Ten local churches and Bethel University are partnering together to offer, “ReFuel,” a two-day conference for church worship teams and leaders. The event will be held Friday, Jan. 23 from 7:30-10 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 24 from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. on Bethel’s campus. Worship leader Rita Springer will also be leading Bethel’s chapel service at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 23 in Everest-Rohrer Auditorium, which is open to the Bethel community and public.
The conference, now in its 11th year, is a joint effort coordinated by staff from Nappanee Missionary Church, First Baptist Church of Elkhart, Gospel City Church, Wakarusa Missionary Church, Maple City Chapel, Restor Church, That Downtown Church, Grace Community Church and St. Mark Missionary Church.
David Cummings, conference director and outreach pastor at First Baptist Church of Elkhart, says the goal of ReFuel is to create time and space for worship and production teams to be together, be encouraged and be equipped to continue to lead their local church in worship. “We desire to see God’s Spirit inspire and strengthen the hearts and hands of those who serve the local church through the creative arts,” he says.
Friday’s schedule includes a worship experience/concert with Vertical Worship from 7:30-9 p.m. in Everest-Rohrer Auditorium followed by a late-night event from 9;15-10 p.m. in the Dining Commons on Bethel’s campus.
Saturday’s schedule includes a general session, morning breakout session, Chick-fil-A lunch, two afternoon breakout sessions and a second general session.
The conference is close to being sold out, but more information and the entire list of conference partners can be found at ReFuelConference.com.
This year’s primary general session and breakout speakers are:
Kim Walker-Smith is passionate about God’s love for people, the transformational power of the Holy Spirit and encountering the Presence of God. Her music has reached millions around the world, crossing borders and denominations, releasing breakthrough, healing and hope. Kim’s highest priority is to love God and follow His leading and to invite those she leads to follow after Him with her. With 20 years of worship leadership and a fearless heart, Kim continues to bring others into deeper, more personal relationships with the Living God. Her highly acclaimed new album, “TRAMPLE,” is a powerful collection of anthems about breaking free from expectations and refusing to be confined by the past as we pursue what is ahead.
Vertical Worship is a group of worship leaders and songwriters from Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicagoland with a heart to lead you in passionate, Christ-centered worship. Formed in 2012 with Live Worship from Vertical Church, they’ve released six albums, four of which landed in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Christian Albums chart. Along the way, songs like “Yes I Will,” “Open Up the Heavens,” “Spirit of the Living God” and “Exalted Over All” have been staples in the church and encouraged worshippers around the world to lift their eyes to Jesus. In 2018, “Yes I Will” was certified Gold, was a Top 3 song on Christian radio and earned a Dove Award nomination for Worship Song of the Year. Vertical Worship toured the world in the following years on the strength of “Yes I Will” and continued to write and record impactful songs for the church including “Faithful Now” from their “Grace Is On Our Side” album. After taking some time to rest, reflect and seek the Lord, Vertical Worship returns with a new album, “Build An Altar” with renewed passion, fresh songs and the same calling: to exalt the name of Jesus. While there are some new writers and faces in the group along with familiar ones, the mission hasn’t changed. Vertical Worship aims to connect the listener with God through worship that’s grounded in Scripture, rich in truth and full of hope. With their new songs, they invite the listener/worshipper to remember what the Lord has done in our lives (“Build an Altar”, “Alabaster Jar”), His faithfulness (“Living Years”), and the hope of our eternity (“Praise God”/“Selah”). Other themes include returning to a childlike faith (“Coming Back”) and the promise that God is and will be forever working in our lives (“How Much More”). “Build An Altar” is sure to provide songs to encourage the listener in their faith whether sung congregationally in church gatherings or in personal worship singing with the car windows down.
Rita Springer is one of the most gifted worship leaders to arise over the last fifteen years. She believes that the joy of being a worship leader is to make those listening, jealous for what has been found in Christ. Making Christ famous through the art, act and physical sound of our worship is Rita’s anthem and her deepest desire is to see this arise in the body of Christ. Her motto is “to make the Lord famous in whatever I do with my worship and relationship with Him”. Born out of that deep desire and to see women free through the tools of the Word, Worship and Prayer, she started her own women’s conference in 2000 called “Fragrant Oil” it was an incredible season of seven years watching God use worship powerfully to transform lives across the globe. In 2008 she began a worship school called DIVE. (Deep-Innovative-Vertical-Expression) The School trains and encourages upcoming worship leaders all over the world with weeklong intensive one-on-one courses. Staying true to her calling, Rita continues to write new songs and leads worship at churches, conferences and events around the country. Rita released her first book in 2013, “Finding Eve”.
Scot Longyear is the Lead Pastor of Maryland Community Church, consistently named as one of the fastest growing churches in the US. Prior to becoming the Lead Pastor, Scot served in various ministry roles including Pastor of Worship. Scot has a strong pastoral voice to worship teams across the globe with his involvement with Experience Conference. You may recognize him as a frequent guest host for the popular Worship Leader Probs Podcast. In addition, Scot is a content creator, producing books and digital resources all designed to help people take a step closer to Christ. Scot enjoys motorcycles, SCUBA diving and travel. He has an irrational fear of needles and is exceptionally terrible at video games. Scot and his wife Stephanie have two daughters and live in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Jamie Schmidt, founder of Schmidt’s Naturals – Jamie Schmidt is the founder of Schmidt’s Naturals and is known for modernizing natural personal care products, bringing them to the mainstream market. Under her leadership, Schmidt’s grew from her kitchen into a household name, lining the shelves of major retailers across 30 countries. In 2017, Schmidt’s was acquired by CPG giant Unilever. Jamie is the author of Supermaker: Crafting Business on Your Own Terms, a personalized guide on how to put your business on the map, turning your passion into profit. She is also an investor and co-owner of Color Capital, a fund that invests in consumer products and emerging technologies.
Sam Rockwell, Co-Founder & CEO, Happi Co. – Sam Rockwell is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Happi Co., a modern food company creating culturally relevant frozen meals, desserts, and snacks. Happi Co.’s portfolio includes Laughing Tiger, an authentic pan-Asian frozen meal line, as well as private brand partnerships and licensed products distributed nationally. Sam is also the co-founder of Dr. Bombay Ice Cream, a culturally iconic ice cream brand developed in partnership with entertainment icon Snoop Dogg and Lil Baby. Most recently, Sam co-founded SlapSnacks with UFC President Dana White, a disruptive frozen snacking brand designed to reinvent the legacy Hot Pockets category with bold, high-protein offerings.
Cordell Broadus, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Dr. Bombay Ice Cream – Cordell Broadus is the son of entertainment icon Snoop Dogg and has built a distinctive career with a clear focus on entrepreneurship, branding and innovation. After a highly-ranked high school football career and an early commitment to UCLA, he made the deliberate choice to shift from athletics to business and creative ventures.
Shawn D. Nelson, Founder and CEO of Lovesac – Shawn D. Nelson is the founder and CEO of Lovesac, repeatedly recognized as the fastest growing furniture brand in the US for over a decade. Lovesac is publicly traded on Nasdaq, ticker “LOVE,” and is projected to exceed $1 Billion in annual sales over the next few years, leveraging its rapidly growing fleet of more than 300 Lovesac-branded retail locations. From humble beginnings, Shawn founded Lovesac in 1998, making Sacs by hand for neighbors and friends while in college. He graduated from the University of Utah in 2001 with a BA in Mandarin Chinese before opening Lovesac’s first retail location in his hometown of Salt Lake City shortly after graduation. In 2005 Shawn won a million-dollar investment by Richard Branson on his prime time hit reality TV show, The Rebel Billionaire, and was named acting President of Virgin Worldwide for a time. Shawn later achieved his Master’s degree in Strategic Design and Management at the world-famous Parsons, The New School for Design in New York City and continued on as an instructor there for a few years teaching courses on Sustainable Business Models, Leadership, and Innovation. Shawn now holds over 50 issued patents across multiple product categories with dozens more pending. The majority of Lovesac’s sales today are driven by the ever-expanding product platform called “Sactionals,” the world’s most versatile couch and myriad Sactionals product extensions, including embedded technology. Lovesac’s continued success is underscored by Shawn’s unique design philosophy, “Designed For Life”, which demands that products are built to last a lifetime and designed to evolve — promoting things that actually sustain to achieve true sustainability. This drives Lovesac’s strategy and animates its vibrant culture. Shawn’s recent book, “Let Me Save You 25 Years,” celebrates Lovesac’s colorful history, and the many “mistakes, miracles, and lessons” learned along the way. Shawn lives in St. George, Utah with his wife, Tiffany, and their four kids, two cats, and one crazy dog.
Cameron Nagle, Starting Small – Cameron Nagle, a 2022 Bethel University graduate, 