2024 District Called Worker Conference
October 16-18, 2024 • Hammock Beach Resort • Palm Coast, FL
Cultivating Hopeful Endurance
A Holistic Approach to Wellness
Living in a fallen world comes with hardship. Be it the accumulation of stress or the acute storms of life, the results are often painful, isolating, and distressing. At our District Called Worker Conference this fall, Dr. Benjamin Kohls will walk us through five distinctive sessions that aim to support your mental wellness, deepen the connections between your mental and spiritual health, and give you some useful wellness practices that are rooted in a Christian worldview. In addition, there will be uplifting worship and time for fun and fellowship with your fellow called workers. Join us this October for a conference that will not only feed your faith, but also give you some practical tools to navigate the stressors of your ministry.
Conference Presentation
Cultivating Hopeful Endurance: A Holistic Approach to Wellness
Abstract:
Living in a fallen world comes with hardship. Be it the accumulation of stress or the acute storms of life, the results are often painful, isolating, and distressing. This series of five distinctive sessions aims to support participants’ growth through wellness practices that are rooted in a Christian worldview and integrates evidence-based practices for well-being. The sessions will offer a combination of reflective and experiential exercises aimed at deepening the connections between mental and spiritual health, balancing acceptance and value-based behavioral action, and engaging in a sustainable approach to wellness.
Session 1: Connecting Mental and Spiritual Wellness - Part 1
Session 2: Connecting Mental and Spiritual Wellness - Part 2
Session 3: An Exploration of Values
Session 4: Contemplative Practices and Behavioral Action
Session 5: Setting Intentions - Wellness Plans
Conference Presenter
Dr. Benjamin Kohls is the Director of Graduate Studies in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN. He holds professional counseling licensure in Minnesota and South Dakota. He earned his PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of South Dakota, a Master of Science in Community Counseling from MSU-Mankato, and a Bachelor of Science in Staff Ministry from Martin Luther College.
Dr. Kohls has been active as a professional counselor for over 15 years and has experience working with youth, families, and adults in a wide range of clinical settings, including residential care, in-home therapy, acute inpatient psychiatric hospital care, partial hospital programing, and outpatient clinics. He regularly provides professional presentations and trainings on a wide range of mental health topics, often specializing in mental health awareness, compassion fatigue resilience, and integrating mental and spiritual wellness.
He and his wife Sarah have been married for 22 years and are blessed with six wonderful children. Together, they enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities, games, traveling, literature, and most of all, family dinners.