Beyond the Walls: Mobilizing Your Church to Love and Serve the Community
Andrew Clark, Room 122
If your church ceased to exist, would your community notice? God has called every church to be on mission right where He has placed them. This breakout will provide practical ways to love and serve your community through acts of service that open doors for relationships and gospel impact.

Church Comms 101: Reaching Your Community & Your Congregation
Kathryn Carson & Daniel Spivey, Room 201
Whether you’re sharing news with your church family or inviting your neighbors, the right marketing and communications mix matters. This breakout will give you the essentials — helping you craft clear, budget-wise strategies for both internal and external communication.

Closing the Gap
Matt Love, Room 206
What if the greatest lead measure for church multiplication isn’t strategy or funding, but the intentional development of leaders? Discover a simple, practical framework for helping people identify development gaps, guiding people through development, and raising up future leaders and planters from within your church. Drawing from the experience of Summit Collaborative — which has developed more than 300 leaders and identified dozens of planters — you’ll walk away with a proven “development grid” that turns potential into progress. If you want your church to be a hub of multiplication, this training will give you the tools to close the gap and see leaders thrive.

Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Generosity
Brian Davis, Room 107
Most pastors want their churches to be generous, but few know how to actually build that culture. In this practical session, Brian Davis will share how God has taken a 15-person replant to a thriving, generous congregation of hundreds — without wealthy donors or gimmicks. Learn how to make generosity a discipleship issue, not just a financial one, and discover tools, language and rhythms that move people from giving because they have to, to giving because they get to.

Discipleship Begins at Home: Equipping Parents to Lead Spiritually
Kendra Joyner, Room 202
The greatest influence in a child’s spiritual journey is their family. Discover tools, encouragement and strategies for helping families make faith a natural part of everyday life.

Engage, Empower, Inspire: Adapting to Every Learner
Matthew & Ashley Wilkinson, Room 101/102
In a world that thrives on diversity, understanding and incorporating different learning styles is essential for effective student ministry. Explore practical strategies for identifying and adapting to the unique minds of our students: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and read/write learners. We’ll discuss tools such as learning style inventories, planning templates and interactives that will empower you to create engaging and impactful lessons. By fostering a collaborative atmosphere and encouraging peer interaction, we can enhance spiritual growth and community within our ministries. 

Engaging and Discipling Young Adults
Spencer Martin, Room 105
We will explore practical steps for meaningfully engaging with college students and young adults. We will discuss effective strategies for disciple-making, mobilization and leadership development among this generation.

Engaging Rural Realities
Andy Addis, Room 204
No two rural churches are alike. Each has its own unique character and challenges. At the same time, there are shared realities many rural congregations face, such as isolation, limited resources and vocational identity struggles. In this session, we’ll identify those common obstacles and share best practices for addressing them while still honoring the uniqueness of your congregation. Participants will also receive access to a digital library of resources to continue learning and growing beyond the session.

Engaging Your Congregation in Transformational Worship
Kenny Lamm, Room 220
Our times of gathered worship are perhaps the greatest opportunities for discipleship in the church. What can we do to plan and prepare our worship services to experience the most significant life transformation?

From Nursery to Neighborhood: Making Preschool Ministry Count
Kim Jones, Room 127
Preschool ministry is the foundation of faith formation. Explore practical ways to create environments where little ones experience God’s love, equip volunteers to serve with purpose, and partner with parents to extend ministry from the nursery into the neighborhood. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to strengthen your preschool ministry, you’ll leave with strategies to help every moment count in shaping the faith of the next generation.

How to Create and Maintain a Culture of Bold Witnessing and Evangelism
Jacob Payne, Room 108
If we continue using the same evangelism motivation and training methods we have been using, we will continue to get the same results we’ve been getting. And for most churches, the results aren’t good. We’ll explore how to empower and equip believers to share the gospel.

How to Turn Volunteers into Leaders: An Equipping Guide for Those Called to Equip
Danny Franks, Room 208
A lot of church leaders default to delegating tasks rather than developing leaders. If Ephesians 4:12 calls us to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, how do we get started? This highly practical breakout will give you the tools you need to build your leadership pipeline.

Leveraging Big Days to Build an Inviter Culture and Grow
Bobby Herrington, Room 126
We will explore how churches can use Big Days as strategic opportunities to build an inviter culture and spark momentum for growth. We’ll look at the biblical and practical reasons why inviting matters, and how intentional planning around these key days can create an environment where people are excited to bring others. Attendees will walk away with practical tools and fresh vision for leveraging Big Days to see more people reached and lives changed.

Maturing and Multiplying
Dayton Hartman, Room 123
Church planting is both the beginning and the end of disciple-making. In this session, we will explore how casting a vision for church planting can result in greater kingdom impact in and through your church. Come learn how partnering with, supporting or sending a church plant are all vital components of kingdom growth.

Mobilizing for Mission
Aaron Wallace, Room 203
God’s mission is not reserved for a select few. It’s the calling of every believer and every church. We’ll explore how to move from being mission-minded to mission-mobilized by equipping, sending, and supporting disciples who live out the Great Commission in their homes, neighborhoods, workplaces and around the world. Together, we’ll discuss practical strategies for cultivating a sending culture, overcoming common barriers, and igniting passion for gospel witness wherever God has placed us.

More Than a Sunday: Bringing the Church into Your Daily Life
Más que un domingo: Llevando la iglesia a tu vida diaria
Diego Fernández, Room 228
Church is not just a place we go on Sunday. It is who we are every day. This workshop will explore practical ways to live out your faith at home, at work, and in your community. Together we will learn how to make disciples not only inside the church building but also in the rhythms of daily life. 

La iglesia no es solo un lugar al que vamos el domingo, es lo que somos todos los días. En este taller exploraremos maneras prácticas de vivir la fe en el hogar, en el trabajo y en la comunidad. Juntos aprenderemos cómo hacer discípulos no solo dentro del templo, sino también en el ritmo de la vida diaria.

Navigating Emotions and Personalities While Leading Change in Church Revitalization
JimBo Stewart, Room 103/104
Leading change in church revitalization is much easier in theory than it is in practice. In reality, leading change can bring out strong emotions and personalities that can make it feel impossible. In this breakout session we will be talking about how spiritual maturity and emotional intelligence can help you navigate the inevitable pitfalls of leading change in church revitalization. 

Q+A – Next Trends
Mark Matlock, Worship Center
Discover the biggest cultural trends shaping the church today, and how they create both challenges and opportunities for disciple-making. Drawing on nearly 40 years of Barna research, Mark Matlock will share fresh insights to help leaders discern where God is at work. Bring your best questions and walk away with clarity and hope for the future of the church.

Reaching the Unreached Peoples Next Door
Zac Lyons, Room 125
God, in His sovereign will, has seen fit to bring the unreached nations of the world next door. He has brought those who were once far from any access to the gospel and has placed them here, just beyond our doorstep. How then should we, as Jesus’ people, respond? As N.C. Baptists, we are on mission together. We want to see every church playing their part in the effort to see every nation hearing the gospel and healthy churches being formed! Come learn about how you can play your part!

Seeing Through His Eyes: A Trauma-Informed, Gospel Centered Approach to Ministry 
Tera Melber, Room 224
This breakout invites participants to step into the world of children and families who carry unseen burdens of trauma. Through a lens shaped by both Scripture and science, we’ll explore how trauma affects the way people see themselves, others, and God — and how ministry leaders can respond with compassion, connection and truth. With Christ as our model, this session equips you to create safe, restorative spaces where the gospel brings hope and healing.

Small Groups, Big Impact: Retaining Students Through Intentional Community
Justin Lucas, Room 205
Student ministry growth is built on the back of meaningful connections. We can attract first-time guests but how do we help them go from connected to the crowd to committed to the family? How do groups need to be structured, and what kind of leaders do we need to pull them off?

In this session, we will take a look at the way Mercy Hill Students leverages groups to keep students engaged, develop leaders, and move the mission forward; and in turn, grow from each other along the way!

Speaking to Where College Students and Young Adults are by Showing Them Where They Could Be
Chandler Young, Room 207
Reaching young adults begins with understanding their world and pointing them toward God’s bigger story. In this breakout, you’ll explore how to engage the next generation with truth and grace, helping them envision the person God is shaping them to become.

Spiritual Warfare and Pastoral Health
Chuck Lawless, Room 221
As ministry leaders, we have an enemy who would love nothing more than to bring us down. In this session, we’ll discuss how to stand firm against the arrows of the enemy.

Teaching Teachers: A Biblical Model for Sunday School Growth
Jonathan Blaylock, Room 109
Want to know how to move your Sunday school teachers beyond the quarterly? Tired of them just showing up and reading the lesson to the class? Learn the not-so-secret secret to biblically growing your Sunday school.

The Doorway of Prayer: Entering God’s Presence for Transformational Discipleship
Stephen Talbot Buys, Room 120
Prayer is the doorway into God’s presence where transformation begins. Explore how prayer forms the foundation of a disciple’s relationship with Christ. We will uncover why prayer is more than a spiritual practice; it is the lifeline that deepens intimacy with God, fuels obedience, and empowers disciple-making. Participants will gain a renewed vision for prayer as the heartbeat of discipleship, discovering practical ways to cultivate a praying life that shapes character, strengthens faith, and multiplies disciples. 

Training Ain’t Telling — Building a Culture That Develops People
Dave Rhodes, Room 222
A disciple-making culture depends on more than good sermons and small group studies. It requires leaders who can train, not just teach. In this session, discover how to move from content delivery to creating training environments people are eager to be a part of. Together, we’ll explore the key ingredients behind every great training experience. 

Turning the Moment into a Movement: Making Events apart of the Discipleship Process
Daniel Rose, Room 112
Events can be powerful moments, but too often they’re treated as stand-alone experiences rather than intentional steps in a discipleship journey. In this breakout, we’ll explore how to strategically design events—retreats, camps, outreach nights and more—to move people deeper into spiritual growth and community. You’ll leave with practical tools to ensure your events don’t just make memories but also make disciples.

Women in Ministry: A Holistic Approach to Discipleship
Ashley Reffit, Abi Copeland, Avery Young & Shelby Slemp, Room 128
What does it look like for women to grow as disciples in every area of life? This panel conversation brings together women in ministry to explore a holistic vision of discipleship within the local church. Together, we’ll discuss how women can cultivate a love for God’s Word, deepen spiritual disciplines, and walk faithfully with Christ. We’ll also look at how discipleship naturally overflows into evangelism and missions, as women live on mission in their homes, workplaces, communities, and beyond.

You’re Not Too Small to Send: Church Planting for Every Church
Paul Ortiz, Room 124
Church planting can feel out of reach for smaller congregations, but it doesn’t have to be. In this session, you’ll learn why planting matters for every church and how to take realistic, faith-filled steps toward multiplication in your context.

Asian Church Ministry – Discipleship and Next Gen
Myoung Cheon Ko, Room 107
We will explore how Asian churches can embrace gospel-centered ministry, strengthen disciple-making, and raise up leaders for future generations. Drawing from IMB church-planting principles (Foundations), we will address common challenges churches face, especially the tensions between first- and second-generation believers, and consider biblical and practical ways to disciple the next generation so that they remain rooted in the church and flourish in an authentic community.

Cradle to College: Sending Resilient Disciples
Jerry Lewis, Room 206
There is an inextricable link between child dedication and high school graduation. Sending resilient disciples to college begins in the cradle. We will examine five milestones that lead to the ultimate sending celebration.

Designed to Serve: Equipping Women to Live Out God’s Design for Kingdom Impact
Ashley Reffit, Room 128
Discover God’s beautiful design for women and the biblical foundation that shapes how we live, love and serve. From our homes to the workplace, community and church, we’ll explore how to use our spiritual gifts, engage in multi-generational discipleship, and make disciples on mission together.

Disciple-Making Without Limits: Ministering to Families Impacted by Special Needs
Cortney Jenkins, Room 108
Every family deserves a place to belong, and every person deserves the opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel. Families impacted by disability often face unique challenges that make church involvement difficult, but this is also an incredible opportunity for the church to reach an often overlooked population of people in our communities. In this session, you’ll learn why disability ministry is a vital part of disciple-making and walk away with tangible strategies for welcoming families, removing barriers and teaching God’s Word in ways that every learner can understand.

Engaging and Discipling Young Adults
Spencer Martin, Room 105
We will explore practical steps for meaningfully engaging with college students and young adults. We will discuss effective strategies for disciple-making, mobilization and leadership development among this generation.

Evangelism in Context
Seth Norris, Room 203
Evangelism isn’t one-size-fits-all. This interactive workshop will spark an evangelistic lifestyle by helping you think like a missionary. Effective evangelism starts with understanding the people around you—their context, their questions, their values—where you live, work, and play. Using Acts 17 as our framework, we’ll craft a practical plan for sharing the gospel and map out clear next steps to help you go all in.

Faithful Endurance: Developing a Lifestyle of Discipleship in Womanhood 
Abi Copeland, Room 127
The call to follow Jesus is a call to make disciples and to endure. But life can be messy and sometimes it seems impossible to know what to do next as we live as women on mission. As we look to Scripture together, we will explore how to be women who endure as disciple-makers and how to develop the life-long practice of making disciples as we faithfully endure to the end.

Finding Biblical Rhythms to Move From Surviving to Thriving in a Small Town
Andy Addis, Room 204
Leading in ministry is both beautiful and brutal. It’s the highest calling, yet it can also overwhelm ministers and their families. What if biblical rhythms could help protect you and those you love while allowing you to thrive instead of merely survive? This session explores practical, biblical patterns you can build into your life and schedule to sustain long-term health and effectiveness. Taught across the country with proven impact, this material will equip you with tools and rhythms you can implement immediately. Participants will also receive access to a digital library for ongoing support.

God’s Not Done with Your Church: Pursuing Jesus’ Plan for Your Church
JimBo Stewart, Room 103/104
Jesus has a plan for every church. It’s not about the type of people you can reach but the kind of disciples you can make. Success in church revitalization is not about how many people you can gather in a room on Sunday morning but about making disciples that make disciples that make the community noticeably better. In this breakout we will discuss ways to pursue renewal through Jesus’ plan for your church.  

Gospel Clarity for Kids: How to Share the Good News with the Next Generation
Laura Clontz, Room 207
Ever feel like you want to have a gospel conversation with a child, but then find yourself spiraling with all the what ifs of doing it wrong? In this breakout, we will discuss how to identify the signs that a child may be close to becoming a Christian, how to present the gospel and what follow up questions to ask.

Healthy Shepherds, Healthy Disciples
Sandy Marks, Room 205
Disciple-making begins with your own walk with Jesus. Yet many pastors and ministry leaders care deeply for others while quietly neglecting their own souls. Recent studies reveal most pastors wrestle with stress, discouragement and spiritual depletion. In this expository and practical session from Mark 6:30-32, we’ll unpack Jesus’ invitation to “come away and rest,” explore rhythms of Word, prayer, rest and community, and create a simple plan for soul care. Come discover how shepherding your own soul is essential for making healthy disciples.

How to Turn Volunteers into Leaders: An Equipping Guide for Those Called to Equip
Danny Franks, Room 208
A lot of church leaders default to delegating tasks rather than developing leaders. If Ephesians 4:12 calls us to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, how do we get started? This highly-practical breakout will give you the tools you need to build your leadership pipeline.

Identifying and Developing People for Worship Ministry
Megan Hollifield, Room 220
Healthy worship ministry starts with developing people, not just filling positions. In this breakout, you’ll explore practical strategies for identifying, equipping and developing worship leaders and team members across every generation to serve with excellence and heart.

Leading with a Shared (Disciple-Multiplying) Vision
Dave Rhodes, Room 222
Vision isn’t hard—but cultivating a shared vision fueled by disciple-making clarity can be. In this workshop, we’ll explore eight common vision problems that often trip leaders up. You’ll be introduced to a few powerful tools that can help get your leaders on the same page, awaken holy risk-taking among your congregation, and release your church to live on mission where they live, work, study and play.

Lessons from Being Sent Well
Mike Pittman, Justin Kidd, Neal Thornton & Neeko Williams, Room 122
In this TED Talk-style session, three church planters share real stories of how their Sending Churches set them up for fruitful ministry. Hear practical insights, lessons learned and inspiration for how your church can raise up and send out planters well.

Leveraging Big Days to Build an Inviter Culture and Grow
Bobby Herrington, Room 126
We will explore how churches can use Big Days as strategic opportunities to build an inviter culture and spark momentum for growth. We’ll look at the biblical and practical reasons why inviting matters, and how intentional planning around these key days can create an environment where people are excited to bring others. Attendees will walk away with practical tools and fresh vision for leveraging Big Days to see more people reached and lives changed.

Marketing Your Church Well: One Size Does Not Fit All 
Kathryn Carson & Daniel Spivey, Room 201
This breakout will introduce simple, budget-friendly practices anyone can use to connect with their community. Through guided small-group interaction, you’ll also learn from one another by exchanging proven ideas from diverse ministry contexts. Come ready to engage and share.

Missions DNA: Embedding a Heart for the Nations in Students
Betsy Bolick, Room 101/102
College campuses are one of the most strategic mission fields in the world—but they are also a launching pad for the global mission force. In this breakout we will explore practical strategies for reaching, equipping and sending college students all over the world for the glory of God and the furtherance of the gospel!

Moving Toward Elder Leadership
Ed Rose, Room 124
This session will provide a biblical and theological framework for elder leadership within the local church, with particular attention to its implications for disciple making. Participants will examine scriptural foundations for a plurality of elders, consider the practical benefits of shared oversight, and evaluate common challenges encountered in the transition process. Designed for pastors, leaders and church members engaged in shaping healthy governance, this session will offer principles and pathways for moving faithfully and effectively toward an elder-led model.

Observe All That I Have Commanded: A Biblical Vision for Faith and Daily Work
Corinne Nelson, Room 224
This breakout explores Jesus’ call to “observe all that I have commanded” as a comprehensive vision for the whole of life. Drawing together the cultural mandate, the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, it invites Christians in every season and vocation—workplaces, homes, classrooms and communities—to see daily life as sacred and purposeful. The session focuses on how this integrated vision transforms ordinary responsibilities and helps believers understand themselves as co-laborers with God, living a holistic Great Commission life.

Reaching the Unreached Peoples Next Door
Zac Lyons, Room 125
God, in His sovereign will, has seen fit to bring the unreached nations of the world next door. He has brought those who were once far from any access to the gospel and has placed them here, just beyond our doorstep. How then should we, as Jesus’ people, respond? As N.C. Baptists, we are on mission together. We want to see every church playing their part in the effort to see every nation hearing the gospel and healthy churches being formed! Come learn about how you can play your part!

Spiritual Warfare and Pastoral Health
Chuck Lawless, Room 221
As ministry leaders, we have an enemy who would love nothing more than to bring us down. In this session, we’ll discuss how to stand firm against the arrows of the enemy.

Teaching Teachers: A Biblical Model for Sunday School Growth
Jonathan Blaylock, Room 109
Want to know how to move your Sunday school teachers beyond the quarterly? Tired of them just showing up and reading the lesson to the class? In this breakout learn the not-so-secret secret to biblically growing your Sunday school.

The Allure of Practicing Meaningful Membership
Matt Capps, Room 112
Too many people float through life without a purpose or accountability. However, local churches that practice meaningful membership are drawing people in because of their intentionality and structure. In this session, we will walk through the biblical principles, practical wisdom, and spiritual benefits of clear membership processes and expectations.

True Pew Potential
Chip Stallings, Room 120
Discover how to view the people in our pews not just as members or volunteers but as multipliers. This breakout will show how reinforcing that perspective through a disciple-making pathway can equip and inspire them to live into their God-given potential.

Unlikely Partnerships: The Gospel at Work in Every Context
Antoine Lassiter, Room 123
God often advances His kingdom through unexpected relationships. In this breakout, we’ll explore how crossing cultural and economic divides can open new doors for disciple making. Discover practical tools for building authentic partnerships and reaching overlooked communities with the hope of Christ.

VBS with Vision: Turning a Summer Program into a Discipleship Movement
Beth Whitman, Room 202
VBS + summer = unstoppable! It’s more than crafts and songs. It’s the spark that can ignite your church’s year-round family discipleship movement. Let’s dive in and discover how VBS can fuel lasting, growing faith and strengthen families like never before!

You Count: Discover Your Place in God’s Mission
Tú Cuentas: Descubre Tu Lugar en la Misión de Dios
Diego Fernández, Room 228
God has designed each of us with unique gifts, experiences, and passions. In this workshop, we will explore how your story fits into God’s bigger plan to reach the nations. You will be encouraged and equipped to see that you matter, and that your role in God’s mission—whether big or small—is essential for making disciples and advancing His Kingdom.

Dios nos ha diseñado a cada uno con dones, experiencias y pasiones únicas. En este taller, exploraremos cómo tu historia forma parte del gran plan de Dios para alcanzar a las naciones. Serás animado y equipado para ver que tú importas, y que tu papel en la misión de Dios—sea grande o pequeño—es esencial para hacer discípulos y avanzar Su Reino.

Translate the Conference using Kaleo AI
We’re excited to be testing a new app, Kaleo AI, that makes communication easier than ever. With just a pair of earbuds, you can log in from any device and instantly hear this event’s main sessions in your preferred language. Prefer reading instead? Simply switch to the closed caption feature and follow along with ease.

How to Access Translations
During the event, click here 5 minutes before each main session to access translations through the Kaleo AI app or a web browser. Download the Kaleo app by searching in your device’s app store, then click “search for your church” and enter “NC Baptists” to find this event.