Breakout Sessions
Breakout sessions are meant to equip and resource you in a broad range of areas. Ministry overviews, culturally relevant topics, and leadership development are just a few areas we'll talk about. No matter your role – senior pastor, administrative assistant, small group leader, or all of the above – there will be a breakout for you! Can't decide which ones to attend? Not to worry. We will send you recordings of all breakout content approximately one month after the conference.
We also offer pre-conference workshops that take an even deeper dive into specific ministries.
Hear what other church leaders have said about equipping at CLC.
Church Leaders Conference 2025 Breakout Topics
Aligning Strategy with Resources: Building Watermark's Master Calendar
Churches can be complex organizations, and healthy churches are often full of passionate people with lots of ideas for new events and care initiatives. How do you thoughtfully align on which ministry activities get priority and resources? Learn a bit about Watermark’s journey over the past few years to create processes for strategically prioritizing our ministry activity.
Crisis Communications and Media Relations 101
No matter your church's size, denomination, or reputation, you will likely face a crisis. But here's the good news: if handled thoughtfully, every crisis can be an opportunity to build trust with your church and community. In this breakout, we'll give you a window into how we think about crisis communication and some essential skills for interfacing with the media.
Communications Overview: Strategies to Deploy for Any Church Size
Come get an overview of the process, organization, and roles we use on the Communications Team at Watermark, and how these principles and strategies can be scaled for any church size.
Rebranding a Ministry
Ministries evolve and change over time; the branding of your ministry is an important way to communicate the message you want to send. New vision, culture, and time can cause your current branding to become less aligned with the identity of your ministry. Is it time for a rebrand? The Porch Creative Team is here to walk you through why The Porch went through a messaging, visual, and strategic rebrand after nearly 20 years.
Social Media as Ministry: Planning and Creating Meaningful Content
Social media is an ever-changing landscape that can feel overwhelming. Regardless of your church size or skill level, this breakout will walk you through actionable steps toward developing a thoughtful social media strategy and best practices for creating engaging, gospel-saturated content.
The Art of Worship: How We Do What We Do
This breakout will discuss the practical side of leading a worship ministry. Topics will include recruiting and developing volunteers, running auditions, planning set-lists, setting clear expectations for your team, healthy collaboration with your production team, and our process of writing and recording original music.
The Creative Process in Action
Let’s get practical! In this breakout we’ll systematically walk you through our typical creative process for a large campaign using this year’s Easter branding as a case study. We'll share the steps and inspiration that shaped the overall look and hear from members of our creative team as they discuss their roles in bringing the vision to life. From concept to execution, discover how to effectively brainstorm a fresh idea, collaborate with others, and build a well-rounded campaign that points to Jesus and builds up the church.
The Heart of Worship: Why We Do What We Do
Join us as our worship team shares insights on staying spiritually healthy, fostering spiritual formation within the team, reclaiming & leading from our true identity, and navigating the common challenges of worship leadership.
Rock RMS: Lessons from Implementation and Real-World Use
Thinking about Rock RMS or looking to optimize its use? This session covers a brief history of Rock, key lessons from implementation, and real-world applications. We’ll also break down projects we’ve built with non-technical difficulty ratings to help gauge complexity. Join us for insights and a Q&A!
Caring for Friends Who Struggle or Identify as LGBTQ+
The Church has often failed to represent Christ to the LGBTQ+ community in both word and deed. Here's how we are trying to minister to people with these struggles and identities.
Helping Couples Overcome an Affair
An affair doesn’t have to be the end of a marriage or a family. The way we respond and minister to those in crisis matters. Learn practical biblical truth to help you come alongside couples when trust has been broken.
Helping the Hurting - Caring For Those in Significant Sin & Pain
Learn about balancing truth and grace in challenging counseling situations, essential components of biblical counsel, and practical ways to come alongside sinners and sufferers.
How To Be An Ally for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Come learn how to share the gospel message with the third-largest unreached people group in the world.
How to be a Pastor: Bereavement and Funeral Ministry 101
Showing up for your people during their greatest sorrows and losses is an essential part of pastoral ministry, yet many people find these opportunities intimidating or even inconvenient. This breakout examines the value of ministry to the grieving, the enormous discipleship opportunities these moments afford us, and some best practices for preparing, conducting, and following up after a funeral.
Infertility and Miscarriage Ministry Overview
Infertility affects 1 in 6 couples, and 10-20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. This means a staggering number of couples both in and outside the church are hurting and asking questions. Come learn how your church can reach, comfort, and equip both women and men through gospel-focused infertility ministry that replaces isolation and shame with community and hope. We’ll discuss key issues facing this population, share the formats and resources we use, and conclude with Q&A.
Leading Your Team When You're in a Valley
As leaders, we all go through personal highs and lows. Do heavy personal circumstances mean you are no longer fit for the job? Join for lessons learned from the valley floor and practical encouragement for you and your team on leading yourself, setting good personal expectations, and leading others even when facing hardship.
Re|engage Ministry Overview
Marriages are under attack. Your church can help couples that are doing well get stronger, while also helping those who are struggling find hope and care.
Re:generation Ministry Overview
Learn about one of Watermark's primary means of discipleship, pastoral care, healing, and cultivating authenticity. God has used Re:generation to transform tens of thousands of lives over the last decade at Watermark and churches around the country. Explore whether this ministry might be a fit for your church.
Building Partnerships with Non-Profits in your City
Don't recreate the wheel. By recognizing that the church is just one part of God's movement in the community, cooperation with local nonprofits allows you to mobilize your church body alongside existing expertise and resources. Here's how you can get started partnering with trusted organizations that are already impacting your city.
Caring for Friends Who Struggle or Identify as LGBTQ+
The Church has often failed to represent Christ to the LGBTQ+ community in both word and deed. Here's how we are trying to minister to people with these struggles and identities.
Deconstruction: Rebuilding Reality in Our Churches
In our current cultural climate, it's more common than ever for people to face issues within the world, self, and church that cause them to doubt Christianity. Is it possible to question your faith without losing it? We think so. Join us as we discuss why people are deconstructing their faith and how we can help build something stronger instead.
Empowering Lay Leaders in Ministry
One of the church’s primary responsibilities is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. Recruiting, training, empowering, and deploying faithful men and women to help you care for the flock edifies the church and glorifies God.
Helping the Hurting - Caring For Those in Significant Sin & Pain
Learn about balancing truth and grace in challenging counseling situations, essential components of biblical counsel, and practical ways to come alongside sinners and sufferers.
How To Be An Ally for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Come learn how to share the gospel message with the third-largest unreached people group in the world.
Re:generation for Students
Staff and volunteers share what they have learned from launching a biblical recovery ministry for students in grades 6-12.
Re:generation Ministry Overview
Learn about one of Watermark's primary means of discipleship, pastoral care, healing, and cultivating authenticity. God has used Re:generation to transform tens of thousands of lives over the last decade at Watermark and churches around the country. Explore whether this ministry might be a fit for your church.
Starting a Special and Additional Needs Ministry for Kids, Students, and Adults
Learn how our Additional Care Ministry began, hear about the tools we use to support families, and conclude with a Q&A session.
Staff Culture and Values
Ministry leaders can easily become so focused on the work of their calling that they neglect their fellow servant-leaders. A healthy staff culture and strong shared values are essential for growing and sustaining a healthy ministry. At this breakout, two members of Watermark’s Executive Team will talk about the efforts we’ve made to design, build, and maintain our staff culture and values. We’ll share best practices and ways to improve in this important but often overlooked area.
Watermark Elders: A Look Behind the Curtain
Join the Watermark Elders as they share their experiences from shepherding and leading our church body and staff team over the past year.
Faith Path Overview
God designed the family as the primary place for discipleship, and parents have the privilege of nurturing faith and character in the next generation. At the beginning of 2024, the Family team rolled out Faith Path - a tool for parents to intentionally and purposefully disciple their children and guide their spiritual journey each step of the way.
Getting Your Members to Actually Read The Bible
Many things vie for our attention. What if the biggest source of distraction could become our biggest asset? Come and see just how big of a positive impact the internet can have on your congregation as we walk through lessons learned from nearly 20 years of digital discipleship through Join the Journey, and get a sneak peek of the biggest initiative we’ve ever attempted in Watermark history: Join The Journey 2025 - "The Year of The Word."
How to Onboard Volunteers
Investing in your volunteers early on will produce your next generation of ministry and church leaders. Let's talk about how we have seen onboarding volunteers shape our culture at The Porch, common obstacles you may run into, and key practices for equipping and training up your people.
Applying the Gospel to Everyday Life
The gospel obviously impacts our past (through forgiveness of sin) and future (in our heavenly hope), but our thoughts, actions, feelings, and relationships often demonstrate confusion around how the gospel informs our present. Join us in exploring how God's redemptive promises bear powerfully and practically on daily life.
Deconstruction: Rebuilding Reality in Our Churches
In our current cultural climate, it's more common than ever for people to face issues within the world, self, and church that cause them to doubt Christianity. Is it possible to question your faith without losing it? We think so. Join us as we discuss why people are deconstructing their faith and how we can help build something stronger instead.
Getting Your Members to Actually Read The Bible
Many things vie for our attention. What if the biggest source of distraction could become our biggest asset? Come and see just how big of a positive impact the internet can have on your congregation as we walk through lessons learned from nearly 20 years of digital discipleship through Join the Journey, and get a sneak peek of the biggest initiative we’ve ever attempted in Watermark history: Join The Journey 2025 - "The Year of The Word."
Great Questions: Making Apologetics Magnetic
In an age of information overload, seekers and skeptics are looking for real people to process their questions with about God, and there's no better place for them to do so than in a local church. Come get an overview of Watermark's apologetics ministry, the questions participants are asking, and transferable principles to help strengthen your church's evangelism and apologetics.
How to Onboard Volunteers
Investing in your volunteers early on will produce your next generation of ministry and church leaders. Let's talk about how we have seen onboarding volunteers shape our culture at The Porch, common obstacles you may run into, and key practices for equipping and training up your people.
Your Role and Title Are Not Your Identity: Embracing Divine Invitation
When our lives and ministries take paths we would never have chosen, it can be tempting to allow the curveballs to affect our identity. But God is always writing a good story. As followers of Jesus, our identity is rooted and secure as children of God, and no role, title, platform, or opportunity can change or compete with that. We’ll explore how to find true contentment, gratitude, joy, and freedom in the truth that God doesn't need us, but still sovereignly invites us to participate in His Kingdom story.
Watermark Institute - The Heart, the Hope, the Hindrances of Preparing the Next Generation of Church Leaders
We are more convinced than ever of the need for early discipleship and training for those going into ministry. This year we're discussing the heart of what we do at the Institute, our hope for students, and the hindrances we're addressing for those going into ministry. We hope those of you already training future leaders of the church will be encouraged and those of you who are considering an Institute program will be inspired.
Faith Path Overview
God designed the family as the primary place for discipleship, and parents have the privilege of nurturing faith and character in the next generation. At the beginning of 2024, the Family team rolled out Faith Path - a tool for parents to intentionally and purposefully disciple their children and guide their spiritual journey each step of the way.
Infertility and Miscarriage Ministry Overview
Infertility affects 1 in 6 couples, and 10-20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. This means a staggering number of couples both in and outside the church are hurting and asking questions. Come learn how your church can reach, comfort, and equip both women and men through gospel-focused infertility ministry that replaces isolation and shame with community and hope. We’ll discuss key issues facing this population, share the formats and resources we use, and conclude with Q&A.
Kids Midweek Ministry Overview
Curious how Watermark disciples children during the week while parents attend nightly ministries such as Re|engage, Re:generation and Women’s Bible Study? Looking to start or grow a kids midweek ministry program? This breakout is for you! We will discuss recruiting and onboarding leaders, classroom schedules and curriculum, and leader retention and care.
Kids Ministry "Ask Me Anything"
Did your time in the Watermark Kids Overview or Workshop leave you with any burning questions? Is there anything you’ve always wanted to know but never had the chance to ask? Come "ask us anything" and hear others people's questions.
Serving in Ministry Without Sacrificing Your Marriage
Ministry is a calling, but so is your marriage. How do you serve wholeheartedly without neglecting the covenant you made with your spouse? In this session, we’ll explore practical ways to prioritize your marriage while thriving in ministry. We’ll discuss the power of intentionality in your relationship, how to keep fun and connection alive amid the demands of ministry, and how to set healthy boundaries that honor both your calling and your spouse. Whether you’re newly married or decades in, this talk will equip you with strategies to serve effectively without sacrificing the most important earthly relationship God has given you.
Starting a Special and Additional Needs Ministry for Kids, Students, and Adults
Learn how our Additional Care Ministry began, hear about the tools we use to support families, and conclude with a Q&A session.
Watermark Kids Overview
The church has a crucial role to play in coming alongside parents to shepherd and guide the next generation. Come hear how we strive to keep every kid safe and secure while creating space for them to be seen, welcomed, and taught about Jesus. (This information will also be covered in the Kids Workshop.)
Becoming a Coaching Leader
Ministries grow at the rate of healthy leadership. Learn how we are recruiting and developing our next generation of staff and volunteer leaders.
How to Improve Your Physical Health
In caring for others spiritually, it’s easy to neglect yourself physically. Come learn science-backed practices, advice, and hacks for exercise, nutrition, and sleep to help you take great care of the body God has entrusted to you.
Leading as Part of a Team: Thoughts on Leading Up, Down, or Sideways
Working in ministry requires leaders to wear many hats and carry multiple responsibilities simultaneously. Fulfilling those responsibilities while working in a team environment can be tricky at times, leading to frustrations and missed opportunities. Whether you're a senior leader or just starting out, we'll cover some biblical principles of leadership and offer practical takeaways to help each of us grow as leaders and teammates.
Leading Your Team When You're in a Valley
As leaders, we all go through personal highs and lows. Do heavy personal circumstances mean you are no longer fit for the job? Join for lessons learned from the valley floor and practical encouragement for you and your team on leading yourself, setting good personal expectations, and leading others even when facing hardship.
Listening While Leading
Ever feel the urge to charge ahead with a decision prematurely, or find yourself overwhelmed by so many opinions that progress comes to a halt? Leadership is both a gift and a continual opportunity for growth. Join our South Dallas Campus Pastor as he shares the transformative power of listening.
Overcoming Failures
Ministry is filled with both personal and organizational failures. Sermons will miss the mark, staff members will argue, programs will be ineffective, budgets will fall short, and sometimes churches will even shut down. Jesus invites us to trust him by remaining faithful as he builds His church in the midst of failure and hard times.
Rookie Mistakes
Stepping into full-time ministry is exciting, but comes with its own set of challenges. In this breakout session, a trusted young leader shares real stories from her first five years of ministry-the common rookie mistakes, the lessons learned, and how to navigate them with wisdom and grace. Whether you're just starting out or mentoring young leaders, come be encouraged and learn practical insights for the journey ahead.
Sabbaticals: Understanding the Value & Logistics of Productive Rest
Rhythms of rest and sabbath are woven into the fabric of creation and of our faith as a means of restoration, healing, and continued fruitfulness. This breakout considers the value of sabbaticals for vocational ministers as a means of respecting these God-given rhythms of rest and discusses best practices for employing them for those who serve your church.
Senior Leader Q&A
Come join Watermark’s Executive Pastor for a Q&A for senior ministry leaders.
Staff Culture and Values
Ministry leaders can easily become so focused on the work of their calling that they neglect their fellow servant-leaders. A healthy staff culture and strong shared values are essential for growing and sustaining a healthy ministry. At this breakout, two members of Watermark’s Executive Team will talk about the efforts we’ve made to design, build, and maintain our staff culture and values. We’ll share best practices and ways to improve in this important but often overlooked area.
Supporting Church Leadership: Thriving as an Administrative Assistant
As an administrative assistant, you are a vital part of the ministry, providing support that helps leadership shepherd and lead well. This session offers practical wisdom on anticipation, communication, and initation, ending with a Q&A with our Lead & Associate Pastors, whose experiences and insights will inspire you to serve with greater joy and purpose.
The Perfectionist Pastor
Having a clear picture of what excellence looks like is a gift, but it can also turn us into our own biggest critics. What does it look like to hold the tension of excellence and drive in ministry while also giving yourself and others grace? How do we deal with shame, our inner critic, or swirling thoughts daily about where our ministry is and where it needs to be?
Your Role and Title Are Not Your Identity: Embracing Divine Invitation
When our lives and ministries take paths we would never have chosen, it can be tempting to allow the curveballs to affect our identity. But God is always writing a good story. As followers of Jesus, our identity is rooted and secure as children of God, and no role, title, platform, or opportunity can change or compete with that. We’ll explore how to find true contentment, gratitude, joy, and freedom in the truth that God doesn't need us, but still sovereignly invites us to participate in his Kingdom story.
Watermark Institute - The Heart, the Hope, the Hindrances of Preparing the Next Generation of Church Leaders
We are more convinced than ever of the need for early discipleship and training for those going into ministry. This year we're discussing the heart of what we do at the Institute, our hope for students, and the hindrances we're addressing for those going into ministry. We hope those of you already training future leaders of the church will be encouraged and those of you who are considering an Institute program will be inspired.
Watermark's Way Forward: Our Priorities in 2025
Churches are encountering both new and old challenges while ministering to their congregations, and Watermark is no exception! Come hear about the issues Watermark is wrestling with and how we are addressing them.
The Church's Role in Community Development
Do you see the same people in your community day after day and wish you could make a real difference in their lives? Does your city view your church as a resource that really helps the community in effective ways? Join us as we explore some key principles and initial action steps to deploy the body of Christ in your community long term and really make a difference in the lives of those you seek to serve.
Helping Couples Overcome an Affair
An affair doesn’t have to be the end of a marriage or a family. The way we respond and minister to those in crisis matters. Learn practical biblical truth to help you come alongside couples when trust has been broken.
Re|engage Ministry Overview
Marriages are under attack. Your church can help couples that are doing well get stronger, while also helping those who are struggling find hope and care.
Serving in Ministry Without Sacrificing Your Marriage
Ministry is a calling, but so is your marriage. How do you serve wholeheartedly without neglecting the covenant you made with your spouse? In this session, we’ll explore practical ways to prioritize your marriage while thriving in ministry. We’ll discuss the power of intentionality in your relationship, how to keep fun and connection alive amid the demands of ministry, and how to set healthy boundaries that honor both your calling and your spouse. Whether you’re newly married or decades in, this talk will equip you with strategies to serve effectively without sacrificing the most important earthly relationship God has given you.
A Biblical Approach to Church Safety
Creating a safe church environment isn’t just about security—it’s about ministry and balancing protection with hospitality. Join us for an inside look at how Watermark approaches security in a way that prioritizes both vigilance and discipleship. From policies on registered sex offenders to incident reporting and volunteer training, these are practical ways to safeguard your church while fostering trust and community.
Aligning Strategy with Resources: Building Watermark's Master Calendar
Churches can be complex organizations, and healthy churches are often full of passionate people with lots of ideas for new events and care initiatives. How do you thoughtfully align on which ministry activities get priority and resources? Learn a bit about Watermark’s journey over the past few years to create processes for strategically prioritizing our ministry activity.
Church Facilities: Approaches to Maintenance, Design, & Construction
A panel discussion with Facility Team Leaders on campus development, maintenance, design, construction, and event management.
Communications Overview: Strategies to Deploy for Any Church Size
Come get an overview of the process, organization, and roles we use on the Communications Team at Watermark, and how these principles and strategies can be scaled for any church size.
Crisis Communications and Media Relations 101
No matter your church's size, denomination, or reputation, you will likely face a crisis. But here's the good news: if handled thoughtfully, every crisis can be an opportunity to build trust with your church and community. In this breakout, we'll give you a window into how we think about crisis communication and some essential skills for interfacing with the media.
Brewing Community: How to Open and Run a Coffeeshop at Your Church
Thinking about starting a coffee shop at your church? Join us for a practical discussion on how to create a welcoming space that serves great coffee while supporting your ministry. We’ll cover startup essentials, budgeting, staffing (volunteer vs. paid), and how to make it sustainable. Whether you’re just exploring the idea or ready to launch, this session will give you the tools to get started!
Becoming a Coaching Leader
Ministries grow at the rate of healthy leadership. Learn how we are recruiting and developing our next generation of staff and volunteer leaders.
Overcoming Failures
Ministry is filled with both personal and organizational failures. Sermons will miss the mark, staff members will argue, programs will be ineffective, budgets will fall short, and sometimes churches will even shut down. Jesus invites us to trust him by remaining faithful as he builds His church in the midst of failure and hard times.
Sabbaticals: Understanding the Value & Logistics of Productive Rest
Rhythms of rest and sabbath are woven into the fabric of creation and of our faith as a means of restoration, healing, and continued fruitfulness. This breakout considers the value of sabbaticals for vocational ministers as a means of respecting these God-given rhythms of rest and discusses best practices for employing them for those who serve your church.
Senior Leader Q&A
Come join Watermark’s Executive Pastor for a Q&A for senior ministry leaders.
Watermark's Way Forward: Our Priorities in 2025
Churches are encountering both new and old challenges while ministering to their congregations, and Watermark is no exception! Come hear about the issues Watermark is wrestling with and how we are addressing them.
Watermark Elders: A Look Behind the Curtain
Join the Watermark Elders as they share their experiences from shepherding and leading our church body and staff team over the past year.
Re:generation for Students
Staff and volunteers share what they have learned from launching a biblical recovery ministry for students in grades 6-12.
Watermark Students: Guiding Future Generations to Follow Jesus and Be the Church
The Watermark Students team will share how discipleship relationships, environments, events, and experiences create opportunities for students (grades 6-12) to be known, accepted, taught about Jesus, and challenged to grow.
The Art of Worship: How We Do What We Do
This breakout will discuss the practical side of leading a worship ministry. Topics will include recruiting and developing volunteers, running auditions, planning set-lists, setting clear expectations for your team, healthy collaboration with your production team, and our process of writing and recording original music.
The Creative Process in Action
Let’s get practical! In this breakout we’ll systematically walk you through our typical creative process for a large campaign using this year’s Easter branding as a case study. We'll share the steps and inspiration that shaped the overall look and hear from members of our creative team as they discuss their roles in bringing the vision to life. From concept to execution, discover how to effectively brainstorm a fresh idea, collaborate with others, and build a well-rounded campaign that points to Jesus and builds up the church.
The Heart of Worship: Why We Do What We Do
Join us as our worship team shares insights on staying spiritually healthy, fostering spiritual formation within the team, reclaiming & leading from our true identity, and navigating the common challenges of worship leadership.
Rebranding a Ministry
Ministries evolve and change over time; the branding of your ministry is an important way to communicate the message you want to send. New vision, culture, and time can cause your current branding to become less aligned with the identity of your ministry. Is it time for a rebrand? The Porch Creative Team is here to walk you through why The Porch went through a messaging, visual, and strategic rebrand after nearly 20 years.
Social Media as Ministry: Planning and Creating Meaningful Content
Social media is an ever-changing landscape that can feel overwhelming. Regardless of your church size or skill level, this breakout will walk you through actionable steps toward developing a thoughtful social media strategy and best practices for creating engaging, gospel-saturated content.
