Creative Writing & Storytelling Workshop

Name: Creative Writing & Storytelling Workshop
Start: 2025-09-15T18:30:00-07:00
End: 2025-09-15T20:00:00-07:00
Location: George Fox University (Ross Room 208)

Mon, Sep 15

George Fox University (Ross Room 208)

featuring key facilitator Tony Scarcello

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Creative Writing & Storytelling Workshop

Time & Location

Sep 15, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

George Fox University (Ross Room 208), 414 N Meridian St, Newberg, OR 97132, USA

About The Event

Explore the art of writing and storytelling in this hands-on workshop designed for creatives of all kinds. Whether you're an aspiring author, a pastor shaping sermons, a songwriter crafting lyrics, or simply someone looking to grow as a writer, you'll gain tools to strengthen your voice and refine your process.

This event is completely free and will be held at George Fox University. Our key facilitator will be Tony Scarcello, and panelists include Melanie Dobson.

Tony Scarcello is an ordained Foursquare minister, church planter, and serves as the pastor of discipleship at Red Hills Church just outside of Portland, OR. He is the author of Regenerate: Following Jesus After Deconstruction and the upcoming Love All Our Neighbors: How Churches That Hold a Traditional Sexual Ethic Can Care for LGBTQ People. Tony is a contributing writer to The Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender, and Theology in the Raw. He lives…

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BREAKOUT DESCRIPTIONS

Breakout Descriptions

Leadership (HEAD)

Leading Rehearsals That Volunteers Love | taught by Jon Knapp Leading rehearsals masterfully directly impacts the experience your volunteers have in the worship ministry and the church has in worship. This breakout will cover communicating expectations prior to rehearsal, having a vision for rehearsals and services, practical things like how to communicate with each instrument what you want even if you don't play the instrument, and the spiritual and relational opportunities of rehearsal. ____________________________ Building a Worship Culture: Recruiting, Developing, and Raising Up Leaders for the Future | taught by Kyla Hedge As worship leaders, we have a unique opportunity to shape the future of our church’s worship culture—starting today. This session will empower you with the tools and vision to not only recruit and develop worship team members but also to cultivate a leadership pipeline that extends into the next generation. We’ll explore how to identify potential leaders in your church, build deep discipleship relationships with them, and equip them for long-term service in worship ministry. Beyond the basics of scheduling and rehearsals, we’ll dive into strategies for creating a thriving, multi-generational worship team that models both musical excellence and spiritual depth. The most effective teams don’t just happen; they’re cultivated, trained, and invested in over time. Learn how to raise up young worship leaders from your kids and youth ministries, and how to empower them to step into leadership roles as they mature. This isn’t just about filling spots on a worship team—it’s about building a sustainable worship culture that will echo for generations to come. Join us as we explore practical, vision-driven steps to recruit, disciple, and launch the next wave of worship leaders in your church. ____________________________ How To Minister Alongside Your Lead Pastor Well | taught by Lane Greenleaf-Perez Together, we will explore what it looks like to foster a collaborative and unified dynamic between Worship Leaders/Pastors and Lead Pastors. Lane will give a presentation and then leave space for dialogue so that we can wrestle with real examples.

Spiritual (HEART)

Worship, Mission & the Glory of God | taught by Tim Smith If we don't have a clear purpose for a worship gathering, we tend to settle for pragmatism - doing whatever seems to work - most commonly, some form of Christian entertainment. We must push back against pragmatism with a clear sense of how the Bible talks about worship, gives us a purpose for gathered worship, and sends us on a mission that shapes everything we do. Join me as we looks to the scripture to answer these foundational questions. ______________________________ Holy Work, Human Limits | taught by Olivia Pothoff Honest reflections about work-family-life balance, longevity in ministry, and stewarding what matters most. _______________________________ Worship as a Form of Discipleship | taught by Ashlee Truitt Worship is more than a set of songs on Sunday—it’s the posture of our hearts and the way we live our lives. In this breakout, we’ll dive into what Scripture says about worship, how it shapes our purpose and identity, and why it transforms the way we interact with God, ourselves, and others. We’ll also explore the unique role of music in both personal devotion and the corporate church setting. Come ready to be challenged, encouraged, and equipped to live a lifestyle of worship that glorifies God every day of the week.

Practical (HAND)

Building Sets that Suit Your Band | taught by Jozi Bently Arranging music can be hard, and arranging music for worship bands can be even harder! Varied skill levels, ever-changing instrumentation, and constantly evolving volunteer rotations can make planning a morning of interesting music challenging. In this session we'll explore helpful strategies for song and set arrangement, as well as practical insights on how to effectively lead a band whose members (and personalities) may rotate from week to week. _______________________________ Training & Livestreaming in ProPresenter Description coming soon _____________________________ Vocal Training & Technique: Cross Training with Classical | taught by Danielle Warner Have you ever wondered how to warm up on a Sunday morning? How to to hit that high note? Or wanted to increase your range? Singing with classical technique can do just that! This class is a crash course for anyone who has never had formal training. We will learn the "cardio and strength training" found in classical singing and increase our tools in our vocal tool belt.

Breakout Facilitators

Jon Knapp

Jon Knapp has been leading worship since he was 10 and been a worship pastor since 1998 in 3 different churches. Currently at Countryside Community Church in Sherwood, Jon is part of the preaching and pastoral lead team in addition to leading worship. Jon regularly coaches and trains worship pastors and leaders.

Danielle Warner

Danielle Warner joined the music department in 2015 as an assistant professor of music and director of choral activities. She spent the previous four years teaching music in the Midwest, including at Wayne State College in Nebraska, where she was director of choral activities in 2014-15. Previously, she was a graduate teaching assistant at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance in Kansas City for three years.

Warner also gained teaching experience as an adjunct professor of music at Whitman College in 2010-11 and as a choral music educator at Pacific Middle School in the Evergreen School District of Vancouver, Washington, from 2007 to 2009.

She holds a doctor of musical arts from the University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance (2014), a master of music from Western Washington University (2006), and a bachelor’s degree in music from Whitman College (2004).

Tim Smith

Tim Smith was born and raised in Portland, OR and married Beth from Estacada in 1997. They ended up in Seattle in the summer of '99 at a church plant called Mars Hill Church. Tim served as the first Worship Pastor of Mars Hill and saw it grow to include thousands of people across multiple states and then spectacularly implode in a storm of conflict and controversy. Over the years, he has served in many roles including worship, church planting, preaching, lead and executive pastor. Through it all, leading people in worship through song has always been a key part of his ministry. He has a deep love for Jesus, his Word, the Church, music, and how they all come together in gathered worship. These days Tim works with churches through teaching, consulting, coaching and making music so that hearts might be more deeply moved by God's glory. You can learn more about his ministry at movedbyglory.com.

Ashlee Truitt

Ashlee is a Worship Pastor at Red Hills Church in Newberg, OR. She has been married for 4 years to her best friend, Adam. She is a photographer, videographer, and graphic designer. She is passionate about resourcing, platforming, and equipping creatives, which is why she founded Creative Tides Ministry, which curates accessible resources and community-building events taught by local experts for church worship and tech teams, fellow worship pastors, and individual creatives in the community in general, to improve their craft or team building skills and network with other creatives or churches. She is an avid Disney fan and religious Gilmore Girls watcher and a typical coffee-addicted millennial.

Olivia Pothoff

Olivia Pothoff is the Pastor of Worship & Care at Journey Church in Sherwood, an adjunct professor at George Fox University, where she directs the worship choir, and a sprint/relay coach at Newberg High School in the springtime. One of her greatest joys is sharing music as a meaningful way to communicate truth, hope, and that Jesus is real. Olivia has a massive sweet tooth, is happiest when it's summertime, is unapologetically Team Apple Maps (over Google,) will use the Oxford Comma till she dies, and can tell you the story line of every “Little House on the Prairie” episode just by its title. Her husband, Mark, and their three daughters are her favorite people in the whole world.

Kyla Hedge

Kyla is part of the Pastoral team at Mosaic Church in Salem, OR, where she blends over a decade of ministry experience with a deep passion for team-building and collaborative leadership. She equips and mentors worship teams both across the United States and internationally, empowering them to lead with authenticity and confidence. Beyond the local church, Kyla leads youth worship camps that inspire and raise up the next generation of worship leaders. She also partners with local worship pastors to foster community, creativity, and spiritual growth. Committed to cultivating an environment where people can discover and develop their God-given gifts, Kyla is passionate about seeing the local church thrive through vibrant, Spirit-led worship.

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