Welcome to the 2026 go conference
May 15th & 16th | Burke, Virginia
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CONFERENCE INFORMATION
The 2026 GO Conference is May 15th-16th at Burke Community Church in Burke, Virginia. The conference starts Friday evening at 6pm and is followed by a full day of speakers, seminars, and worship sessions on Saturday (9am-4pm).
We may know God’s story, but do we experience it? We may know it’s true, but do we see its beauty? Have we become one with Jesus through His redemptive work on the cross? At its heart, the Bible is telling a story of God’s ongoing, miraculous integration of all things through Jesus Christ. We are not outside of that story, and that story is not outside of us. We are part of it. As we become one with Jesus Christ, we don’t just read the story to understand; we inhabit it to change. And we change not only ourselves, but our world as well.
At the 2026 GO Conference, we will explore what it means to become fully integrated with God and His plan. We will see how, through Jesus Christ, we are being restored day by day; that God is using all of our experiences, our trials, our gifts, and our shortcomings to draw us into a closer, more integrated relationship with Him. But we will also discover how He is using us to reintegrate the world. Not only are we integrated, but we are also called to be integrators.
Session 1: God’s Story Before Us
In our opening session, Dr. Curt Thompson will lead us in exploring how God’s redemptive story, as laid out before us, provides the framework for cultivating a deeper community with Him and with each other. A thought leader and pioneer in the area where neuroscience intersects with faith, Dr. Thompson will help us see how we can uncover our unique stories based on God’s truth and His story.
Session 2: God’s Story In Us
Having seen and experienced God’s story before us, Pastor Michel Hendricks and Dr. Ekpedeme Wade will next lead us to a deeper understanding of how God is working His story into our own lives. How we are wired, our experiences, our histories, our gifts, and our shortcomings are all tools He uses to form who we are and shape who we can be.
Session 3: God’s Story Through Us
In our next session, we will look at how God’s story is being expressed and played out through us. Once we have become integrated with Him and His story, we are called to step into that story and become integrators ourselves. Professor Kelly Kapic will lead us in this session to a better understanding of how we can be agents of change in our world by bringing the hope and healing of God’s story into the lives of others.
Session 4: God’s Story Beyond Us
We will conclude our time together by celebrating the hope, joy, and peace that come from seeing that God’s story also moves beyond us. Pastor Erick Simba will conclude our session by reminding us of the size of God’s vision and the beautiful outcome of the story for all who believe. He will help us see how an eternal perspective liberates us from worldly bondage and sets us free to eagerly and robustly step into God’s plan.
Curt Thompson MD
Inspired by deep compassion for others and informed from a Christian perspective, psychiatrist Curt Thompson shares fresh insights and practical applications for developing more authentic relationships and fully experiencing our deepest long: to be known.
With a considerable dose of warmth (and surprising measure of humor), Curt weaves together an understanding of interpersonal neurobiology (IPNB) and a Christian view of what it means to be human — to educate and encourage others as they seek to fulfill their intrinsic desire to feel known, valued and connected. He understands that deep, authentic relationships are essential to experiencing a healthier, more purposeful life — but the only way to realize this is to begin telling our stories more truly.
Curt’s unique insights about how the brain affects and processes relationships help people discover a fresh perspective and practical applications to foster healthy and vibrant lives, allowing them to get unstuck and move toward the next beautiful thing they’re being called to make.
Through his workshops, speaking engagements, books, organizational consulting, private clinical practice and other platforms, he helps people process their longings, grief, identity, purpose, perspective of God and perspective of humanity, inviting them to engage more authentically with their own stories and their relationships. Only then can they can feel truly known and connected and live into the meaningful reality they desire
to create.
Curt and his wife, Phyllis, live outside of Washington DC and have two adult children.
Dr. Ekpedeme Wade
Dr. Ekpedeme Wade is a Board-Certified Family Physician and Licensed Professional Counselor–Supervisor with a passion for integrating biblical truth, counseling practice, and medical insight. She serves as Associate Professor of Counseling Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary, where she equips future counselors to serve with excellence and empathy. With a unique global perspective, Dr. Wade brings cultural sensitivity, clinical expertise, and spiritual depth to her teaching and counseling work.
As the founder of Twelve-Two Christian Counseling, she provides clinical care, supervision, and training, and is a respected speaker, addressing topics at the intersection of faith, mental health, and leadership. She is an active member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Christian Association of Psychological Studies and the American Association of Christian Counselors. Dr. Wade is married to Kweku, and they have two children.
BS, University of Missouri–Columbia, 2001
MD, University of Missouri–Columbia, 2005
MABC, Dallas Theological Seminary, 2015
Dr. Kelly M. Kapic
Kelly M. Kapic holds the Honorary Chair of Theology and Culture at Covenant College where he has taught since 2001. With a PhD in Systematic and Historical Theology from King’s College University of London, Kapic has written or edited over twenty books. His newest book, Christian Life (Zondervan Academic, 2025) was just recently released, and before that his volume You Were Never Meant to Do it All: A 40-Day Devotional on the Goodness of Being Human (Brazos 2025) was built on his earlier work You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why that’s Good News, which was published in 2022 and won a number of awards, including Christianity Today’s Book of the Year award in the category of Theology (Popular) and The Southwestern Journal of Theology’s award in Applied Theology/Ethics.
His earlier work includes Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering, which also won the Christianity Today book of the year award in the area of Theology and Ethics and World Magazine’s Short List award for Accessible Theology Book of the year. A few years ago he completed two volumes with the economist Brian Fikkert called Becoming Whole: Why the Opposite of Poverty isn’t the American Dream and A Field Guide to Becoming Whole: Principles for Poverty Alleviation Ministries. In 2014 Kapic received a Templeton Grant to be part of The Center for Christian Thought studying the topic of Psychology and Spiritual Formation. He has also served as part of the Core Research Teams for the Templeton-funded studies, including “Project Amazing Grace” and “Christian Meaning-Making, Suffering, and the Flourishing Life.”
Pastor Erick Simba
Born on May 13, 1986, in Kisumu, Kenya, Pastor Erick Simba is a passionate community leader, visionary, and family man dedicated to faith-based leadership and holistic societal transformation. A Kenyan national, Pastor Simba has been married to Yasmine Nalumva for over a decade. Together, they are the proud parents of three children: Obed, Ohanna, and Dane Simba.
Together with his wife Yasmine, Pastor Simba co-directs Christian Best Camps of Kenya (CBCK)—a legally registered, non-denominational, faith-based organization established in 2010. CBCK exists to provide hope, faith, and opportunity to communities across Kenya, rooted in the conviction that strong, biblically grounded families are the foundation of a thriving society. The organization has so far impacted over 200,000 families, delivering holistic programs that strengthen spiritual, emotional, and social well-being.
Guided by Matthew 28:19—“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” CBCK emphasizes discipleship, leadership development, and sustainable community transformation. Pastor Simba is academically equipped with a Diploma in Community Development and Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Psychology (Second Class Upper Division) from the University of Nairobi. He also holds a Master’s degree in Contextualized Pastoral Ministry from Lancaster Bible College, Capital Seminary and Graduate School.
Michel Hendricks
Michel Hendricks is a teacher, trainer, pastor, missionary, inventor and author. He has been teaching and training for over 25 years. He was a pastor of spiritual formation at Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette, Colorado. In addition, he served and trained people in Argentina, Mexico, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda. Drawing from the cross-section of the Bible and brain science, he helps churches and communities implement a relational discipleship that transforms. He is the director of Life Model consulting at Life Model Works and is the co-author with Dr. Jim Wilder of the book The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation. He is a graduate of The University of Colorado, Boulder and Denver Seminary. He is married to Claudia and they have three adult children.
Friday, May 15th
5:30pm Doors Open
6:00pm Opening Prayer/Worship
Session 1: God’s Story Before Us
6:40pm Speaker: Dr. Curt Thompson
7:30pm Q&A: Dr. Curt Thompson and Pastor Alec Zacaroli
8:00pm Worship/Closing Prayer
Saturday, May 16th
8:30am Doors Open
9:00am Opening Prayer/Worship
Session 2: God’s Story In Us
9:10am Speaker: Pastor Michel Hendricks
10:00am Speaker: Dr. Ekpedeme Wade
Session 3: God’s Story Through Us
11:00am Speaker: Professor Kelly Kapic
12:00pm Lunch
1:15pm Breakout Sessions #1
2:15pm Breakout Sessions #2
Session 4: God’s Story Beyond Us
3:15pm Speaker: Pastor Erick Simba
4:00pm Closing
Breakout #1: Pastor Michel Hendricks – Training to Love Our Enemies
Breakout #2: Jacquie Atkins with Center for Being Known – Thriving in Confessional Communities
Breakout #3: Jessica Cabrera – Faith and the Workplace
Breakout #4: Pastor Erick Simba – Subject TBD
Breakout #5: Professor Kelly Kapic – When Have I Done Enough? Why our limits are good news.
Breakout #6: Pastor Greg Triplett – The Grace and Truth Grid: A spiritual growth exercise from John chapter 1
Breakout #7: DTS – Kevin Gottlieb – The Seminary Experience
Conference Location:
Burke Community Church
9900 Old Keene Mill Road
Burke, Virginia 22015
Local Lodging
Residence Inn by Marriott Springfield Old Keene Mill (6.4 mi)
Homewood Suites by Hilton Springfield, VA (6.5 mi)
Embassy Suites by Hilton Springfield (7.6 mi)
Local Food
Glory Days (American – 1.0 mi)
El Pueblo (Mexican – 1.0 mi)
Chi Mc (Korean Fried Chicken – 2.3 mi)
Chick-Fil-A (3.1 mi)
Five Guys (3.1 mi)
Cava (Mediterranean – 3.1 mi)
Curry House (Indian – 3.1 mi)
Chipotle (3.1 mi)
Pupatella (Pizza – 3.2)
Located in Burke, Virginia, 30 minutes outside of Washington D.C., Burke Community Church is a large non-denominational church with a family feel. With a heart for people and a heart to understand, “What is True?”, Burke Community Church founded the Digging Deeper Conference and Podcast in 2022. Join us in-person or online at burkecommunity.com.
Dallas Theological Seminary is a non-denominational evangelical seminary in Dallas, Texas, with satellite campuses and regional locations throughout the United States and the world, including its Washington D.C. campus located at Burke Community Church. Founded in 1924, our mission is to glorify God by equipping godly servant-leaders for the proclamation of His Word and the building up of the body of Christ worldwide. Learn more about DTS programs and all of the degrees offered at dts.edu.
Featuring Musical Guests & Worship Leaders
BRAD + REBEKAH
Brad & Rebekah first met and began singing together while students at North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They got married in 2006, and two years later, God opened the door for them to start touring full-time together. After welcoming two kids, they moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 2014 and currently spend half the year ministering with Christ’s Church of the Valley and the other half of the year traveling and producing music. No matter the season or the joys or challenges they face, the two never lose sight of their mission. As Rebekah says, “Everything we ever do is meant to bring people back to Christ.”
Questions?
Contact us about the conference or any questions you have. We would love to hear from you!
© 2026 Burke Community Church