The GROW Conference exists to bring together WELS lay members, both men and women, teachers, staff ministers, and pastors from across the South Central District to grow together in God’s Word and grow in our various roles within the church. Our growth takes place at the conference through keynote speakers, specialized workshops, cross pollination with various WELS areas of ministry and parachurch organizations, and ample fellowship opportunities with one another.
To see the promotional video, CLICK HERE.
Keynote Speakers
GROW 2026 will feature two keynote speakers.
Day 1 is an inspirational keynote by Rev. Dr. Tim Bourman from Sure Foundation Lutheran Church in Queens, New York…
“Treading the Heights: Spiritual Renewal for God's People”
Day 2 is an educational keynote by Professor Emeritus Thomas Nass from Martin Luther College…
“Help for Close Encounters You Might Have in Conversations About the End Times.”
Click on the button below to learn more about the keynote speakers and their topics…
Workshops
Attendees have the opportunity to attend a total of four workshops — two on Thursday and two on Friday. There is a wide selection of workshops for church members of various backbrounds, as well as staff ministers, eductors, and pastors. The button below will take you to a page with a full description of the workshops and the presenters. Note: It is helpful to view this information before registering to attend the conference.
Many of the conference speakers will provide a handout with key points and helpful resources. These handouts and other conference resources and reports will be available for conference participnts to access in the GROW Conference Dropbox.
[A link will be provided here during the confernece.]
Schedule
The daily schedule is designed to allow for a full complement of presentations with reasonable start times and dismissals. Our plan and prayer is to provide ample growth opportunities yet breaking up long presentations into managable sections. There is also intentional time to network and enjoy time together with one another.
The GROW Conference is working together with Grace in Action Ministries (www.grace-in-action.com) as this year’s sponsor organization. Special thanks to Grace in Action for presenting at the conference and facilitating the social gathering on Thursday evening. We hope that everyone can find time to relax, catch up with old friends, and connect with new colleagues too. This year, the social gathering will take place at the conference hotel.
Registration
Registration is now open! Click on the button below to attend the conference. The registration fee remains the same as previous years and includes all meals and refreshments — $135 for both days.
Travel & Lodging
The conference is held at Abiding Word Lutheran Church & School, 17123 Red Oak Dr, Houston, TX 77090.
Click below for the conference address and a map of the area…
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Houston North I-45 Spring serves as the “official” conference hotel. The hotel is conveniently located on the main road just 2 miles away from Abiding Word. A discounted rate has been arranged with the hotel, however, space is limited. Click below to to follow a link to the hotel reservation website…
The Thursday evening social gathering will take place at
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Houston North I-45 Spring
1010 FM 1960, Houston, TX 77073
The social gathering will begin at the hotel casually after the conference dinner at Abiding Word.
If your travel plans include air travel, please note that there are two commercial airports in Houston. The Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is located about 10 miles away. The Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) is located on the far south side of the city about 30 miles away.
DISPLAY TABLES
The GROW Conference offers the opportunity for various WELS areas of ministry and parachurch organizations to set up a table in conference commons / refreshment center. There will soon be a link below for more information and to register a space for a display table… If you have questions before the link is active, please contact Caleb Schoeneck.