Gold dotted stylized leaf shape on white background.

EVENT

Missional Entrepreneurship Immersion

Training for Pioneers at the Intersection of the Marketplace and God’s Mission



Ridgetop Coffee and Tea

Sterling, VA



Feb 3 – Feb 5, 2026

Missional Entrepreneurship Immersion:

From Vision to Venture

“Once a quiet relic on the edge of town, the old barn came alive again—with laughter, worship, workshops, and wood-fired pizza—becoming a sacred gathering place where faith was formed around tables and neighbors became a spiritual family.”


“It started with a simple Keurig, a neighbor’s story, and a deep sense that church could look different—by the time the espresso machine was running, so was a new kind of faith community.”


What if the next story could come from your community?

Missional entrepreneurship turns holy discontent into Kingdom impact—it’s what happens when visionaries stop waiting and start building what the Spirit is stirring.


A small plant with three leaves growing from a mound of earth.


What does it take to launch something new—for the sake of God’s kingdom?



Whether you're wrestling with the scale of your next venture or unsure how to move from discernment to action, this immersive experience is designed to help you navigate the intersection of faith, innovation, and real-world impact.


Hosted in the creative atmosphere of a Ridgetop Coffee, a thriving missional coffeeshop and entrepreneurial space, this event brings together leaders in finance, business, real estate, innovation, and mission. Through a dynamic blend of panel discussions, hands-on workshops, worship, prayer, and table conversations, you’ll be equipped with both practical tools and spiritual insight.


Together, we’ll explore:

  • How to rethink property, facility, and community for a new mission era
  • How to discern with integrity without getting stuck in overthinking
  • How to cultivate ventures that are sustainable, rooted, and kingdom-oriented


The immersion includes a 3-hour deep dive with an expert of your choice—giving you the space to refine your idea and take tangible next steps in entrepreneurial mission.


This is more than a conference. It’s a Spirit-led space where vision becomes venture and where calling meets action.

Panel Overview

Feb 3-Feb 5, 2006

Panel Session 1: Scaling Missional Entrepreneurship:

Big Ventures Versus Smaller Ventures


Do you go big—or begin small?

This session brings together leaders and practitioners who have wrestled with that pivotal decision point: whether to pursue a large-scale venture—requiring significant funding, staff, and infrastructure—or to begin with smaller, leaner experiments that carry lower risk but still meaningful mission impact.


We’ll explore:

  • How to discern your venture size based on mission clarity, team capacity, and context
  • Why some big dreams require bold risk
  • The assumptions we bring to “success” and “scale”


Whether you’re dreaming of a café that anchors a neighborhood or a mobile ministry that meets people on their turf, this session will help you ask better questions and listen well to your capacity, your calling, and your context.



Panel Session 2: Spiritual Attunement and Start Up Grit:

Navigating the Tension Between Discernment and Action


Missional leaders long to follow the voice of the Spirit. Yet many churches and innovators find themselves caught in an endless cycle of discernment—praying, planning, and processing without ever crossing the starting line. This session brings together a panel of ministry, business, and innovation experts to explore the dynamic tension between knowing and going.

We’ll affirm the importance of thoughtful discernment and acquiring key information—but also unpack the moments where momentum matters more than certainty. 


We’ll explore:

  • Where do leaders tend to get stuck? 
  • What’s the difference between wise waiting and fear-based delay? 
  • What kind of information is truly mission-critical before launching?


Whether you’re a cautious discerner or a bold activator, this session will help you navigate the messy middle between the Spirit’s leading and the leap of faith.


PRESENTERS

Corey Schlosser-Hall

Corey currently serves as the Deputy Executive for Vision and Innovation for the Presbyterian Church USA. Prior to this role, he served as Executive Presbyter for Northwest Coast Presbytery, fostering a culture of missional experimentation, increased diversity, and greater financial stability. His executive service is informed by his background as a university professor, wilderness guide, entrepreneur, food service manager, and consultant. “I am most energized by people following Jesus and acting with courage in response to their life’s calling,” says Corey. “Living this way is the most adventurous way of life.” Corey holds a PhD in Organizational Communication from the University of Minnesota.
Image description

Heather Jallad

Mike Graves is Scholar in Residence at Country Club Christian Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Before retiring from teaching, he was the Wm. K. McElvaney Professor of Preaching and Worship at Saint Paul School of Theology, also in Kansas City. His most recent book is Table Talk: Rethinking Communion and Community. He is currently finishing up a book on what he calls “the seven first words of Jesus,” titled Your One Wild and Precious Life: What Jesus Can Teach Us about Life Before Death. He and his wife, Carol, have three adult children and seven grandchildren.
Image description

BREAKOUT LEADERS AND PANELISTS

Woman with blonde hair, wearing a denim top and plaid blazer, smiling in a bright setting.

Carlin Beekman

Carlin serves as a Vice President for Foundry’s Brokerage Services team. She specializes in serving churches, denominations and non-profit entities. Carlin focuses on assisting our mission-minded partners in making informed decisions around the properties they have been entrusted with. She is passionate about helping organizations leverage their real estate for Kingdom purposes and helping them develop creative strategies around property utilization.

Read Bio
Woman in a pink top smiles, brown braid, in a kitchen.

Cristin Cooper

Cristin is the founder of Coop's Soups, a soup business and community-driven initiative that uses the simple act of making soup to build connections, fight loneliness and express compassion. 

Read Bio
Man with short brown hair, blue eyes, and a light beard, smiles in front of a wooden wall.

Daniel Eagan

Daniel is the Manager of Ridgetop Coffee and Tea, and is deeply passionate about the mission and ministry that can happen in the midst of hospitality. As the former director of student ministry at Riverside, Daniel leans into his gifts of mentorship and mission engagement to foster an environment where staff can grow and patrons experience radical hospitality.

Read Bio
Smiling man with gray hair and beard, wearing glasses and a plaid shirt.

Glenn Gaffney

Glenn Gaffney is the Chief Strategy Officer for the NobleReach Foundation after a 31 year career in the US Intelligence Community. After serving in senior leadership positions, he now focuses on bringing the speed and impact of innovation to scale and working across academia, industry, and government to connect top talent to emerging opportunities in technology, science, and innovation.

Read Bio
Smiling man in a blue suit with a brick background.
Man with glasses in a suit smiles in front of a city skyline.
Man in glasses and black sweater vest smiles, posing in front of a map of the US with colorful pins.
Middle-aged man with fair skin, graying hair, smiling in a suit. Background shows a blurred cityscape.

WORSHIP LEADERS & HOSTS

Man with dark hair and a blue plaid shirt smiles outside.

Edwin Andrade

Edwin Andrade serves as lead pastor of Riverside Presbyterian Church in Sterling, VA, and has been one of the key visionaries helping to shape the entrepreneurial landscape of the church’s missional facility. He was the organizing pastor of Nueva Rivera (now part of Riverside Church) and has started several innovative missional initiatives, including Lunch for the Soul, a fresh expression of church with day laborers. 

Read Bio
Man in red shirt smiles in front of a wood-paneled wall.

Jesse Colon

Jesse is a highly gifted worship leader, as well as high school ministry director, at Riverside Presbyterian Church. His portfolio has also included, in different seasons, leadership in the coffee shop, and he is a familiar face to the patrons and staff. Jesse is a natural connector, whether through the coffee shop, local mission and partnerships, or volunteering in the wider community. 

Read Bio

HOSTS

Bald man with glasses smiles, wearing a pink button-down shirt, against a wood panel background.

Brian Clark

Brian serves as Director of the Missional Incubator for National Capital Presbytery, after a long tenure as organizing pastor and co-pastor of Riverside Presbyterian Church. Brian was a key visionary for a missional facility that would serve the community, not just the congregation. Brian helped the Riverside congregation to enter into a business partnership, resulting in Ridgetop Coffee and Tea and a leasing space that provides ongoing income to the church’s mission budget.

Read Bio
Blonde woman with blue eyes and a smile, wearing a scarf, in front of greenery.

Shannon Kiser

Shannon serves as Senior Director of Fresh Expressions North America. She leads a team of mission strategists and trainers to equip leaders and develop strategies for mission innovation and new forms of Christian community. She is on the pastoral staff of Riverside Presbyterian Church in Sterling, VA, and is the author of “Opening Space: A Vision for Fresh Expressions of Church and Creative Mission.”

Read Bio
Black tag with a white dot.

Cost

Cost:

$250 for general registration


$200 for members of National Capital Presbytery

Black coffee cup icon inside a location marker.

Location

Ridgetop Coffee and Tea

21631 Ridgetop Cir

Ste 100

Sterling, VA 20166

Fork, plate, and knife icon.

Meals

Meals will be catered by Ridgetop Coffee and Tea. Menu plans take into consideration a variety of dietary restrictions.

Black and white building icon, with a star on top.

Hotel

If you require a hotel, we have secured a block of rooms at the discounted rate of $119/night at the Hyatt Place Dulles Airport North (21481 Ridgetop Cir, Sterling, VA 20166) located just .5 miles from the conference. Please book by January 3, 2026 to receive the discounted rate.

The hotel offers free shuttle service (6AM - 10PM) to take you to and from Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Agenda

Feb 3-Feb 5, 2006

February 3 


3:00 PM Registration and Light Snacks, Optional Tour and Ridgetop Tour

4:00 PM Welcome, Laying the Foundation (Brian Clark and Shannon Kiser)

5:00 PM Worship (Edwin Andrade and Jesse Colon)

5:30 PM Enterprise + Ecclesia: Weaving Faith into the Life of Your Venture (Heather Jallad)

6:30 PM Dinner

7:15 PM Panel: Scaling Missional Entrepreneurship: Big Ventures Versus Smaller Ventures (Corey Schlosser-Hall, Cristin Cooper, Daniel Eagan, Carlin Beekman)

8:30 PM Wrap Up The Day (Brian Clark and Shannon Kiser)


February 4 


9:00 AM Worship (Edwin Andrade and Jesse Colon)

9:30 AM–Enterprise + Ecclesia: Weaving Faith into the Life of Your Venture (Corey Schlosser-Hall)

10:15 AM Coffee and Tea Break

10:30 AM Panel: Spiritual Attunement and Start Up Grit: Navigating the Tension Between Discernment and Action (Christopher Holland, Glenn Gaffney, TBD)

11:30 AM Interactive Table Discussion

12:15 PM Lunch

1:00 PM Breakouts


Sacred Square Footage: Real Estate Strategy for Kingdom Impact (Guides: Carlin Beekman and Matt Messier)

Explore the practical, financial, and theological dimensions of real estate decisions in missional ventures. Whether you’re stewarding inherited property, seeking new space, or reimagining use for your community, this session offers expert insight on zoning, valuation, risk, partnership, and strategic redevelopment


Idea Lab: Designing for the Mission Field (Guide: Glenn Gaffney)

This session helps you tap into Spirit-led creativity and practical tools to move from vague ideas to concrete concepts. You have a number of compelling visions—but how do you choose which one. How do you move from idea to implementation? Ideal for those in the early stages of planning or pivoting.


Doing Good While Doing Business: The Social Enterprise Path (Guide: Christopher Holland)

Explore how entrepreneurship can become a powerful force for social and spiritual renewal. Learn how to identify a social problem worth solving, measure impact, and structure your venture for both sustainability and transformation—without losing your missional heart.


Starting Smart: Essential Considerations for Missional Entrepreneurs (Guides: Jeff Huelett and Eric Warden)

This session will walk you through the essentials of building a business model, revenue strategy, and funding plan that supports your mission. You’ll reinforce your entrepreneurial mindset as we take a deeper dive into the business plan elements. Experience breakouts with exercises designed to brainstorm key business plan elements such as demographic analysis of the market, products and services designed to meet the needs of a community, and making governance decisions regarding nonprofit or for profit.


Gaining Support: Building Allies, Not Just Transactional Relationships

True support isn’t just about getting help—it’s about building relationships that last. In this practical and engaging session, we’ll explore how to move beyond transactional interactions to cultivate genuine allies for your mission. Whether you're seeking volunteers, financial backing, community partnerships, or congregational buy-in, we’ll unpack relational strategies that foster trust, shared vision, and mutual commitment. Learn how to build bridges—with your church, your neighborhood, local government, and beyond—that create a strong, sustainable network of support for the long haul.


4:00 PM Break

5:30 PM Dinner

6:30 PM Scripture Dive and Table Discussions

7:15 PM Worship


February 5 


9:00 AM Worship (Edwin Andrade and Jesse Colon)

9:30 AM Enterprise + Ecclesia: Weaving Faith into the Life of Your Venture (Heather Jallad)

10:15 AM Break

10:30 AM Wrap Up and Next Steps (Brian Clark and Shannon Kiser)

11:15 AM Departure


Post Conference Opportunities:

Soup Church Simulation: An Afternoon with Coop’s Soups

Church can happen anywhere—even around a simmering pot of soup. Join Cristin Cooper, founder of Coop’s Soups, for a hands-on simulation where hospitality becomes holy and soup becomes sacrament. In this immersive experience, you'll step into the kitchen and discover how making and sharing food can build bridges, foster belonging, and reflect the heart of Jesus.


Learn how to lead a volunteer team not just to do something good—but to encounter the sacred in the ordinary. Explore how to cultivate a posture of neighboring, inviting participants into rhythms that extend far beyond the kitchen and ripple through the community. Come ready to be inspired, challenged, and well-fed—with a delicious bowl of locally sourced soup, made with love and shared in the spirit of community.