Breakout

How to Listen Like a Pro

Thursday, June 4, 2026 • 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

📍 North Commons

Everyone talks about communication. Almost nobody talks about the half of communication that actually changes things — listening. The truth is, most of us are pretty bad at it. We're already forming our reply while the other person is still mid-sentence, half-hearing words while we scroll, or tuning out the moment we disagree. But real listening — the kind that makes friends feel known, parents feel respected, and conflicts actually get resolved — is a skill, not a personality trait. And it can be learned. In this session, Dr. Jonathan Hoover unpacks practical, research-backed strategies for becoming the kind of listener people actually want to talk to. Expect to leave with tools you can put to work in your very next conversation, whether that's with a friend, a teacher, your parents, or someone you're trying to share Jesus with.
Dr. Jonathan Hoover serves as senior associate pastor at NewSpring and as program director of the M.S. in General Psychology program at Regent University, where he also teaches as an assistant professor. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and his active research focuses on stress, coping, and how people perceive and respond to one another in conversation. He's also a published author of multiple books and host of The Dr. Jonathan Hoover Show, a weekly podcast at the intersection of psychology and Christianity. In short: when it comes to what makes communication actually work, he knows what he's talking about — and what it sounds like when someone's listening.

Speaker

Jonathan Hoover

Senior Associate Pastor, Assistant Professor and Program Director at Regent University

I have the privilege of serving two wonderful organizations. As Senior Associate Pastor and Director of Leadership Training and Team Culture at NewSpring Church in Wichita, Kansas, I focus on developing leaders and shaping organizational culture. I also serve as part of the teaching team at NewSpring. At Regent University, I serve as Assistant Professor and Academic Program Director for the MS in General Psychology program, where I also serve on the Institutional Review Board. Throughout my years at NewSpring, I've had the opportunity to contribute to various ministries. One project I'm especially grateful for is Through This Valley, a grief support curriculum I developed alongside my wife Wendy and our production team—a resource now helping grieving individuals around the world. Currently, I'm also working with our high school ministry in addition to my ongoing responsibilities in preaching and leadership development. My academic research centers on chronic stress and burnout. I conducted the initial psychometric validation of the FBI-P measure and recently collaborated with my daughter Cheyenne to develop and test the PERSON-24 Exhaustion Inventory. My work has been published in The Journal of Psychology and Christianity, The Journal of Psychology and Theology, and The Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, where I also serve on the editorial board. Beyond research, I develop software, websites, and devices designed to support academic research and psychological assessment, including HSPARC and LitCoder. Above all, my greatest privilege is being married to Wendy, the love of my life. We've been married since 2002, and I can't imagine doing life with anyone else. Together we have two beautiful daughters, Cheyenne and Summer. No title or accomplishment compares to being a husband and dad.