Breakout sessions will be held at the Koury Convention Center during the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s annual meeting Tues., Nov. 3 from 3:15-4 p.m. and 4:15-5 p.m. Sessions are free. All sessions are offered at both times, with the exception of the first two listed.
A New “Normal” Part 1: warning signs for church revitalization
John Ewart; Room: Auditorium 1; 3:15-4 p.m.
Declining and unhealthy churches have become the norm all too often. We need a new expectation, a new normal! As a church leader, how can you diagnose and prevent poor church health? What should we be watching for and how can we be that intentional? Join experienced pastor, church consultant and professor John Ewart to discover and discuss key qualitative and quantitative symptoms that characterize a church in need of revitalization as well as how to move toward or maintain greater strength and health.
A New “Normal” Part 2:
Five phases for ongoing church revitalization
John Ewart; Room: Auditorium 1; 4:15-5 p.m.
What are some biblically based, practical steps my church can take to actually move toward or maintain Great Commission fulfillment? How can we prevent the decline or unhealthy conditions that have become so normal for so many churches? Join experienced pastor, church consultant and professor John Ewart to learn five phases every church should constantly be working through in order to be effective for the Kingdom.
Beyond One-On-One: Discipling through women’s ministry
Meredith Snoddy; Room: Cedar A
The Great Commission says we are to “make disciples,” and women’s ministry plays an important part in the church seeing this mandate fulfilled. This equipping session will help women’s ministry leaders learn how to make disciples through their women’s ministry and keep the process on-going.
Biblical prayers for challenging times
Chris Schofield; Room: Oak A
This session will help believers and churches respond and pray biblically toward the ever-changing moral and spiritual collapse of America.
Church Renewal
Bob Foy; Room: Bear Creek
In this session, participants will discover a tool for strengthening the church by awakening, equipping and empowering laity to create reproducing disciples.
Church Revitalization through Multiplication
Tim Ahlen; Room: Colony A
Come hear the story of how one at-risk church became a multi-congregational, multi-ethnic community that is shaking the nations for Jesus Christ at home and throughout the world.
Developing Cultural Impact Teams in the Local Church
Mark Harris; Room: Oak C
Western society is being influenced in numerous ways and from numerous sources. While some influences and some changes are positive, others call into question the claims of the gospel and the expectations of Scripture. The Family Research Council has developed resources that can assist congregations impact the culture. This session will provide an introduction to cultural impact teams and how they can be developed in your church.
Disciple-making Pastors’ Roundtable
David Cox, Joel Stephens, Brandon Ware; Room: Turnberry
Participate in a discussion with N.C. pastors from a variety of contexts on how their churches are impacting lostness through disciple-making.
Engaging Pockets of Lostness: A local church’s journey
Chuck Campbell; Room: Heritage B
Join us as we share a local church’s journey engaging the largest pocket of lostness in the Greenville area. Learn practical and reproducible principles on how to discover, develop and engage pockets of lostness through disciple-making.
Growing Disciples Through Missions Involvement
N.C. Baptist Men Staff; Room: Oak B
One of the best ways to grow disciples and a healthy church is through missions involvement. This session, led by N.C. Baptist Men/Baptist on Mission staff, will cover how missions can change your church and your members. The session will include practical ideas and projects at the local, state, national and international level that your church can be involved in. This breakout session is a great overview of resources for church missions involvement.
Impacting Lostness: Churches planting churches
Mark Gray; Room: Heritage A
Every church in North Carolina had a birth. One of the most effective ways to impact lostness through disciple-making is in churches giving birth to new churches. Partnering with a new church positively impacts the sending church in multiple ways, and dozens are won to Jesus as new disciples. This session will reveal steps in the joyful process of giving birth and the legacy that continues.
Making Disciples in Rural North Carolina
Jeff Sundell; Room: Colony B
This session will cover an American adaptation of church planting movement principles from the international mission field for making disciples anytime, anywhere.
Making Disciples Through Small Groups
Derick DeLain; Room: Cedar B
This breakout will focus on best practices to develop healthy small groups that function as gospel communities on mission.
SHARE the Gospel in a Changing Culture
Marty Dupree; Room: Pinehurst
This session will discuss options for engaging in gospel conversations by comparing Acts 2 and Acts 17 strategies.
The Peoples Next Door: Discover and engage unreached people groups in North Carolina
Steve Hardy; Room: Colony C
How do we, as ordinary people, take the gospel to the peoples of the world that God is bringing here to be our neighbors? We will discuss how to discover people group communities in our cities through natural encounters and begin to intentionally engage them through gospel hospitality.
The Pulpit and Disciple-making
Clay Smith; Room: Cedar C
The disciple-making process goes beyond preaching, but preaching is a vital and indispensable part of your church’s disciple-making strategy. This session will show how preaching can be intentionally connected to your strategy for impacting lostness through disciple-making.
When Adolescence Gets Old
Jonathan Yarboro, Tom Knight; Room: Olympia
The fact that 40 percent of all college graduates return home to live with their parents may cause us to agree with the declaration, “30 is the new 20.” But the truth is that 20-somethings are in a unique stage that makes their lives particularly fertile for the gospel. But they also represent the largest age demographic absent from our churches. What does your church need to understand about them in order to close the gap, effectively communicate the gospel to them and see them become a vital part of your church’s community?