Church Leaders Leave Restore Inspired

September 27, 2024 by Doug Bender

For those who work hard to help others experience restoration, opportunities for personal refreshment can be scarce. From this understanding—and a heart for these faithful leaders—a special conference was born two years ago.

This year, on Sept. 9–10, church leaders from around the country came together once again for Restore, a Prison Fellowship conference for those with a heart for restoration. The gathering took place in Birmingham, Alabama, and was hosted by Church of the Highlands. Restore seeks to provide a place where those on the front lines of ministry—to those impacted by incarceration, addiction, poverty, or other struggles—can be refreshed and inspired for the work God has given them.

Attendees from many different denominations and backgrounds took part in powerful times of worship, heard from dynamic speakers, and joined breakout sessions offering practical advice on a variety of topics. Throughout the conference, participants forged meaningful connections and learned how they could continue in their ministry with even greater impact. The event took place over two days, but its effect will surely bear fruit for many months ahead.

INSIGHTS AND BEST PRACTICES

“I love it,” Carmelle Norice said, who traveled in from National Community Church in Washington, D.C. “I’m totally in my element here. The speakers, the people—I just love it all.”

Speakers like Dream Center founder Matthew Barnett and Dean of Talbot School of Theology Ed Stetzer shared their research, hard-won experience, and inspiring stories. While every church and ministry will have its own unique path, hearing from those who have gone before can provide guideposts for the road ahead—and the important reminder that we must persevere and have faith that God will move.

“Outlast everything,” Pastor Barnett exhorted those in attendance. “Outlast your biggest failure. Outlast the worst day of your life. … The secret of being used of God is to create some ‘miracle space.’ This space between what you can do and what you can't do—that's where God gets the glory.”

Attendees chose between many breakout sessions, each designed to give highly practical and relevant insights for doing restorative ministry. People flocked to the sessions to learn how to do Angel Tree^® beyond Christmastime, establish a church campus in prison, minister through art, engage urban communities in recovery, and much more.

Becke Medina, director of the Hilliard Dream Center out of Rock City Church, said, “I’m so glad I came. We lead people, and people have so many needs. Restore helps us connect all of those needs so people can see true restoration, of the whole person, that comes through Christ.”

Ministry is full of complications and difficult challenges. But God is at work, and He continues to guide His people. A conference like this gives leaders the opportunity to share what they’ve learned, explain what’s working, and envision what might lie ahead. But much of the conference’s true power was in the interactions that happened between programmed events.

IN THE HALLWAYS AND AROUND THE TABLES

Proverbs 11:25 says, “Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” This was the goal of Restore, and based on feedback from participants, that goal was realized.

“For me, Restore is about connecting and reconnecting with other co-laborers in Christ,” one attendee said.

“I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to network with people,” agreed another. “That’s how we can learn from each other and learn to do it better for the Kingdom.”

While every person in attendance walked away with valuable insights from the speakers and breakout sessions, most were quick to point out the value of just being in a room with fellow ministry leaders.

Jason Ebersold came from Christ Fellowship Church in Florida. He had attended the previous Restore conference and was so impressed that he came back and brought his fellow pastor Jake Perez with him.

Jake said, “We’ve enjoyed Restore conference so much. Just to uplift us and encourage us, breathing life into us. But what I’ve enjoyed the most is being able to network and just talk with other churches who are doing prison ministries really well and being able to ask questions. We’ve really enjoyed it.”

Jason reflected on his first time at Restore—and why he keeps coming back.

“I was so impressed with how Prison Fellowship did the last event,” he said. “I had to come back and bring a friend. I have not experienced an organization do such a good job of packing so much content into such a short period of time. For me the takeaway is the connections and conversations we’ve had with other churches doing prison ministry and also the key things former [prisoners] have shared. It’s opened my perspective and hopefully will make me be a better leader.”

Whether it was asking a follow-up question after a breakout session, laughing and sharing stories with a new brother or sister at lunch, or finding a fellow leader struggling through similar ministry challenges, the collaborative power of Christ’s Body was at work at Restore.

People came looking for information, inspiration, and insights, and they found these things. But they also left feeling refreshed, having encountered not only others serving in similar contexts but the Lord Himself, the source of all true restoration.

Register now for Restore 2025!