Making Room: More Love, Less Fear

Join us for Making Room: More Love, Less Fear, a gathering of local ministry and nonprofit leaders sharing real stories of building connection, practicing hospitality, and creating communities where differences are welcomed.

Together, we’ll explore questions like:

•What practices help us move from fear and divsion toward hospitality, welcome, and connection?

• What does peacemaking look like in everyday life?

Bring your people. Learn together. Leave with a plan.

Church Leaders: Bring a team from your church and use the conference as a springboard for conversation about practices that might help your church welcome differences in new ways.

Nonprofits: Bring staff or volunteers who can learn together and consider how the ideas and stories from the conference can inform your work.

Small Groups/Friends: Come with people who share your interest in faith, community, and how to make a difference, developing ideas you can practice together.

Individual registration: $10 / Bring a group of 6 for $50

Info: We will welcome Rev. Marvin King of Shiloh Baptist Church to lead us in prayer.

Info: Justin planted Restoration Church in 2017 in downtown Lexington and has been pastor there ever since. He is passionate about helping people relearn and rediscover their faith in the midst of doubt, disillusionment, and difficult seasons. Prior to pastoring, he served the local church as a worship leader and songwriter for 12 years.

Info: Karissa is currently a full-time instructor at BCTC where she teaches humanities, English and ESL. She has a long history of work with refugees and immigrants in Lexington having worked 13 years with Kentucky refugee Ministries. Currently she volunteers and is on the steering committee for Calor Humano. A project born out of concern for our immigrant neighbors being unlawfully and unjustly detained by ICE. Calor Humano works to provide transport support for individuals released from incarceration so they can get home safely to their families. They also support detained individuals with funds for commissary, phone and texting account. In addition to providing bridges to legal resources and in facility visitation for those who are far from home. Since November 2025 they have helped over 80 people successfully reunite with their families from as far as Oregon, Florida, New York to as close as Louisville. They have also provided funding to over 100 immigrant detained persons in Kentucky.

Info: Megan Russell has worked in the Lexington disability field for more than 10 years as a direct support professional and job coach. In her work, she supports adults with disabilities in fostering independence, building employment skills, and creating inclusive community and work experiences. Megan is also a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary, where she earned a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies.

Info: Father Dan Noll is Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington. 40 of the 50 counties in the Diocese are in the Appalachian Region of Kentucky. Since August 2022, he has been heavily involved with residents of the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, as they face both the challenges of poverty and flood recovery, and sustain the joys of their rich culture.

Info: Julius grew up in the East End of Lexington, Kentucky. Like many young people searching for acceptance and purpose, life choices eventually led to a destructive path. By 18, his life had entered a revolving door of arrests, J*il cells, and broken opportunities, and at 25 he went to Pr*son. But then everything changed. Julius will talk about understanding gun violence and how we can get involved in preventing and responding to gun violence.

Info: How can we bring dignity and healing through employment and redemptive work culture? At DV8 we've learned:
A paycheck alone would not have kept people sober
Programs alone would not have kept people sober
People stay sober because they begin belonging.

Info: Revive works with hundreds of clients each year providing residential and outpatient addiction treatments. "We know that Kentucky really struggles with this opioid epidemic," Heather explains. "We just wanna make sure people know that they are valuable, that they are worthy, they have a purpose and we're here to give them those opportunities."

Info: Steph Peterson (Pastor of Children’s Discipleship for the Brethren in Christ U.S. Great Lakes Conference) is a Jesus-following, dinosaur-loving, mac and cheese-eating mom, wife, artist and children’s minister who lives and works in Wilmore, Kentucky. She works to create resources for the BIC U.S. designing and developing kids crafts and curricula and serving the children and families of Asbury Theological Seminary where she works as the Childcare Team Lead.

Info: Renee Dodson works at the Lexington Rescue Mission, a ministry dedicated to meeting the needs of hurting people in the greater Lexington area. Since 2001, Lexington Rescue Mission has served people who were living in poverty, homelessness, and addiction. The mission meets their critical needs for food, clothing, and shelter and builds relationships with people to address their underlying needs and offer the hope of Jesus Christ.

Info: We will talk about providing affordable housing through the Church, Community organizing, and Policy Change. Dr. Moore will share the story of First African Baptist Church and their journey to creating affordable housing.

Info: Using what you have learned from the talks and stories you heard, you will be able to use a Peacemaking Action Plan Template to create your next steps for peacemaking in your personal life or your ministry context. Through some simple questions and conversation, you can begin to imagine how to welcome differences in practical ways and cultivate relationships that bridge cultures. You will discover volunteer opportunities and new ideas for how you can promote peace in your community.

Event venue & nearby stays

Restoration Church, 1206 North Limestone, Lexington, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

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