REFUEL 2026 Will Renew Pastors and Ministry Teams in Lynchburg

REFUEL 2026 is designed for church leaders who regularly pour themselves into others and need intentional space to be encouraged, equipped, and spiritually renewed. The national Christian leadership conference begins Monday, October 19, at 6:00 p.m. and concludes Tuesday, October 20, at 7:30 p.m. at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. The official event page identifies pastors, ministry teams, volunteers, and other vision-carriers as the intended audience, making the gathering broad enough for a senior leader to attend with staff members and key lay servants. The published speaker roster includes host pastor and Liberty University chancellor Jonathan Falwell; Jimmy Scroggins of Family Church in South Florida; evangelist and pastor Clayton King; Liberty University president and retired Air Force major general Dondi Costin; pastor DJ Horton; military chaplain George Youstra; and worship leader Charles Billingsley. Programming is built around worship, leadership teaching, fellowship, and practical breakout sessions rather than a single narrow ministry specialty. A Tuesday evening dinner with Falwell and Scroggins will address the state of the church in 2026 and the challenge of building a healthy church in an unhealthy world. Registration for the conference is free, and the official listing says it includes access to the gathering, the REFUEL café, and Tuesday lunch. That cost structure supports the event’s stated goal of making renewal and training accessible to kingdom workers at every level. For churches traveling from outside Virginia, the concise two-day schedule also makes it possible to bring a team without requiring a full week away from local responsibilities.

The most practical value of REFUEL may be the opportunity for a church team to pause together before returning to the same calendar, conflicts, and ministry demands. Pastors often attend conferences alone, collect notes, and then struggle to translate personal inspiration into shared action. Bringing elders, staff members, worship leaders, children’s workers, or trusted volunteers can create a common vocabulary for healthier leadership and mission. Teams can compare what they hear, identify one or two changes worth testing, pray for one another, and clarify where their church most needs renewed focus. The event’s emphasis on encouragement is also significant. Ministry requires sacrifice, but exhaustion is not a spiritual badge; tired leaders can become reactive, isolated, or overly dependent on technique. A gathering that joins worship with practical instruction can help leaders remember that their calling begins in communion with Christ, not merely in improved performance. Attendees should arrive with a few concrete questions: Where is our leadership culture healthy, and where is it strained? Which volunteers need clearer support? What practices are crowding out prayer, Scripture, family life, or genuine pastoral presence? What would sustainable faithfulness look like during the next six months? After the conference, the best next step is not to imitate every speaker or launch every idea. It is to choose a faithful, realistic action and assign responsibility for it. REFUEL 2026 offers a setting for leaders to reconnect, recharge, and refocus; its lasting fruit will be measured by how that renewal strengthens local congregations, teams, and gospel witness after everyone returns home.