2023 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
“So far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
Romans 12:18
November 2 – 5 | DoubleTree by Hilton | Billings, MT
$175 Pre-Conference | $329 Conference, Individual | $319 Conference, Group
$99 Bonus When You Register Today!
Equipping Christians and their Churches to Be Sowers of Peace
The intense spiritual, racial, political and sexuality conflicts that are polarizing America have flooded into every part of daily life, including the church. Many churches also experience regular conflict over doctrinal issues, which often turns personal and creates painful divisions. Judging, attacking and canceling others over new cultural issues has created even more conflict.
This behavior is fracturing families, friendships and churches every day. It is also disrupting the workplace and driving exhausted pastors out of ministry. These tensions are magnified by a steep decline in the religious values that used to characterize our nation.
But God is always up to something good. As he has done again and again in times of turmoil, he delights to call and empower his people to be sowers of peace (James 3:18). That is exactly what this year’s conference is designed to support and encourage.
This year’s keynotes and workshops will equip you with gospel-based skills that enable you to bridge theological, political and cultural tensions, to listen with discernment and compassion to people with opposing views, to use insightful questions to promote reasonable dialogue, and to engage others with the kind of wisdom, grace and truth that builds mutual respect and promotes the restoration of peace in our families, churches and communities
Our conference will also provide training and resources that enable your church to establish a Peace Sower Team that provides ongoing training, coaching and conciliation services to your congregation and community. Such services have been proven to promote peace and unity, prevent divorces, promote evangelism and reduce the counseling burden on pastors (see details here).
God alone can change people’s hearts and behavior, but we can be his willing instruments as we learn how to live out the relationship-changing exhortation of Romans 12:18 …
“So far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
Keynote Speakers:
Ken Sande
Ken Sande is the founder of Peacemaker Ministries and RW360. Trained as an engineer, lawyer and mediator, Ken has conciliated hundreds of family, business, church and legal conflicts. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including The Peacemaker, which has sold over 500,000 copies in twenty languages.
Ken is a Certified Emotional Intelligence Instructor with TalentSmartEQ and a Certified Relational Wisdom Conciliator, Coach and Instructor. He has served as a church elder, an Editorial Advisor for Christianity Today, a Certified Professional Engineer and as a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee of the Montana Bar Association.
He teaches internationally on biblical peacemaking, Christian conciliation and relational wisdom, which is an enhanced form of emotional intelligence that helps people “get upstream of conflict” by improving their ability to read and manage emotions in themselves and others. The resources he has developed are being used to strengthen relationships, promote teamwork and reduce and resolve conflict in churches, families, businesses, schools and military bases around the world.
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Kellye Fabian Story
Kellye Fabian Story is an attorney with Wagenmaker & Oberly, author, culture observer and pastor. She was a commercial litigation attorney for many years before stepping out of the law for eight years to be a writer and pastor at Willow Creek, where she led the Legal Aid Ministry, Pastoral Protection Program, Doctrinal Team and the Reconciliation Team.
Kellye returned to the law to represent nonprofit organizations and churches and to focus on bringing reconciliation and restorative justice principles more fully into the civil legal arena.
Kellye is the author of Holy Vulnerability: Spiritual Practices for the Broken, Ashamed, Anxious and Afraid and Bearing with One Another in Love: A Return to Our Calling as Christians (to be released this summer).
Kellye has three grown daughters and lives in the Chicago area with her husband Steve.
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Vince Vitale
Dr. Vince Vitale was educated at Princeton University and the University of Oxford, and he taught philosophy and theology as a faculty member briefly at Princeton and then for several years at Oxford. It was during his undergraduate studies at Princeton that Vince was challenged to read the Bible by two soccer teammates and took an unexpected journey from skeptic to evangelist. He then completed master’s and PhD studies at Oxford, receiving a Daniel M. Sachs Graduating Scholarship (at the time awarded annually to one graduating Princetonian) and a Clarendon Scholarship (supported by Oxford University Press).
Vince most recently served as RZIM’s Regional Director for the Americas and Director of the Zacharias Institute. He has co-authored two books in apologetics—Why Suffering?: Finding Meaning and Comfort When Life Doesn’t Make Sense (2014) and Jesus Among Secular Gods: The Countercultural Claims of Christ (2017)—as well as corresponding Bible studies with YouVersion and Lifeway Christian Resources.
While researching at Oxford, Vince developed a new response to the problem of evil. This response is discussed in Vince’s Philosophia Christi article, “Non-Identity Theodicy,” and in book form with Oxford University Press as Non-Identity Theodicy: A Grace-Based Response to the Problem of Evil (2020). For his work on Søren Kierkegaard, InterVarsity Press and Tyndale House selected Vince as IVP Young Philosopher of Religion of the Year 2013.
Vince has commended the Christian faith in numerous countries and on the campuses of many universities including Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, UPenn, UC Berkeley, MIT, Johns Hopkins, West Point, and Oxford. He also has had the privilege of speaking at Google; Amazon; Facebook; Autodesk; The Brooklyn Tabernacle; and Passion City Church; and he was the keynote speaker at the 54th National Prayer Breakfast of Canada.
In addition to his focus on biblical and cultural questions, Vince has strong interests in the topics of interpersonal conflict resolution, reconciliation, leadership, and theology of work, as well as in the intersection of faith and sport. He played varsity soccer at Princeton, was a “double Blue” at Oxford (competing for the university in soccer and boxing), and has traveled with Athletes in Action mission teams to four continents. While teaching at Princeton, Vince served as Faculty Director of the Athletes in Action ministry on campus.
Vince is married to Dr. Jo Vitale, who most recently served as a speaker and Dean of Studies at RZIM. Vince and Jo have enjoyed teaming up for the Ask Away podcast, giving talks together, and trying (unsuccessfully) to keep up with their young children, Raphael and Jonathan.
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Rankin Wilbourne
Rankin began his career in corporate banking for a Fortune 500 company, but after five years transitioned into pastoral ministry. He has served in churches on the East Coast, West Coast, the South and Midwest – currently serving as Pastor of Discipleship at City Church, a gospel-centered church plant in Evansville, Indiana.
He’s worked in small churches and large churches, church plants and churches more than a hundred years old, each at various stages of growth, so he’s familiar with some of the challenges church leaders can face in varying contexts. He’s the author of Union with Christ and the co-author of The Cross Before Me, both award-winning and both concerned with bringing pastoral theology into the life and heartbeat of the local church.
As the beneficiary of hundreds of hours of professional counseling and mentoring, he’s particularly concerned with emotionally healthy spirituality and holistic discipleship, the kind that targets the heart, soul, and affections, and not just the mind. He’s currently working on a project devising a vision for discipleship that can be used in local churches.
Rankin and his wife and three kids now live in a hundred-year-old farmhouse on the outskirts of town, far removed from their previous home in the middle of Los Angeles. He enjoys coaching his children’s sports teams, running, fishing with his kids, and doing life with his best friend, his wife.
Workshop Speakers:
Speakers will be available for 25+ workshops and 50+ roundtables during the conference
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Claude Allen
Claude Allen has served the Lord in a wide variety of positions, ranging from prison inmate advocate, missionary trainer and Christian conciliator to Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy in President George W. Bush’s Administration.
Claude currently serves as President of Volans Global, LLC, which provides global consulting services to corporate, government and not-for-profit organizations on executive, legislative and legal matters.
As an attorney, Claude has served as Deputy Attorney General for Virginia, Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy in President George W. Bush’s Administration.
Claude provides pro bono legal counsel to the needy and to prison inmates in the DC/Maryland/Virginia through Good Samaritan Advocates ministry and a legal aid clinic he helped to establish. He also devotes time to train missions teams in cross cultural ministry.
Claude pursued conciliator training through Peacemaker Ministries so he could use his legal training and interpersonal relations experience to help others resolve conflict biblically. Claude has served on the Board of Directors of Peacemaker Ministries and has had the privilege of helping countless families (including his own), businesses, churches, organizations and leaders in conflict to resolve their differences biblically and experience the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Claude and his wife, Jannese, live in Maryland and have four children.
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Eric Basye
Eric Basye, a Consultant at The FOCUS Group, has developed experience in fundraising, leadership development, and strategic planning through 20+ years in the non-profit space. He most recently served as the Executive Director of Community Leadership & Development Inc. (CLDI), where he transformed a grassroots movement into a thriving, sustainable organization that serves a low-income neighborhood in Billings, MT.
Eric has led several multi-million-dollar capital fundraising efforts, has extensive experience building organizational strength within staff, board, and strategy, and has built and led multiple internship programs that have served as catalysts to equip and train leaders, many of whom are serving in the mission field — both locally and internationally.
Eric has a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Wyoming, a Master of Arts in Youth and Family Ministry from Denver Seminary, additional studies from Fuller Theological Seminary and the Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, and completed his Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives from George Fox University in 2023. He lives in Billings, Montana, with his wife, Shelly, and four children.
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Paul Cornwell
Paul is the co-founder of Crossroads Resolution Group and has over 30 years of ministry experience. He has planted two churches, served as the lead pastor of four congregations, and founded two ministries designed to equip and assist churches to resolve conflict biblically. Paul was a Senior Ministry Consultant for Peacemaker Ministries, where he led mediation efforts in conflicted churches and ministries and played a key role in upgrading training for resolving organizational conflict. He is a certified as Relational Wisdom Instructor and Christian Conciliator, and is passionate about using his gifts of faith, wisdom, teaching, encouragement and discernment to mentor church leaders, promote reconciliation, and help conflicted churches and organizations regain the unity they need to advance God’s kingdom.
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Patti Damiani
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Stephen Garner
Stephen is the founder and owner of Peace Like a River Mediation Services, LLC, where he has conducted court-connected mediations, workers’ compensation mediations, Christian conciliations and conflict coaching since 1999. He has over 40 years of experience as an attorney, and over 24 years of experience as a mediator. He is a lawyer and the owner of his law firm, Murphy & Garner, LLC. He has been a frequent continuing legal education speaker on the topic of mediation.
Stephen has been married to his wife, Terri, for over 39 years. They are members of Midway Baptist Church in Villa Rica, GA, where he serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, President of the Corporation, Chairman of the Leadership Advisory Team, and is a member the Finance Committee. He is currently in the process of setting up and training a Peace Sowers Team at his church.
He has participated in the Summer Professional Skills Program at Pepperdine University School of Law on several occasions, and recently underwent training for mediations on the Zoom platform in the course Strategic and Best Practices for Remote Mediation. While he prefers in-person conflict coaching and mediation sessions, he is comfortable utilizing the Zoom platform, which he has done many times.
Stephen’s credentials include: Registered Civil Mediator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution; Member of The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and The Georgia Academy of Mediators & Arbitrators; and recognition by Super Lawyers for Georgia 2017-2023.
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Rick Haluszka
Rick Haluszka serves as Associate Pastor at Cornerstone Community Church. Born and raised on the Hi-Line, Rick went on staff in 2013 at CCC as a Pastoral Intern after graduating with a B.S. in HHP from MSU–Bozeman. Having completed five years of training and discipleship under the lead Pastor, including graduating from The Master’s University with an M.A. in Biblical Studies, Rick was affirmed as an elder at CCC in January of 2018. His primary focus is on Pastoral Care, though he also leads Music and Youth ministries. Rick is happily married to Julia and grateful to be Laura Ian, Emily, and Luke’s dad. He enjoys reading, sports, conversation, and anything BBQ.
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David King
David King is an Associate Professor of Social Work and Program Director for the MSW program at Indiana Wesleyan University. Dr. King has been working in the social work field for 30 years providing services and leading programs in the church, community, and private practice settings.
Dr. King holds a Doctorate in Social Work, a Master’s in Social Work, and a Master’s in Pastoral Counseling. He is a licensed clinical social worker in Michigan.
Over the course of his career, Dr. King has worked with children, families, and individuals with mental health issues, including mood disorders, developmental disabilities, chronic mental illness, substance use, and co-occurring disorders.
As a Christian and social worker, Dr. King is passionate about applying Biblical truth to personal and cultural issues and presents on issues such as healing from painful emotions, a Christian response to issues of sexuality, integration of social work and Christian faith, and Biblical responses to issues of diversity and race. He lives in Michigan with his wife and two teenage children.
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Ted Kober
Ted Kober serves as Senior Ambassador Emeritas for Ambassadors of Reconciliation (AoR). Since AoR’s founding, he served as President until 2015. A Certified Christian Conciliator™ since 1992, Ted consults and conciliates in cases ranging from personal disputes to lawsuits and church conflicts. He has published articles, Bible studies, devotions, training courses, and books including Confession & Forgiveness, Conflict Resolution vs. Reconciliation, Built on the Rock: The Healthy Congregation, and Reconciling Under the Cross. He teaches in congregations, conferences, schools, universities, and seminaries throughout the world. He has equipped church leaders from more than 40 countries and been translated into more than 15 languages. In 2021, Concordia Seminary in St. Louis awarded Ted with a Doctor of Letters degree, honoris causa, for his writing, speaking, and impact to the global Church. He and wife Sonja live in Billings, Montana. They have one son and two grandchildren.
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Kristin Lawrence
Kristin Lawrence is a trainer, coach, and mediator. Earning a masters of Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management from SMU in Dallas, TX led her to use her skills as a mediator in various legal contexts. After years of legal and juvenile diversion work, God led Kristin to focus on Biblical Peacemaking through Ken’s original Peacemaker Material as well as developing coaching skills through a Narrative Coaching lens.
She then started a coaching practice and began to lead small groups through her church, which helped her own relational transformation in her marriage of 28 years, with her 3 adult children, how she supports coaching clients as well as how she leads in her church and non-profit work. When Kristin isn’t working she enjoys figuring out how to grow food in her garden and playing tabletop games with family and friends.
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James Long
James Long, Jr. is a Pastor, Certified Biblical Counselor, Board Certified Professional Counselor, and an Associate Professor at a Christian university. He is an Advanced Relational Wisdom Instructor.
James holds a Doctorate in Theology with an emphasis in Counseling and a Master’s in Social Work. James has maintained a license in clinical social work for the last 25 years.
He has counseled individuals, married couples, and families for over 30 years. He has also taught undergraduate and graduate students over the same time period. He often combines peacemaking and Relational Wisdom principles in his counseling and in his teaching. He educates those he serves on applying these principles personally and teaching them to the hurting people they serve.
James is passionate about the gospel of God’s amazing grace to us in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He tackles some of life’s biggest questions and helps us find God’s solutions to life’s struggles.
James is a frequent speaker for church, collegiate, and professional audiences on the topics of relationships and conflict resolution.
He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, Amy, and his three children, Abby, Hannah, and Isaiah.
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Candace McCune
Candace (Candy) McCune is an attorney in Colorado who specialized in family law. Candace has extensive litigation experience in all aspects of insurance defense, as well as general litigation, practicing law since 1987. Since 2006, she has limited her practice to mediation and arbitration. Candace was a founding board member and served as initial Executive Director of Conciliation Ministries of Colorado – a non-profit which focused on Christian dispute resolution and education. She served as a Mentor and Instructor for Peacemaker Ministries for many years and is a past member of Christian Legal Society (serving on the national Board as well as volunteering at the local legal aid clinic). More recently she served on a Group Reconciliation Assistance team with AoR which helped inspire her to create an online conflict coaching and mediation presence. She is a Certified Christian Reconciler (2019) and has been a Certified Christian Conciliator since 1997.
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Dave Mikulsky
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Debby Mylar
Debby Mylar lives in Salt Lake City, UT and is a certified biblical counselor who also holds a master’s degree in Biblical Counseling from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. She loves to connect people to the gospel of Jesus Christ as they wrestle with relational, emotional or spiritual issues in their lives. She is available in person or virtually through zoom. Debby has also been a certified Christian Conciliator since 2005, working with many individuals as a coach and mediator. She has taught peacemaking principles to children and adults in various settings. She has been using and teaching relational wisdom skills in her counseling practice, small groups that she has led, and in her personal life to help her in her own relational struggles. She enjoys running, biking, hiking and reading. She has been married for 33 years to Frank and has five children and four grandchildren that she loves to take trips with and do life with as time permits.
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Frank Mylar
Frank D. Mylar is a licensed litigation attorney practicing in Salt Lake City, Utah for over 30 years. He graduated from Wheaton College in 1984, Seattle University Law School in 1987, and the University of Phoenix with an M.B.A. in 1990. He loves God’s people and has a passion to help Christians and churches resolve conflict in a Biblical manner that leads to Christ-centered growth. He began conflict coaching and Christian Conciliation in 2000 and was certified as a Christian Conciliator in 2005. He has helped Christians resolve conflicts in marriage and family issues, private and home school disputes, employment claims, and construction and real property issues. He has taught biblical conflict resolution in the United States and overseas. He and his wife, Debby, often work as a team in reconciling marriages and other disputes. He has taught Relational Wisdom to large and small groups in Utah and Nebraska. He is happy to travel for training or as a mediator or meet over Zoom. He loves to run, bike, play basketball, camp, and ride motorcycles. He and Debby have five adult children and four grandchildren.
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Leslie Pair
Leslie Pair serves as the Campus Experience/Connections Director for Midway Church. Along with serving at Midway Church for over 15 years, she also has experience with grief after losing her husband of 28 years to cancer. Following this time, she began teaching Grief Share for Midway and leading a ministry for other widows that she affectionately calls “The W”. Leslie has two adult daughters and is a Granny to Reya, her granddaughter. Leslie has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling. Leslie looks forward to meeting you and helping you see how RW can help break down barriers in your relationships dealing with grief.
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Allison Pickering
Allison is a conciliator with Crossroads Resolution Group, serving individuals, marriages, families, churches and ministry organizations. She is a highly experienced conciliator, counselor, consultant, speaker and instructor of conflict resolution skills.
Allison’s work with very complex marriage, family, church and organizational conflict cases, gives her valuable insight into and experience in identifying key places that can move conflict resolution forward. Allison has a background of ministry experience which includes 18 years with an international campus ministry as well as serving in a key role on three church planting teams which contributes to her ability to understand the perspective of individuals in conflict as well as the structures and priorities of organizations and churches. She is certified as a Relational Wisdom Instructor and is also a Certified Christian Conciliator™.
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Corlette Sande
Corlette has degrees in elementary education and counseling and is certified as a Relational Wisdom Instructor. She has specialized in counseling families and children and mediating child custody disputes.
Corlette also authored the Young Peacemaker curriculum, which has been used to teach conflict resolution to parents and children around the world. She frequently travels with Ken, enhancing his teaching with her own insights and experience and providing personal encouragement and counsel to many of the people who attend RW360 events. She also focuses her energy on serving RW360’s donors, Board of Directors, Presenters and Instructors, conciliation clients, and ministry partners.
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Colin Sauskojus
I am passionate about building relationships and guiding people toward their highest potential. I thrive on collaborating with people excited about their ideas and love to learn from their unique perspectives. As the co-founder of Rail//Line Coffee: A Redemptive Coffeehouse, our vision was to create a community space that served my neighborhood and invested in young adults with barriers to employment. It provided opportunities for them to move into sustainable and meaningful work and flourishing relationships.
Currently, I am a part of the team at Relational Wisdom 360, a non-profit that teaches and equips individuals to have stronger, healthier, and more resilient relationships. Through RW360, we hope to help Christians develop strong, enduring, and appealing relationships that display the transforming power of the gospel and draw people to Christ. My approach is grounded in servant-leadership and centered on valuing each individual for their unique personhood and gifting.
I hold a BS in Environmental Systems Science and Natural Resources from the University of Wyoming and an MA in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. When I’m not at work, I enjoy rock climbing, finding solace in the Beartooth Mountain Range, biking downtown with my wife and kids, or enjoying a book in my hammock. My life is a testament to the transformative power of Christ and the restoration of love, hope, joy, and light he brings to the world.
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Steven Schneider
Pastor Steve Schneider has served as Director of Pastoral Counseling at Midway Church in Villa Rica, Georgia since 2014. He also co-leads Midway’s Peace Sower Team and directs all of Midway’s foster care, adoption, and at-risk family initiatives. Steve has completed – and taught -RW360’s Relational Wisdom and Relational Peacemaking courses and is also a Georgia Registered Neutral and serves Carroll County Courts as a Mediator for Domestic Relations and General/Civil cases. He works as a Christian Conciliator and private Mediator with Peace Like A River Mediation Services in Bremen, GA. A graduate of Liberty University with a M.A. in Theological Studies, Pastor Steve also served for seven years as Chaplain with Tanner Health Systems and for several years co-hosted a weekly Christian radio program on marriage, parenting and families with his wife, Tina. Today they reside in Carrollton, GA and enjoy time with their six grown children & spouses and three grandsons.
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Teresa Sidebotham
Theresa Sidebotham assists organizations in the U.S. and internationally, with a special focus on employment law, religious and nonprofit law, and child safety. She advises on numerous misconduct investigations. She is also the founder of Telios Law PLLC.
Although Theresa was born in New York, her parents arrived in Indonesia just in time for the “Year of Living Dangerously,” and her family was among the few foreigners who stayed in Jakarta through the Communist coup and counter-coup. Fortunately, she was too small to remember any of it, including the death threats. Her parents started work with the Sundanese years before the term “unreached people group” was coined, and she grew up in West Java, making her a Third Culture Kid or Missionary Kid.
She left for Wheaton College with no visible means of support when she was 16, going on 17. Theresa graduated in the top 1% of the class and decided to be a military wife to her husband, Bruce. The four Sidebotham boys were born on three different continents. After Bruce’s military service and further education, the family headed to Sumatra for seven years.
In Sumatra, Theresa taught English literature in a university, and helped start a quilting home industry for under-privileged women there. Their home included a small international school that she ran with students from at least four different countries, and a constant stream of visitors, some from remote villages.
After coming back to the U.S., Theresa started law school with her four sons still at home. Law school was a relaxing change, and she graduated first in her class in 2005.
Theresa was mentored by judges at the Colorado Court of Appeals and worked at a large law firm serving religious institutions and doing general litigation before opening Telios Law. She has since gone on to represent a variety of businesses, ministries, churches, and individual clients in matters ranging from child protection to employment to civil rights and more. Her cross-cultural experience helps her serve ministries and businesses well, particularly in negotiating employment problems and conducting internal investigations into misconduct allegations.
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Daniel Teater
Daniel Teater, President of Live at Peace Ministries, holds a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Covenant Theological Seminary. Daniel also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Missouri Baptist University. Daniel draws on his previous pastoral experience in coaching ministry leaders and consulting with churches to work through organizational and relational issues to promote healthy gospel-shaped culture. Daniel is passionate about serving people in unhealthy relational dynamics through counseling, conciliating, educating, teaching, and preaching. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri and completed his certification as a Certified Christian Conciliator™ with the ICC Peace. Daniel has been married for fifteen years to his wife and has four children. Daniel and his wife have had the privilege of fostering seven children since 2012 and were overjoyed to welcome the seventh permanently into their family through adoption in 2016.
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Chip Zimmer
He began his international work as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal during the 1970s. After graduating from law school, he spent six years as the Executive Director of the Christian Conciliation Service of Puget Sound in Seattle, then joined the U.S. State Department in 1990 and served in diplomatic posts in Africa and Latin America.
In 2001 Chip joined Peacemaker Ministries, eventually becoming Vice President of Global Ministries. Chip came to RW360 in 2015, where he continues to use his broad relational and cross-cultural experience to serve the global Christian community, receiving outstanding praise for his teaching. Chip also served for many years as an Adjunct Professor in the Peace Studies doctoral program at the International Graduate School of Leadership in Manila, Philippines, a program he helped establish in 2007.
Workshops:
Click Here to See Workshop Descriptions
Schedule:
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Thursday, November 2, 2023
8:00 am – 4:00 pm – Preconference Training
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Opening Plenary, Reception and Fellowship
Friday, November 3, 2023
8:00 am – Worship and Greetings
8:20 am – Keynote
9:05 am – Break
9:20 am – Workshops
10:30 am – Break
10:45 am – Workshops
11:55 am – Lunch
1:00 pm – Keynote
1:45 pm – Break
2:00 pm – Workshops
3:10 pm – Break
3:25 pm – Workshops
4:35 pm – Break
7:00 pm – Worship and Testimonials
9:00 pm – Evening Session Ends
Saturday, November 4, 2023
8:00 am – Worship and Greetings
8:20 am – Keynote
9:05 am – Break
9:20 am – Workshops
10:30 am – Break
10:45 am – Workshops
11:55 am – Lunch
1:00 pm – Keynote
1:45 pm – Break
2:00 pm – Workshops
3:10 pm – Break
3:25 pm – Workshops
4:35 pm – Break
6:30 pm – Celebration Banquet
8:20 pm – Evening Session Ends
Sunday, November 5, 2023
9:00 am – Worship Service
10:30 am – Conference Closes
Conference Photos
Frequently Asked Questions:
Click here for a detailed downloadable Information Sheet
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Who can I contact for information or assistance before or during the conference?
Corlette Sande | Director of Ministry Relations | corlette@rw360.org | 406-294-6806 (mobile available during conference)
Colin Sauskojus | Director of Training and Networking |colin@rw360.org | 406-294-6806 (mobile available during conference)
Where can I learn more about RW360's history, mission, resources and strategic partners?
When does the conference begin and end?
The conference is scheduled for November 2 -5.
The pre-conference training is scheduled for 8:00 am to 4:00 pm on Thursday, November 2.
The main conference is scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm Thursday evening with a keynote session followed by a reception and time of fellowship.
The conference will end at 10:30 am after the Sunday worship service on November 5.
How do you define relational wisdom, peacemaking, coaching, conciliation and Peace Sower Team?
RW360 provides training in four major disciplines.
Relational Wisdom, in essence, is the desire and ability to obey Jesus’ timeless command, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart … and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-39). To put it another way, relational wisdom (RW) is a theological paradigm that combines the gospel, the wisdom-principles of scripture and our God-given capacity for “emotional intelligence” into a discipleship paradigm for developing skills that strengthen relationships and prevent conflict (dig deeper here).
Biblical Peacemaking is a systematic theology for resolving conflict and reconciling people. This training is based on Ken Sande’s book, The Peacemaker, which has sold over 500,000 copies in 20 languages and is organized under four key principles (the “4 G’s”): Glorify God, Get the Log Out of Your Own Eye, Gently Restore and Go and Be Reconciled (dig deeper here).
RW Life Coaching is a specialized form of “life coaching” that focuses on assisting individuals to accelerate the growth of the six core disciplines of relational wisdom in order to build stronger and more meaningful relationships and to “get upstream of future conflict.”
Conflict coaching assists others to resolve existing conflicts personally and privately by applying the principles of relational wisdom and peacemaking .
Christian Conciliation is a process for resolving disputes between Christians in a biblically faithful manner. This process may involve conflict coaching (advising individuals how to resolve a dispute personally and privately), mediation (meeting with both parties to improve understanding and facilitate a voluntary agreement) or arbitration (a trusted individual resolves a conflict by rendering a binding decision). These processes are described in detail in Guiding People Through Conflict and the Handbook for Christian Conciliation.
Peace Sower Teams are comprised of volunteer instructors, coaches and conciliators who serve their church or ministry by equipping and assisting others to practice relational wisdom and peacemaking in their daily lives, thereby addressing relational issues before they require pastoral counseling or intervention (see details here).
To learn more about RW360’s training options in each of these areas, see RW360 Training and Certification Program.
Will speakers be advocating specific polemical or political positions?
No. Our speakers will not take polemical positions or offer political strategies. Instead, we will provide guidance on how you can approach the relational challenges triggered by disagreements over controversial issues (see this example).
As you improve your ability to engage others with Christ-like humility, grace and truth, you are more likely to be effective at preserving relationships, influencing others’ perspectives and promoting reasonable agreements.
Is there an advantage to registering now?
Yes. Early indications are that we will have a full house this year, so registering soon will reserve your place.
Do you offer a group discount?
Yes. To encourage churches and ministries to begin developing a Peace Sower Team, we provide a discount for groups of 3 or more people from the same church or organization.
What are your "small group roundtables"?
Our keynote and workshop speakers are highly relational people, so they love to engage others in small groups where they can answer questions and share insights about matters of mutual concern. Therefore, most of speakers will be available for multiple small group roundtables during the conference. Group size will typically be limited to 8-12 people. You will be able to sign up for the roundtables of your choice at the registration table during conference.
What is the "$99 Registration Bonus"?
When you register, you will receive a special coupon that provides you with free access to all of the recordings from our previous conferences. This includes over 40 hours of expert training on relational wisdom, peacemaking, coaching and conciliation (see details here). If you already have access to this material, you may transfer this coupon to one friend.
How do I reserve or cancel a hotel room?
The conference will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 27 N 27th St, Billings, MT 59101, (406) 252-7400
The DoubleTree Hotel is providing a special conference rate of $119/night. This rate is available from Sunday, October 29 through Wednesday, November 8, 2023.
To reserve a room:
- Use this link to make your hotel reservation or call (406) 252-7400.
- The booking link will automatically populate the RW360 group code “REL” into the special rates category. If not, insert REL in the special rates section.
- If booking by phone, mention the RW360 group code REL to the hotel representative for quick access to our block of rooms.
Hotel reservations may be canceled without penalty at least 48 hours before check-in.
What transportation is available from the aiport to the hotel?
The DoubleTree Hotel offers complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport.
- To arrange for an arrival shuttle from the airport to the hotel, please call the hotel at 406-252-7400 prior to your arrival in Billings.
- If the DoubleTree Shuttle is not at the airport when you arrive, it will be there shortly since they run every 15 minutes.
- To arrange for a departure shuttle from the hotel to the airport, please go to the hotel desk to be added to a departure list.
Uber and Lyft options are also available in Billings.
If you prefer to rent a car, you can make reservations through the rental car services at Billings Logan International Airport. The DoubleTree Hotel provides free parking for conference attendees.
Will there be a preconference?
Yes, there will be a full day of pre-conference training on an Introduction to Coaching. This training will equip you to meet with a friend, coworker or relative for an informal personal conversation, perhaps over coffee or a meal, in which you assist him or her in discerning and planning ways that he or she can strengthen specific relational skills or restore a strained relationship by applying relevant principles of relational wisdom or biblical peacemaking.
This training provides a brief introduction to the four-step RW Coaching Paradigm and shows how it can be applied in a variety of life situations. It will also help you to evaluate how relevant these skills are to your life and to decide whether to continue with further coaching training.
This training fulfills the requirements for an Introduction to Coaching Certificate™ and is similar to the web-based practicum available through the RW Academy. Since this preconference training is conducted in person with a larger group of students, however, it will be even more dynamic and interactive. This event will also include lunch, where you can build relationships with people who share your interest in peacemaking and coaching.
For more information on our Coaching Training Program, please see our Academic Catalog.
What meals are included in my registration?
Conference Meals
Your registration fee covers coffee and snacks during breaks, lunch on each full day of the conference, which includes Thursday (for those who attend the pre-conference training), Friday and Saturday, and the Vision Banquet on Saturday night. We are happy to accommodate requests for gluten free, dairy free and vegetarian meals.
Other Meal Options
You may enjoy other meals in the hotel or at one of the twenty excellent restaurants that are available within three blocks of the hotel, which provide a wide variety of cuisine that can fit every budget.
Meal options for spouses who want to enjoy some R&R time in Billings but do not plan to attend any training
Spouses, who do not plan to attend any training, may purchase one or both of the following meal plans so that they can join the group during certain meals. Option 1 covers the Thursday evening reception and lunches on Friday and Saturday for $70. Option 2 covers the banquet on Saturday evening for $40. Spouses may enjoy other meals on their own at the hotel or at one of the nearby restaurants.
How can I get printed handouts for the conference keynotes and workshops?
You have two options for obtaining conference handouts:
- Option 1: You can pay a “$10 Handout Fee” when you register for the conference. Your complete set of printed handouts will be available at the beginning of the conference.
- Option 2: A week before the conference, you can go to a special link on the conference website to download and print the handouts for any sessions you desire.
What is your refund policy?
Refunds, minus a $40 administrative fee (per ticket), are available through Wednesday, October 4, 2023. After this date, no refunds will be given. To request a refund, please contact customer service at mail@rw360.org. The Eventbrite processing fee is not refundable.
Is the conference wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the conference is wheelchair accessible.
What clothing should I bring for Montana weather?
We normally expect sunshiny days with daytime temperatures ranging from 49 to 60F in November, but evenings often cool down to 24F, so bring a jacket if you plan to stroll around in the morning or evening. Warmer clothes and walking shoes or boots will be needed if you plan to visit Yellowstone Park or any of our other nearby outdoor offerings.
During the conference itself you may wear whatever is comfortable for you. Our gatherings are informal, so many people will be dressed in business casual or blue jeans. If you want to dress up a bit, however, please do so. Some folks like to dress up a bit more for our Saturday Vision Banquet (“Montana formal” means wrangler jeans, an open collar shirt, sport coat, and cowboy boots), but we love to see people wearing whatever they like.
What recreation opportunities are there near Billings in November?
There’s a good reason Montana is called “Big Sky Country.” Wherever you turn, you’ll see a vast expanse of blue sky arching over snow-capped mountains, crystal clear rivers and pastures teeming with horses and cattle, as well as buffalo and elk. But there is so much more to see if you add a few days to your visit.
Known as “Montana’s Trailhead,” Billings blends culture and history with outdoor adventure and R&R, earning it the title “Best Town of 2016” according to Outside Magazine.
Billings is surrounded by unique historical sites, including Pompey’s Pillar, which contains the only remaining physical evidence of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the Little Bighorn Battlefield, where Montana’s Native Americans gave the U.S. Cavalry its greatest defeat. For a myriad of additional local recreational ideas, see the Visit Billings – Visitor’s Guide.
Billings is just one hour away from Red Lodge, which sits at the foot of the Beartooth Mountains and is a gateway to dozens of beautiful hiking and cross country skiing trails (depending now much snow we’ve had). If you’re open to a longer drive, you can travel to the northwest entrance to scenic Yellowstone National Park and drive into Cooke City, seeing hundreds of elk and bison along the way.
What advance study is recommended for the conference?
Most of the conference workshops will be built on the foundational principles of relational wisdom and biblical peacemaking. Therefore, in order to understand and integrate the concepts presented in these workshops, all attendees are encouraged to (1) complete our foundational course in relational wisdom (online or through a small group study) and (2) either read The Peacemaker book or complete our foundational course in relational peacemaking (online or through a small group study) prior to attending the conference.
Register Today and Receive a $99 Bonus!
Register today to receive free access to all of our previous conference recordings, a $99 value you can use yourself or transfer to a friend.