Kathryn is the Vice President and Dean of Student Formation and Campus Culture at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. Under the leadership of President Victor Aloyo, Dean Kathryn works for the holistic development of students throughout the various degree programs, while working with a team to help create a vital campus culture of belonging.

Prior to her work with Columbia Theological Seminary, Kathryn served as the Associate Director of Theology, Formation and Evangelism for the Presbyterian Mission Agency of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Kathryn is one of the founding leaders of the Vital Congregations Initiative for the PC(USA).

She attended Montreat College, PC(USA) on a soccer scholarship. There she obtained her B.A. majoring in Bible and Religion with a concentration in Youth Ministry. Kathryn went on to study at Columbia Theological Seminary for both her Masters of Divinity and her Doctorate of Educational Ministries degrees. Her thesis explored why youth today seldom experience the wonder of God in worship.

As a minister of the Word and Sacraments, Kathryn has served churches in Greensboro, NC. and Mobile, AL.

She is the beloved daughter of Ollie Rix and Dorothy Threadgill, and has twelve siblings from all over the world. She is married to Alex Zareth and has a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog named Rayo – meaning “Ray of Light”. Kathryn enjoys the beach, wood working, kayaking, hiking, and spending time with the people she loves.

Soul Care: Yoga Class
with a certified Yoga Instructor

Unwind with a gentle yoga session designed to help you reconnect body, mind, and spirit. No experience needed—just bring a mat (or not, we’ll have lots of extra mats available) and come as you are.

Idea Exchange: Games
with Josh Sweeney and Rebekah Witt

What’s your go-to icebreaker or crowd-favorite game? Bring your ideas and learn new ones in this fast-paced exchange of practical, adaptable games for youth group settings.

Learning Lab: Healthy Youth Workers = Healthy Churches
with Kate Satterstrom

Youth Ministry can be deeply meaningful—and deeply exhausting. Learn how caring for yourself as a youth worker contributes to the overall health of your church. The Presbyterian Youth Workers Association (PYWA) maintains that Healthy Youth Workers = Healthy Churches. That premise helps us understand that the pursuit of a healthy ministry becomes not only a personal endeavor, but also a communal responsibility. This session offers practical tools for sustainable, holistic ministry.

Soul Care: Prayer Walk
with the Rev. Kara Smith-Laubenstein

Experience a guided, contemplative prayer walk through an outdoor labyrinth. This spiritual practice invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and listen for God’s still, small voice.

Idea Exchange: Youth Ministry Year-Long Planning
with the Rev. Kiersten Hill and the Rev. Eileen VanGieson

Let’s talk calendars, rhythms, and curriculum. Share strategies and templates for planning a sustainable and Spirit-led year of ministry with youth.

Learning Lab: Holy Week in Palestine: The Horrible & the Holy
with the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow

Bruce has led or participated in four delegations to Palestine since October 2023. Coordinated by Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, he has had the privilege of meeting with artists, activists, religious leaders, farmers, etc, who have tasked these delegations to tell their stories as much as possible. During our time, Bruce will share a bit about current conditions in the West Bank as well as what it was like to spend Holy Week in East Jerusalem.

Soul Care: Kintsugi (Art)
with Leslie Mauerman and Darlene Elsner

Explore healing through the Japanese art of kintsugi—repairing broken pottery with gold. In this hands-on workshop, reflect on how God brings beauty from our brokenness through creativity and restoration.

Idea Exchange: Retreats and Mission/Service Trips
with the Rev. Tully Fletcher and the Rev. Kiersten Hill

Exchange tips, stories, and best practices for organizing meaningful trips—from logistics to spiritual formation. Whether you’ve led 20 or none, come learn from others and share what’s worked (and what hasn’t!).

Learning Lab: Brave Conversations on Sexuality
with Kim Ness

Come and learn about Brave Conversations on Sexuality, a new PYWA curriculum resource designed to help church communities engage youth in thoughtful, age-appropriate conversations about sexuality from a reformed faith-based perspective.

Soul Care: Reading Corner
with Kate Satterstrom

Sink into a cozy chair and read that book you brought with you and have been meaning to read. This is a quiet, introvert-friendly space for personal renewal through reading and reflection.

Idea Exchange: Partnering with Parents, Volunteers, and Other Churches
with Oliver Page & the Rev. Eileen VanGieson

Youth ministry isn’t a solo gig. Join this conversation about building healthy relationships with the adults who surround and support your youth ministry—including other congregations in your region.

Learning Lab: Theology & Spiritual Practice of Wonder
with the Rev. Dr. Kathryn Threadgill

Together we will further explore the Wonder of God as a theological understanding needing to be reclaimed in our churches and ministry contexts, so that we might be transformed to imagine and innovatively share the gospel of Jesus Christ with youth today. We will examine God’s Wonder in a wandering and wonder-lost world, and discern ways of “going marveling” so that God, in Christ Jesus, might encounter and transform us as witnesses to the “new things” God is doing in the Church.

Soul Care: Garden Reflections
with Cheryl Wright

Connect with creation and Creator in this contemplative time of reflection and grounding in CPC’s community garden. You’ll be guided through questions to help you reflect amidst blooming life.

Idea Exchange: Youth Sunday and Involving Youth in Worship
with Rebekah Witt & Oliver Page

Explore creative ways to involve youth in worship leadership year-round—not just on Youth Sunday. Share ideas for empowering students to share their voices, gifts, and faith with the wider church.

Learning Lab: Brave Conversations on Sexuality
with Kim Ness

Come and learn about Brave Conversations on Sexuality, a new PYWA curriculum resource designed to help church communities engage youth in thoughtful, age-appropriate conversations about sexuality from a reformed faith-based perspective.