Jessi Connolly – Wild Inspiration
Francie Winslow – Wildly Free
Lisa-Jo Baker – When Wild Obedience Looks Like Foolishly Following Instead of Successfully Leading
Kat Lee – The Secret Habits of Successful Bloggers – How wild obedience to small things yields big results.
Kristen Welch – coming soon
There are 4 Session Tracks this year. You are free to chose all the sessions in one track or mix them up and go to sessions in different tracks. 
Wild Obedience- Offering What You Have
Logan Wolfram A journey is made up of a zillion steps along a path. Sometimes we know where we’re headed in this life, and sometimes we don’t. And, to that end, obedience isn’t a place where we arrive, but more about the way we walk along the journey. Our time on this earth is relatively short, and so the way that we steward our moments contribute to the overall story we’re living. When we take baby steps of obedience, we might just find ourselves walking on roads we’d never even dared to imagine for ourselves.
Leading with Grace
Jan Greenwood We all want to be a “grace-filled” leader, but what does that look like, feel like, or sound like? Grace is not leniency, indulgence or even tolerance of bad behavior or sloppy work. It’s not about softly coercing others into following. Rather, grace is power – a divine empowerment to become all that God has created us to be. When you lead by grace, you demonstrate a courage and confidence in how God created you – and you naturally extend the same grace to those who follow. People follow leaders who exhibit a compassionate understanding of where they are right now while empowering them to make courageous, faithful choices that help them become wholehearted. Come learn how to be a community builder, a vision caster and a gracious leader of people.
The God Dare
Kate Battistelli What’s a God Dare? It’s simply the dare to go further than you believe is possible by taking God at His word. It’s a yes to wild obedience even when the yes will cost you. The God Dare, in it’s simplest terms, is the dream, the pull, the desire to do the thing you’re called to do but feeling woefully ill-suited to pull off. It’s the knowing, deep down inside, you’re on this planet for a reason. You’re not just taking up space but God has a unique plan in mind just for you. In fact, He chose you for it before the foundation of the world. The God Dare is for everyone. The God Dare is for you. God will triple-dog-dare you right out of your comfort zone and when you step out into the deep, step off the ledge, bungee jump into the future, take God at His word, He’s there to catch you and make sure you don’t drown or crash. The ones who hear The God Dare are the different ones who don’t really fit in. They’ve heard something remarkable and all they can offer is wild obedience, saying “I will” to the question of the ages, “Who can I send? And who will go for us?” In this session I’ll share exactly what a God Dare looks like, the different types of God Dares, examples of God Dares from scripture, actions needed to accomplish your God Dare, hindrances you’ll face as you step out in faith and 10 God Dare secrets. Also, you’ll learn about the devil’s dare and the greatest God Dare of all. If God is calling you to Wild Obedience, (what I like to call ‘spiritual bungee jumping’) but you’re not exactly how to put the pieces together then this session is for you!
Patience (and faith) in the Waiting
Rachel Anne Ridge Waiting. Don’t you hate it? Waiting at the Post Office. Waiting at stop lights. Waiting for a new job. Waiting for your child to be potty trained. Waiting for your dream. Waiting for God’s purpose for you to be revealed. We all kinda know that waiting is an inevitable part of God’s timetable, but it’s still frustrating. In this session, I’ll tell you about my experience with waiting: married 30 years, motherhood for 27 years, had a creative business for 15 years, blogged for 8 years, wrote 2,000 blog posts. I waited on God’s timing and finally got the book contract I always dreamed of….just this year. And that’s just one example! I’ll share practical tips and strategies for making the most of your waiting: what to do, how to prepare, how to stay hopeful, and how to be fully present where you’re at today.
Mom Panel Featuring Jessi Connolly, Kat Lee, Lisa-Jo Baker & Kristen Welch
Moderated by Kristin Lemus Hear from some of your favorite bloggers about how to live out your calling to write while being a great mom and how to balance the two.
Wild Obedience When You Are Fresh Out of Amazing
Stacey Thacker Habakkuk 2:1-4 How do we wildly obey God when we are exhausted, disappointed, and simply fresh out of amazing? A tiny book in the Old Testament might just have the answer. Habakkuk was a prophet who was discouraged and wrestling with God. What did he do? He stationed himself at the watchtower and waited to see what God would say. What did God say? How did Habakkuk respond? Let’s unpack it together and discover encouragement for our hearts as well.
Essential Writing Strategies for Bloggers
Denise Hughes As bloggers, we want to share our lives and encourage others. We want our words to possess truth and beauty and clarity. More than anything, we want our messages to have kingdom impact. Together, we’ll discuss the techniques that help bloggers write eloquent prose with a clear message. This session will help bloggers: ● Craft opening paragraphs that captivate the reader. ● Transform dull sentences into vibrant passages. ● Overcome the most common mistakes bloggers make. ● Harness the use of form to enhance the reader’s experience.
The Squeeze: Writing Books and Making Lemonade from Sour Circumstances
Jessica Kirkland As a writer, have you ever wished you could pen yourself a different story? Have you ever felt like your own life story might swallow you whole before you can write another word? What do you do when you feel like there is no end in sight during a tough life season? In this workshop, Jessica will talk about achieving your writing dreams in spite of sour circumstances. We’ll look at how to press through difficult times and the steps you can take to ensure that you are able to write from your heart regardless of what is going on in your life. Sometimes the most important lessons in life are not found in the happy ending, but in the pain of the squeeze. Jessica will speak candidly about her personal experiences with authors the agency has encouraged in this difficult place and their observations of spiritual opposition working on various projects. She will encourage writers to hear and sense how God is calling you to write. And she will encourage you to cling to the character and promises of God as He actively works in your life as you pursue your desire to write.
Public Speaking For People Who Would Rather Type Than Talk
Shaun Groves So you’d rather communicate from behind a laptop than a microphone? Learn how to manage your fears of public speaking, immediately improve your confidence and communication, turn the written word into a killer speech, captivate an audience, tell a great story, and move any crowd to take action.
Slimming Down: Learning to use less words to communicate big ideas
Lara Williams Our readers are busy, just like us. So we as bloggers need to learn how to communicate our big, inspiring ideas in fewer, prayerfully-selected words. Join me for a short seminar on how to “slim down” your writing while keeping it power-packed, followed by a hands-on workshop using your real-life blog posts. Bring a sample blog post for this session.
Hi, Declare! from Lara Williams on Vimeo.
Why Christian Writers Should Keep Writing – Overcoming discouragement and finding the freedom to write your story
Brooke McGlothlin Most writers struggle with feelings of inadequacy—not necessarily in their writing ability, but in what basis they have for actually doing it. Our writing reflects what the Lord is teaching us in our daily lives—our stories in written form. Because of that, we know that every word we write does not carry the weight of scripture, is not the breath of God itself, and should always be measured against the truth of God’s word. Which brings us to these questions: What right do we have to write about the things of God? Who are we that readers should trust our words? Why should our opinions count? Why should people believe what we have to say? And why should we be considered an authority on any subject matter relating to the things of God when we so often get it wrong in our own lives? In this session, Brooke McGlothlin will answer these questions, and discuss a biblical basis for storytelling that will empower you to keep on writing.
Publishing Panel
Jessica Kirkland, Heather MacFadyen, Denise Hughes Learn the ins and outs of traditional and non traditional publishing from a literary agent and others who have been through the writing process. This will be a moderated session with answers to your burning publishing questions.
Styling Photos for Your Blog
Amy Locurto Not everyone can afford a professional stylist or photographer, but who doesn’t want magazine quality photos? If you want to take your photos to the next level, take this class to learn some simple styling tips that anyone can easily do! Amy Locurto (from Living Locurto and I Heart Faces) started her career designing and styling catalogs for Fossil. She has worked with many professional photographers over the years with her graphic design firm and also styles photos for her blog LivingLocurto.com, brands and magazine features. Enjoy a fun class with great tips and tricks for styling products, crafts, food and people! Be sure to bring your camera or iPhone for some practice.
Blogging Efficiency
Kat Lee Activate Your AutoPilot: Stop blogging by the seat of your pants and start using simple systems to take your blog to the next level.
Designing Your Blog
Ted Barnett Every blogger has a unique and personal story to tell yet are often left with formulaic blog themes to choose from. Contemplate Design believes the harmony of story and visual flow make the web a more engaging place. This session will explore the anatomy of blog design and how to find a style that is right for your message and audience. We will walk through the process of discovering your design personality, defining your readers experience, vetting potential themes, and customizing your theme. No advanced WordPress, coding or design knowledge is necessary.
Podcasting 101: Another Way to Declare
Heather MacFadyen & Kat Lee In this session you will learn how to get your podcast started. From an idea to iTunes, discover all the steps in between to make podcasting a reality. You will also gain a couple tricks to help with scheduling and conducting interviews.
Blog Appeal: An agents view on how to attract publishing professionals to your blog
Jessica Kirkland Publishers site blogs as one of the top ways people learn about and buy books. With traditional media like radio canceling programs or having fewer slots to feature authors, blogging—according to PR professionals and publishers—is the way to build readers and sell books. In this workshop, we’ll talk about what should be included in your blog, some key blogging tips, and give you a birds eye view on what an agent or editor is looking for in a blogger. Are you a blogger hoping to get noticed and get a book deal? Jessica will walk you through why she thinks bloggers can be best selling authors, what makes a blogger stand out to agents and editors, and help you examine your blog so that you don’t make common mistakes that might scare away publishing professionals. You will walk away understanding what it takes to grow your brand, build your readership, and hone in on your core message as a writer.
How to Create Graphics for Posts, Pinterest & Printables
Jessi Connolly
The simple rule used to be “every post should have a picture” but now there are a million rules about blog images. They should be professional, pinnable, viral, beautiful, and the exact right dimensions to really engage your reader. Let’s throw off some preconceived notions and talk about how to make really quick and compelling images that will aid in your writing without completely distracting you from the task at hand: blogging!
Blogging as Your Business
Rachel Holland Owning a blogging business doesn’t have to mean it owning you. Come find out helpful tips and tricks for making the most of your business hours and stay motivated in the long-run to build your blog into a successful work-at-home business.
The Profitable, Honorable Affiliate
Erin Mohring Making money as a blogger can be as easy as sharing the things you love with your readers – or is it really all that easy? Erin will break down the ins and outs of affiliate marketing and share how to make it work for your blog and social media channels, all while maintaining your voice and integrity.
Success with Facebook
Holly Homer
It is time to stop taking poor Facebook exposure personally, and take action to build your Facebook page into something that can’t be ignored. Holly Homer will walk you step by step through the game rules that she and Rachel Miller have discovered through building their page {http://facebook.com/
Apps & Sites to Run Your Social Media for You
Katie Orr Social media is fun, but it can quickly become a demanding monster. If you want to expand your reach and online influence through social media—without giving all your spare moments to that beast—come on over. We’ll chat about apps and websites that will automate and multiply your social media efforts.
Using Blogging and Social Media for your Home-Based Business
Rachel Anne Ridge Do you have a home-based business, or are you thinking of starting one? Do you have a product or service to offer but don’t know how to connect with customers? This breakout session will show you how to use the power of blogging and social media to help your business grow! I’ll share from my own experience as an artist/entrepreneur, who has blogged since 2006. I’ll share examples of social media marketing that works well, and we’ll also talk about what NOT to do to promote your business. The last thing we want to do is annoy our customers or feel smarmy in our tactics. You’ll walk away with valuable insights, and doable tips and strategies to take your business to the next level.
How to Build Authentic Community via Social Media
Crystal Stine Stories, feelings, opinions…we all have them, and as bloggers, we all have a venue to share them. Learn why building authentic online community might not be as simple as you think {hint: it’s not about sharing ALL THE THINGS}; how to intentionally engage your audience with the right kind of content; find out where God calls us to draw the line in our “over-sharing” culture; and discover some practical “do’s & don’ts” of online community building.
You belong here! Our heart is to equip you to be an effective Christian communicator.