Claim Your Hope Resources - Floris United Methodist Church

Speaker Bios

Rev. Lindsey Baynham Freeman

Rev. Lindsey Baynham Freeman is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and currently serves as the Mission Rivers District Superintendent. Before serving as a Superintendent, Lindsey served at Welborne UMC, in the Conference Office, Campus Ministry and as an associate pastor. This July begins year 14 of full-time ministry! Lindsey is a Virginia native and grew up in Richmond as well as Yorktown, VA. Both equally feel like home.

Matthew, Lindsey’s husband, is a consultant for Race & Diversity Inclusion through his business Dialectix Consulting. Lindsey & Matthew were married in December of 2020, and have 2 children, Bronwyn & Myles. They both love music, to cook and to travel.

When it comes to ministry, Lindsey is passionate about connecting folks in light of their gifts, preaching, teaching and strategically thinking of how to be in community.

Her StrengthsFinder Signature Strengths are: Adaptability, Restorative, Empathy, Arranger and Deliberative and she is Enneagram 3. Looking forward to serving, exploring and learning with you!

Rev. Dr. Katie Carson Phillips

Pastor Katie has worked in ministry for over 20 years and currently serves as the Lead Pastor of Vine Church in Northern VA. An ordained elder in the UMC, Katie’s career has focused on creative ways to help others grow as a disciples — as well as build connections in the church and the community. She has performed professional improv comedy with Improv Boston and Washington Improv Theater (WIT) – allowing her to travel and perform at national comedy festivals, film for television, and develop a love of laughter. (She has this hunch that laughter is key to sharing God’s story!) Katie has three daughters: Olive, Edie, & Kit – and a great husband, Kevin.

Rev. Gina Anderson-Cloud

Lead Pastor|Floris UMC

Gina Anderson-Cloud grew up in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, where she developed a love for nature and being outdoors. She met her future husband and partner in ministry, Rev. Bert Cloud, while studying psychology at Radford University. Gina’s first career after receiving her graduate degree from VCU was in social work and gerontology, planning and advocating for improvements in healthcare and wellness. After a joint call to ministry, Gina and Bert received their seminary training at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, where they began serving as pastors more than 23 years ago. Gina was trained for and served as a church planter, and she has led large and midsize congregations into growth and revitalization. Gina has served in various leadership positions in the Virginia Conference, Districts, and on local and national missions boards. She enjoys mentoring clergy and seeing God’s vision unfold in ways that transform the world. Gina is a mom to three young adult children and two cats.

fourth row

second row

Megan Dietrick

Director of Engagement and Innovation | Floris UMC

Megan Dietrick serves as the Director of Engagement and Innovation at Floris UMC. She is also a certified coach dedicated to helping exvangelicals find inner peace and belonging. An elementary teacher by trade, Megan followed a dramatic calling form the classroom into worship ministry. She is completing a Master’s of Divinity at Wesley Theological Seminary and pursuing ordination within the United Methodist Church. Megan loves helping women find their voice and passion. She lives in Herndon with her husband, a collection of bonus kids, and a small zoo of pets dominated by a geriatric, and judgmental cat.

Kelly Johnson, MSW, PCC

Kelly Johnson is a counselor, speaker, author, retreat leader, and leadership coach who is passionate about helping people build lives of deeper courage, compassion and connection through inspirational teaching and powerful one-on-one and group coaching. Her training includes a BA in Psychology, a Masters in Social Work (MSW) and certification by Internation Coaches Federation (ICF) at the PCC level. She is the author of the 40-Day Christan devotional Being Brave and often speaks and leads retreats in faith communities. In addition to her work as a coach, she is committed to issues of social justice. She served for 15 years at The Lamb Center, a day shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Fairfax City, including several years a the Chair of the Board of Directors. She now serves as the Alexandria Local Group Lead of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

Chaplain Katie Mayo Smith

Hospital Chaplain | Inova Fair Oaks Hospital

Chaplain Katie Mayo Smith, MDiv, BCC, is a hospital chaplain with the Inova Health System, based out of Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. She received her MDiv from the Candler School of Theology in 2021, and though she is endorsed by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), she has deep fondness for and familiarity with the Wesleyan traditions. She is a native of northern Virginia, and when not at work, can be found writing, traveling, at the Farmer’s Market, or playing fetch with her dog Cozy, Fair Oaks Hospital’s ‘Chief Comfort Officer’!

second row

first row

Debbie Cali

Director of Serve and Connections | Floris UMC

Debbie Cali is currently employed at Floris UMC as the director of Serve and Connections Ministries. As a former youth director, Debbie looks for ways to include multigenerational opportunities for service. In today’s world, everything this changing but God is constant. Debbie believes we are called to remain flexible, be eager to pivot providing light and love into the world.

Jennifer Marshall

Executive Director | Wellness Loudoun

With over a decade of experience in mental health advocacy and nonprofit leadership, Jennifer is passionate about creating spaces where people feel seen, supported, and empowered. She co-founded and led the national mental health storytelling nonprofit; This Is My Brave and now serves as Executive Director of Wellness Loudon.

Kathy Fioramonti

Kathy is a girl who grew up doing all she could to above “Yard Work” day as a kid…it was not beneath her to pay her little sister to do her outdoor chores. Clearly, she did not pursue horticulture in her education or career, yet absurdly she’s grown up into a girl who blows the budget buying native plants, consuming her thought life with improving her yards ecosystem, makes every excuse to be outside, happily films caterpillars eating her plants, and finding such hope, awe and wonder in the natural world that brings peace & balance to her soul.

first row

third row

Hannah Godfrey

Hanna Godfree has been in United Methodist her whole life, which fostered a heart of service from an early age. Born and raised in Arlington, Virginia, she holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Marymount University. Hannah has been in ministry since 2013 and is a graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity. She believes the church should reach and car for the community in new and fresh ways.

Samantha Poe

Samantha has attended The Vine Church in Dunn Loring for 15 years with her family and retired from Children’s Ministry at The Vine Church in 2024 after serving for 7 years.

One of her family members came out as transgender in 2018, and she has been on a spiritual and self-discovery journey since, participating in various Christian support groups and learning how to best love and support members of the LGBTQ+ community and their caregivers.

Samantha has been married to her husband of 34 years, Kevin, has 3 adult children, and loves to Irish dance in her spare time.

Maura Lankenau

Maura Lankenau is a teacher, health and wellness coach, and community builder who helps women create lives of intention, strength, and spiritual connection. She blends her background in counseling psychology with practical mindset and wellness tools to help others feel grounded, empowered, and aligned in their daily lives. Maura is passionate about helping women discover hope, purpose, and the rituals that sustain them.

third row

fourth row

Madison Hummel

Madison Hummel is the founder of Madison Avenue Events, a wedding design and planning company in DC. She specializes in creating unique experiences for each couple, which all begin with a mood board. Madison has a heart for helping women find peace and encouragement in their current season of life.

fourth row

breakout sessions

Breakout Sessions

Hope, Butterflies, and Native Plants, Oh My!

Seeking Hope? Go outside! Hope is right there. Tiny wonders are all around us. In this session we’ll explore the wonder of a pregnant Pipeline Swallowtail butterfly mom, and how she found a scrawny little plant in suburbia…notably a native one that is one of the only two types of plant that her kids can eat.

The connection between specific plants, butterflies, and bees is extraordinary! This session will include resources of where to go to see native plant gardens (often called pollinator gardens) in our area, ideas of what keystone plants you might wanna plant in a pot or your yard, nurseries that carry native plants for our region and a list of helpful resources.

Zentangle for Relaxation and Renewal

Unplug, slow down, and reconnect with yourself in this calming introduction to Zentangle. In this hands-on breakout session, you’ll learn simple, meditative drawing patterns that encourage mindfulness, creativity, and self-expression—no art experience needed. Leave feeling centered, inspired, and empowered with an easy practice you can use anytime to reduce stress and spark creativity.

Hope Like the Moon – Chaplain Katie Mayo Smith

Acclaimed writer and Episcopal priest Barbara Brown Taylor writes eloquently on faith that waxes and wanes like the phases of the moon, never looking or feeling the same way twice. In her work as a hospital chaplain, Katie Mayo Smith has come to believe that hope – so intertwined with faith – goes through a similar process of transformation. Join her for a conversation about all the quiet, dark, holy places where hope is renamed and reborn.

Love in Action: Giving Back to the World as an Expression of Hope

Looking at the news can create a sense of helplessness, as we become overwhelmed by all the needs of the world. It can feel as though we cannot make a difference.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way. We have the power to put our faith into action and create hope for ourselves and others. Join Debbie Cali and Hannah Godfrey as they discuss how to put your passion and gifts to work for good. You will learn about ways to serve and even complete a service project as a team for Grains of Hope.

Together we can choose to make a difference in our community and world.

Hope for Caregivers of LGBTQ+ Loved Ones

This session provides a safe space for caregivers of LGBTQ+ loved ones to talk, share, and connect with others who get it. Sometimes, when our teen or young adult children come out of the closet, it is common for caregivers to go into the closet. Historically, churches have not been welcoming to families navigating this, and there might be embedded layers of shame or forced seclusion. We want you to know you are not alone, and this is a safe space to share all that you are juggling with various generations within the extended family system. We will discuss ways to love our people well and work through our own questions and difficulties.

Dealing with Stress in Troubled Times

Does the world feel a little heavier than usual lately? As folks who are choosing to claim hope, it is more important than ever to pay attention to caring for our hearts and minds during these challenging times. Join us for a discussion of the following:

How do our body, mind and heart process and deal with stress?

How do we balance both the joy and the heartache of our world?

What are some practical strategies for staying grounded, healthy, and balanced so that we can bring our best to the hurting world?

Habits of Hope: Creating Daily Practices That Ground, Strengthen, and Renew

In this hands-on breakout session, you’ll learn simple habits that work like prayer – small, meaningful practices that calm your mind, anchor your heart, and reconnect you to hope throughout the day. You’ll also have the opportunity create your own set of prayer beads to take home as a daily reminder of peace and intention.

The Art of Hope: A Mood Board Workshop

In this hands-on creative session, we’ll build a mood board that reflects the hope God is growing in your life right now. Through textures, color, images, and words, you’ll create a visual reminder of the beauty, strength, and steady hope already present in your daily life.

Unscripted & Unshakeable

Life rarely follows the script we imagined—but improvisation teaches us how to stay grounded even when everything feels up in the air. In this breakout session, we’ll explore “improv theology”: a playful, faith-filled approach to listening deeply, responding gracefully, and holding our plans a little more loosely. Through story, laughter, and simple improv practices, we’ll discover how embracing the unexpected can make us more resilient, more connected, and more open to the movement of the Spirit.

breakout sessions