B21 would like to make our readers (especially NC readers) aware of an event to be held at this year’s North Carolina Baptist Convention. This event will take place immediately after the Pastor’s Conference ends and B21’s Nathan Akin will take part in it. (You will want to be a part of the Pastor’s Conference as well, it features Johnny Hunt, Danny Akin, Al Gilbert, Kevin Ezell, and many more – check out the schedule here)
What: The title of the event is Engaged: Embracing Christ Through Missional Discipleship. The format will be a round-table discussion on Missonal-Discipleship.
When: Monday, November 8th at 4:00pm
Where: Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, NC following the Pastor’s Conference
Who:
- Dennis Pethers is founder of Viz-A-Viz Ministries and International Director of More to Life
- Alvin L. Reid serves as Professor of Evangelism and Student Ministry at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC, where he has been since 1995
- Nathan Akin is the Student development Liaison to the Churches for Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, College Director Open Door Baptist Church, and Administrator for Baptist21
- Brian Upshaw is the leader of the Church Ministry Team for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
- Sean Cordell is the Pastor for Preaching and Mercy Ministries at Treasuring Christ Church in Raleigh, NC
- Winfield Bevins is the founding pastor of Church of the Outer Banks (www.churchobx.com)
- Russ Conley began working for the NC Baptist State Convention in January 2010 as a Senior Consultant for Leadership Development after having provided contract services to the Convention since 2004
- Will Plitt is a former church planter and now leads a new church planting network in North Carolina called Plant NC
- Rick Hughes is a Church Planting Mentor Trainer for the North American Mission Board, Senior Consultant for Discipleship in the Congregational Services Group of the Baptist State Convention, and pastor of the King Cowboy Church.
Rick is also the organizer of this event and here is what he has to say about it:
The Engaged roundtable is really about having a discussion from people who are practitioners of doing missional discipleship. People that would be interested in attending would be the pastors who have a great deal of interest in discipling from a missional community; but also pastors who are involved in churches that in the past have been doing just simply program discipleship and are realizing that that is not really making disciples, (and) that they are not really carrying out the Great Commission
To register for this FREE event CLICK HERE
B21 would like to urge our readers to attend state conventions and make your voice heard. Many of these conventions are putting together events, like this one, that will foster networking. This should be an incentive to go and connect with guys going through similar stages of life and ministry, but also go and be a part of the process of helping us partner together for the propagation of the gospel, especially to the areas of greatest need.
Comments 0
What is “program discipleship” that Rick Hughes mentions?
Could someone give examples of “program discipleship” and “non-program discipleship”?
Roger, I think he means “programmatic,” i.e., the assumption by some that a (or the, in practice) primary way of discipling is through getting people into classes offering a collection of programs which focus on discipling. Programs are not the problem in themselves, but the disposition that if we get enough people into enough classes they are being discipled, which some of us, myself included, would argue has been more effective at getting people to attend church services than to be disciples of Jesus.
At one level anything you do that organizes people into a learning environment is a “program,” but that is different than a programmatic disposition, which was the way I was “discipled” growing up in church. At least that is my view on this.
We will be talking about a renaissance in mentoring, on discipleship centered on the gospel and not on completing programs, discipleship that leads to a missional lifestyle, etc. I am excited about this!
Dr. Reid:
I think your point regarding mentoring being the “missing link” in developing disciples is right on.
I don’t think Paul gave Timothy a book or classroom instruction. Instead Paul gave Timothy “hands on” training.
I feel TRUSTING in Jesus in all things and ACCEPTING his chlglenaes with fervor is OUR challenge lately. This verse shows us more clearly how to go about HIS work.