FAQs

Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church
7600 NW Barry Rd
Kansas City MO, 64153

START:
Thursday, October 8 – Registration and happy hour open at 5 PM, with the kickoff session starting at 6 PM.

END:
Saturday, October 10 – The event generally concludes in the after the final session at 6pm. There is usually an afterparty

• Access to all TBC events (Karaoke, live podcast recordings, Octoberzest, games, etc.)

• Free beer all weekend for everyone 21+!

• Free coffee!

• Breakfast & Lunch Friday and Saturday

• Access to brilliant scholars and theologians

• Hang with your favorite podcasters

Speaker info has been announced. Check out the speaker page for the whole lineup.

Have no fear! About 80% of our attendees buy individual tickets and come alone, but they don’t leave alone!

“Don’t hesitate to attend by yourself — you will meet lots of people to sit with and hang out with.” — Kim McDanell

“Don’t be intimidated. There are many other introverts there.” — George Stecher

“First time I was concerned about not knowing anyone and it didn’t matter. People would scoop you up.” — Kirk Lauckner

Volunteer for a 4-hour shift with Bren’s team and you skip the awkward meeting people part entirely.

Theology Beer Camp is a fully open and affirming space. Not "welcoming but." Not "still discerning." Affirming — full stop.

Queer and trans people are not a topic we debate at this event. You are our speakers, our organizers, our volunteers, our friends, and a substantial part of the community that makes this thing worth doing. Your identity is not an agenda item. It's not a hypothetical.

If you've spent time in Christian spaces that asked you to make yourself smaller in exchange for a seat at the table, we want to be clear: that's not the deal here.

Harassment, slurs, deadnaming, outing someone without consent, unwanted touch, persistent unwanted attention, and "evangelistic" pressure aimed at someone's identity are all grounds for removal from the event without refund. This applies to attendees, speakers, vendors, and volunteers.

We have worked closely with the host church as well as local LGBTQ+ church leaders to develop a list of resources.

Resources in Kansas City and Beyond

We're gathering in Kansas City, and the local community has built something worth knowing about. This list is drawn from the Kansas City Public Library's LGBTQ+ Resources guide, Spring 2026 edition — it's updated quarterly, and Community Resources staff at the Central Library (14 W. 10th St., Third Floor) can be reached at 816.701.3767, Mon–Fri 9:00am–1:00pm.

Community and connection

• Our Spot KC — 2810 E 80th St • 913.303.8664 — Kansas City's LGBTQ+ community center: support groups, case management, emergency help, referrals, coworking. Also hosts the EQUAL Trans Support Group (all ages, all genders) on the 3rd Thursday, 6–8pm. ourspotkc.org

• PFLAG Kansas City • 816.765.9818 — for parents, families, and friends. pflagkc.org

• Trans Joy KC — events for connection and fun, all ages. transjoykc.com

• QueerBlacKC — adult Black queer events across the metro. instagram.com/queerblakc

• KC Pride Alliance • 816.663.9871 — education, advocacy, and the annual Pride Fest. kcpridealliance.org

• GLAMA (Gay and Lesbian Archives of Mid-America) • 816.235.1532 — the region's LGBT history, held at UMKC. library.umkc.edu/glama

Affirming healthcare

• KC CARE Health Center • 816.753.5144 — 3515 Broadway. Confidential, sex-positive, judgment-free. Free HIV, Hep C, and syphilis testing. kcprevention.org

• University Health LGBTQ Specialty Clinic • 816.404.4086 — 2310 Holmes St., 5th Floor. Primary care, gynecology, endocrinology. Mon–Fri 8am–4:30pm.

• The Transgender Institute • 816.800.4128 — gender therapy, hormone therapy, primary care, surgical care. transinstitute.org

• KU Gender Diversity Clinic • 913.588.6200 — WPATH-affiliated gender-affirming care.

• Vivent Health • 816.561.8784 — HIV and AIDS services, free HIV/STI testing. viventhealth.org

• Transformations KC — harm reduction and trauma-informed care for TGNC people. transformationskc.org

Housing, basic needs, and legal help

• Teresa's Place • 816.531.8340 — low-barrier shelter for LGBTQ+ young adults, 18–24. saveinckc.org/teresasplace

• Lion's House (an Our Spot KC program) • 913.303.8664 — transitional and rapid rehousing for LGBTQ+ youth, adults, and families. lionhousekc.org

• Operation Liberation • 816.533.5970 — clothing closet, food pantry, legal counsel, bail assistance. operation-liberation.org

• Westport Presbyterian Church — 201 Westport Rd — showers, laundry, clothing, and food for women, trans, and gender-nonconforming people, Thursdays 5:30–7pm.

• Lambda Legal • 312.663.4413 — civil rights litigation and legal help desk. lambdalegal.org

• PROMO • 314.862.4900 — Missouri's statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. promoonline.org

On Eventbrite HERE.
Snag that early bird pricing through 4/30!

The detailed schedule will be provided closer to the event, but it will include a mix of keynote speeches, breakout sessions, live podcasts, and social activities each day.

You are more than welcome to partake in the plenty of NA options we have - from sodas to a great non-alcoholic beer selection.

This year, we’re focused on bringing even more delicious NA options to the table! (Shouts out to Bren and Ben for that!)

Also, if you’d like to participate in an AA meeting while you’re at Theology Beer Camp, that will be an option for you. We want you to feel supported and surrounded by like-minded people, whether drinking or sober.

Yes! You can find the information here.

Yes, there will be plenty of opportunities to interact with speakers and podcasters during both structured sessions and informal social events.

The bottle share is a communal event where attendees bring their favorite craft beers to share and sample with others. Bring your beer on the first day of camp and we will check it in and store it for you until the bottle share time!

Yes, attendees are encouraged to listen to participating podcasts like Homebrewed Christianity (see all God Pods on main event page) to familiarize themselves with the hosts and content.

The event is primarily designed for adults, especially considering the focus on craft beer.

Alcohol consumption is permitted for attendees of legal drinking age; please drink responsibly.

This year we did not hold a hotel block as we did not get a significant discount and there are many hotels local to the venue.

See some nearby hotel options here!

There are also local options on Airbnb and Vrbo:
— Vrbo Rentals
— Airbnb

Best Coffee Shops (within ~10 miles-ish)

These lean “worth the drive” since the immediate airport/Northland area is a bit sparse.

Must-try, standout spots:

• Messenger Coffee
  Massive, multi-level café + bakery. Great for working, amazing pastries, rooftop vibes.

• Café Corazón
  Latin-inspired coffee shop with incredible drinks + empanadas. One of KC’s most loved cafés.

• Kinship Cafe
  Community-driven, super welcoming, excellent specialty drinks. Known for standout service and quality coffee.

• Good Karma Coffee
  Smaller, cozy spot with strong coffee and a chill neighborhood feel.

Great Food Spots

Higher-end / sit-down (but still approachable)

• Grünauer
  Austrian/German comfort food. Consistently one of KC’s best-rated restaurants.

• Gram & Dun
  Elevated American food, great brunch, very reliable crowd-pleaser.

• Bacaro Primo
  Italian small plates + wine bar vibes. Trendy but still relaxed.

Locals recommend heading 15–20 minutes south toward downtown / Crossroads / Plaza for the good stuff.

Crossroads (your ideal hub)

This is where you want to spend most of your time. Walkable, artsy, very “cool KC.”

Coffee Spots:

• Mildred’s
  A local staple—amazing breakfast sandwiches + solid coffee. Great for mornings or working.

• PT’s Coffee Crossroads
  More “serious coffee” energy. Great beans, chill place to sit and work.

• Pitchside Coffee
  Newer, cozy, scratch-made syrups + strong community vibe.

Crossroads / Downtown Food:

• Q39 Midtown
  One of KC’s most famous BBQ spots. Consistently top-rated and approachable.

• Lidia’s Kansas City
  Beautiful Italian spot right by Crossroads. Great for a nicer dinner.

• Made in KC Cafe
  Cute, local-goods café + coffee. Great quick stop downtown.

• Prime Social
  Rooftop, views, cocktails. More of a scene if you want something fun at night.