Refresh Conference 2027 Will Strengthen Ministry Leaders and Spouses

Refresh Conference 2027 is scheduled for February 9–12 at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Ankeny, Iowa. The gathering is designed for Christian ministry leaders and their spouses, with pastors, missionaries, camp directors, and entire ministry teams specifically invited. Its theme, “Together: At Home. At Church.,” directs attention to the relationships that often carry the greatest responsibility and receive the least margin. Ministry can place unusual pressure on marriages, families, staff relationships, and congregations. Leaders may spend their days caring for others while postponing honest attention to conflict, fatigue, communication, or shared spiritual rhythms in their own homes and teams. Refresh frames those concerns within the call of Philippians 1:27 to live faithfully and strive together for the faith of the gospel. That biblical center matters because the aim is not simply personal comfort or a temporary break from demanding work. The conference seeks to encourage and strengthen leaders so that healthy relationships support sustained service to Christ and his church. Faith Baptist’s published program identifies a broad group of keynote speakers drawn from pastoral ministry, biblical counseling, theological education, and Christian leadership, along with music from Matt and Christy Taylor of The Wilds. The setting on a Bible-college campus gives attendees space for teaching, worship, conversation, and contact with others who understand the realities of vocational ministry. Scholarships are available for some leaders and spouses who may not otherwise be able to attend, and the registration structure encourages couples and teams to participate together. For a nationwide audience, the event offers a concentrated opportunity to step away from routine demands and consider whether the relationships at home and in the church are being cultivated with the same intentionality leaders bring to sermons, programs, missions, and administration.

The most practical reason to attend is that ministry health is rarely an individual matter. A pastor’s decisions affect a spouse, children, fellow elders, staff members, volunteers, and the congregation. Missionaries and camp leaders likewise work in environments where unresolved tension or chronic exhaustion can weaken judgment and erode trust. A conference cannot repair every relationship in four days, but it can create protected time for Scripture, reflection, honest conversation, and shared learning. Couples may identify habits that need to change before strain becomes crisis. Teams may gain language for discussing expectations, authority, conflict, and mutual care. Individual leaders may be reminded that receiving encouragement is not a failure of endurance but part of God’s ordinary provision through the body of Christ. Attendees should come prepared to do more than collect notes. Before traveling, spouses or team members can name one relationship they want to strengthen and one ministry pattern they need to examine. During the conference, they can compare what they hear with their own church’s culture, schedule, and assumptions about leadership. After returning home, the greatest value will come from a small number of concrete practices: protected time for marriage and family, clearer team communication, regular prayer, healthier boundaries, timely reconciliation, and renewed attention to congregational fellowship. Churches that send leaders can help by providing financial support, covering responsibilities during the trip, and allowing genuine rest rather than expecting immediate production. The event’s “together” language is therefore both an invitation and a standard. Gospel ministry should not be built on isolated heroics. It should be carried by believers who strive side by side, tell the truth in love, bear burdens, honor covenant commitments, and serve from relationships increasingly shaped by the grace of Christ.