sand volleyball, soccer, and miles of wooded trails and biking paths. We’re also planning campfire circles, so plan to pack a lawn chair and whatever else you need to take advantage of the beautiful grounds during your free time. Copyright © 2026 Great Lakes Annual Conference. All rights reserved.
Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:11-12 Know Before You Go Devotion By Rev. Susan Roehs I have not been to the Green Lake area of Wisconsin, but I’ve seen pictures online. It appears it will be a beautiful setting. We will spend a few days surrounded by nature, including the plants, animals, water, and birds. All the things God created for us. When I gaze at the world around me, I am always in awe of the beauty God created for us to experience. God could have created a black-and-white world. He could have made the plants and animals utilitarian, without beautiful, colorful feathers, soft fur, blooming trees and flowers, leaves in multiple shades of green, red, and yellow. He certainly didn’t create this beauty because we deserved it; we’ve failed him many times, which he knew would happen. And yet, he decided to surround us with beauty. And as you admire the beauty around us now, can you imagine what is waiting for us in heaven? Here, beauty is marred by sin. Plants rot, animals die, and frost turns gorgeous leaves black. There is no perfection in what we encounter in nature. When I took up photography and focused on nature, I would always look for the perfect specimen. But in time, I discovered that beauty is not just in the perfect flower but also in nature’s imperfections. The flower just a little past its prime, the tree that isn’t symmetrical, the gunmetal gray sky. And the same is true of people. The variety of appearances we find in humanity gives us many views of beauty. Some of us are past our prime; some are just beginning their life’s journey; some come from poverty; some come from the city. God took the same variety he used in nature and applied it to his creation of people. And then he said, “It is very good.” I hope that during our week in Wisconsin, you will allow your life to slow long enough to notice the beauty of nature around you. Look for the beauty God put there, just for you. Observe the people around you and find the beauty God slipped into their creation. Look in the mirror and notice the features God created in you that make you unique. Almighty God, You amaze us with Your creations. We are so grateful that You placed us in a beautiful environment full of color and texture. You have provided more than we deserve. I know that what we witness today will pale in comparison to what we will see in heaven. As we gaze at the beauty around us, we are reminded of Your great and perfect love for us. Help us to love You and others as You love us. In Your holy Name, amen.
Meet the expert speakers and explore the transformative breakout sessions planned for the Great Lakes Annual Conference. Join us for ministry training and connection.