centennial impact summit 2025
Centennial Impact Summit
September 26-27, 2025
Join us for the inaugural Centennial Impact Summit!
American culture has experienced a seismic social change in recent decades. From fertility and mortality, sex and gender, work and leisure, and more, conservative and Christian values have eroded so rapidly as to have become almost unintelligible. While most analyses of this shift have focused on the roles played by politics, history, and religion, few have examined the role of technology in reshaping the American Christian’s understanding of morality, the world, and oneself.
We are now faced with a societal dilemma: The more our reliance on technology grows, the more dehumanized we become. How are we to be the embodiment of Christ to our communities? What is the proper view of personhood, society, and politics that will lead to human flourishing? This Summit will provide a forum for Christians to take a closer look at how the Church can Reclaim Embodiment in a Brave New World.
The Armstrong Center at Colorado Christian University
8787 W Alameda Ave
Lakewood, CO 80226
Useful Information
Speakers are actively being confirmed; check back regularly for more updates!
John Stonestreet
President, Colson Center for Christian Worldview
Dr. Jean Twenge
Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University; Author of 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World
Clare Morell
Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center; Author of The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones
Tim Carney
Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Emma Waters
Policy Analyst, Center for Technology and the Human Person at The Heritage Foundation
Dr. Brad Littlejohn
Director of Programs and Education, American Compass
Samantha Kelley
Founder/President, FIERCE Athlete Inc.
Isabel Brown
Host, The Isabel Brown Show on The Daily Wire
Tim Estes
Founder/CEO, AngelQ AI
Mark Garcia
President/CEO, Greystone Theological Institute
Rev. Dr. Michael Balboni
Theologian; Co-Founder of the Harvard Initiative on Health, Religion, and Spirituality
Leah Libresco Sargeant
Author of The Dignity of Dependence
Michael Toscano
Director of the Family First Technology Initiative, Institute for Family Studies
Kendall Vanderslice
Author of We Will Feast, By Bread Alone, and Bake & Pray
Joshua Klein
Associate Fellow in Mechanical Arts, Greystone Theological Institute
Adeline Allen
Professor of Law, Trinity Law School; Associate Fellow at The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity
Samuel James
Director of Content Development, Crossway Books
Eva Ting
Joshua Klein
Associate Fellow in Mechanical Arts, Greystone Theological Institute
Joshua Klein
Associate Fellow in Mechanical Arts, Greystone Theological Institute
The schedule will be updated with speakers closer to the event date.
Friday, September 26
5:00 PM 6:30 PM
Event Registration Opens
7:00 PM 8:15 PM
Evening Keynote Session
8:30 PM 10:00 PM
Welcome Reception*
*Off-site; details coming soon
Saturday, September 27
8:00 AM 9:00 AM
Doors Open
9:00 AM 10:00 AM
Morning Keynote Session
10:00 AM 10:15AM
Break
10:15 AM 11:30 AM
Morning Breakout Session
11:30 AM 12:45 PM
Lunch Break
1:00 PM 2:00 PM
Panel Discussion
2:00 PM 2:15 PM
Break
2:15 PM 3:30 PM
Afternoon Breakout Session
3:30 PM 5:30 PM
Dinner Break
6:00 PM 8:00 PM
Evening Keynote & Concluding Panel
8:15 PM 10:00 PM
Farewell Reception*
*Off-site; details coming soon
The Need for a Protestant Theology of Embodiment
American culture has experienced a seismic social change in recent decades. From fertility and mortality, sex and gender, work and leisure, and more, conservative and Christian values have eroded so rapidly as to have become almost unintelligible. While most analyses of this shift have focused on the roles played by politics, history, and religion, few have examined the role of technology in reshaping the American Christian’s understanding of morality, the world, and oneself.
The 2025 Centennial Impact Summit will provide a forum for Christians to take a close look at how our technological innovations have, over the past century, called long-held truths about humanity into question and, in their place, commended or required practices of life that have facilitated our dehumanization. It will also explore how the Church, by rooting itself in a thoroughly Scriptural anthropology, can offer the world a truly human vision of personhood, society, and politics that leads to flourishing.
While this Summit will aim to respond to pressing anthropological challenges characteristic of the digital age (such as bio-transhumanism, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, etc.) and offer rich ethical analyses of various technologies and their effects, it will chiefly frame its conversation of technology and social change in a positive and explicitly Protestant theological vision of the human as an embodied creature whose finitude, mortality, and dependence are not flaws to be hacked, but gifted features that point us to our Creator and Redeemer revealed above all in the person of Jesus Christ.
In so doing, the Centennial Impact Summit will prove to be critical not only to developing a long overdue, explicitly Protestant theology of embodiment but also to helping the Church navigate the challenges and opportunities of our rapidly changing and challenging technological world.
When registering for the Summit, you will select two breakout sessions (one morning session and one afternoon session) to attend on Saturday, September 27. Breakout speakers and locations will be announced closer to the event.
*Schedule subject to change.
Morning Breakout Session (Choose One)
Artificial Intelligence and Influence: Finding the Ethical Balance in a Tech-Driven World
With Isabel Brown, Tim Estes, and Michael Sacasas
Artificial Intelligence is developing at a rapid pace, with its cultural integration happening just as quickly. As artificial intelligence has already begun to influence how we interact with others in our public and private lives, what does it look like to preserve our humanity in the A.I. age, and how are Christians uniquely positioned for this task?. This panel will examine the influence of artificial intelligence and other emergent technologies in society and explore how Christians might engage these technologies ethically and responsibly for the common good.
Faith, Fertility, and Reproductive Technology
With Emma Waters, Tim Carney, and Adeline Allen
Over the last fifty years, “reproductive rights” have become one of the most hotly debated topics in the public square. During this same timeframe, there have been significant technological developments in the field of reproductive and prenatal medicine, from the abortion pill to ultrasounds to in vitro fertilization. In addition to exploring how reproductive technologies have reshaped our views of procreation, human life, and family, both for good and ill, this panel will help lay out how a Christian view of fertility and procreation can guide reproductive technologies toward dignity over dehumanization.
Death and Dependence
With Eva Ting, Leah Libresco Sargeant, and Rev. Dr. Michael Balboni
Perhaps no other features of human existence have been obscured in modern life more than death and dependence. From life-saving medical advancements to countless products that promise the preservation of youth to cremation, various technologies—both good and bad—have blinded us to the realities of our finite existence. Still others have made us less dependent on family, friends, churches, and neighbors. Nevertheless, we remain finite creatures who must depend on others and confront death. This panel will explore the significance of death and dependence within the Christian faith and, by extension, the significance of the Church’s witness in a world where death and dependence have been pushed to the edges.
Afternoon Breakout Session (Choose One)
Future for the Family: A New Tech Agenda
With Brad Littlejohn, Emma Waters, and Michael Toscano
Tech policy is the new family policy. Today, there is an emerging coalition that sees technology policy as central to the project of conserving our humanity and values. Made up of authors of the recent “Future for the Family” statement, this panel will explore why good technology policy and governance are vital for the flourishing for the family and the human person.
Praxis, Embodiment, and the Image of God: The Value of Work and Shared Practices in a Digital World
With Samuel James, Joshua Klein, and Kendall Vanderslice
The digital economy has displaced and obscured the value of physical labor and shared practices. Yet, such things have long been central to what it means to life, community, and even worship. This panel will explore the significance of physical labor and shared practices in Christian anthropology, and how cultivating these can preserve our humanity and foster flourishing in the digital age.
Preserving Marriage and Gender in a Dehumanized Culture
With Mark Garcia, Samantha Kelley, and John Stonestreet
Much of the discussion of the decline of traditional views of marriage and gender have focused on recent cultural shifts like the sexual revolution and secularization. Yet, in the past 50 years, technology has also played a quiet yet powerful role in reshaping our views of marriage and gender. From birth control to digital pornography to revolutionary developments in cosmetic surgery, technology has untethered marriage from the realities of sexual difference and procreation and gender from biological sex. This panel will explore why the Christian view of marriage and gender is increasingly foreign to those in the digital world, the role technology has played in this shift, and how the church can respond.
The Centennial Impact Summit will provide attendees with the opportunity to engage in meaningful, academic conversations surrounding the great ideological questions of our day. Passes provide access to both days of the Summit,
Summit Pass - $125
The Summit Pass provides access to both days of the conference and the exhibit hall.
Young Professionals Pass - $40
The Young Professionals Pass, reserved for individuals between the ages of 25 and 40, provides access to both days of the conference and the exhibit hall.
Student Pass - $10
The Student Pass gives high school and college students access to both days of the conference and the exhibit hall.
*Must use a student email (.edu) when registering.
Hyatt House at Belmar
7310 West Alaska Drive
Lakewood, CO 80226
Special Room Rate: $148 per night, plus taxes & fees
The Centennial Impact Summit is pleased to announce that we have contracted with Hyatt House at Belmar for a special room rate for our attendees.
Hyatt House Denver/Lakewood at Belmar boasts one of the best views of the Rocky Mountain foothills. At the heart of the vibrant Belmar area, you’ll find yourself immersed in shopping, dining, and entertainment options. It offers complimentary breakfast, an indoor pool and fitness center, and is within walking distance of Colorado Christian University’s campus.
Book through the link below or call to receive the discounted rate. For reservations over the phone, please call +1 303-922-2511 and mention Colorado Christian University’s discount code 49375.
Rate is subject to availability.
Working media can receive a complimentary Summit Pass, pending approval. Credentialed media are allowed to attend all keynote events.
Press on assignment to cover the Centennial Impact Summit must request event credentials by emailing centennial@ccu.edu. In your email, please include the following:
- Full name and contact information
- Media outlet name and contact information
- Type of media (TV, print, radio, digital, freelance, etc.)
- Assignment editor or supervisor's contact information
- Description of coverage (e.g. interview, general coverage, photo/video)
- Date(s), time(s), and location(s) of requested access
- Any equipment to be used (e.g. cameras, drones, etc.)
- Identification (press pass, driver's license, or equivalent)
FAQ
Food and Attire
What meals and food are included?
Summit attendees will find or bring their own meals during program breaks at lunch and dinner times. During registration, there is an option to add a meal voucher for Colorado Christian University's dining commons if an individual would prefer to remain on-site during meal breaks on Saturday.
What is the Dress Code?
In general, we are recommending business casual attire. As with any event, a light sweater or jacket is recommended for temperature fluctuations. Comfortable shoes are recommended for walking to the various breakout sessions around campus.
Transportation
What about parking?
There is complimentary on-site parking located in the Mile Hi parking lot, located at Garrison Street and Cedar Drive. Handicap parking can be found in the lot adjacent to Leprino Hall. A parking permit will be provided one week before the event; this must be printed and displayed on the dashboard of your vehicle.
What is the closest airport?
Denver International Airport is the closest commercial airport to Colorado Christian University. It is approximately 30 miles (roughly 35-40 minute drive).
Need airport transportation?
We suggest utilizing Super Shuttle, taxi, Uber/Lyft, or private rental car.
Registration & Refunds
Are there refunds if I’m unable to attend?
Refunds with a cancellation fee are available based on the date of the request. Contact us for more information: centennial@ccu.edu or 303-963-3157.
Registration & Purchases
Through Monday, July 28 – full refund, less a 25% cancellation fee
July 28 – August 31 – full refund, less a 50% cancellation fee
After August 31, 11:59 PM MST – no refunds
Is my pass transferable to another person?
You may substitute or transfer your registration to another person up until Friday, September 19, by calling 303-963-3157 or emailing centennial@ccu.edu.
NOTE: All attendees, regardless of age, are REQUIRED to purchase a pass to attend the Summit. This is a security measure and must be followed.
I haven’t received an email from someone I have emailed. What should I do?
Please be sure to check your “junk” folder, as spam filters can sometimes catch emails. After verifying that you did not receive an email response to your inquiry, you may follow up via the same email, email centennial@ccu.edu, or call 303-963-3157.
Book Signing Events
Will there be book signings throughout the Summit?
Yes! Some of our speakers have released new books and are looking forward to interacting with you during their scheduled book signings. This information will be included in your event packet upon arrival for the Summit.
Are there books for sale at the Summit?
There will be a limited number of books on sale during the Summit.
Schedule & Programming
How will I know who is speaking when? Who are your confirmed speakers?
The schedule and confirmed speaker list are published on our website. We recommend checking back regularly for updates!
Are there workshops or small group discussions?
Yes! There will be three breakout sessions during the morning and afternoon of Saturday, September 27. During registration, you will be required to select which breakout session you would like to attend. Session speakers and descriptions will be regularly updated on our website.
Youth
Can children attend the Summit?
We do NOT suggest bringing young children, as our sessions are too long for their attention span and create a distraction by their presence.
Teens, however, will find the program engaging, and we welcome them to register for Student Passes. Every teen is required to attend with a parent or guardian over the age of 18 who is also a pass holder. All minors should be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the entirety of the event.
Security
Anyone on the campus of Colorado Christian University is subject to a reasonable search, including but not limited to, metal detection and/or a bag search. Security reserves the right to inspect personal belongings of suspicious nature. This includes bags/backpacks, purses, coats, and hats.
In the event that prohibited items are revealed during a search, the guest will be permitted to return to their vehicle with the item, or the item will be confiscated.
Smoking is strictly prohibited.
Thank you to our Sponsors
Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University works to enhance public understanding of the most important issues relating to faith, family, and freedom. As part of this endeavor, the Institute focuses its efforts on conducting research, analyzing public policy options and sponsoring seminars, conferences, and other activities that involve students, faculty, staff and outside experts. Each summer, it is the host of the nation’s largest annual conservative gathering west of the Mississippi, the Western Conservative Summit.
The Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization that does not endorse or oppose any candidate or political party for public office. CCU’s tax ID number is 84-0442429.
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