Public events are one of the first ways many Coloradoans experience Denver Insitute for Faith & Work. Since our inception, we've welcomed more than 5,000 people to events exploring Christian perspective on topics as diverse as technology, law, social entrepreneurship, music, healthcare, science, business, and the trades. These gatherings draw top scholars and Christian professionals from across the nation to stretch our thinking and inspire us to greater faithfulness in our work.
2019 promises to be an exciting year with events focused on critical issues affecting Colorado and its people. From stewarding our influence through media, communications, politics, or the law to developing a biblical perspective of energy and the environment, this year's events will challenge you to live your faith in engaging, new ways. Consider joining us at the following events:
How do you determine if a business is successful? Is it reflected in a positive balance sheet, gleaming customer reviews, or a charismatic CEO? What if God measured success by a broader standard—by the way businesses help every employee, supplier, consumer, or community they touch thrive? “Business for the Common Good,” is a half-day event for business leaders passionate about professional excellence and using their gifts and resources for lasting impact. Themes include: a biblical framework for business, emotional/spiritual health for executive leaders, how the Christian faith shapes workplace culture, and stewarding business resources for to serve employees, consumers, and the greater good.
SOLD OUT!
Divisive...contentious...deadlocked. All words that describe our current cultural, political, and media climate. Whether you work in communications, government, or the law, your daily work leads you to the heart of this tension. In this polarized age, how does God call Christian professionals to steward their voice and influence in public life? What does it look like to build a faithful presence by creating good work and engaging diverse perspectives? How can Christians publicly engage without being jerks on Twitter? Join keynote speaker Stephanie Summers, CEO of the Center for Public Justice, and a panel of journalists, communication professionals, and government officials to explore the challenges of life in the public square.
God’s first instructions to humankind were to care for and cultivate the world. But what does that look like today? How do we find common ground on environmental concerns, economic imperatives, and human autonomy using biblical guidelines? Join Denver Institute for Faith & Work for an evening exploring creation care through our lives and work. Together, we’ll explore key questions, such as:
Keynote, ecologist Rick Lindroth (University of Wisconsin, Madison), will offer insight gained from his work as a researcher and educator. Panelists representing Colorado’s oil and gas and renewable energy sectors will share challenges they face as they face as they seek to honor God through their work.
For the past three decades, psychologists and healthcare professionals have helped people change through a therapeutic technique known as motivational interviewing. Clinical evidence indicates that care grounded in patience, empathy, and acceptance, skills at the heart of motivational interviewing, produces positive outcomes. In this interactive workshop, Matthew Allen, DDS, and Ryan Tafilowski, PhD, will explore questions related to the theology of this work and teach core skills of motivational interviewing through a shared Christian perspective.
How is God at work in the Denver metro area? The DIFW community will gather for an evening of vision and story celebrating the amazing things God has done through the work of His people. Join us for an encouraging evening of food, community, and inspiration.
Today’s teachers juggle myriad responsibilities. Between the pressures of classroom management and standardized testing, one wonders how they find time to teach. They are expected to share information, but what role do teachers play in shaping the attitudes and actions of their students? How can Christian educators encourage virtue in a pluralistic environment? A team of educators, researchers, and administrators will lead a half-day workshop exploring principles and practices for character formation in modern education.
Thriving ministry leaders work from the inside out: they draw on the life of Christ from within, pursue excellence in their craft, and build churches that vibrantly engage their communities. Yet many struggle with increasing complexity in their ministerial roles. They feel relationally isolated. They wrestle with an ever-growing list of professional demands. They struggle to speak to changing cultural norms. How can we address these challenges and equip ministry leaders to thrive for the sake of their cities, churches, and themselves? “Thriving Churches, Thriving Cities,” is an annual event helping church leaders build personal and spiritual health, professional and pastoral excellence, and effective community engagement.
How can the arts be a picture of God’s glory and goodness? Join us for an interactive evening of music, visual arts, and food. Celebrate the work of local artists, learn how they express their callings through the creative process, and gain insight about your own faith through the work of musicians, chefs, painters, and photographers. Together, we’ll explore questions such as:
Women hunger to explore the range of their callings, yet many Christian women struggle with conflicting messages surrounding the various roles they play. We wonder: What role do we play in shaping and restoring our world? How can we use our talent and ambition to fulfill God’s purposes? How do we navigate our intersecting desires for career, marriage, and motherhood? Denver Institute’s annual half-day event explores the unique value women add to our workplaces, homes, and communities. Whether women spend their days in a boardroom, kitchen, or classroom, this gathering will inspire and equip them to exert godly influence in their corner of the world. Keynote Michaela O'Donnell Long, CEO of Long Winter Media and Director of Fuller Seminary's DuPree Center of Leadership will share insight gained from life as an entrepreneur, organizational leader, and mother of preschoolers.
We hope to see you at an upcoming gathering! Tickets will be on sale 6 weeks before each event at denverinstitute.org/events.
Joanna Meyer
Director of Events & Sponsorships
Joanna serves as Denver Institute’s Director of Public Engagement, hosts the Faith & Work Podcast, and founded Women, Work, & Calling, a national initiative that disciples women for godly influence in public life. Prior to coming to the Institute, Joanna worked in global telecom, nonprofit consulting, and campus ministry with Cru. She served as associate faculty at Denver Seminary and as a sewing instructor at Fancy Tiger Crafts. A third-generation Coloradan, Joanna appreciates both the state’s innovative culture and its cowboy roots. She has an MA in Social Entrepreneurship from Bakke Graduate University and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She also completed a certificate of Women in Leadership through Cornell University.
She is the author of Women, Work, & Calling: Step Into Your Place in God’s World (IVP, Fall 2023) and is a contributor to the multi-author book, Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work (B&H Publishing, Spring 2023).
