A Call to Be All-In: 2023 D6 Conference Review

By Lauren Biggs

Are you “all in”? Deuteronomy 6 tells us to love the Lord with ALL our heart, ALL our soul, and ALL our strength! The 2023 D6 Conference brought together a thousand people from around the world to connect, learn, and grow in their faith and ministries through an “all in” approach.

Attendees engaged in inspiring main-stage sessions, personal conversations, and powerful worship experiences centered around family, faith, and discipleship. They experienced 90-plus engaging breakout sessions to equip them with new strategies and tools to lead their family ministries in applying foundational biblical truths and generational discipleship principles in practical ways.

Ministry leaders and parents also had the opportunity to network and build relationships with fellow family ministry leaders. As an event focused on God’s Word and connecting and deepening relationships, the D6 Conference left everyone inspired to be ALL IN on their mission of creating strong families and churches.

ALL IN on the Main Stage

Emcees Marianne Howard, Jon Forrest, and Kevin Jones entered the stage with D6 Conference director, Dr. Ron Hunter, to share about the “All In” theme. Each speaker and topic was strategically organized to drive home principles God commanded in Deuteronomy 6.

Messianic Jewish Rabbi Jacob Rosenberg opened Monday night’s general session by giving attendees a deeper understanding of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) and its importance as the starting point for family ministry. Adam Griffin shared a powerful message supporting the idea that “the Great Commission starts behind your front door.” He encouraged attendees to examine their lives for idols and to become all in for God as a family and believer.

Hillary Morgan Ferrer closed the opening session by offering simple steps parents can teach kids to help interact with culture yet remain steadfast for Christ. She told listeners that part of a parent’s job is “to help develop our kids’ spiritual immune systems. Help kids think critically and discern for themselves.”

While attendees were still pondering and discussing the first day’s lessons, Kelly Minter opened day two with “Living Missionally in Our Everyday Lives.” She walked through Matthew 8–9 to unfold the scriptural truth the harvest is plentiful, but workers are few. After sharing her life experiences and reflecting on the ways God orchestrated her life, she said, “We are right in the middle of the harvest field right where we are. We are called to minister the same way that Jesus did: preaching the gospel, teaching the Word, and performing acts of compassion. We are called to be servants, disciples, and on mission for God’s mission and His glory.”

Marianne Howard delivered challenging yet encouraging instruction from her new book Rest, which teaches how to overcome spiritual fatigue. She pierced the heart of listeners by reminding them they must protect intimacy with God more than performing for God. After reading the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest,” she shared, “You have to choose to surrender and be ALL IN to the Giver of rest.” She closed the talk with a powerful blessing, urging each attendee to close their eyes and open their hearts to connect to God and His powerful presence.

Ron Hunter opened the next session with a deep dive into foundational Scripture passages for generational discipleship. He challenged ministry leaders to ask the introspective questions: “What’s on your church’s radar? Are your leaders and volunteers looking at the right priorities for discipleship?” He noted key areas where churches should focus to evaluate and carry out family ministry. Brian Haynes recounted his family’s testimony of enduring a season of wilderness, using different types of “desert” from Scripture as metaphors for life. He challenged attendees to fight for their families despite hardships. He shared the encouraging reminder: “God is the same in all the seasons we walk through.”

Alisa Childers opened the final general session with a biblical response to the growing movement of Progressive Christianity. She thoroughly defined the movement and taught listeners how to spot it in our culture today. “If we’re Jesus’ followers, then what we believe about the Bible, about the Cross, and about the gospel should be what Jesus taught about those things,” she told listeners, urging them: “Teach your kids the real thing!”

Chrystal Evans Hurst wrapped up the conference with a powerful biblical talk about how to walk with God in obedience as we face problems and seek solutions in our lives. Reliance upon, surrender to, and trusting the Lord are what it takes to endure challenges in life and ministry. She concluded, “Following Jesus means, ‘Don’t focus on the problem; focus on His Word and obey.’ In your obedience, that’s where the solution lies. Your problems are opportunities to see God at work in you.”

ALL IN Attendees

The conference renewed hope for many as testimonies were expressed, teams were strengthened, prayers were answered, stories were told, and excitement and energy were obvious throughout the week. Here’s what a few attendees had to say:

• This ministry of discipling children and connecting hearts to God permeates our everyday lives and friendships. Attending D6 2023 inspired and pointed our eyes up, out, and in. —Sarah
  

• I love the ALL IN theme. You must have your whole heart on fire for Jesus. It’s not just about knowing the D6 philosophy; it’s about your relationship with Jesus and letting that overflow into your home and ministry. —Joel
  

• You get to hear from so many speakers at D6 Conference. Every voice shared a variety of topics with foundational truths from the gospel. —Kristen
  

• I have been refreshed and refilled from my time at the D6 Conference. I am excited to take this content back to ministry and staff. —Jenae
  

With over 40 ministry providers in the resource center, attendees discovered solutions to ministry challenges and connected with ministry organizations from across the country. From curriculum, books, ministry philosophies, and other resources, attendees spent valuable time in conversation and absorbed new strategies.

ALL ABOUT 2024

The D6 team invites you and your ministry team to attend D6 Conference 2024, which will take place in two cities: D6 Orlando, Florida, April 2–4 at the Caribe Royal, and D6 Northwest in Seattle, Washington, with dates to be determined. The conferences will explore the theme Every Day.

Deuteronomy 6 describes the everyday opportunities to disciple our families. Discipleship is not an event; it’s a way of life. Together, churches and families, let’s focus on discipleship every day!
By attending with your ministry team, you can divide and conquer to get the most out of the conference with a team debriefing time each day. Register today at d6conference.com.

You can enjoy every moment of the D6 Conference, from breakouts to mainstage, by purchasing a one-year access pass to the D6 Media Vault.

About the Author: Lauren (Hunter) Biggs serves as both the media and content coordinator at IM, Inc. and the social media manager for D6 Family. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband Austin and two-year-old daughter Kinsley.