2026 Regional Conference

RESTORING HOPE

REAL HELP FOR A HARD WORLD

When

Saturday, May 9, 2026

Where

Valley Bible Church

851 Fairview Terrace

White River Junction, VT 05001

Topic

So often, life can feel hopeless. We have all tasted it—dashed hopes, disappointed dreams, suffering, loss, and brokenness of many kinds. Sometimes the heartaches in this life nearly snuff out our flame of hope. As humans, we need confidence that our stories won’t spiral endlessly down, and we often find ourselves desperately clinging to whatever promises to make things better. Yet our Heavenly Father is not distant from us or from our pain. He knows the realities of life in this broken world and meets us in them. Not only does God understand, but he gives his presence and his promises as an unshakeable hope as we face the darkest seasons in our lives.

Join Andy Engert, Alasdair Groves, and the Restoring Hope New England team as we explore how the compassionate realism and hope-filled promises of Scripture offer real, right-now help to weary hearts, and restore a lasting hope that carries us through life’s hardships.

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Andy Engert

Andy Engert is a counselor and the Executive Director at Restoring Hope New England. He received his Master of Arts in counseling from Asbury Theological Seminary and has completed numerous CCEF School of Biblical Counseling certificate courses in preparation for becoming a biblical counselor. Prior to joining the team, Andy worked in the professional counseling field and is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) in the state of Vermont. He has a passion for supporting the church in New England and for helping people find real help in the Lord as they face the significant challenges of life. Andy and his wife, Christine, have three sons, and he also serves as the part-time worship pastor at his church. Andy loves music, playing soccer, and spending time with his family.

Alasdair Groves

Alasdair Groves (M. Div. Westminster Theological Seminary) has served as a biblical counselor for 20 years. During this time he founded a counseling center (Restoring Hope New England), served as faculty and eventually executive director at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF), co-wrote a book on emotions (Untangling Emotions, Crossway, 2019), and has spoken for churches and organizations in the U.S. and around the world. Alasdair has a passion for helping churches care deeply and effectively for people in their hardest struggles and is in the process of launching The Paraklesia Institute (Spring 2026), a ministry helping churches do excellent soul care. Alasdair and his wife Lauren live with their three children in New Hampshire where they attend Christ Redeemer Church (Hanover, NH) and where he enjoys getting outside to run and play ultimate frisbee, sitting back with a good novel, and finishing the day by making good food and good music.