Registration opens September 1, 2026.
Keynote Speaker
JERRY NELSON is the Chief Ministry Officer at ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International). He oversees all spiritual formation-related initiatives focused on the elevation of God's Word, prayer, biblical worldview development, and the fulfillment of the Great Commission, as well as initiatives related to biblical unity, diversity, and social engagement for all ACSI's stakeholders. Jerry has directed the creation and development of a department solely dedicated to these initiatives: ACSI's Ministry Team. He also contributed to the development of ACSI's key position statement on biblical sexuality and led the development of each of ACSI's publications on spiritual formation, biblical unity, biblical worldview truths for integration, and servant-leadership. Jerry previously served at Northwest Christian Academy in Miami, FL, for 17 years, 11 of which he served as Head of School. He holds a B.A. in history and M.A. in educational leadership from St. Thomas University in Miami. Jerry has been married for 20 years to Christine, and they are the proud parents of Lydia (19), Jonah (17), and Jacob (15).
-
BE AUTHENTIC: THE FIVE MARKS OF A TRUE CHRISTIAN EDUCATOR (PART 1)
Every believer is mandated to make disciples. Every believer is called to this until the ends of the earth understand and know that Jesus Christ has been given all authority over every aspect of creation. As Christian schools, we are tasked with and it is stated in our mission and vision in some form to produce faithful followers of Jesus Christ. If we are to do this effectively, then this must be an inside-out thing. We must believe and practice what we hope others will receive. We must Be Authentic! In this first session, we will explore the five marks of a true Christian educator by reflecting on the practices of Jesus, our master teacher.
Key Questions:
What is the AIM of Christian education?
What should Christian educators PROCLAIM?
How should Christian educators PREPARE to fulfill their calling?
How should Christian educators CULTIVATE disciples of Christ?
How should the Christian educators LIVE before others?
Go Deeper Questions:
What does this mean for me personally?
What should this mean for my organization?
How do th4ese truths apply to my role?
-
BE AUTHENTIC: THE FIVE MARKS OF A TRUE CHRISTIAN EDUCATOR (PART 2)
Jesus preached to the masses, yet he spent most of his time disciplining a small group. He not only served the sick, the marginalized, and the outcasts, he endured the scorn and the shame of the cross as if he were one of them. He was able to do all of this because he continually drew his strength from the Father. All in all, he set an example for us to follow. In this final keynote, we will take a deeper look into the last two marks of a true Christian education: Cultivate long-lasting relationships and Live by example.
Workshops
More information coming soon.
-
Presented by: Karen Roeck and Ben Roeck
How can educators better support students whose strengths and challenges do not fit into traditional expectations? In this session, Karen and her teenage son Ben will share practical approaches for supporting twice exceptional learners through self-awareness and thoughtful adaptation. Participants will leave with concrete strategies for creating responsive learning experiences for their students.
-
Presented by: Daniel Kim
Justice, nationhood, and cultural narratives. How will you teach First Peoples 12? Topics like Pre-Contact, Colonialism, and Residential Schools will be briefly presented followed by open Q&A.
Assignments and resources will be shared in this session.
-
Presented by: Joe Brandsma
Time in God's Word should never be tacked on to our daily schedules. Yet, if we are honest, it can feel that way in our personal lives and as homeroom teachers. Learn to make time or make the most of the time we have in our weekly schedule for devotions at school. With more practical ideas than Chat-GPT, this workshop will give you meaningful devotional times with your class.
-
Presented by: Cari Gonzalez
As Christians, we can all agree that we are made in the image of God. But what does that really mean? How does that impact our view of ability and disability? And how can (or should) this impact our practice in our classrooms? In this session we will explore all of these questions, read excerpts from Nancy Eiesland's seminal work, and will be challenged to articulate some of our own beliefs.
-
Presented by: Lisa Evanson
Teach the Bible—and you will find yourself being formed more fully into the image of Christ. You discover you are the one who must rely on Jesus more than ever. You are the one who begins to see more of the beauty of who he is. You are the one who grows increasingly aware that to say I follow Jesus means I must walk as he walked.
-
Presented by: David Wright
Using hands-on activities like creating your own artifact replicas and mock excavations, I demonstrate how to introduce Bible archaeology into humanities, science classes or daily devotions. Based on my textbook Digging up the Bible and YouTube channel, with ready-to-use ideas for teachers.
-
Presented by: Joanne Loewen
As the world embraces AI with wild abandon, what should give us pause to think through AI use thoughtfully and carefully through the lens of a Christian worldview, especially in adolescence? We’ll look at how AI works, what worldviews lay beneath the technology, and what practical steps you can take to ensure you are making good & deliberate decisions for your students (and yourself) about AI.
-
Presented by: Riley Dueck and Susie Clemyck
Time in God's Word should never be tacked on to our daily schedules. Yet, if we are honest, it can feel that way in our personal lives and as homeroom teachers. Learn to make time or make the most of the time we have in our weekly schedule for devotions at school. With more practical ideas than Chat-GPT, this workshop will give you meaningful devotional times with your class.
