The upcoming Disciple-Making Conference on Feb. 25 will offer 18 breakout sessions that provide gospel-centered, practical training on topics such as sending culture, generosity, cultural engagement and more.

Through worship, preaching and breakout sessions facilitated by peers and leaders, attendees can expect encouragement and equipping to reach the lost, train believers, send the called and serve their communities. J.D. Greear, lead pastor of The Summit Church, will serve as this year’s keynote speaker.

“In the breakout times, we try to offer something for every area of leadership in a local church,” said Brian Upshaw, director of the Ministry Strategies Group. “We also do our best to bring in leaders from every size and region of the state to address the unique issues that N.C. Baptists face. 

“In addition to numerous opportunities for pastors, we have specific offerings for next generation leaders, women’s ministry, parents and even a full track in Spanish,” said Upshaw.

The 1-day event will begin at 9 a.m. at The Summit Church’s Capital Hills campus. Registration cost is $15 per person and covers lunch and resources. An abbreviated preview of this year’s breakout sessions is below. 

To register and view a full list of this year’s breakout sessions, visit disciplemakingconference.org.

Building a Generosity Culture in Your Discipleship
Brian Davis (Plaza Baptist Church)

Do you want to create a contagious culture of generosity within your church? Discover practical strategies to “drip” and “pour” generosity into your church’s culture, while learning ways to talk about money that inspire your people to go deeper in discipleship and further as a church.

Caring for Others Amid Cultural Brokenness
Tate Cockrell (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary)

The effects of living in a broken and fallen world can be seen all around us. Christians know what the Bible says, yet it can be hard to know how to love our friends and family well when they are pursuing sins that the culture has normalized. We will address how to show care and compassion to those blinded by culturally normative sins like premarital sex, cohabitation, homosexuality, transgenderism and abortion.

Casting and Carrying Out a Vision for Sending
Todd Unzicker (N.C. Baptists)

Many leaders struggle with casting a compelling vision for mobilizing the church. What if the secret to casting the vision is actually in carrying out the mission? Learn basic steps to mobilizing every church member to be on mission.

Discipulado Teológico: “De lo Básico a lo Profundo” (Theological Discipleship: “From Basics to Depth)
Jose Alonso (The Shepherd’s Church)

Una visión integral del discipulado teológico, guiando a los participantes desde los principios fundamentales hasta perspectivas más profundas que fortalecen la fe y el entendimiento. (A comprehensive look at theological discipleship, guiding participants from foundational principles to deeper insights that strengthen faith and understanding.)

Engaging Your City With the Gospel 
Brent Minter (Keystone Church)

Keystone Church of Ankeny, Iowa, is a church God is using to lead people to faith in Him as they engage their city in practical ways. Keystone is part of the larger network of churches called The Salt Network, whose heart is to plant churches and Salt Companies in university cities across the country and to the ends of the earth.

The Essentials of Disciple-Making Parenting 
Rodney and Donna Navey (Lawndale Baptist Church)

How can we equip parents to be effective disciple makers in their homes? What systems or structures can we build to help busy parents disciple their children, their community and the ends of the earth?

Stopping the Student Dropout Problem While Developing the Next Generation of Leaders
Jeff Long (Parkwood Baptist Church)

Many high school students drop out of church by 10th grade, never to return. How can we combat that trend and implement steps to raise up the next generation of church leaders, starting in high school? 

Think Multiplication 
Andrew Hopper (Mercy Hill Church), Josh Wredberg (Redeemer Community Church) & Robert Hefner (Pleasant Garden Baptist Church)

How do we help our church to catch the vision for multiplying? In this “TED Talk”-style breakout, hear from three very different multiplying churches as they talk about how they are helping their church to “Think Multiplication.”

Thriving During a Rural Revitalization 
Cory Smith (First Baptist Church Hildebran) & Jerry Lewis (Grace Community Church)

Revitalization can be especially challenging in rural settings. Many pastors get worn out or burnt out, and they find themselves and their churches just surviving. Hear stories and learn proven strategies for revitalizing a “normal church” in a rural setting. Gather insights from those who have seen how God can move churches and pastors from just surviving to thriving.

Women in Ministry: Leading and Serving ‘On Mission Together’ 
Anna Daub (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary), Christy Thornton (The Summit Church), Christina Devlin (Emmanuel Baptist Church) & Katy Kabrich (Two Cities Church)

Join us for an inspiring panel discussion featuring women’s ministry leaders from across North Carolina who faithfully serve in their churches, driven by the gospel of Jesus Christ. They will share how discipleship and evangelism shape their ministries and reveal the incredible work God is doing throughout our state.

By Liz Tablazon, Contributing Writer / NC Baptist Communications