NBA at 2025 General Assembly
Save the Date for the 2025 Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) General Assembly, taking place July 12-15 in Memphis, Tennessee. This year’s General Assembly theme, “BEYOND,” is based on Ephesians 3:20-21: Now to the one who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to them be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen!
The National Benevolent Association will be onsite in Memphis. Learn more about the work of NBA by attending one of our events, stopping at our booth in the exhibit hall or attending one of our workshops during the conference!
NBA Luncheon: Sat. July 12, 11:45 am
Join NBA staff and partner ministries on Saturday, July 12 from 11:45 am to 1:15 pm for lunch, conveniently located inside the Memphis Convention Center. The luncheon will be served buffet style and food will be available starting at 11:45 a.m. Come on in, grab your food, and hear about the work NBA is doing in Disciples regions across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. You can purchase a seat to attend the luncheon during the 2025 GA registration process. Seats are limited, so get your tickets now before they run out!
Wellness Hour for Body, Mind, Spirit Stewardship Event: Sun. July 13, 3:00pm
NBA will be hosting a reception to celebrate the NBA Dr. Mark Poindexter Wellness Fund: A Fund to Support Body, Mind, and Spirit. Dr. Poindexter will be on hand to talk about the ultramarathon he is running in June 2025 to raise funds to support this new named fund, started in Fall 2024, that will support NBA’s mental health and wellness work. You will also get a chance to hear from NBA’s Mental Health and Wellness team about how they are providing wellness education and resources Disciples health and social service entities, congregations, seminaries and community-based organizations.
More details on registering for this event will be coming soon. Please stay tuned for updates!
Sunday Evening Worship Service: Sun. July 13, 7:00pm
Sunday evening’s 2025 GA worship service will feature Rev. April Lewton, NBA Vice President of Development and Marketing. Rev. Lewton will be co-preaching the service with Rev. Brian Kirk, pastor of First Christian Church in St. Joseph, MO.
NBA Workshops
NBA staff will be leading or participating in several workshops at the 2025 GA. To attend one of these workshops simply select them during the registration process, or if you have already registered you can modify your existing registration to add the workshops.
Monday, July 14th
- 8:45am Grant Writing Beyond the Basics: Mastering the Art of Compelling Grant Proposals
- Led by Kara Whitehouse, NBA Operations and Grants Management Coordinator
- Designed for both congregational and nonprofit leaders, this workshop offers the opportunity for current and/or potential grant writers the opportunity to dive deeper into the art of writing a compelling grant proposal through hands-on learning, discussion and small-group work.
- 10:15am BEYOND Silos and Single Issues: Equipping Communities for Intersectional Justice Work
- Featuring Rev. Angel Luis Rivera-Agosto, NBA Community Engagement Senior Coordinator, Justice Initiatives
- In this Workshop facilitated by Disciples Justice Ministries, participants will come away with an understanding of an intersectional approach to justice work through variety of activities, small group conversations, and embodied prayer practices. Participants will have the opportunity to share their stories, learn from fellow Disciples, and draw on the resources of the wider church in moving beyond silos and single issues and towards serving as a community of intersectional justice work.
Tuesday, July 15th
- 8:45am We Need Care Too: Soul Medicine and Practices for Spiritual and Mental Health Providers’ Wellness and Support
- Led by Rev. Joselyn Spence, NBA Director of Mental Health and Wellness and featuring members of NBA’s Mental Health Equity Cohort
- This workshop will provide clergy, community leaders, and care providers with an interactive experience of self and communal care focused on navigating grief, storytelling, rituals of healing, developing affinity groups for nourishing optimal joy, how to ask for support, and sacred breath: integrating symbols of faith and mindfulness. This experience is based on a toolkit created by NBA’s 2023-2025 Mental Health Equity Cohort for clergy, community leaders and care providers to learn and practice a variety of forms of self and community care to empower leaders, enhance understanding, and support their resilience with healing.
- 8:45am Becoming a Silver Chalice Ministry: Engaging Older Adults
- Featuring Rev. Dr. Paul Koch, Rev. Lina Eddy, and Rev. Kimberly Weir, members of NBA’s Older Adult Ministry Innovative Conversations Group
- The Silver Chalice Ministry workshop is for those wanting to enhance, encourage, and thoroughly engage the older adults in their ministry and community at large. While the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) recognizes the importance of utilizing the gifts and serving the needs of disciples of ALL ages, the intent of Silver Chalice is to provide our ministries concrete tools and resources to help us go BEYOND to serve and to celebrate the incredible value and wisdom of the older adults in our midst.
NBA Exhibit Hall Booth
Coming to 2025 GA? Be sure to visit our booth in the exhibit hall. Our booth will have plenty of space to sit and chat with people—come on in and make some new friends! We’ll be sharing our space with 24 Disciples Health & Social Service Ministry partners—we encourage you to get to know them and the wide variety of caring and compassionate services they offer to communities all across North America. Our booth will feature several NBA partner ministries; a full list of participating partners will be added soon.