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Conference Equips Leaders for Ministry Success

By March 28, 2014July 16th, 2014No Comments

LeadGRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—Calvary Baptist Church hosted the Church Ministries Conference of the Grand Rapids Association of Regular Baptist Churches, a two-day event for local church leaders.

Knute Larson spoke during three sessions March 7 and 8 on the theme “Standing Firm: Finding Confidence in an Uncertain Age.” Larson is a teacher, author, and former pastor who now coaches pastors and churches.

He set the conference tone on the first day, saying he would not be speaking on getting involved in ministry. After all, he said, the participants (over 750 of them!) chose to spend a Friday night and an entire Saturday hearing God’s Word and attending workshops to enhance their ministries.

Before the conference started, a two-hour training session in Logos Bible Software was available for 75 people. Both new and seasoned users of the software discovered some of its deeper functions and took part in a question-and-answer time.

Then on both days of the conference, staff of organizations around the nation and numerous GARBC churches led nearly 100 workshops relating to various aspects of church ministry. Each workshop was 50 minutes long. The planning committee works hard to determine the topics to be addressed and speakers to invite.

Alex Bauman

Alex Bauman

Staff members of the GARBC Resource Center have historically been an active part of the conference by leading some of these valuable sessions.

Alex Bauman, director of Regular Baptist Press, led a workshop on choosing Bible curriculum. He covered the five hidden influences on curriculum publishers’ doctrine as well as steps to take in choosing sound, Biblical curriculum. He also gave a workshop on teaching aims and another on how to ask questions effectively.

Alan Wilson, Regular Baptist Press field coordinator, led workshops on reaching children between the ages of 4 and 14 (what he calls the “4/14 window”), classroom management, and treating teachers as VIPs.

Michael Nolan

Michael Nolan

Michael Nolan, director of business administration and treasurer, led a workshop on the business side of ministry. Topics included financial planning, current trends and topics, and legal and tax matters. Participants appreciated the opportunity to interact with and get their questions answered from an expert in ministry business and the author himself of The Business Side of Ministry.

The Church Ministries Conference, says the GRARBC, is a one-of-a kind event that helps equip servant leaders for successful ministry.

  • Learn about ministry training seminars offered by GARBC Resource Center staff. To schedule a seminar or workshop at your church or online, contact the RBP Business/Sales Department at 847-585-0887.

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