Pre-Conference Events
Start our conference experience early by taking one of our pre-conference workshops in the areas of spiritual formation, worship leading or vocal skill.
All workshops take place on the Willow Creek campus. There is an additional charge of $59/member and $79/non-member for these classes.
View entire conference schedule at a glance
Leading from a Healthy Soul:
Caring for Your Own Soul while Leading Others
Mindy Caliguire
Mindy Caliguire and her husband, Jeff, planted a church in the Boston area, where she served in a variety of leadership roles for 10 years and launched Soul Care, dedicated to helping people restore health to their souls. She served in the area of spiritual formation at Willow Creek Community Church from 2001 to 2004, concentrating on membership, the ministry of prayer, small group curriculum, and "soul care": for individual staff teams. In 2005, she re-engaged with Soul Care, serving churches and organizations through leadership consulting and retreats. Mindy also serves as the Midwest regional director for the Spiritual Formation Alliance, building partnerships and creating formational events. Whether formally or informally, Mindy mentors leaders, focusing on re-establishing their spiritual vitality as the primary step towards a lifestyle of sustainable ministry and leadership. Mindy's books include Discovering Soul Care and Spiritual Friendship.
Sometimes one of the most difficult people to lead towards spiritual transformation is the person you see in the mirror! Do the demands of leading sometimes keep you from neglecting your own spiritual vitality? If so, you're certainly not alone… but there is every reason to hope — that you can restore that life and vitally — leading from the overflow, rather than from a vacuum. But it will take some intentionality and honesty. Come away awhile and rest — learn to care for your own soul while leading others.
Joe Horness
After 25 years as the Worship Director and a leader on the programming staff at Willow Creek Community Church, Joe has recently moved to Traverse City, Michigan, where he is Associate Pastor and Worship Director at Bay Pointe Community Church. As a nationally known worship leader, Joe has worked closely with artists such as Darlene Zschech, Abraham Laboriel, and Tommy Walker, and has written and recorded numerous familiar worship choruses, including "Awesome, Amazing," "To Know You More," and "Still I Will Worship You." He is co-author of the book, Exploring the Worship Spectrum and of numerous articles on worship and worship leading. As the director of Engaging the Heart Ministries he regularly teaches and consults with churches on the topic of planning and leading effective worship ministries.
What are the keys to building a worshipping church? Certainly what we do on stage matters; the musicians we employ, the songs we choose, the way we lead. But great performances on stage do not necessarily translate into great worship experiences for the congregation. What is the relationship between what happens on stage and what transpires in the hearts of our people? How do we ensure that what we do from the front translates into authentic and meaningful expressions of worship from our congregations? Come and discover how to create rich worship experiences that engage the hearts and minds of your congregation and allow God to be worshipped for all He is!
Tim Carson
Tim Carson is the founder of Vocal Artistry and the Vocal Artistry Training Series. Tim was on the music staff at Willow Creek Community Church for 12 years and the faculty at Wheaton College's Conservatory of Music where he developed new curriculum for singing modern styles. Tim's former students include Broadway professionals, recording artists and worship leaders around the world. Tim continues to teach at conferences and workshops throughout North America.
In this session, you will have the opportunity to observe and learn techniques and coaching principles that will help you or your team members in the areas of style, increasing range, stage presence/communication and much more. All participants will take part in the class in one of two tracks: Observer Track or Performer Track.
Observer Track — You will walk away inspired and challenged as you see the progress evidenced in each participant as they apply Tim's coaching. Many who have experienced Tim's teaching before have said that they got as much (and sometimes more!) out of observing then they did being the one "on the hot seat". We are sure you will walk away with practical tools that you can apply to your own development, and inspiration that growth is truly possible!
Performer Track — Tim Carson will be working with 10 individual vocalists, applying principles from his Vocal Artistry technique. During this class Tim will assess each individual, the specific areas of development most critical for their voice and lead them through an exercise to help them improve. If you'd like to be considered for one of the ten vocalists, please provide the information below in an email to Tim Carson. *NOTE: there is an additional $50.00 fee to be a one of the selected vocalists. You will be contacted prior to the conference to confirm your selection as one of the vocalists; the fee will be collected at that time.
Requirements for Performer Track:
- You will need to prepare a verse and a chorus (about 90 seconds) of a song.
- Be prepared to sing the portion of the song you've prepared during the session. You will receive some coaching from Tim, and then have the opportunity to sing again — applying the coaching you've received.
- Send the following info to Tim in an email to: performertrack@wonder09.com
Attending Wonder 09, Improving Your Vocal Performance
Name of your church/city
Your role
Song title (as well as a recording of the version of the original artist's version of the song you would like to perform and a chart or sheet music).
Years of vocal training
A little bit about your vocal background and performance experience
Areas that you are hoping to improve
If you have an MP3 that would provide a sample of your singing, please attach that (not required)