On the shores of Lake Tahoe comes an opportunity for inspiration and innovation. The Zephyr Point Inspiration Lab is in partnership with Ministry Incubators for an onsite Hatchathon® for up to 12 ministry innovation projects, exploring new, financially sustainable ways of doing ministry.
Be immersed in 3 days of visioning, design thinking, and collaboration. Led by the Ministry Incubators experts, we invite ministry partners and organizations to join together in a common pursuit to dream together new ways, modes, and models of ministry.
2025 Dates: September 18-22, 2025
A Hatchathon is a multi-day virtual or in-person event lead by Ministry Incubators staff meant to help teams of innovators go from rough idea to a budget and strategy for pulling off a successful launch.
Modules will cover everything from clarifying vision to setting budget and it will culminate in a pitch in front of potential investors and grant-funders.
A Hatchathon is for any faith-inspired team or solo innovator who is ready to take their idea out into the world. We have both sponsored Hatches and open registration options for independent innovators.
Theological grounding
All of our work will begin and end with prayer and worship and will help innovators hear God’s call.
Visioning
Ministry Incubators will help innovators get laser-focused on their target audience and mission.
Design thinking
Participants will study human-centered design thinking and how it can shape their projects.
Collaboration
Participants will work within their own team and alongside others to develop ideas.
System work
Participants will learn about 17 systems necessary for a successful organization.
Pitch development
Participants will build pitches and then have the opportunity to pitch to potential funders.
Kenda Creasy Dean comes to Ministry Incubators after 30 years of doing ministry that wasn’t in a job description. An ordained United Methodist minister, she teaches practical theology, youth ministry, education and formation, and social innovation at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she works closely with PTS’s Institute for Youth Ministry and the Farminary and directs the Ministry Collaboratory, a Lilly Endowment initiative at Princeton on congregational innovation with young adults. She has extensive experience in new ministry development, grant writing, and nonprofit ministry, especially with young people.
Kenda is the author of a dozen books including Innovating for Love: Joining God’s Expedition through Christian Social Innovation; Delighted: What Teenagers are Teaching the Church About Joy (with Wes Ellis, Abigail Rusert, and Justin Forbes); Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers Is Telling the American Church; and The Godbearing Life (with Ron Foster). She is a frequent speaker and consultant on young people and church innovation and has worked with dozens of seminaries, judicatories, congregations, and other faith-based entities. A graduate of Miami University (Ohio), Wesley Theological Seminary, and Princeton Theological Seminary, Kenda served as a pastor in suburban Washington, DC, and as a campus minister at the University of Maryland before coming to Princeton. She and her husband Kevin live on campus and love hanging out at the beach with their grown children.
Mark DeVries is Ministry Incubators’ co-founder and a serial ministry innovator, having founded numerous sustainable ministry enterprises, most notably Ministry Architects, whose team of over consultants has worked with over 1,000 ministries around the country.
Mark is also co-founder of the Center for Youth Ministry Training and the founder of Justice Industries. He served as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Their Families at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville for 28 years. Mark is the author of a dozen books, including Sustainable Youth Ministry and Family-Based Youth Ministry, and the co-author of Sustainable Children’s Ministry and Sustainable Young Adult Ministry. Mark has offered ministry training and consulting across the United States and in more than a dozen countries, working with a wide variety of denominations and nondenominational churches and organizations. He has taught courses or been a guest lecturer at more than 20 colleges and seminaries including Duke Divinity School (Durham, NC), Princeton Theological Seminary (Princeton, NJ), and Vanderbilt Divinity School (Nashville).
Mark graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, with a B.A. in English and Greek in 1980, and from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1986 with a senior concentration in youth evangelism.
Mark and Susan have been married since 1979 and make their home in Nashville. They have three grown children, Adam, Debbie, and Leigh, and four grandchildren, Parish, Nealy, Liam, and Jack.
The Tahoe Center offers private hotel-style guest rooms on the shores of Lake Tahoe. Bed configurations vary, but most rooms are furnished with two Queens. Each room has a private bathroom. You can choose to have a room to yourself (occupancy), or register to have a roommate (double-occupancy). The Tahoe Center is ADA accessible.
Hubbard Lodge is a dormitory featuring communal bathrooms. Most guest rooms contain two twin beds. You can choose to have a room to yourself (occupancy), or register to have a roommate (double-occupancy). Hubbard Lodge is not ADA accessible.
Live close to Zephyr Point or have another local place to stay? Register as a commuter! Commuters still are included in all event activities (including meals), but are not provided housing.
Do you have a friend or family member who wants to join you for a week of relaxation in Tahoe, but does not plan to attend the conference? Register as a non-participant! Non-participants must register for double-occupancy housing and attend in conjunction with a registered participant. Non-participants are included in meals but not permitted to attend program activities. (Note: All our facilities include wifi access, making Zephyr Point a great place for some remote work)
Project Fees:
The Project Fee covers the cost of faculty leadership for each sponsored project. Ideally, a church or institution will sponsor a project and send 2-5 representatives or stakeholders to “hatch” that project over the course of the event. The Project Fee is $2,500 per project, regardless of how many individuals you send to the event.
Individual Registration Fees:
Each individual must register for the event, which secures their room/board for the week. There are different housing options available to meet the needs of all participants. Pricing below:
| Room Style | Housing | Meals + Admin Fee | 2025 Individual Registration Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorm Style, Double Occupancy | $125 | $250 | $375 |
| Dorm Style, Single Occupancy | $250 | $250 | $500 |
| Hotel Style, Double Occupancy (Limited Availability) | $300 | $250 | $550 |
| Commuter (includes meals & program, no housing) | $0 | $250 | $250 |
| Non-Participant (Partner/Spouse) – Dorm-Style Double Occupancy | $125 | $250 | $375 |
Sample Registration Fee Breakdown:
Community Presbsyterian Church plans to hatch one project and send 3 representatives.
Project Fee: $2,500
Participant 1: Dorm-Style, Single Occupancy – $500
Participant 2: Dorm-Style, Double Occupancy – $375
Participant 3: Dorm-Style, Double Occupancy – $375
______________
TOTAL FEES = $3,750
How groups decide to cover the program fees is up to them. A church may plan to cover all fees, or perhaps the church pays the project fee and individual participants pay their room and board. We can work with you to make the fee breakdown meet your group’s unique needs.
Check-in begins promptly at 4pm on the first day of your scheduled event. We are not able to accommodate early check-ins as there is much to prepare prior to the event.
If you are planning to arrive after 6pm, please refer to your welcome letter (distributed by email 30 days prior to arrival) for more information on how to acquire your keys.
All deposits are non-refundable after payment is made. Cancellations one month before the start date of the program are eligible for a refund or transfer of entire registration fee minus deposit to a different program within the year. Cancellations within one month before the start date of the program are eligible for a 50% refund or transfer of entire registration fee minus deposit to a different program within the year. Cancellation within two weeks of the start date of the program will receive no refund. Registrations paid will be eligible to transfer to a different program within that year.
Zephyr Point can accommodate any combination of Vegetarian, Vegan, Non-dairy, and Non-gluten* diets. We are not able to make special accommodations for food allergies, but invite you to ask food service staff for meal ingredients! Zephyr Point has an excellent salad bar available for all lunches and dinners as an alternative to the regularly scheduled meal.
* Zephyr Point does not have a celiac certified kitchen.
Zephyr Point is located in Zephyr Cove, NV just 3 miles away from the California/Nevada state line.
Arriving by Flight: Zephyr Point encourages participants who are flying to the conference to arrive at Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO), a 55-minuted drive to Zephyr Point. For those looking for transfer from Reno to the South Lake Taho area, we recommend scheduling a shuttle with the South Tahoe Airporter. This service will take you from the Reno/Tahoe International Airport into Stateline, NV (a quick 5 minute Uber/Lyft away from Zephyr Point). We recommend booking your arrival trip from RNO to the Golden Nugget, and your return from Bally’s to RNO. Zephyr Point does not offer shuttles to/from the Airporter stop.
Arriving by Car: The entry to the Zephyr Point property is located on US-50.
If you are traveling east on Highway 50 through South Lake Tahoe, we recommend passing Zephyr Point and turning around in Zephyr Cove to avoid making an unprotected left turn into the property.
If you are traveling west on Highway 50, pay close attention for the entry to Zephyr Point after passing through the street light located at the Zephyr Cove Resort. You will see our wooden entry sign approaching on your right.
Weather: Zephyr Point is located at 6,225ft elevation on the shores of Lake Tahoe. Fall weather is often unpredictable with rain and snow conditions possible. Average temperatures tend to have highs in the 60’s and lows in the 30’s. Please check the weather in advance of arrival and be prepared to wear layers. We also recommend that you pack a good pair of durable shoes as outdoor areas could be wet.
Miscellaneous Items to Add to your Packing List:
Zephyr Point has high-speed internet access available in all indoor spaces across the property, including hotel-style rooms, lodges, cabins, Cabin 28 coffee shop, and meeting spaces.
To Register click on the “Registration Portal” button at the top of the page. Be sure to make a note of all dietary needs, mobility issues, and roommate requests during the registration process.
