Wesleyans gathered in Indianapolis on October 11-12, 2024, for the FUEL conference, a space for next-gen leaders to be refreshed, encouraged, equipped and connected with other leaders.
The conference’s theme was “Abide,” taken from John 15:1-8, and chosen as a reminder that the foundation of any fruitful ministry is a deeply rooted apprenticeship to Jesus. That theme resonated with those who gathered — some of whom were in seasons of energetic ministry and desiring new skills to grow into the next seasons. Others arrived at the conference needing refreshment, hoping to learn how to head into their next season with more delight, sustainability and joy in mind.
“We wanted folks who needed a retreat because of burnout and exhaustion to have space for renewal and refreshing,” said Santes Beatty, director of Next Gen Multiplication and Discipleship of The Wesleyan Church (TWC). “For those who needed connection and resourcing to have leading practitioners to pour into them and offered things to help them serve effectively.”
Of the 300 attendees, around 150 were student/youth leaders with 50 children’s leaders, 50 young adult leaders and the remaining 50 being a mixture of other pastors, university and lay leaders. Workshops on sustainable ministry, long-range planning, recruiting/equipping volunteers, worship in an age of anxiety and spiritual formation pathways (among many other offerings) allowed every attendee to tailor their experience to their sense of what God is calling them to focus on.
But for Amy Boyle, a next-gen resident pastor at Trinity Wesleyan Church in Indianapolis, and an administrative assistant for TWC’s Next Gen team, some of the beauty of FUEL was in being with each other. “Being with leaders in a new environment and seeing people of different generations ask new questions and be asked new questions — that really came to fruition here. It can be so easy to think and talk disparagingly about those in the next generation; but having people gather together who know that this next generation has an authentic hunger for Jesus and won’t settle for a false or manufactured version of him, was inspiring.”
In addition to support from peers, onsite coaches and counselors, “conference pastors” were there to provide a culture of care for those who’d gathered; and Santes and his team hope that culture of support and kinship continue to grow.
FUEL is just one of the events in TWC’s ongoing effort to cultivate resources and relationships that help people hear, respond to and live out God’s call on their lives.
For more information about TWC’s ongoing ways of serving the next generation, visit Wesleyan.org/cmad/nextgen.
Rev. Ethan Linder is the pastor of discipleship at College Wesleyan Church in Marion, Indiana, and contributing editor at The Wesleyan Church’s Education and Clergy Development Division.
