NC Baptists

Many in our churches and world today wonder how our society and culture arrived where we are currently. How can we better understand society in order to reach those who are far from God with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Ministry does not take place in a vacuum, and culture affects how people think and respond to the gospel. This session will provide an understanding of how society moved from a modern to postmodern culture. Speaker: Ashley Allen

The single most effective place to meet people where they are and lead them into a living relationship with God is at work. Develop a new way of thinking about how finding joy in your work - whether you're a housewife, business owner, pastor, employer or employee - builds relationships, produces results and leads to flourishing. Changing the way you work can change the world for Christ. Speaker: Boomer Brown

We all desire to be part of God's mission of making disciples, but sometimes we get overwhelmed with how to go about ensuring that we are accomplishing this great objective. This session looks at how to build models that help us accurately assess how we are doing in this ultimate kingdom enterprise. Speaker: Walker Armstrong

Every pastor wants to make disciples, but few know how. Why? Because most of us were never discipled ourselves, we resort to a program-driven approach in classrooms and Bible studies. But the effectiveness of this method remains elusive, at best. In this session learn how to frame a culture of disciple-making designed to engage everyone in your church and fulfill your uniquely given Great Commission calling. Speaker: Bryan Rose

As American culture becomes more and more secularized and fragmented, does the gospel still offer hope and meaning? How should we preach and lead in this context we find ourselves in? During this session, learn from a pastor who planted a church in one of the most secular areas of North Carolina and hear personal stories of the gospel taking root in the most unlikely of lives. Speaker: Chase Gardner

God has brought the nations to North Carolina, and it is imperative for us to reach and make disciples among the nations. God has provided strategic partners to reach the nations — ethnic churches. This session will provide practical ways to work with ethnic churches to reach ethnic communities for Christ. Speaker: Sammy Joo

Sex, marriage and babies. The connection of these topics is obvious for believers, but how can churches thrive in a world that sees little relationship between the three? This session will address why sexual ethics is at the heart of the current worldview debate and how we can respond with the hope of the gospel. Speaker: John Stonestreet

This session was designed to equip participants to recognize gospeling opportunities in their everyday rhythms of life and then focus on how to transition those conversations from the mundane to the Master through asking relevant questions, listening and ministering to the whole person. Speaker: George Robinson

Pastoral ministry can be filled with many mundane moments - studying for sermons, visiting the sick and various meetings. How can a pastor find time to make disciples when his calendar is already full of normal ministry responsibilities? This session discusses some ways a pastor can shepherd the flock well by making disciples. Speaker: Chris Griggs

Our current cultural climate sees growing acceptance and use of marijuana and its by-products. In light of the opioid epidemic, current science and Scripture, Christians should be prepared to have meaningful conversations with our culture about marijuana, its effects and the gospel. Speaker: Larry Lyon

Often we ask people to connect with Jesus, and we haven’t even connected with them. Experience a highly participatory, active and fun session to learn the first step of connecting with your neighbor to build a loving relationship. Also, learn how you can be trained to teach “The Six Stages of Cultural Mastery” to leaders in your church. Speakers: Neal Eller & Ken Tan

We all have neighbors, both as individuals and as churches. But how do we begin to engage these neighbors for the sake of the kingdom? How can you help create urgency in your congregation to reach your community? Join us as we consider these questions and ask God to help us see our own communities as a mission field. We will discuss pathways to entry, church programming and prioritization, faithfulness and perseverance, and other practical tips as we approach this subject with both urgency and humility knowing that the Lord of the harvest is good, and His kingdom is unshakeable. Speakers: Andrew Ivester & Melissa Childers

Within North Carolina’s pockets of lostness, there is a wide diversity of hard-to-reach population segments. In this session, we will discuss and share real-life examples of how we are working together with associations and churches to identify and build strategies to engage those population segments. Speaker: Russ Reaves

Most likely, the community around your church is growing, but attendance on Sunday morning is not. Could it be the families of your church do not see their neighborhoods as a mission field? Do they understand why their neighborhoods are their mission field? Come learn about a missional family action plan to help equip families to be missionaries where they live. You will walk away from this session with several great resources and the confidence you need to put this plan into action. Speakers: Eric Simmons & Mark Smith

Is it possible that many churches have plateaued or are declining because we have forgotten the art of neighboring? We are aware of urban churches that are multiplying, but what can rural churches do to reach their neighbors? Learn from a rural North Carolina pastor who will share simple, yet intentional, ways to reach neighbors in the natural daily rhythms of life. Speaker: Jonathon Blaylock

Reports of workplace sexual harassment abound with no end in sight. No workplace is immune from this problem, including the church and related Christian ministries. These events damage lives, ruin reputations, hurt morale and lead to costly legal actions. However, the church is uniquely called to demonstrate leadership, show compassion, practice humility and provide accountability in addressing this painful issue. This workshop will review practical steps that a ministry can take to prevent and address harassing behaviors before the damage is done. Speaker: Darrin Coon

Join us for a discussion with Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, about contemporary issues in loving our neighbors. The session will be moderated by Matt Capps, pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Apex, N.C. Speakers: Matt Capps & Russell Moore

Learn and practice two basic tools for conversational evangelism. We will also discuss transitions into sharing the gospel, as well as calling people to decision. Speaker: Josh Reed

When shepherding young believers from different races and cultures, it is important to ask the question, "How can I lead this person to become more like Christ without causing them to jettison their culture?" Come learn how to pass along the “faith once for all delivered to the saints” to those who are called to walk in faithfulness in different cultures. Speaker: Walter Strickland

Is your church impacting lostness in the surrounding community? Impacting lostness with the gospel of Jesus Christ is at the heart of church revitalization. This breakout session will introduce you to a process and resources available to North Carolina churches that desire to return to their mission of impacting lostness by making disciples. Speaker: Sandy Marks

Jay McGuirk - We are all called to make disciples. But how are we to pursue that in our specific contexts and church bodies? Listen to Jay McGuirk as we explore how our churches can be uniquely positioned to make disciples in a meaningful way.

Mark Smith - The Faith at Home Ministry works alongside pastors and church leaders to develop a holistic family disciple-making strategy based on Deuteronomy 4:9 and 6:7. As churches refocus their ministries to equip families, parents and grandparents will discover new ways to be disciple-makers of their children and grandchildren in the natural rhythms of daily life.

Russ Reaves and Steve Harris - It’s been said that a pocket is not like a pancake, but a waffle. But I say to you that a pocket is like spaghetti, with common strands woven throughout and often from one pocket to another. This session will explore those common strands and how to spot them, how to engage them in disciple-making, and how to leverage strands in one pocket for similar strands in another.

Josh Reed - Ever wonder why Jesus talked to some people and not to others? And why did He often use questions when He was talking to people about the kingdom of God? In this session, you will explore some case studies and develop some responses regarding getting to the heart of the matter with people without being argumentative.

Daniel Dye - Churches see a need for family ministry. Our approach can still leave a perception that responsibility for children's spiritual growth rests with the church. Because of busy schedules in ministry, we are often left with just enough time to plan for the upcoming season. Do great worship services, events and fellowships cause change in the homes of our congregation? In this session, we will look at one church's effort to go beyond seasonal family ministry planning to a long-term process that teaches families to think with the end in mind.

Zac Lyons - Nearly 95 percent of the people who live in luxury apartments, gated communities, government housing communities, trailer parks and other multihousing communities are unchurched. While there is no “one-size-fits-all” model for disciple-making among the different multihousing communities in our state, there are proven principles that can be used as your church seeks to begin a multihousing ministry. During this session, you will learn those principles.

Chris Schofield - John 17 provides the biblical backdrop for this equipping module as participants are challenged to look beyond themselves through the practice of Biblical prayer that focuses on the moving forward of God’s Kingdom.

Kenny Lamm - Corporate worship is very formative in the process of making disciples. We need to be careful about what we are imprinting into the minds and hearts of our people. This session will focus particularly on the musical aspects of worship by first ensuring the songs we sing are worthy. We will also look at the way we lead the songs to prompt participation and have the greatest impact on lives. We will also discuss ways worship leaders can intentionally make disciples in small and large groups through the worship ministry of the church.

Walter Strickland - The Great Commission calls Christians to make disciples of people from every nation. This means that God is glorified by having faithful witnesses to Himself in every cultural context. As a result, it is important for disciple-makers to cultivate younger believers into those who faithfully imitate Christ in their cultural context without having to jettison their culture and adopt their mentor’s culture to be a faithful follower of Christ. Come learn how to do this work in our time together.

Eric Simmons - The early church faced extreme persecution and held no political power, yet it grew exponentially. Today, with extreme political power and little persecution, the present-day church in America is dying. Why the change? First Peter 3:15 gives us the answer — apologetics. We have stopped teaching the “why” behind the “what” of Christianity. This session will cover the role of apologetics in discipleship, including practical insights for equipping Christ-followers to defend their faith in an ever-changing culture.