2020 Conference
March 5-8, 2020
2020 Conference
Be Still And Know
March 5-8, 2020
Salt Lake City, Utah
Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel
150 W 500 S, Salt Lake City, UT, 84101
President’s Message
On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, I welcome you to the 2020 North Star Conference. Please know that you are among friends who love you dearly and who share your desire to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are so grateful you are here and know that you have all been prayed and fasted for in the hopes that you will walk away from this conference with more hope, connection and a deeper relation to our Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father.
The purpose of the North Star Conference is to bring together Latter-day Saints to gather with loved ones, famlies and church leaders, in the hope that we might all learn from and strengthen each other as we strive to live the gospel and make and keep sacred covenants. The Conference Committee has spent hundreds and hundreds of hours pulling this conference together and have diligently sought the Spirit of the Lord to make the conference what it needs to be this year. We encourage you to take advantage of the amazing keynote addresses that will be given and the wide variety of breakout sessions that will address more the specific needs of those in our community.
We also encourage you to take a minute and look around you and notice that you are not alone — that you are surrounded by those who love and understand you. We also encourage you to reach out and connect to someone you may not know or someone you may not fully understand yet. There is power in reaching outside our comfort zones to love and connect with another person.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Be Still and Know.” There is literal power as we take time to be still and seek to know God, our Savior and ourselves. There are a wide variety of voices out there telling us how we should live our lives and yet there is only one voice that speaks truth. God knows who you are. He knows of your unique worth and value, and He deeply knows of your individual divine nature and potential. Have you taken time lately to be still with Him? If so, then I challenge you to continue to do so this weekend. If not, I challenge you this weekend during the conference to take a few minutes and find a space where you can be still with God and our Savior and seek divine peace, truth and connection with them. God is anxiously waiting for us to allow Him to have more access to our mind, body and spirit and stillness is a way we can make this happen.
I earnestly pray that you will all feel of your worth, value, and potential as you take time with God an as you attend the conference this weekend. God is with us in our unique paths and the Savior meets us right where we are, loves us just as we are and enables us to keep moving forward. We just need to invite them into our lives. I pray the Lord’s blessings upon each of you as you attend the conference this weekend and pray that you all will be blessed and nourished by the Spirit of the Lord.
With love and gratitude,
Spencer Thompson
President, North Star International
Leadership
Board of Directors
- Brigit Pack, Board Chair
- Blake Smith, Finance
- Becky Mackintosh, Family Support & Resources
- Travis Steward, Church Leader Outreach
- Rosa Chacon Lauper, Family Support / Spouse Support
- Sean Crandall, Gender Identity Support
- Julio Ospina, International Communities
- Jeff Bennion, Media Relations, Marketing, Finance
- Ty Mansfield, Voices of Hope
- Kurt Francom, Church Leader Outreach
- Quinn Kelly, Secretary, Women’s Group Outreach
(Current List of Board Members)
Executive Committee
- Spencer Thompson, President
- Liv Mendoza Haynes, Executive Vice President
- Jeff Case, Senior Vice President
- Ryan Warnick, VP, Marketing & Content
- Erick Hacking, VP, Regional Communities
- Mark Buckley, VP, Online Communities
- Jeni Davis, Co-VP, Community Events
- Jarry Lozano, Co-VP, Community Events
(Current List of Executive Committee Members)
Conference Committee
- Spencer Thompson, Chair
- Brent Ebmeyer, Vice Chair, Program
- Courtney Ebmeyer, Vice Chair, Program
- Alex Lindstrom, Vice Chair, Logistics
- Ryan Warnick, Marketing Lead
- Tommy Lowry, Technical Lead
- Denise Smith, Registration Lead
- Debby Jackson, Bookstore Lead
- Vaughn Armstrong, Socials Lead
- Jarry Lozano, Volunteer Lead
Conference Program
Keynote Speakers
Gentri
Friday Morning
Emily Belle Freeman & David Butler
Friday Afternoon
Scott & Becky Mackintosh
Saturday Morning
Becket Cook
Saturday Afternoon
Friday (currently under construction)
7:00am - 8:45am Registration/Meet & Greet
9:00am - 10:45am Opening Session
Conducting: Bennet Borden
Hymn: Where Can I Turn for Peace, #129
Musical Keynote Performance: [Presentation] Gentri
President’s Address: [Presentation] Spencer Thompson
11:00am - 12:30pm Breakout Session 1
- Wasatch: The Power of Stillness
Presenter: Dr. Ty Mansfield, Jacob Hess, & Carrie Skarda
Target Demographic: General - Deer Valley: A House Divided: Navigating Family Dynamics
Presenter: Debby Jackson
Panelists: Dale Larsen, Rebecca Silva, Janae Monson, Patrice Fairbanks
Target Demographic: Parents of SSA Children - Brighton/Alta: There is a Place for Us
Presenter: Jeff Case
Panelists: Victoria Adam, Lyndsey Andreasky, Chelsea Hanson, Sean Crandall
Target Demographic: Gender Identity/Trans - Powder Mtn/Solitude: Cycle of Connection and Disconnetion in Marriage – Healthy Patterns Relating to Self, Spouse, and God
Presenter: Shannon Rants
Target Demographic: Married, Spouses - Snowbird: Using Revelation to Nuture a Personal Relationship with God
Presenter: Becky Edwards
Target Demographic: General
12:45pm - 1:45pm Lunch
2:00pm - 3:00pm Breakout Session 2
- Wasatch: Open to the Idea of Being Married
Presenter: Vaughn Armstrong
Panelists: Bob Stevens, Deb Stevens, Liv Haynes, Matthew Haynes, Charles Hamilton, Julie Hamilton
Target Demographic: Couples, Single - Deer Valley: My Worth as a Man!!!
Presenter: Will Edgel, Blake Smith, Travis Steward
Target Demographic: SSA Men - Brighton/Alta: Finding Belonging While Feeling You Don’t Fit the Traditional Mold
Presenter: Dennis Schleicher
Target Demographic: General - Sundance: Healthy Relationships: How to Not Mess It Up and How to Fix It if You Do
Presenter: Kim Shores, Sarah Tate
Target Demographic: General - Powder Mtn: Individual Faith Journeys and Building Zion
Presenter: Brandon Jensen, Nick Gregory, Landon Phillips, Katherine Hermann
Target Demographic: Gender Identity/Trans - Snowbird: The Journey: A Story of Love and Acceptance
Presenter: Dr. Russ Gaede
Target Demographic: Parents of Gender Identity/Trans Children
3:15pm - 4:15pm Breakout Session 3
- Wasatch: Staying Strong While Going Through Church Discipline
Presenter: Kurt Francom
Panelists: Bryce Johnson, Rick Hall, Sita Kinikini, Karen Dufresne, Will Edgel
Target Demographic: Church Leaders, General - Deer Valley: Alone, But Not Lonely
Presenter: Alex Lindstrom
Panelists: Bradley Stroker, Quinn Kelly, Lucas Jones, Wyrlon Jones
Target Demographic: General - Brighton/Alta: Do I Have to Choose Between My Child and My Faith?
Presenter: Monica Phillips & Wendy Eldredge
Target Demographic: Parents of SSA Children, Parents of Gender Identity/Trans Children - Sundance: Spouses Facilitated Discussion
Presenter: Maryann Broberg
Target Demographic: CLOSED DOOR: Spouses of SSA Men - Powder Mtn: Married Men Faciliated Discussion
Presenter: Jeff Bennion
Target Demographic: CLOSED DOOR: SSA Married Men - Snowbird: It is Christ That Makes Us Whole
Presenter: Michael Goodman
Target Demographic: General - Big Cottonwood: Gender Identity/Trans Spouses Facilitated Discussion
Presenter: Shannon Rants
Target Demographic: CLOSED DOOR: Spouses of Gender Identity/Trans
4:15pm - 5:45pm General Session
Conducting: Brigit Pack
Musical Number: Slow Down, by Hamilton Family
Keynote Speakers: [Presentation] Emily Belle Freeman & David Butler
Hymn: The Spirit of God, #2
Saturday (currently under construction)
7:30am-8:45am Registration
9:00am - 10:15am General Session
Conducting: Kurt Francom
Hymn: Be Still My Soul #124
Musical Number: North Star Conference Choir
Keynote Speakers: [Presentation] Scott Mackintosh & Becky Mackintosh
10:30am - 12:00pm Breakout Session 4
- Wasatch: Bearing One Another;s Burdens – how to Lighten the Burdens of Your SSA or Gender Identity/Trans Members
Presenter: Richard Ostler
Panelists: Brent Ebmeyer, Joey Sheppard, Myrna Moll, Robert Burgraaf
Target Demographic: Church Leaders - Zion: Keys to Flourishing as a Sexual Minority: What the Research Says
Presenter: Dr. Ty Mansfield & Tyler Lefevor
Target Demographic: - Brighton/Alta: Healthy Attachment, Connection, and the Power of Relatinships in Recovery From Unwanted Thinking and Addictive Behaviors
Presenter: Dan Gray
Target Demographic: General - Sundance: Stepping Into the Darkness in Faith: Honest Dialogue With Your Transgender Members
Presenter: Karen C. & Michael Edwards
Target Demographic: Church Leaders, Gender Identity/Trans - Deer Valley: How to Heal From Broken Female Connections
Presenter: Shannon Rants
Target Demographic: Women - Snowbird: Navigating Through Betrayal Trauma in Marriage
Presenter: Sherie Christensen
Target Demographic: Couples, Spouses, Married
12:15pm - 1:15pm Lunch
1:30pm - 2:30pm Breakout Session 5
- Wasatch: A Discussion on Healthy Male Friendships
Presenter: Brent Ebmeyer
Panelists: Jarry Lozano, Chad Hill, Greg Reichmann, Justin Mangum, Pret Dahlgren, Troy Dahlgren
Target Demographic: SSA Men - Deer Valley: Joyfully Navigating Faith & Orientation
Presenter: Charlie Bird
Target Demographic: General - Brighton/Alta: “Let It /go!: – The Healing Power of True Surrender
Presenter: Dan Gray
Target Demographic: General - Sundance: “Broken Together”: Living and Thriving in a Mixed-Orientation Marriage
Presenter: Tami Wright & Ben Wright
Target Demographic: Married, Spouses, Couples - Zion: How I Fit in God’s Plan
Presenter: Ky Merkley, Brent Schindler, Jenn Curtis
Target Demographic: SSA Men, SSA Women, Gender Identity/Trans - Snowbird: Survival Tips for Family Mental Health and Happiness
Presenter: Lisa Hansen
Target Demographic: Parents
2:45pm - 3:45pm Breakout Session 6
- Wasatch: Ministering to Those Who Question
Presenter: David Ostler
Target Demographic: General - Deer Valley: Navigating the Complex Conversations in Marriage
Presenter: Jeff Case
Panelists: Erick Hacking, Kathi Hacking, Ricardo Rosas, Elizabeth Rosas
Target Demographic: Married, Spouses, Couples - Brighton/Alta: Toxicity and Community
Presenter: Lucas Jones
Panelists: Ann Pack, Kris Irvin, Ky Merkley, Allison Pryor
Target Demographic: General - Sundance: SSA Women Facilitated Discussion
Presenter: Shannon Rants
Target Demographic: CLOSED DOOR: SSA Women - Zion: Rise to the Challenge: A Parent’s Ministry
Presenter: Lisa Arnold
Target Demographic: Parents - Snowbird: Experience Yourself Giving It to Christ
Presenter: Tanya Bennion
Target Demographic: General
4:00pm - 5:30pm Closing Session
Conducting: Jeff Case
Musical Number: Knock, by Justin & Amber Gurr
Keynote Speaker: [Presentation] Becket Cook
Musical Number: Precious Jesus, by Camlyn, Grayson and Ayan Giddins
Closing Thoughts: Spencer Thompson
Hymn: I Believe in Christ, #134
Sunday
9:00am-11:30am Post-Conference Sharing Session
Conducting: Brent Ebmeyer