We’re so glad you’re here! In a world of shifting culture and spiritual confusion, our prayer is that these two days help you dig deep into the true gospel, find clarity, and be encouraged in the mission God has called you to fulfill.

A heartfelt thank-you to Community Church Oshkosh for hosting, to all of our speakers for their investment, and especially to Dr. Joel Lawrence for joining us as our featured guest.

We’re grateful for your presence and pray this time strengthens your heart, home, and ministry.

  • You’ve been called on a mission. Don’t go at it alone.

    In a world filled with spiritual confusion, cultural shifts, and theological drift, the Church needs clarity more than ever. That’s why Foundations Conference 2025 is digging deep into the essential question: What is the gospel?

    Rooted in the Letter to the Galatians, this year’s conference will equip and encourage pastors, ministry leaders, church staff, and spouses to confidently teach, live, and share the true gospel in their homes, churches, and communities.

    Whether you’re leading from the pulpit, in kids ministry, on staff, or faithfully supporting from the front row, Foundations is for you. This is more than a conference—it’s a space to realign our hearts, sharpen our focus, and strengthen one another for the mission we’ve been called to.

  • 11:00 Registration Begins

    12:00 Lunch

    1:00 Main Session

    2:30 Break

    2:45 Breakout Sessions

    3:45 Break

    4:00 Peer to Peer Sessions

    5:30 Dinner

    6:45 Main Session

    8:30 Dessert Reception

  • 8:00 Continental Breakfast

    9:00 Breakout Sessions

    10:30 Break

    10:45 Main Session

    12:00 Boxed Lunch

Foundations Schedule 2025

    • Ministering to Teens & Families in a Culture of Sexual Confusion

    • A.I. in the Church: Sermon Development

    • God's Esteem of Women: A Blueprint for Life and Mission

    • Evangelism that Anyone Can Accomplish

    • Creating a Culture of Discipleship

    • Missional Chaplaincy: Working with Your Local Law Enforcement

    • Developing a Leadership Pipeline

    • Leveraging Social Media: Crash Course (Bring a Phone)

    • Create a Life of Ministry You Love

    • The Basics of Effective Counseling

    • Solo Pastor: Rod Ankrom (CL Kids Worship Center)

      Multi-Staff Pastor: Adam Utecht & Alan Cleveland (CL Room 1)

      Women in Ministry (not just wives): Cassie Beyer (CL Room 2)

      Youth and Discipleship: Joe Potes (CL Room 4)

      Board Leadership: Mike Kleven and Brian Petersen (CL Room 3)

      Church Planting: Derek Mueller, Luke Allison & Jay Williams (Offsite)

Sessions

Thank you to our sponsors!

  • Dr. Joel Lawrence serves as the President of the Center for Pastor Theologians. Prior to this role, Joel served as the Senior Pastor of Central Baptist Church in St Paul, MN, Teaching Pastor at Calvary Church in White Bear, MN, and Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at Bethel Seminary in St Paul, Minnesota. Joel holds degrees from Texas A&M University (B.A.), Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM.), and Cambridge University (MPhil. and PhD.). He is the author of Bonhoeffer: A Guide for the Perplexed (T&T Clark, 2010) and co-editor of Confronting Racial Injustice: Theory and Praxis for the Church (Cascade, 2022), Reconstructing Evangelicalism (Cascade, 2025), and Power and the Pulpit (Cascade, forthcoming). In addition, Joel has an active ministry speaking in churches, seminaries, and conferences worldwide.

    Joel and his wife Myndi live in St Paul, MN, with their four children and small, decorative dog.

Free childcare is available during all sessions, so you can focus while your kids are cared for. We’ll also share meals, enjoy encouraging worship, and connect with others who understand the highs and lows of ministry life.