Life Model 2021

 Full Heart, Whole Brain: Growing a fearless people who love like Jesus!

September 15-17  |  Kansas City, MO

Life Model Works has experienced a difficult two years. Coming out of pandemic lockdowns, we need to be together. Much has changed in the Life Model Works approach. Not only do we have new leadership, we have new dreams and plans that we can’t wait to share with you.

Our focus for 2021 is to hold the most relational Life Model Family gathering ever! Our focus will be to help us all:
  • Gain inspiration from how Immanuel has led each of us in the past two years. We will all seek Him together and share what He is saying!
  • Build new relationships with others on the Life Model journey, and rekindle old ones, and form deeper bonds of attachment to our Life Model family.
  • Dream together about where the Life Model can be expanded.
  • Have our team share about the future of Life Model Works. We can’t wait to share our dreams and plans with you!

You can purchase the video recordings!

The conference presentations were recorded and can now be purchased for online viewing.

NEW CONTENT & NEW EXPERIENCES

  • “Table Talks” with other participants will be a main feature of the conference
  • Meet Life Model advocates with whom you share a common field of interest
  • Gain insights in a few breakout sessions
  • Be inspired as speakers will share “testimonials” of how they are spreading the Life Model

Keynotes & Breakouts

Dr. Jim Wilder

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Jim Wilder (Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, and M.A. Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary) has been training leaders and counselors for over 27 years on five continents. He is the author of multiple books with a strong focus on maturing and relationship skills for leaders. His coauthored book Living From the Heart Jesus Gave You has sold over 100,000 copies and is printed in eleven languages. Wilder has published numerous articles and developed four sets of video and relational leadership training called THRIVE.

He is the founder and chief neurotheologian of Life Model Work, a nonprofit working at the intersection of brain science and theology that is building contagiously healthy Christian communities through equipping existing networks with the skills to thrive. Dr. Wilder has extensive counseling experience and has served as a guest lecturer at Fuller Seminary, Biola, Talbot Seminary, Point Loma University, Montreat College, Tyndale Seminary and elsewhere.

Ray Woolridge

Keynote Speaker

Rev. Ray Woolridge (MDiv, Southwestern Baptist Seminary, and Master of Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College) became the Executive Director of Life Model Works on September 1, 2020. He is thrilled to serve in a role that combines his pastoral and leadership experience with his calling, giftings and walk with God. The principles behind the Life Model are transforming his life, work, and personal relationships every day. 

Ray is a retired U.S. Army Chaplain (Brigadier General) with 43 years of service with the military, in uniform or as a civilian. A skilled public communicator, he also gets joy in coaching leaders to discover their uniqueness and unleash their potential. Ray has led in two congregations, as a church planting pastor and as pastor of adult ministries. Ray is thankful to partner with Life Model Works to come alongside existing networks to implement Life Model principles in their context.

Margaret Webb

Breakout Leader

Margaret is the co-founder fo Alive & Well, a ministry helping people make their resources, skills, and experiences available to God for the benefit of others. She earned a Masters in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College and spent 12 years in private practice as a Christian psychotherapist, retiring in the year 2000.

Since then she has devoted herself to a ministry of emotional healing and maturation in the context of prayer. Teaching, training, mentoring, and consulting, she is committed to the vision of a network of lay and professional people-helpers bringing the care of souls into the local church.

Michael Sullivant

Keynote Speaker

Michael Sullivant is the Director of Relational Networks for Life Model Works. He is a church planter, pastor, author, poet and speaker. He has ministered in over 25 countries through over 40 years of public ministry. Michael and his wife, Terri, have 5 adult and married children and a growing number of grandchildren. His latest book is Thinking Biblically About the Life Model.  

Michael is involved with ministry and church leaders and change agents who are seeking to integrate more relational approaches to helping people in their groups mature and experience deeper and lasting identity transformation into the image of Jesus Christ.

Amy Brown

Breakout Leader

Amy is a content developer, trainer, and consultant on staff with Alive & Well, Inc. As consultant, she creates monthly training events for the Online Practice Community with THRIVEtoday, creates training materials for Life Model Works, and leads the Certified Journey Group Leadership Community with Deeper Walk International.

She co-authored the book Relational Skills in the Bible with Chris Coursey, and wrote the Journey Group Curriculum. She is a relational skills trainer with THRIVEtoday.

Michel Hendricks

Keynote Speaker

Michel Hendricks is the Director of Life Model Consulting. Michel Hendricks (MDiv, Denver Seminary; BS. University of Colorado, Boulder) has been a pastor, missionary, inventor and author. He has been a teacher and trainer for more than 25 years. He is the former pastor of spiritual formation at Flatirons Community Church near Boulder, CO. He has also served and trained in Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda. He is the author of Basic Training for Walking with Jesus and co-author of The Other Half of Church. He works with churches and organizations to help bring maturity and the transformation of character back into the center of Christian practice.

You can purchase the video recordings!

The conference presentations were recorded and can now be purchased for online viewing.

4 Breakout Tracks

Track 1: Introduction to the Life Model: Understanding It and Explaining It to Others  

If you’d like to learn more about the Life Model, or if you’ve been around a while and would like some tips for explaining the Life Model to your pastor, family or friends, join Margaret Webb and Amy Brown for this fun, interactive time together.  

Track 2: Life Model Online Community  

Many people involved in the Life Model ecosystem ask for a “clearinghouse” for “all things Life Model”. They also are looking for others who are like-minded and for others who may live and do ministry in their geographic regions. Life Model Works is partnering with Thrive Today, Alive and Well and others, to develop an online community platform that will be such a clearinghouse for relational connections, smaller learning communities, services, and multi-media resources.  Choose this track to learn how you can join a “beta” group for this exciting new endeavor and help us dream about how to make and keep it user-friendly and relevant for years to come.  

Join Michael Sullivant, Director of Relational Networks, John Saunders, and Richard Abbot to learn more.

Track 3: Life Model Works:  Honoring our Past, Dreaming of Our Future

Life Model Works has a fifty-year history, building on the legacy of Shepherd’s House.  We are convinced our greatest days are ahead.  Our team has been listening to Immanuel and working together all year, and we have exciting plans to share.  We have some new ways to share about how we hope to live and spread the goodness of the Life Model to as many interested people and communities as possible.  Take a look “under the hood” and hear how you can be part of the new season for Life Model Works. Join Ray Woolridge, Executive Director and Dave Mead, Chairman of the Board to learn more and how you can be involved. 

Track 4: Character Change the Life Model style

Are you interested in transforming your character the way God designed it? Come and try out the practices found in The Pandora Problem and The Other Half of Church that train our right orbital prefrontal cortex.  Led by Michel Hendricks, Life Model Director of Consulting.

3-Day Schedule

Wednesday

 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Pre-registration at hotel  

5:30 – 7:00 PM

Registrations at Rock of KC Church 

6:00 PM 

Arrival at the Venue – Bookstore Open   

7:00 PM – Gathering 

Welcome – Ray Woolridge   

Worship

Testimonial 

Life Model Practitioners Panel 

8:30 – 9:00 PM

Closing Prayer – Bookstore Open

Thursday

8:30 AM

Late Registration at Rock of KC Church 

8:30 AM – Bookstore Open   

9:00 AM – Opening Session 

9:30 AM – Dr. Jim Wilder

“Women and Christianity”

10:45 AM – Break   

11:00 AM – Michel Hendricks

“The Ups and Downs of Getting the Life Model into your church”  

11:50 AM  - Intro to Breakout Sessions

12:00 PM - Lunch Break

2:00 PM  – Breakout Sessions   

4:00 PM – Break/Bookstore Open til 4:45  

4:15 PM — Joy Building – Michael Sullivant

4:45 PM – Dinner Break   

7:00 PM – Worship

7:20 PM –Table Discussions

“Women, Attachment and The Church” with Margaret Webb, Rhonda Morgan, Shari Ausley, Amy Brown, Jim Wilder, Ray Woolridge, and others.

9:00 – 9:30 PM

Closing Prayer/Bookstore Open 

Friday

8:30 AM – Bookstore Open   

9:00 AM –Opening Session

9:30 AM  – Michael Sullivant

Relational Leadership: Serving to Rehumanize Church and Culture 

10:00 AM – Break   

10:15 AM – Dr. Jim Wilder

“Women and Attachment”

11:30 AM –  Break   

11:40 AM – 12:30 PM – Ray Woolridge

Closing Observations and Next Steps  

1:00 PM – Bookstore closes

Venue

The Rock of KC

12750 N Winan Ave, Kansas City, MO 64163

The Rock KC is a Christian Church located in Kansas City, Missouri, and the venue for this event. Please, do not contact the church about information related to the event, rather contact Life Model Works (info@lifemodelworks.org).

Lodging

Four Points by Sheraton

11832 NW Plaza Circle, Kansas City, MO 64153

A special rate of $99.00 per night has been secured for hotel accommodations for this event. Use the link below to make your registration and secure this special rate! Reservations must be made by August 17th or the rates change.

Reservations can be made by clicking the link above or by calling 888-627-8147 and mentioning this is associated with Life Model Works and the conference. Shuttle Service will be available from the hotel to the event venue and back.

NOTE: A special gathering room will be available each night for people to connect and enjoy each other’s stories and company.

Transportation

HOTEL SHUTTLE
The Sheraton provides transportation to and from the airport. After you pick up your luggage you may call this number to schedule pick up from the airport: 816-464-2345. You may schedule your return to airport shuttle at the hotel.

The Sheraton hotel provides a shuttle every two hours from 6PM to 10 PM to and from the Zona Rosa district with several choices for dining and shopping: https://www.zonarosa.com/

TRANSPORTATION TO VENUE

Registrants are encouraged to carpool, however, a shuttle service for those without transportation between the venue and the hotel each day will be provided by Life Model Works but only for those who indicate their need on the registration form.

Lunch Options

Attendees may choose to order an onsite lunch, bring their own, or enjoy a local restaurant.
(Selections to be made on the registration form – $15.00 per lunch selected in addition to the event cost)

SANDWICHES/WRAPS
Ham & Swiss on Croissant w/BBQ blue cheese
Turkey & Cheddar on White w/chipotle mayo
California Club Wrap; smoked turkey breast, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado & sweet onion dressing
Thai Chicken Wrap-grilled chicken cabbage, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, almonds & Asian sesame dressing

VEGETARIAN SANDWICH
Marinated Vegetable on Focaccia W/Provolone Cheese

SALADS
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Strawberry Spinach Salad: spinach, sliced fresh strawberries, feta, red onion, bacon & pecans. Served w/cranberry citrus vinaigrette
Greek Salad: Romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta & Kalamata olives w/Greek vinaigrette

COVID-19 Considerations

We want to practice being gentle protectors for one another. We want to use discretion and be sensitive to consider other’s needs before our own.
While we will not require masks or vaccination proof or social distancing, unless local guidance changes in the Kansas City area, we ask each of us to be considerate.

We will provide video recordings of all sessions to anyone with a paid registration, and these will also be added to JoyStream as soon as possible after the event.

NOTE: A special gathering room will be available each night for people to connect and enjoy each other’s stories and company.

Registration

Early Registration | June 24 – August 15 | $299 person | $498 couple
Full Price | Aug 16 – September 3 | $359 person | $618 couple

Group & Volunteer rates available. Contact Us.

CANCELATION POLICY

To cancel your registration – contact Rebecca Caputo rebeccacaputo@lifemodelworks.org

Refunds: 45-days prior to event (100%), 30-days prior (50%), 14-days prior (25%), 7-days prior (no refund)